The proposal to move the Pathfinder K-8 alternative program to the Boren building has been taken off the latest list of Seattle Public Schools closure recommendations.

Superintendent Raj Manhas announced his final recommendations last Wednesday, which include closing seven buildings and merging five schools.

In the superintendent's preliminary recommendations the Genesee Hill building that houses Pathfinder would have been shuttered, but for now Pathfinder will stay where it is because the district said more research is needed to find a suitable home for Pathfinder.

Pathfinder parents and staff loudly opposed the move to Boren. They said the building was too big too run down for their program. Co-president of the Pathfinder Parent Teacher Association Lynette Martin said the school community is happy they have the opportunity for a chance to find a better facility.

"That's exactly what we asked for," said Martin. "But there doesn't seem to be an optimum solution at this time."

Manhas said the proposal to move Pathfinder to Boren was scrapped because Boren is not well suited for Pathfinder's K-5 program. The district also decided that Boren is still needed as an interim site for future south Seattle capital improvement projects.

Some at Pathfinder think the program should stay where it is and fight for district funds to fix up the beleaguered Genesee facility. Others want to look at possibly merging Pathfinder with another program in the area, said Martin. Still, some worry that a merger could leave some of the Pathfinder staff behind.

"We're just going to continue to have an open dialogue with the district during this process and keep discussing what options are out there for us," said Martin. "The school board and the district really seem vested in making careful and conscious choices for the community. We'll just have to keep knocking on the door."

Cooper Elementary School is one building that may be getting a knock soon. School board member Michael DeBell said the board has talked about the possibility of moving Pathfinder to Cooper. That idea was first proposed during last year's school closure process that was halted after it drew widespread community protest.

DeBell said a merger with the two schools would be difficult because the district cannot compel families to choose an alternative program such as Pathfinder. He doesn't think the Cooper facility has enough capacity to house both programs independently, but neither prospect has been formally discussed, he said.

DeBell said he wanted to erase any impressions that Pathfinder was "hunting for a site."

"The district put (Pathfinder) in this position," he said. "The district put them in an inadequate facility."

Manhas denied accusations that the district made changes in communities that made the most noise, but Martin said she believes it made a difference in Pathfinder's case.

"I'd like to think the noise made a difference," she said. "We feel like people listened to us."

Initially, the district recommended closing 11 schools to help fill a projected multi-million dollar budget deficit. To reach that goal the district will enter a second phase of school closures and consolidations in the fall. Another three or four buildings will be considered for closure in the Northeast, Central and Southwest areas of the city where the district has found they are operating at excess capacity. During that process, the district hopes to work with the school and parent community to find a solution for Pathfinder. All closures and mergers will occur for fall of 2007.

The school-generated proposal to merge the Fairmount Elementary program at High Point also passed the superintendent's recommendations. All Fairmount students and its elementary bilingual orientation center will be accommodated at High Point, according Manhas' final recommendations.

Manhas recommends closing the Hughes interim site, but that closure does not save the district any money because the building is already closed. The district could end up selling or renting the property to produce capital revenue from its closure.

The district estimates that it would save $2.1 million in the first year that closures are implemented and $2.4 in the following year. Net cost savings are expected to increase over time. But Manhas said he doesn't expect school closures to solve the district's money problems.

"It's a very complicated system," said Manhas. "There are multiple issues we have to deal with."

Rebekah Schilperoort can be reached via wseditor@robinsonnews.com