Students who finally returned to in person learning at Seattle Public Schools on Monday for the first time in over a year found homeless encampments waiting for them on two of the district’s campuses.
This comes just two years after state officials debated legislation that would prohibit homeless encampments from being within 1,000 feet from a school.
Neighbors have shown photos of King County needle exchange vans near the encampments, as well as dead rats tied to sticks.
The encampments are located at Broadview Thomson K-8, on Greenwood Ave., and Edmond S. Meany Middle School, on 21st Ave. Neighbors attribute area crime, trash, waste, and needles to the encampments. Seattle Public School officials have refused to address the situation, according to neighbors and parents. Some school board members have even demanded that the encampments stay on the school properties.
City officials and school board members have declined to meet with the group of neighbors, parents, and employees who want to address the situation. According to emails that the parents sent to news outlets, Seattle School Board President Chandra Hampson and Director Zachary DeWolf demanded Mayor Jenny Durkan not allow the encampments to be removed from school grounds.
“I want to state very clearly this is not an ask for a sweep! I do not believe in sweeps. People experiencing homelessness need housing and resources not traumatic sweeps of their livelihoods and belongings. I understand that the Council has allocated and assigned a lot of funding to support our neighbors experiencing homelessness. BUT we do need some support — we are bringing students back to classrooms and school buildings/campuses in a matter of a few weeks. Do you have any ideas for how to help?” one parent asked in an email.
Hampson and DeWolf published a joint statement condemning any potential removal of encampments from school property or anywhere else in the city “We demand sweeps NEVER be performed on school grounds, adjacent or elsewhere in this City.”Meanwhile, SPS superintendent Denise Juneau admitted in an email to neighbors that “We realize people living unsheltered in encampments can create health and safety hazards for their occupants and the general public.”Hampson even attempted to deny that the encampment was located on school campuses, even though city websites clearly show the property owned by Seattle Public Schools.
At Broadview, SPS has opted to provide on campus security for the school instead of removing the encampment. In June of 2020, Seattle Public Schools officially suspended their partnership with the Seattle Police Department for at least one year following the death of George Floyd. The campers arrived and have been on campus since July.
According to neighbors, a woman died of an overdose at the encampment at Broadview in February and her body lay in the street for hours.
The encampments have grown to over 40 tents each, and the encampment at Broadview Thompson is located on a protected environmental area next to a lake, which residents say the campers are polluting.
Ryle Goodrich, whose 6-year-old son was scheduled to return to one of the schools Monday for in-person learning for the first time in over a year told KOMO News, “You question the judgment of those in charge of keeping your children safe. I am calling on the school board to allow Mayor Jenny Durkan to take care of these encampments as she has in the past, which would be to offer services and then guide campers out of the park and let children return to school.”
Goodrich added that he is looking to pull his children from the school. “I know a lot of parents who wanted to send their children back to school but are unwilling to because they don’t feel safe. We are house shopping already – out of Seattle.”
This is so so sad,a once beautiful city,where I was born,I have no words now.
Just what the left-wing has always wanted! UTOPIA! This would be hilarious if it wasn’t reality! Morons!
I feel for those living on the streets without properplaces to live.
Perhaps all that taxpayer money used to impeach an innocent man should have been used to help these people obtain permanent living accomodations and obtaining jobs. But it doesn’t seem that American citizens are a priority and neither are it’s children.
A homeless camp absolutely has no place within the boundary lines of a school where children should be safe and parents should be free from worry about the safety of their children.
Everything is so out of control now and we have zero leadership. This is a travesty..this entire created chaos is a travesty on every American citizen.
No traumatic sweeps of their livelihoods ? The taxpayers ARE their livlihoods and they’re the ones being traumatized.
As a parent i was always on the lookout for teachable moments for my daughters .
Never too young . tell them THIS is what voting democrat socialism will get you . REPEATEDLY !!!
they WILL remember .
Absolutely ludicrous behavior by both the school board and the city itself. Children should be the top priority for all concerned. The liberal left has truly lost it’s collective mind. What’s more disconcerting is the school system’s complete split from their police forces. They scream outrage when someone’s rights are violated yet support violating the rights of children to a safe learning environment. Every single issue they support lacks common sense and defies logic. When a person who is directly responsible for the welfare of children opts to allow homeless vagabonds that clearly bring with them unsanitary conditions almost always illicit drug use and more often than not psychological problems we have to question the sanity of that individual. Every single parent should refuse to allow their children to attend such a clear and present danger to their children. Schools are allocated funding based on attendance. If none attend then no pay for anyone in the school system. Kindness has it’s limit and this surpasses that limit. It is about time to return to common sense thinking and stop pushing this ridiculous woke agenda.
But we will allow illegals to overrun the border and give them benefits and pay for everything.
Homeless that mince they are Squatters when the School Board and the City let them take over the School Play Grounds to live. Demacarts don’t care for the ones who pay there wages.
No parent in their right mind should send their children to a very hazardous ⚠️ school. This just shows that Seattle doesn’t care anything about the welfare of the school children only the homeless and drug users.
Don’t you think how the Democrats are wanted to make sure that all illegals have a place to stay food and clothing and handing them stimulus checks welfare social security and a plush hotel room to stay in they’re more worried about that then kicking them out of the country which means tax paying citizens and many of them are veterans have to camp on a school ground or in the desert they get no food they get no money they get no help that’s Democrat way worried about illegals and tell the American people who go to hell they’re not going to worry about them but look at the Democrats you had eight years of that butt plug Obama along with Biden ass pirate then we were fortunate enough to have President Donald Trump which was turning all that around more jobs more money more people owning their own houses economy with best ever so all of you are so proud of voting a Democrat socialist so they can turn it back into Obama and Biden years with record unemployment lousy pay people losing their houses but in terrorists come into the country than anybody coming across Mexico to come right on in and I’m a free check or free housing medical Care in welfare we all get to pay for it when I can see Democrats are a bunch of ignorant c**********
In my opinion, it is necessary to immediately remove from power the entire criminal elite of the Washington State Congress, which has not legally seized power, appoint new elections and elect the active ones. energetic leaders, such as in all the Republican states, and finally put things in order in this unfortunate. a devastated state.
This is that dumb ass Moron we have in the WH fault. If President Trump was in there the democraps would blame him.
I believe in a place for homeless people but its not in a school yard., That is not good for our young kids to see every day. In most towns and cities there are many empty building’s that they could use.
Are these encampments fireproof?