1. 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 (cc’d 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 District’s lack of response to my March 19th letter, I am writing you
directly to ask you to clarify the District’s 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.

2. 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 City’s Yesler Terrace redevelopment plan
to demolish their current housing is eligible for McKinney-Vento’s 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 City’s 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 City’s redevelopment plan have the right to choose to

3. 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 District’s
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 District’s
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