Seattle Schools -- School Board Plans To Move Headquarters Inconsistent

The proposed new $43 million Seattle School District headquarters building, at a former postal facility, is not a good idea.

The Seattle City Council's Business, Economic and Community Development Committee has voted to oppose the district's plans for good reason.

The council committee rightly declined to grant the district an exemption, noting that the maintenance of a healthy industrial area is of vital interest to the city.

There are other things wrong with the idea of moving to the industrial area south of the Kingdome. Traffic is a problem, with two stadiums in the area. The location will be noisy - there is a busy train crossing directly beside the building. The proposed offices will be inferior to present offices, without partitions that extend to the ceiling.

The project has moved forward without a vote by the public, and it would put the district in debt by $26.7 million. The district's current headquarters on Queen Anne is already centrally located; the main maintenance facilities on Fourth Avenue South are partly unused. And keeping some facilities decentralized can be convenient for, and user-friendly toward, the public.

Pursuing a new headquarters project is a non-classroom-focused reorganization, which seems inconsistent with the district's stated intent to have its immediate focus be on academics.

Chris Jackins

Seattle