Seattle Schools Approved Growth Boundaries Plan

That was fast (good job, SPS staff).  Here is the district's overview of the approved Growth Boundaries plan.  I don't think it answers all the questions you have but it is a good overview.

From SPS Communications:


At the Nov. 20 Board meeting, the Seattle School Board approved various boundary changes (Growth Boundaries) for 2014-15 as the first step in addressing overcrowded schools. 


Additional information and FAQs will be posted online as information is updated to reflect Board decisions. 



Changes approved for the 2014-15 school year include opening a middle school in the northeast (Jane Addams Middle School) and an elementary school in West Seattle (Fairmount Park Elementary), and making attendance-area changes to assign students to those schools. Changes will also be made to attendance-area assignments for two attendance-area elementary schools being changed to option schools (John Stanford International School and McDonald International School). 



The following schools will have changes to their boundaries for 2014-15. (Click on the school name to see the new boundary map.) 



Elementary/K-8 Schools 
Fairmount Park (new!) 
Lafayette 
Green Lake 
John Hay 
Lowell
Madrona 
Stevens 



Middle Schools (to come) 
• Eckstein 
• Hamilton International
• Jane Addams (new!)





Details of the changes for 2014-15 only are below



ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 



Dearborn Park Elementary will begin an attendance-area international school program. Language immersion will begin with kindergarten in the 2014-15 school year, adding a grade each year.



Fairmount Park Elementary School opens September 2014 as an attendance-area elementary school. Boundary changes assign some students from the Lafayette, Schmitz Park, Alki, Gatewood and West Seattle Elementary attendance areas to Fairmount Park. New boundaries apply to incoming K students and new residents of the attendance area. Students in grades 1-5 who live in the new attendance area are grandfathered at their current school, but will be assigned to Fairmount Park if they apply during Open Enrollment through Sept. 30. 



Laurelhurst boundaries will change. A portion of the McDonald boundary is reassigned to Laurelhurst, since McDonald is becoming an option school. New boundaries apply to incoming K students and new residents of the attendance area. Students in grades 1-5 who live in the new attendance area are grandfathered at their current school, but will be assigned to Laurelhurst if they apply during Open Enrollment through Sept. 30. 



John Hay Elementary boundaries will change. Portions of the attendance area will be assigned to Lowell Elementary in 2014-15. New boundaries apply to incoming kindergarten students and new residents to the attendance area. Students currently attending John Hay are grandfathered to remain, but will be assigned to Lowell if they apply during Open Enrollment through Sept. 30. 



The Lowell Elementary boundary will be expanded, including some students now assigned to John Hay in 2014-15. New boundaries apply to incoming kindergarten students and new residents to the attendance area. Students currently attending John Hay are grandfathered to remain, but will be assigned to Lowell if they apply during Open Enrollment through Sept. 30. 



McDonald International School and John Stanford International School will no longer have attendance-areas boundaries, since they will become option schools. Students currently attending these schools will be grandfathered and may remain at the school through fifth grade. Students who wish to move to their new attendance-area elementary school from John Stanford or McDonald may do so if they apply during Open Enrollment through Sept. 30.



New assignments to John Stanford and McDonald will be based on standard option school tie-breakers, including a GeoZone, after initial set aside of 15 percent of K-1 seats for Native/Heritage speakers. 



Boundaries for Madrona K-8 and Stevens Elementary will change, with a portion of the Stevens boundary shifting to Madrona K-8. New boundaries apply to incoming kindergarten students and new residents to the attendance area. Students currently attending Stevens are grandfathered to remain, but will be assigned to Madrona if they apply during Open Enrollment through Sept. 30. 



