A Letter from the PTSA

Dear Garfield Families,

The Garfield PTSA welcomes you and your students back to another school year. Unfortunately, the year has begun with frustrations and high emotions over Garfield’s enrollment and teacher shortage. We hear and appreciate the many parents, students and families who have reached out with concerns. As one of many parent communities at GHS, the PTSA supports the needs of all students, families, teachers and administration.

Students are starting the school year faced with barriers to their educational needs being met – overcrowded classrooms, limited access to courses required for graduation, and limited course offerings compared to past years. 

It’s important to mention that Garfield’s issues stem from the Seattle Public Schools District underestimating Garfield’s Fall 2019 enrollment by ~400 students. Due to added uncertainty with Lincoln High School opening, enrollment projections were intentionally conservative for several high schools. Mr Howard and the campus administration play no role in projecting enrollment or in setting the budget; rather, GHS operates and staffs from the budget provided by SPS in the spring.

The PTSA has learned that today is the last day of the final enrollment count, and Garfield will receive four additional Full Time Employees (FTEs). The District sees this as a way to address overcrowding and improve course offerings. 

Again, the PTSA would like to thank the Garfield parent community for their emails and calls in supporting our students, teachers and administration. We also encourage community members to share concerns with the Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools. 

GHS Community Bulldogs Strong!

Thanks,

Barbara Rockey 

Co-Chair 

Garfield High School PTSA