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Hey there from the KUOW Newsroom. This is Seattle now. I'm Patricia Murphy.

Here are today's top stories.

It's Thursday, October 10th.

The Seattle School Board has solidified a leaner plan to close up to five schools,

but as Sammy West reports, fewer closures come with some tradeoffs.

Superintendent Brent Jones says the district will have to make more hard choices to fill the district's $100 million shortfall. The district needs to find about $30 million in, quote,

internal efficiencies. That means layoffs, running fewer buses, and changing the start time at some

schools, which has been controversial in the past.

Jones says the district will also bank on help from the state.

There is no one solution to solving our fiscal challenges.

This will require our community's ongoing partnership and support.

It is clear we will need our families to join us in Olympia to advocate for funding and supporting our schools at this critical juncture.

The district wants $40 million more dollars to fund special education, transportation, and

materials. The district will also ask the state for more flexibility on repaying the money

they borrowed from their capital building fund to close last year's shortfall.

Sammy West, KUOW News.

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