Seattle superintendent torches teachers union over strike threat as district faces reported $100M hole

Seattle's public school superintendent issued a blunt warning as the new school year is set to begin, declaring the district is "broke" as it grapples with a multimillion-dollar budget hole while its educators union threatens to strike.

"Let me be absolutely clear, SEA does not have to strike," Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Ben Shuldiner said in a letter posted Sunday. "Period, full stop. If they do, that is completely up to them. They have a contract that they signed and it will continue.