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Seattle Public Schools announced the appointment of a new interim principal at B.F. Day Elementary, Ms. Kristin Eckert, following the resignation of Dr. Natalie Zisko. The announcement comes as the school community grapples with significant staffing changes and enrollment challenges that have sparked concern among families.

The school is reducing its art teacher position from full-time to half-time, though officials say total art and music instruction time will remain the same through an alternating weekly schedule, according to an email from the B.F. Day PTSA. The school is losing a popular teacher who taught fifth grade and had secured grants for STEM programs including a new robotics club. This is in addition to the loss of another teacher, which was based on enrollment projections earlier in the year. The fulltime school counselor has also resigned from his position.

The timing and manner of these announcements have particularly frustrated families. Major staffing changes were revealed at the end of the school year, with many parents learning about the principal’s departure through rumors rather than official channels, the PTSA said. The parent organization criticized the district for poor communication and leaving volunteer parents to manage community concerns without adequate information.

“This entire situation could have been significantly softened — or even prevented — by proactive communication from the district or school leadership,” according to the PTSA.

The community’s concerns extend beyond individual staffing decisions to what they see as systemic problems: unclear enrollment projections, inadequate support for highly capable and advanced learning programs, and inequitable funding formulas that don’t account for students with special needs in general education classrooms.

Acting Superintendent Fred Podesta announced Eckert’s appointment in an email to families, noting that she brings nine years of experience as an assistant principal in Seattle Public Schools. Eckert will need to navigate rebuilding trust within a community that feels its concerns haven’t been adequately addressed.