MIDDLE SCHOOLS



Eckstein Middle School attendance-area changes will be implemented in the 2014-15 school year. Although elementary boundary changes in feeder elementary schools may not be implemented for 2014-15, students who live in the new Eckstein Middle School attendance area will be assigned to Eckstein, effective 2014-15, except as noted below: 



a. Students entering grades 6-8 who currently attend a K-8 attendance area or option school. These students will receive a continuing assignment to their current K-8 school. If they apply for Eckstein during Open Enrollment through Sept. 30, they will be assigned to Eckstein.



b. Grade 6-8 students receiving special education services who have a “linked” school for the following special education services: Medically Fragile (linked with McClure). These students will be assigned to their linked school. (If additional linked schools are identified for specific services, students will be assigned to their linked school).



c. Students entering grades 7-8 with a “choice” assignment to an attendance-area school other than their current attendance-area school will receive a continuing assignment to the “choice” school. If they apply for Eckstein during Open Enrollment through Sept. 30, they will be assigned to Eckstein. Pathway assignments for Accelerated Progress Program (APP) or International School programs are not considered as choice assignments, since the assignments are guaranteed.



d. Grade 7-8 students attending Hamilton who were assigned to general education there based on the international school pathway from John Stanford  to Hamilton will receive a continuing assignment to Hamilton. Grade 6 students enrolled in 5th grade at John Stanford in 2013-14 will receive a guaranteed pathway assignment to general education at Hamilton if they apply during Open Enrollment through Sept. 30. (One of the choices listed must be for the pathway school without designation of Spectrum, or APP if applicable). 



e. The area identified as 204 will not be reassigned to Hamilton for 2014-15 to assist with capacity management; it will remain in the Eckstein attendance area at present. Area 218 will not be reassigned from Whitman to Hamilton for 2014-15 to assist with capacity management; it will remain in the Whitman attendance area at present. 



Jane Addams Middle School opens September 2014. The new attendance area for Jane Addams will be implemented with the opening of the school for grades 6-8. Although elementary boundary changes in feeder elementary schools may not be implemented for 2014-15, students who live in the new Jane Addams attendance area will be assigned to Jane Addams effective 2014-15, except as noted below: 



a. Students entering grades 6-8 who currently attend a K-8 attendance area or option school. These students will receive a continuing assignment to their current K-8 school. If they apply for Jane Addams during Open Enrollment through Sept. 30, they will be assigned to Jane Addams. 



b. Grade 6-8 students receiving special education services who have a “linked” school for the following special education services: Deaf/Hard of Hearing (linked with Eckstein), or Medically Fragile (linked with McClure). These students will be assigned to their linked school. (If there are changes to linked schools for specific services, students will be assigned to the appropriate linked school). 



c. Grade 7-8 students with a “choice” assignment (to an option school or attendance-area school other than their current attendance area school) will receive a continuing assignment to the “choice” school. If they apply for Jane Addams during Open Enrollment through Sept. 30, they will be assigned to Jane Addams. Pathway assignments for Accelerated Progress Program (APP) or International School programs are not considered as choice assignments, since the assignments are guaranteed. 



d. Grade 7-8 students attending Hamilton who were assigned to general education there based on the international school pathway from John Stanford to Hamilton will receive a continuing assignment to Hamilton. Grade 6 students enrolled in 5th grade at John Stanford in 2013-14 will receive a guaranteed pathway assignment to general education at Hamilton if they apply during Open Enrollment through Sept. 30. (One of the choices listed must be for the pathway school without designation of Spectrum, or APP if applicable).



e. Grade 7-8 students attending Hamilton from the Laurelhurst attendance area who were grandfathered at Hamilton when Laurelhurst was changed from the Hamilton feeder pattern to the Eckstein feeder pattern would maintain their grandfathered status. 



ALL SCHOOLS 



Standard tie-breakers and other assignment rules remain in effect unless otherwise noted. Students may transfer to their attendance area school during Open Enrollment through Sept. 30, as long as the services the student needs are available at that school. (New attendance areas are in effect once approved by the School Board for implementation.) 



IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT “GRANDFATHERING” 



Grandfathering: 
(1) continues as long as the services the student needs are available at the school; 
(2) does not apply to students in special education preschool classes since they do not automatically roll up to K at the current school; and 
(3) applies to resident students only. Grandfathering does not apply for attendance-area middle school students.

