Parents pleaded with the Seattle School District not to cut programs and close schools during a tense town hall meeting last Wednesday. Viewlands, John Marshall and Summit schools have all been recommended for closure as part of a plan that could save the financially beleaguered school district $48 million over the next ten years.

Hundreds of parents, teachers and students came to the meeting at Hamilton Middle School in a rainbow of color-coded T-shirts with the names of their schools emblazoned across the front.

Since the community advisory committee released its preliminary list of school closures for 12 school buildings, parents like Victoria Guettler have rallied to stop their school from shutting down or moving to another building. The committee recommends closing Viewlands Elementary School, citing poor educational and building condition.

"It's not going to happen as far as I am concerned," said Guettler, president of Viewlands parent teacher association. "It's already a concerted effort - the emails are flying."

At about 200 students, the committee said Viewlands has excess capacity, low test scores and a drop in first choice and residential enrollment. More than half of Viewlands students qualify for free or reduced price meals and Washington Assessment of Student Learning scores have declined in the last few years.

But parents said Viewlands is unique because of its location near Carkeek Park.

"This site offers great opportunity to learn about nature and environment at a very low cost," said parent Jewel MacNeil. "Please save this unique site."

Julie Gwinn challenged the committee's rational for closing Viewlands based on the facility's poor condition.

"But a nice new building does not make a school," she said, adding that nearby schools couldn't offer autism and special education students an inclusive education like Viewlands does.

Another Viewlands parent, Mary Perry, said there are only two schools in the district with preschool through 5th grade developmentally disabled services; Thurgood Marshall and Viewlands, both of which are on the list to be closed.

"Autism is a growing problem," said Perry. "There were 293 students with autism in the district last fall, and there are likely more that are undiagnosed."

The John Marshall alternative school building would close under the proposal because of its poor building condition and low residential enrollment, according the advisory committee. They recommend moving the Marshall programs to other facilities because the building is "not a good elementary choice."

In a letter to Seattle Schools Superintendent Raj Manhas, John Marshall principal Joseph Drake wrote that Marshall is the only alternative school dedicated to serving at risk youth, most of whom are minority students. He also said his students already use the Metro bus service, which saves the district money in busing.

Kathleen Kurtz said Marshall should stay open because it's the only school in the district with a program for pregnant teens and daycare for their children up to the age of 2.

"We need to keep these adolescent girls in school and having the daycare program is an important part of motivating them," said Kurtz, a nurse at Marshall.

Marshall is open for about 16 hours a day for four days a week, Drake wrote, proving that the committee's claim that the building isn't fully utilized is untrue.

The Jane Addams building would also close under the preliminary proposal, and the Summit K-12 program it houses would move to the Wilson Pacific building where there is more adequate space for a K-12, said the advisory committee. Programs at Wilson would be relocated.

Summit parents and teachers said it doesn't make sense to send at risk students to Wilson, which is in an area they consider to have high crime.

Claudine Burgos used to work at Wilson and is now an instructional assistant at Summit. She said Wilson is not a place she would want her child to go to school.

"(The committee) is thinking about what's best for the district and not what's best for the children," said Burgos.

Many other parents were concerned that the district has yet to produce a plan for where displaced students would be sent.

School board member Cheryl Chow said those details can't be worked out until a closure/consolidation list has been finalized.

Since the final recommendations will not be implemented until fall 2007, there will be a year to come up with transition plans with the affected school's administration and staff, said Chow.

"I'm very encouraged with the process--it's moving forward," she said.

The committee used principles and criteria approved by the school board to study each school's effectiveness in areas of academic achievement, effective family connection, enrollment and facilities. Washington Assessment of Student Learning scores and Value Added gains were studied to assess effective instruction.

After reassessment based on five town hall meetings, the committee passed its recommendations to Manhas on May 30. Manhas will then make his own recommendations followed by more public hearings before the school board votes on a final list July 26.

Half of the money saved from closing schools would be reinvested back into the remaining schools, said district spokesman Peter Daniels. He said the district would close schools despite public protest.

But similar to last year's failed closure proposal, parents seem determined to change that.

"My child is part of a community where the individual is valued," said Barbara Vaness. "Viewlands is the village that should raise everybody's child."

Other schools on the closure list for fall 2007 are Fairmount Park, High Point, Sacajawea, Martin Luther King, Thurgood Marshall, Emerson and Graham Hill elementary schools.