Last week, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) announced plans to move forward with its new student assignment plan with proposed attendance area boundary maps for all elementary, middle, and high schools to be presented at a School Board workshop on Tues., Oct. 6, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the John Stanford Center auditorium, as well as a schedule of community meetings (see below). From SPS:
After reviewing community comments, the District will introduce recommended boundary maps — including any revisions — at the School Board meeting on Wednesday, November 4. The School Board will vote on the recommended boundary maps on Wednesday, November 18 (see south-end schedule below).
Predictable Assignment Hallmark of New Plan
The general idea behind the new student assignment plan is that students will receive initial assignments to elementary, middle or high schools in their attendance areas. Those assignments will be based on their addresses. Students can choose to apply to schools outside their attendance areas; those assignments will be based on a series of tiebreakers.
If students are currently enrolled at schools outside their attendance areas, they can stay at those schools through its highest grade under a process called “grandfathering” — as long as the services the students need are available at those schools.
The new plan will be implemented in phases, beginning in the 2010-11 school year; the assignment rules for the current 2009-10 school year will remain the same.
New Attendance Areas to Replace Outdated Boundaries
If adopted by the School Board, the new attendance area boundaries will replace a set of school reference areas that haven’t been updated in decades, no longer reflect city demographics, and do not accurately reflect the capacity of the District’s facilities.
By comparison, the development of the new attendance area boundaries has been a data-driven process, designed to reflect demographic shifts and building capacity more accurately — as well as provide greater assignment predictability while preserving choice options.
Superintendent Goodloe-Johnson said that the District will spend the next three weeks preparing families for the release of the attendance area maps and the many ways in which they will be able to provide feedback.
“We know that boundaries are of great interest to our families — as well as those with pre-school aged children and those considering moving from a private school to the public system,” said Goodloe-Johnson. “Our job is to help families understand how we got to this point, what comes next, and reassure them that when new attendance area boundary maps are released, they will have the ability to be heard — and that we will be listening.”
Learn more about the new student assignment plan here. Find reference areas for 2009-2010 school year here. Submit comments via e-mail email here.
South-End Schedule of Community Meetings on New Student Assignment Plan:
- 10/6: School Board Workshop: Proposed Attendance Area Boundaries, 4 p.m. at John Stanford Center Auditorium (2445 3rd Ave. S.)
- 10/13: Community Feedback Meeting, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Aki Kurose Middle School (3928 S. Graham St.)
- 10/17: Community Feedback Meeting, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Mercer Middle School (1600 S. Columbian Way)
- 10/17: Community Feedback Meeting, 1 – 3 p.m. at Mercer Middle School (1600 S. Columbian Way)
- 11/3: School Board Workshop Attendance Area Boundaries, 4 p.m. at John Stanford Center Auditorium (2445 3rd Ave. S.)
- 11/4: School Board Meeting: Introduction of Attendance Area Boundaries, 6 p.m. at John Stanford Center Auditorium (2445 3rd Ave. S.)
- 11/7: Community Information Meeting, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Rainier Beach High School (8815 Seward Park Ave. S.)
- 11/9: School Board Public Hearing: Attendance Area Boundaries, 6 – 8 p.m. at John Stanford Center Auditorium (2445 3rd Ave. S.)
- 11/18: School Board Meeting: Action On Attendance Area Boundaries, 6 p.m. at John Stanford Center Auditorium (2445 3rd Ave. S.)
According to SPS, interpretation services will be available at all meetings.
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