Comments

Confused said…
I thought I was fairly up to speed, but what is area 218 that will eventually leave Whitman for Hamilton?
Anonymous said…
Area 218 is between Wallingford Ave on the West, N 85th St on the North and 2nd Ave NE on the East. It is shown on page 7ish in Attachment A for the proposed growth boundaries that went for the vote yesterday. I think Areas 218 and 204 weren't reassigned to their new middle school areas for political reasons, but it leaves them in an awkward position.

Speaking of what went for the vote, the map they have now for Green Lake is different - eastern boundary was supposed to be at 12th Ave NE for areas north of Ravenna Blvd. I'm thinking it's just a mistake. Anyone know what happened here?

- Green Laker
Confused said…
Thanks! That area goes to Whitman and will be at Hamilton? So odd....that's Wilson pacific's back yard!
Anonymous said…
What are the boundaries of area 204?
-curious
Again, we need a clean document with all amendments woven in and easy-to-read maps. But that's a big task and I'm sure it will take time.
Anonymous said…
I thought more elementary schools had minor changes in the NE such as Bryant, Sand Point and View Ridge. Did they not change them?

-Utterly confused
Anonymous said…
These are not "minor" changes for our neighborhood. The new Green Lake boundary has substantial changes from the map posted on the approved agenda, and puts some families east of I-5 out of Eckstein and into Hamilton. Check your boundaries, folks. Who knows what other "minor" changes have been made.

-holy cow

-
Holy Cow,

Those families east of I-5 are still at Eckstein. When the Board meeting agenda came out last Friday the Growth Boundaries Briefing/Action Report noted that Green Lake's existing area (204) would not be reassigned to Hamilton for 2014-2015. (But, Green Lake's new area -- that use to be McDonald and JSIS -- still feeds to Hamilton). Hopefully this will be clear when they post the middle school maps. It was completely last minute and I'm sure most people didn't catch the change. The 2020 maps show that eventually all of Green Lake would be assigned to Hamilton, but it's not clear when (I'm guessing when Wilson Pacific opens...).

Green Lake Parent

Anonymous said…
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Anonymous said…
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mirmac1 said…
What's going on with Area 51? It's like a big secreat or something.

kidding!

Anonymous said…
Thanks for the laugh, mirmac.
Anonymous said…
Since Greenlake encompasses McDonald and JSIS I would assume the geozones for those schools essentially would limit the amount of overall kids going to Greenlake anyway?

--WallyWorld
Anonymous said…
Reposting for anon at 7:15:

"Cascade Program has over 200 students and is currently in the Wilson Pacific Building. This building is slated for demolition this summer. No thought has been given to these students. Is SPS prepared to absorb another 215 students into this plan? These students are in an unsafe environment where heat is hit or miss, there is no working intercom and no clean drinking water. I really wish SPS would look at caring for their WHOLE student population"

I believe that Cascade Partnership was given a building in Lower Queen anne or Queen anne. I don't know the details, but at Debell's coffee chat last week one of the parents from that school was there to thank him for finding a space for the program. I suspect that it isn't in the student assignment/growth boundaries information because there isn't a boundary that goes with the program.

Eden
Soon-to-be SPS Mom said…
I just looked at the Green Lake map and it doesn't reflect the change of area 85 switching to Wedgwood? Did I miss some last-minute revert there or is the map inaccurate?
apparent said…

Soon-to-be,

meant to say it earlier, so why not now?

Congratulations!
Anonymous said…
No specific mention of all the APP kids in the new JAMS area being removed from Hamilton and sent to JAMS. These kids are evidently not in a "choice" program, so they have no choice. Just another separation from their friends, and another new building to turn into a school. Sigh.

