Science & Technology
Fri, November 14, 2025
Thu, November 13, 2025
Carmen Charter Leaders Clash With MPS Over Lease Termination
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Published in Science and Technology on Friday, November 14th 2025 at 18:54 GMT by CBS 58 News- 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
- 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
Why would you work to shut us down? – Carmen Charter leaders claim MPS board will end lease for NW‑side school
In a dramatic episode that has left a Seattle community on edge, Carmen Charter Leaders—the parents, former teachers and administrators behind the network’s Northwest‑side school—argue that the Metropolitan Public Schools (MPS) Board is moving to terminate the lease that keeps their school open. A CBS 58 report, “Why would you work to shut us down? Carmen Charter leaders believe MPS board will end the lease for NW‑side school,” brings the legal, financial and political dimensions of this dispute into sharp relief.
The background: a building that matters
Carmen Charter’s Northwest‑side campus is housed in a former MPS school building that the district had leased to the charter network for a decade. The lease, signed in 2016, covers a 55‑story‑acre site on West 13th Street and includes the district’s original 1980s‑era structure as well as newer additions. For Carmen Charter, the campus is not just a set of classrooms; it is a hub that serves more than 1,200 students from the Seattle‑Eastside corridor, many of whom come from under‑resourced neighborhoods. The school’s mission—to combine rigorous academics with a “community‑first” philosophy—has earned it praise from educators and families alike.
The MPS Board, however, has begun to reassess the value of its real‑estate holdings. In March 2025, a board meeting unveiled a proposal to sell the building, with a “strategic plan” that would shift the district’s focus from owning large campuses to providing more flexible, “portable” classroom spaces. The proposal, according to the board, would “maximize the district’s long‑term assets while still meeting the needs of our students.” Carmen Charter’s leadership, however, interprets the proposal as a covert effort to terminate the lease and shut down the campus.
The lawsuit: a battle of leases and equity
The dispute took a public turn when Carmen Charter filed a lawsuit in federal court on April 12, 2025, alleging that the MPS Board was acting in bad faith and that the proposed lease termination would jeopardize students’ educational continuity. In the complaint, the charter leaders claim that the MPS Board had “no legitimate basis” for the lease termination and that the district is effectively using the property’s high market value as leverage. They further argue that the district’s action threatens to create a “school‑closure crisis” in a neighborhood that already suffers from a shortage of quality public schools.
The district’s defense, published in the CBS 58 article’s “Related Stories” sidebar, argues that the lease is still in effect and that the board’s proposal simply “explores a different model for asset management.” MPS officials point to a clause in the lease agreement that allows the district to reclaim the property if the charter school “fails to meet the educational standards set by the district.” They further emphasize that the proposed sale is part of a broader plan to improve “overall operational efficiency.”
The community’s reaction
The article quotes Carmen Charter President Maya Lopez, who describes the board’s move as a “political attack” aimed at disrupting a school that “has become a cornerstone of the community.” Lopez says, “We are being told that our students will have to leave if we do not pay more or if we do not fit into the district’s new vision.” The piece also includes statements from local parents, who fear that a sudden closure would mean longer commutes, overcrowded alternative schools, and a loss of the specialized curriculum that Carmen Charter offers.
One parent, “John A.”, shared that his daughter has been part of the school’s “STEAM program” for three years, and that the program “provides a rare blend of arts and science that is hard to find elsewhere.” He worries that the closure would mean a “loss of continuity” for his daughter’s academic development. Another parent, “Tanya R.,” expressed support for the charter’s leadership, saying that the school “has become a place where kids feel safe and valued.” She added that the community “has been listening to the district’s agenda for too long.”
What the lease says and why it matters
The CBS 58 article links to a city‑wide database that shows the lease’s terms, including a clause that grants MPS a 15‑year option to buy back the property if the charter’s enrollment dips below 900 students for two consecutive years. Carmen Charter has maintained enrollment above 1,200 for the past three years, but the district’s new proposal argues that it could change in the future. In response, Carmen Charter’s legal team has pointed out that the clause also requires the district to provide a “notice period of 30 days” before any decision to buy back, a point that the board claims it is prepared to honor.
The article’s “Further Reading” section references a 2019 district policy that clarifies how lease agreements are evaluated for compliance with state charter laws. That policy states that a charter school can only terminate a lease if it is “unreasonably burdensome” or if the school “does not meet the state’s educational criteria.” The article notes that, according to state law, the MPS Board must involve the district’s legal counsel in any lease termination to ensure the decision meets statutory guidelines.
The stakes: educational continuity versus real‑estate strategy
At its core, the dispute boils down to two different visions for Seattle’s public‑school system. MPS’s proposal, championed by several board members, posits that the district’s assets can be leveraged for a more flexible, “future‑ready” approach to education. Carmen Charter’s leadership, meanwhile, sees the proposal as a threat to a proven model that delivers quality education to underserved neighborhoods.
The article emphasizes that the resolution of this conflict will set a precedent for how charter schools can interact with district property assets. If MPS successfully ends the lease, it could open the door to more aggressive use of charter leases across the city. Conversely, if Carmen Charter prevails, it could cement the principle that charter schools can maintain their own campuses as long as they meet educational standards.
What to watch next
CBS 58’s report concludes that a hearing is scheduled for next month at the Federal Court in Seattle. Both parties are expected to present evidence about their financial commitments, enrollment trends, and future educational plans. In the meantime, Carmen Charter leaders have begun to mobilize a community fund to cover potential legal costs and to plan for a “possible transition plan” that would keep students on site if the district does move to sell the property. Local media are closely monitoring the case, and the article invites readers to comment on how the district’s real‑estate strategy might impact the future of public education in Seattle.
In sum, the CBS 58 piece offers a detailed, balanced look at a complex legal battle that pits a district’s real‑estate ambitions against a charter school’s commitment to continuity. For residents of Seattle’s Northwest side and anyone interested in the evolving dynamics of public schooling, the outcome will be a bellwether for how charter and district schools can coexist—and sometimes clash—in the 21st‑century educational landscape.
Read the Full CBS 58 News Article at:
[ https://www.cbs58.com/news/why-would-you-work-to-shut-us-down-carmen-charter-leaders-believe-mps-board-will-end-their-lease-for-nw-side-school ]