As incoming Superintendent Ben Shuldiner takes the helm of Seattle Public Schools, some Rainier Beach area schools have delayed openings on Monday.
SEATTLE — Some schools in the Rainier Beach area will have delayed starts on Monday, Feb. 2 following last week’s fatal shooting of two students, according to the Seattle Public Schools (SPS).
Two people were shot and killed along South Henderson Street and Rainier Avenue on Friday, Jan. 30. Seattle police said the suspect is still at large.
The two teenage victims have not been identified by police or the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. SPS officials said in a letter to parents that the teens are “believed to be Rainier Beach High School students.” KING 5 has not confirmed where the victims attended school.
In the upcoming week, the district will have an increase police presence and additional patrols in the Rainier Beach area in coordination with the Seattle Police Department.
The district is also adjusting some school schedules on Monday to support students, staff and the Rainier Beach community.
- South Shore PreK-8 will have a two-hour delay on Monday, Feb. 2. Classes will begin at 10:55 a.m.
- Rainier Beach High School, Alan T. Sugiyama High School and Interagency Academy at South Shore will begin classes at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 2.
- Dunlap Elementary School will operate on a normal schedule with student and staff supports provided.
All of the delays are to provide “wellness and stabilization supports for staff and preparation to welcome students,” the district said. Individual and group crisis counseling and mental health experts will be at school sites to help students and staff.
A community vigil was held for the two victims on Saturday. Several local elected officials and Seattle Public Schools personnel also attended.
Ben Shuldiner began his term as Seattle Public Schools superintendent on Sunday. Ben Shuldiner was named superintendent in November 2025 out of a total 41 candidates who applied for the role.
“It is a tragedy of unspeakable proportions,” Shuldiner said in a Sunday email to families. “My heart breaks for the families, friends, and our entire community. The death of a child is a special kind of pain. The violent death of a child is almost unbearable. It digs deep into the marrow of the family. It sits painfully on the chest of the friends. And it lives in the ether of the entire community, hanging there as a reminder of what we need to change so that events like this stop occurring.”
Shuldiner is set to hold a press conference on Monday morning, Feb. 2. The district said the event will proceed as planned.
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