- Moved Again
Lynn said…
Eden,

I saw that somewhere too. The building is currently leased to a preschool for kids with special needs. Can't remember the name, but the facilities master plan will show the building's address.
Anonymous said…
Soon-to-be, it's like they approved the changes to the Green Lake area (area 85 to wedgwood, area 81 to bryant, cowen park to bryant per an amendment, area 204 was to go to Hamilton, etc.), we were getting used to it and finally on board, and then they were like, just kidding, we're not ready to do it, and put the boundaries back where they were! Or they forgot. Perhaps they need a reminder.

- Green Laker
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Anonymous said…
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Anonymous said…
Anonymous above, these are the maps posted on the SPS website: http://www.seattleschools.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=294923. Melissa copied this directly off the site and pasted them in the blog. We need to contact SPS about these problems, but it's clear we can't trust SPS either.

- Green Laker
Anonymous said…
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Anonymous said…
Start the avalanche of emails!

-redrawn again
Anonymous said…
They haven't released the new middle school maps. I wonder if there will be more surprises?

- North-end Mom
Anonymous said…
Eden or Lynn: Is that the building in QA where Northwest Child Development (a program serving children with developmental disabilities) is now?

-a parent
Lynn said…
Yes - I think that's the one.
Anonymous said…
Melissa - thanks for your detailed and timely coverage of the growth boundary meetings and documents! I haven't seen mention of area 207 middle school assignment (currently attending Eckstein but slated for Wilson Pacific in 2014-15). I have two 7th graders in Eckstein Spectrum and we're still trying to figure out assignment for next year. Thanks! - 207 middle school mom
Anonymous said…
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Anonymous said…
So my child came home crying because several of her friends will be going to JAMS next year. She was upset because her friends are very upset about the move. I realize many parents are unhappy and angry about the change, but the ones who advocated vocally for removal of all 6, 7, 8 grades instead of just having a 6th grade roll up and grandfathering the older kids were listened to. And here we are, a lot more kids and families are affected. Not much can be done there but can we adults dial back our disappointment for the kids' sake? It's awful to see them all crying. We need to put the best spin on what will be happening to them. I told my kid they'll all be back together again in HS, not sure if that helped or not. Kids that age feel things so intensely. We really need to not make the change seem like the worst thing for them.

Troubled

Anonymous said…
The SPS press release maps from Nov. 21 do not match the Board approved Green Lake boundaries from Nov. 20. The boundaries are off by as many as 5 blocks. When this can also impact middle school assignments it is a pretty significant change to families. I would advise families to click on the links, confirm their school boundaries, and contact school board representatives if they have changed. We still do not know our middle school assignment (and are being reassigned already as part of a geo-split) and are concerned changes may appear in the middle school maps as well.

As far as high school - I've learned not to make promises to my kids. They won't be together again in high school. Maybe some of them will be, not no, not all of them will be back together in high school. I don't even want to think about how crazy that will be (and it's only two years away for us).

-whiplashed
Lynn said…
Something I think it's important to understand now is how option seats will be handled in the North East next year. There will be something like 500 excess seats next year. It's not clear to me how they'll be split between Eckstein, Hamilton and JAMS. Will they allow enrollment at JAMS up to the capacity limit or will they artificially limit enrollment there so that JAMS fills up?

Hamilton enrollment is anticipated to be 890 and capacity is 973. It should be possible for some 8th graders to stay there.
On the question of whether or not the maps SPS uploaded yesterday are wrong...

You can still get to the proposed maps from the Board Meeting agenda. Follow the link, go to the Growth Boundaries BAR, and then to Attachment A:

http://www.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1583136/File/Departmental%20Content/school%20board/13-14%20agendas/112013agenda/20131120_Agenda.pdf?sessionid=aac862b76143641953d6435bff24570f

I *think* the confusion stems from changes proposed for 2014-2015 versus changes proposed by 2020. For example, if you look at Green Lake on page 6 of Attachment A, area 82 to Bryant and 85 to Wedgwood are on the by 2020 maps. They aren't on the page 4 map of changes for 2014-2015. And all the later pages of maps specific to each school are boundaries for 2020.

