Shawna Murphy, a proud 1986 graduate of Ingraham High School and current South Park resident, has a deep-seated faith in Seattle Public Schools (SPS). Despite her optimism, she acknowledges that there is always room for improvement within the system. Murphy’s two daughters have experienced SPS firsthand; one graduated in 2022, while the other is starting high school this month.
Murphy recalls a challenging period from her own childhood when Seattle schools faced severe funding cuts due to a failed levy. As a young student at Olympic Hills Elementary, she experienced firsthand the impact of these financial constraints.
“I was in first or second grade when the levy didn’t pass,” Murphy said. “We spent the entire day in our classrooms because there was no funding for additional activities. We had no library, no librarian, no PE, no electives, and the school day was shortened to 1:10 p.m. to save on staffing costs.”
During the 1970s and 1980s, frequent changes in school zones and busing to address racial desegregation led to Murphy attending several schools, often staying at each for less than two years. Despite these changes, Murphy managed to stay with many of the same peers and remained largely unfazed by the experience.
Murphy is passionate about supporting Seattle Public Schools and believes the community needs to commit to public education. She finds it frustrating that many families can afford private schools or are leaving Seattle due to high living costs.
“We know families who have had to move frequently because their rental homes are sold, and we’ve seen the same thing happen with teachers at our kids’ schools,” Murphy said.
She is concerned that the planned closure of 20 schools in a single year could lead to lasting resentment among families and adversely impact the SPS community.
“There’s always an ebb and flow with school buildings opening and closing,” Murphy said. “But closing 20 schools in one year is excessive. It would be more prudent to spread this process over five years.”