Much of the public believes the Seattle School District is in financial turmoil, though that's not the case, said the district's chief operating officer, Mark Green.

Green spoke with superintendent Raj Manhas and chief academic officer Carla Santorno at a community meeting last week at Roosevelt High School. About 100 district officials and community members came to discuss the state of the public school system.

Green said he's concerned about the district's finances and the budget gap, but he's not worried about the dollars; he's worried about false perception.

"People tell us we are doing terribly," Green said. "But I believe we are being good stewards of the public's money."

The district has balanced its budget for the past three years and has finished the last four operating years in the black, Green said. Despite the largest escalation of construction costs in three decades, capital projects are on schedule, too.

Though the district is still strapped for cash, its reserve has been brought from zero to more than $25 million in the past four years, said Green.

"That's a prudent amount for a school district our size..." said Green. "It would only last us about two weeks."

The superintendent and School Board have been looking for cost saving opportunities to pay for operations and programs, making some controversial decisions along the way. As well as approving the closure of seven school buildings last year to save millions annually, the School Board also recently approved the switch to Metro buses for all high schools.

"That's a cost saver for us," said Green. "We've learned our lessons with Franklin and Ballard (those schools switched to Metro last fall). We know how to pull this off."

After widespread criticism for being less than transparent during two tumultuous school closure processes last year and in 2005, the district has been holding regular community meetings in an effort to erase that perception. Parents and community members were invited to ask questions and give feedback at the meeting last week.

One woman said many parents have negative perceptions of how the district communicates with families and the community in general. Especially during school closures last year, parents have felt like their concerns have not been fully listened to, she said.

"I don't think people trust that their words will be listened to or acted upon," she said. "Actions are loudest for sure, and the words (of district officials) have to be honest."

Another parent said the district should be more creative and thoughtful with how it reaches out to the bilingual community. Minority populations now make up the bulk of Seattle school's student body.

Many don't know or understand the school system and it's hard to find information in languages other than English, he said.

During a small group discussion about family engagement, Seattle City Councilman Peter Steinbrueck said it's a mistake for parents to expect the district to take full responsibility to educate their children.

"Parents need to see themselves as partners with the school district in education," Steinbrueck said, noting that a child's' success also depends on parental involvement.

"If that's being neglected the child won't succeed," he said.

Though the district's education leaders had mostly high praise for the school system, they admitted it were still far from perfection, citing low Washington Assessment of Student Learning scores, among other factors.

Superintendent Manhas, who will leave his post this August, said Seattle is "leading the work in Olympia," where education advocates are lobbying legislators to fully fund kindergarten-thorugh-12th-grade education. Washington currently ranks 42nd in the nation for per-pupil funding.

"Our finances are in order and we are progressing in academics and building the right leadership, said Manhas, adding that the district was faring better financially and academically compared to others in the state. "We have a long way to go, but we are making progress."

Rebekah Schilperoort may be reached at 783.1244 or rebekahs@robinsonnews.com