Story perspectives

Seattle Public Schools Starts Merger Talks After Enrollment Drop

By Drooid · Oct 27, 2026, 4:11 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Seattle Public Schools has begun a months-long process to consider district mergers.
Superintendent Ben Shuldiner says enrollment dropped from over 94,000 in 1964 to under 50,000.
He attributes the decline to the Boeing bust, wealth shifts, private-school growth, and leadership turnover.
Open enrollment will use a lottery that prioritizes families from schools facing closure.
The board could approve a merger plan late February or early March.

1 of 1

Story summary

Seattle Public Schools has begun a months-long process to consider district mergers.
Superintendent Ben Shuldiner says enrollment dropped from over 94,000 in 1964 to under 50,000.
He attributes the decline to the Boeing bust, wealth shifts, private-school growth, and leadership turnover.
Open enrollment will use a lottery that prioritizes families from schools facing closure.
The board could approve a merger plan late February or early March.