Amid overwhelming opposition from Chief Sealth High staff and students, the Seattle School Board voted 5-2 in favor of moving forward with its plan to co-locate Denny Middle School on the high school's campus.

A transfer of $10 million from Building Excellence III funds was approved in order to give Sealth more academic and classroom upgrades than the original $125 million voter-approved capital project.

Board members Mary Bass and Harium Martin-Morris voted against the funding reallocation, while Michael DeBell, Peter Maier, Sherry Carr, Cheryl Chow and Steve Sundquist gave their approval.

Director Carr said she trusts there is good potential for academic enhancement at both schools through a shared campus model and that she could not reconcile a multi-million loss of buying power if the project were to be delayed.

"I believe the project is sound," Carr said.

Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson told the board she favored a co-located campus because of the potential academic benefits. The district cites academic benefits to be planned collaboration among teachers and students, peer tutoring and lower dropout rates, among others.

The board considered either sticking with the initial project approved by voters last year; rebuild Denny next to Sealth and make major structural and safety upgrades to the high school, or adding money for Sealth and a third option; rebuild Denny at its current location and make only life safety upgrades to Sealth.

Option three, favored by most Sealth staff and students, would have required an extra $15 million in funds and delay the project up to two years to re-design Denny and get the necessary permits.

Maier said adding funds to the shared campus project is the best option for both schools. The next opportunity for significant improvements to Sealth could be as late as 2020, as many of the district's aging elementary and middle schools are up next for major renovations, he said.

"I do hear you ... but I've also heard constant support from the Denny community for this project," said Maier.

Denny staff mostly supports the project, but more than 90 percent of Seallth staff signed a petition against the project because they feel their opinion was never truly sought. They also say it's not fair their school would be the only high school in the district not to receive a full renovation.

New board member Martin-Morris said he was voting against the motion because he campaigned on a promise that his decisions would be based on whether it "helped students learn and teachers teach."

"For me, option two does not reach that bar," he said.

The extra $10 million is for various interior and exterior improvements to Sealth, to be determined by staff and the board later. At a recent board meeting, district staff told board members funds would come from some infrastructure and technology projects in the current Building Excellence III program.

About $5 million would come from deferring indoor air and water quality improvements at Salmon Bay alternative school in Ballard and Summit K-12. Another $3.5 million would take away from planned technology improvements at some schools and $1.5 million would come from the district's excess debt service fund.

These projects would likely be restored in the next capital improvement bond, said Don Gilmore, project manager for the district's capital programs.