SEATTLE — Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Ben Shuldiner faces significant challenges as the school year concludes today, including an $87 million budget gap and pressure to avoid school closures.
He says he is also prioritizing student safety and improvements in graduation rates. The superintendent, who is heading into his first full school year next fall, will dedicate the summer to addressing these issues without a break, as students begin their vacation.
The district’s $87 million budget gap is leading to consideration of drastic measures, including school closures and consolidations. The prior superintendent had brought up the idea, but caved to pressure from parents calling for no neighborhood schools to be closed.
“Everything is on the table,” says Shuldiner. “I’m not going to promise anything I don’t believe in.”
The superintendent has acknowledged that school closures and consolidations are not a certainty, but remain an option to tackle the budget deficit. He also expressed a desire to eliminate the practice of placing one teacher in charge of multiple grades.
To address the financial shortfall, he says he’s planning a reorganization of staff this summer.
Student safety is another key focus for Superintendent Shuldiner. Seattle Public Schools has experienced several tragedies, including the shooting death of Amarr Murphy-Paine outside Garfield High School in June 2024. In March 2025, a 12-year-old was killed by a rolling unattended car at an SPS building, and in January of this year, two Rainier Beach High School students were shot and killed while at a nearby bus stop.
To enhance security, Superintendent Shuldiner plans to explore various safety measures for school buildings.
“We’re going to look at fencing, we’re going to look at certainly more cameras, there’s lots of blind spots, so we can always see where they are, but there are also things like a single point of entry,” Shuldiner said.
He also mentioned considering bulletproof film on windows and weapons detectors. The superintendent emphasized the importance of community involvement in security decisions, drawing parallels to security checks at public venues.
Improving graduation rates is also a priority for the district under Superintendent Shuldiner. He says the current graduation rate stands at roughly 86.1%, which places SPS at 15th in the state, which he deems unacceptable.
“Our goal is 94.5%, we want to be in the top 5,” Shuldiner said. He said he’d like to see graduation rates increase by 2030.
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