Dear Superintendent Jones,
We are deeply hurt by the district’s failure to prioritize the safety and well-being of disabled students. On Monday, February 10, 2025, a car with an unidentified shooter fired over 40 bullets at and into the building housing the BRIDGES Secondary Transition program in West Seattle. The BRIDGES program serves SPS 18-21-year-old students with disabilities. Nearly 58% of students with disabilities enrolled in the Bridges program are BIPOC. (OSPI Report Card)
There was minor media coverage, including the statement from the district’s communication department minimizing the impact of the incident. This lack of regard for students with disabilities and the professionals at their schools is shameful. While no one was physically hurt, the act of violence was not harmless. It was traumatic! Yet, this dangerous situation was never mentioned at the Wednesday, February 12, school board meeting.
Dr. Jones, during the school board meeting, you highlighted the successes of high school volleyball teams. It is good to recognize student success, but open and effective communication with the community requires sharing news of student danger as well. This is how trust is built. Whether or not intended, the silence on a violent event that directly impacted students feels like callous or calculated disregard for the vulnerable SPS student population and the educators who serve them.
The lack of acknowledgment and transparency following this traumatic event raises critical concerns about the district’s commitment to student safety and educational equity. The decision to withhold information — whether due to deliberate omission or sheer indifference — demonstrates a profound disregard for the students and staff who were in danger of losing their lives and their families.
We are not aware of any communication about this tragic incident to SPS families, neighbors, or nearby schools on the day of the shooting. As advocates in the community, and some of us parents living in the same neighborhood as the Bridges program, we find this omission and negligence both, alarming and unacceptable.
Whether Superintendent Jones intentionally withheld information about the shooting, the district did not demonstrate care about the safety of disabled students and their educators. The lack of transparency and empathy is inexcusable.
We cannot imagine any other school in SPS taking 40+ bullets and SPS having no response, not even an acknowledgment at the February 12 school board meeting. Why did the district tell the media that there was “damage to the cafeteria” and that “several bullets were fired,” but did not disclose the full reality with transparency?
We are appalled that bullets flying around our students and educators, as close as 12 feet from our students and educators, were not deemed important enough for the superintendent to mention. It is irrelevant that the BRIDGES program building was not the intended target. The intent doesn’t lessen the impact of trauma.
We urge you, Superintendent Jones, to acknowledge the omission of information from the February 12th meeting and take immediate action to address the systemic disregard for the safety and well-being of disabled students. We expect transparency, accountability, and concrete steps from the district to rebuild the trust of our community. The concerns and safety of all SPS students and staff must be the top priority moving forward.
Our students need a true commitment to an inclusive mindset and practices from everyone, especially the leadership in Seattle Public Schools. It’s time for action, not just words!
In Community,
Jana Parker, She/Her
President