Green Lake Parent
So, what I'm saying is, I think the maps they uploaded are right (at least the one for Green Lake -- I don't know the other attendance areas as well) and reflect the boundary that was approved for 2014-2015.

Also, I wrote this in another thread, but I think a lot of people still unaware/completely confused about it. For 2014-2015 area 204 (Green Lake's attendance area, NOT including the newly added McDonald and JSIS areas) has not been reassigned to Hamilton for next year. That area stays at Eckstein for now. (See page 2 of the Growth Boundaries BAR -- follow the link from the agenda in my previous post)

Green Lake Parent
Unknown said…
I am a bit confused. My family currently lives at 67th and Linden Ave on the west side of Greenlake. We were zoned for West Woodland, but Proposal 3 changed the northern boundary from 70th to 65th. The Seattle public school website didn't say that either West Woodland or Bagley boundaries have changed. So what happened?
Anonymous said…
A 6th grade roll-up would have worked if they had left grades 6-8 of the JA K-8 in place (at least temporarily), as a program within JAMS, so that there would be 7th and 8th grade students in the building, and then roll-up 6th graders from the JAMS attendance area. This would have probably have been deemed "unpopular" for any number of reasons, but it would have been less disruptive for Eckstein and Hamilton APP families, plus all those families who joined the K-8 this year wouldn't have to make the tough choice for their kid to stay with their program and teachers next year, or switch to JAMS.

Bottom line - I think the Board was looking for a quick fix to simultaneously relieve both Eckstein and Hamilton, and JAMS was a convenient place to put the kids.

-politically incorrect
Anonymous said…
Regarding the Green Lake boundaries, p.4 of Attachment A approved by the Board for 2014-2015 implementation has the eastern border at 12th Ave NE for areas north of Ravenna Blvd, which would suggest that area 82 is in Bryant, area 85 is in wedgwood, etc, even though they aren't specified there. The map just released has the eastern border at 15th Ave NE from north to south.

- Green Laker
Anonymous said…
Unknown on Linden, perhaps they are not making any changes to Bagley or West Woodland boundaries for the next year. Are they only making "essential" changes for 2014-2015? That is what people asked for, but it is confusing when it appeared that the Board approved the maps in the older package. SPS could at least provide an explanation.

- Green Laker
kellie said…
@ Greenlaker,

Sherry Carr had an amendment that moved a chunk of Cowen Park out of Greenlake into Bryant. So that explains why a chunk the boundary is now at 15th.


kellie said…
@ utterly confused,

all the "minor" changes around Bryant, View Ridge, Sandpoint, etc are "on hold" until new capacity comes online. They are the future proposed changes.
kellie said…
Area 204, which the is the former Greenlake Area is one of new "anomalies." There are areas where the elementary or middle school boundaries will change at some future date but they are not changed yet, because there is no capacity to make the changes.

Greenlake currently feeds into Eckstein and will "eventually" feed into Hamilton. However, Hamilton is completely overloaded and there is no room. There is more room at Eckstein so that means that area 204 will continue to go to Eckstein until Wilson Pacific comes on line.

More confused?
kellie said…
@ area 207 mom,

Area 207 is the area the used-to-be Olympic View and will-continue-to-be Olympic View. That area is going to Eckstein until Wilson Pacific opens and will then to Wilson Pacific in either 2016 or 17.

So your 7th graders will stay at Eckstein.
Charlie Mas said…
When JAMS comes online in 2014 there should be a lot of excess capacity both there and at Eckstein - depending on how the District sets the "capacity" for these schools and depending on how many seats the District reserves for students who will move into the area after open enrollment.

Still, it can do no harm to request an assignment at the school of your choice during Open Enrollment. If you get it, great! If you don't, then you are no worse off than you were before.

