April 16, 2012 Via Electronic Submission Seattle Public Schools Seattle Public School Board of Directors: Betty

Patu - betty.patu@seattleschools.org Sharon Peaslee - sharon.peaslee@seattleschools.org Marty McLaren - martha.mclaren@seattleschools.org Kay Smith-Blum - kay.smith-blum@seattleschools.org Michael DeBell - michael.debell@seattleschools.org Harium Martin-Morris - harium.martin-morris@seattleschools.org Sherry Carr - sherry.carr@seattleschools.org Ron English Acting General Counsel, Seattle Public Schools renglish@seattleschools.org Dinah Ladd Coordinator - Homelessness Office, Seattle Public Schools djladd@seattleschools.org Dear Seattle Public Schools Directors, Counsel and Staff: This letter is a followup to my letter dated March 19, 2012 (ccd by email to the Seattle Public Schools General Counsel Ron English and Homelessness Liaison Dinah Ladd, as well as attached and incorporated by reference herein) regarding the apparent lack of preparation and communication by and between the Seattle Housing Authority, Seattle Department of Planning and Development, and the Seattle Public Schools on the pending planned displacement of Yesler Terrace youth and families, as part of the proposed Yesler Terrace Housing redevelopment plan. (See March 19th Letter.) Due to the Seattle School Districts lack of response to my March 19th letter, I am writing you directly to ask you to clarify the Districts position regarding its moral and legal responsibilities to vulnerable Yesler Terrace youth and families under an imminent threat of lost educational opportunities, as a direct consequence of the Yesler Terrace redevelopment plan. Imminent Threat of Lost Educational Opportunities for Yesler Terrace Youth To reiterate, I attended a community meeting at Yesler Terrace Community Center on March 7, 2012, where I noted the significance of the absence of any Seattle Public Schools officials, as well as lack of official statements regarding the impact of the Yesler Terrace Housing redevelopment on its school-age children. I addressed the Seattle Department of Planning and Development staff and Seattle of Housing Authority staff in attendance and raised my concern that there seemed to be zero plans regarding the protection of the educational opportunity of Yesler Terrace children.

Under the Yesler Terrace redevelopment plan there is a city-induced temporary relocation of youth and families that is part of a 5-10 year existing unit replacement phase that will result in prolonged transitory housing conditions for Yesler Terrace youth and their families. Without a plan to safeguard the education rights of affected Yesler Terrace youth, this is simply unacceptable. McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act The Seattle School District has ongoing obligations, under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, to identify homeless students or those enduring housing insecurity to ensure that they are receiving an adequate education despite their housing circumstances. The McKinney-Vento Act specifically provides for the rights of these students to offset hardship suffered from homelessness, and/or insecure housing arrangements and inadequate living situations. At a minimum, each and every student affected by the Citys Yesler Terrace redevelopment plan to demolish their current housing is eligible for McKinney-Ventos required safeguards to ensure stability and continuity of educational opportunity, throughout the planned displacement period. Safeguards against Disenfranchisement of Equal Educational Opportunity I urge the Seattle Public Schools to affirmatively mitigate the foreseeable harmful impact of housing insecurity and/or transitory living arrangements to its Yesler Terrace students and families with administrative and policy priorities to safeguard the equal educational opportunity of Yesler Terrace students, and achieve the following: District Outreach Identification The Seattle Public School District is required to have a homeless liaison to ensure that homeless children and youths are identified by school personnel and through coordination with other entities and agencies. McKinney Act, 42 U.S.C. 11432(g)(6)(A). The McKinney-Vento Act requires that the Seattle School District coordinate the identification of Yesler Terrace students affected by the impact of housing insecurity or transitory living arrangements from the Citys redevelopment, by and through its own homeless liaison and/or other school district personnel, and in coordination with other agencies. Ongoing Academic and Support Services There is an ongoing affirmative obligation upon Seattle Public Schools to assess needs and offer appropriate services to Yesler Terrace youth and families to ensure the city-planned demolition of their Yesler Terrace homes does not interfere with their educational opportunities. School Choice Under the McKinney-Vento Act, Yesler Terrace youth undergoing housing insecurity or transitory living arrangements from the Citys redevelopment plan have the right to choose to

attend school where they started their education before losing their permanent residence, or to attend the closest school near their current location during this transitory period, no matter how long they have lived there. Transportation The McKinney-Vento Act also provides that Yesler Terrace youth undergoing the impact of housing insecurity or transitory living arrangements from the Yesler Terrace Housing redevelopment plan are entitled to transportation to and from their original school of origin. These Yesler Terrace youth are also entitled to fully participate in all school activities, and should receive the same access to programs and services as their school peers. It is against federal law to offer segregated or inferior educational opportunity based on student living conditions. Conclusion Seattle Public Schools should adopt a comprehensive plan to identify, educate, and serve all students displaced by the Yesler Terrace Housing redevelopment plan. Pursuant to the Districts moral and legal obligations and responsibilities, there is no sufficient excuse for any failure to mitigate educational harm to at-risk Yesler Terrace youth and families. I am writing in hopes that the concerns detailed herein will be amicably resolved by the Seattle School Districts expeditious implementation of safeguards against the serious harms that its own inaction or lack of preparedness will cause the displaced youth and families of Yesler Terrace Housing. Sincerely, /s/ Ernest Saadiq Morris, Esq. Director, Urban Youth Justice Initiative www.UrbanYouthJustice.org Law Office: www.DefendMyRight.com P.O. Box 45637 Seattle, WA 98145 Tele/Fax: (888) 938-7770 Attachment: March 19th Letter [3.19.12.letter.SHA_DPD_SPS_YeslerTerrace_Redevelop.pdf] CC: Seattle Department of Planning and Development Diane Sugimura, Director diane.sugimura@seattle.gov Seattle Housing Authority Tom Tierney, Executive Director ttierney@seattlehousing.org