Sami West
Online Editor/Reporter
About
Sami West joined KUOW’s web team as an Online Editor/Reporter in 2025.
Before that, she spent two years covering education at KUOW, reporting extensively on mounting financial challenges in Seattle Public Schools and districts across Washington state. Her coverage also centered on growing concerns about violence in and around schools, teacher shortages, the youth mental health crisis, and the countless ways Covid continues to affect schools and families, among other topics.
Previously, she wrote about education for Chalkbeat in Memphis, Tennessee, and two newspapers in Wisconsin.
A Midwesterner at heart, Sami originally hails from Minnesota and holds degrees in journalism and English from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: she/her
Professional Affiliations: Education Writers Association
Stories
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A food union officer and district alumna: Meet Seattle schools' newest board members
The Seattle School Board has chosen two new members to join their ranks.
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After receiving racist hate mail, UW students call for action
Some University of Washington students are calling on school officials to take action in the wake of a string of Islamophobic incidents on campus.
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Seattle Public Schools' latest budget proposal: Tapping into reserves, changing school start times
Seattle Public Schools might dip into its reserves for a second year in a row — and borrow money from other district funding pots — to cover the majority of a projected $105 million budget gap next year.
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Is Seattle headed toward preschool for all? Another expansion announced for 2024-25
The Seattle Preschool Program will serve nearly 2,500 children next school year, thanks to a 16-classroom expansion that will create 279 additional slots.
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School budget shortfalls mean hard choices for Seattle area districts
Schools around the region are dealing with serious budget shortfalls. The Northshore School District says it’s $26 million in the red, and Seattle Public Schools is reporting a more than $100 million gap in funding. Making up that money is no easy task – and in many cases, the scarcity means cuts to programs students and parents hold dear, like AP and music classes.
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Seattle School Board narrows candidate field for open seats
The Seattle School Board is getting closer to replacing two board members, who stepped down last month amid questions about their residency.
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Measure would clear the way for Washington high schoolers to get an even earlier jump on college
A bill to allow incoming 11th graders to take summer college courses is headed to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk.
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Seattle School Board vacancies draw more than a dozen applicants
Fifteen people have thrown their hats in the ring for the two open spots on the Seattle School Board.
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Banning books in Washington state schools could get harder if bill passes
Efforts to ban books across the country reached an all-time high in 2022, according to the American Library Association. Now, some Washington lawmakers are trying to prevent more bans here.
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As WA schools lose more special education teachers, help comes from within
Fed up with persistent special education teacher shortages, a group of Washington teachers is trying a new approach to building up this workforce.