So go ahead and ask the District to allow your 6th or 7th grade children remain at their current school.
kellie said…
@ Whiplashed,

the Greenlake area you are describing is current-Eckstein, staying-at-Eckstein-until-moved-to-Hamilton-at-date-TBD.

So if you are worried about geo-splits, this is what I am calling a "flip-flop" area and I flagged it to the board before the vote. This little area is scheduled to have their APP students flipped to JAMS next year and then at-the-TBD-time flopped back to Hamilton.

I doubt you like the answer but I had it confirmed before the vote and was told it could only be changed by a board amendment.
kellie said…
Lynn,

I know on paper, that there could be as many of 500 extra seats, somewhere as part of NE middle school, but I would not bet on it. I am not expecting there to really be any.

That number is a very high count of "seats" and really does not take into account special education.
kellie said…
The West Woodland / Bagley area changes are part of some of the changes that are expected to occur when new capacity is added at Bagley. As that won't happen for another six years, don't expect that change any time soon.
kellie said…
@ Charlie,

I would not be expecting too much middle school capacity to be floating around. There are only about 170(isn) kids scheduled to leave Hamilton. That puts Hamilton right back at completely-full. Right now, all the classes are completely utilized with none of the teachers having prep periods in their classrooms. There are also a few non-traditional classrooms created. So dropping down by 170 kids just gets the building back to very-full. There is just no reason to think that there would be any choice seats.

I imagine the same will be true for Eckstein. It may be that Jane Addams is not completely full the first year and I would think that would be just fine to have a little wiggle room.

Remember, the enrollment projections for 2014, have not yet been updated with the 2013 enrollment data. That means that all of the projections that were used for these decisions, were very very low. There were about 300 students in NE Seattle this year greater than the 2013 projections so that means there is much less space that people suspect.

I haven't dug into the numbers for the rest of the North end but I am not thinking that they had a big dip anywhere that would impact middle school. There was a big dip in K enrollment in the NW but I suspect that has to do with the price tag of pay-for-K
Anonymous said…
I'm confused. The north middle school maps have been posted:

http://www.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1583136/File/Departmental%20Content/enrollment%20planning/Growth%20Boundaries%20Maps/Approved%20GB%20Maps/GB_Approved_20131122_1541_EckJAM.pdf?sessionid=cbe4bb31c543e2d3a1f9d21eeef9420c

I can see that the new boundaries are used for John Rogers in making the JAMS attendance area, but it doesn't look like the Olympic View boundaries that were approved by the Sherry Carr amendment are being used for Olympic View?

Is there something I'm missing?

- North-end Mom
Anonymous said…
Kellie, the eastern boundary of Green Lake (western boundary of Bryant) should be at 12th ave NE per the Carr amendment. All of Cowen wanted to stay together at Bryant. The area will continue to be split for 2014.

- Green Laker
kellie said…
@ Green laker,

Sorry, that is what I meant but I missed the rest of explanation.

It looks like map Amendments are not on the today's maps so the middle school boundaries around the Olympic View / Sac / Northgate Way area are not correct and the boundaries between Greenlake and Bryant are off.

This whole process was both fast and complex. I would imagine that there are lots of details like this that will keep popping up.

Anonymous said…
Thanks for clarifications, Kellie! SPS should be paying you for this.

- Green Laker
Anonymous said…
Thanks, Kellie!

-Utterly confused
Anonymous said…
It begs the question, why would maps be released without making sure they are correct and actually match what was approved?

-continually dumbfounded
Unknown said…
Hello.
@ utterly confused,

In one of the comments on this page, Kellie mentioned that
""all the "minor" changes around Bryant, View Ridge, Sandpoint, etc are "on hold" until new capacity comes online. They are the future proposed changes.""
I wanted to know if the proposed change will happen next year (2015-16) or later? My daughter will be ready to go to Kindergarten in year 2015-16. We are looking for a home in an area which falls currently in View ridge elementary, but after the proposed changes take effect will fall outside view ridge? Also does the district generally allow kids to be grand fathered in? Thanks, Vishal

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