Seattle Schools Announces High School Community Meetings

Update from Capital Programs:

These meetings do not include information about specific programs nor services at any of our high schools. 

end of update


From SPS:
Community Meetings to be held on
Educational Specifications Design Standards

Seattle Public Schools will present three community meetings on Educational Specifications Design Standards for high schools. District staff will share information and ask for public input and feedback. Architects base school designs on a predefined set of guidelines that set space requirements for elementary, middle, and high schools to create the best schools possible. With the new design process, each school has more flexibility in adapting the design to fit the needs of its learning community. 

The meetings will take place:


·       Wednesday, November 9, 7:00-8:30 p.m., Rainier Beach High School Performing Arts Center, 8815 Seward Park South. Interpreters present: Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese. Chinese, Amharic and Tigrigna

·       Thursday, November 10, 7:00-8:30 p.m., Ingraham High School Library, 1819 N. 135th Street. Interpreters present: Spanish, Somali and Vietnamese

·       Tuesday, November 15, 7:00-8:30 p.m., Lincoln High School auditorium, 4400 Interlake Ave. N. Interpreters present: Spanish, Somali and Vietnamese

For more information about Educational Specifications Design Standards, please click on the following link: https://goo.gl/g1MBmc

End of district announcement

I'll just point out that the meeting on Lincoln last week in that building's library was overflowing. It's good that two meetings have auditoriums; it would seem better to have the Ingraham meeting in a bigger space.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Are these meetings somehow related to the reopening of Lincoln (in which case they are coming too late), or is this just a routine update?

And do the core24 requirements impact what we need in the way of facilities, in which case do we also know how we're going to deal with the 24-credit requirement?

why now?
10/31/16, 1:35 PM
Melissa Westbrook said…
I think they are related to Lincoln reopening and that parents need more information on all these high school issues including the 24-credit requirement.
10/31/16, 2:04 PM
Anonymous said…
@ Melissa, hmm. That doesn't make a lot of sense though, since the architect has already designed the building. According to the announcement, the Ed Specs Design Stds are used as the basis for the architects to design the school, as they set the basic space requirements. We're way past that point with Lincoln.

why now?
10/31/16, 2:44 PM
Anonymous said…
I suspect that these meetings may be a direct result of the lincoln meeting and all the questions that parents have been raising.

- KT
10/31/16, 3:37 PM
Anonymous said…
Someone please go to these meetings and let them know that High Schools should also have sports fields or gyms if not both. The current central office seems very proud of their ability to maximize classroom space at the expense of any sort of physical activity. As our city grows, our schools will need more classrooms, but our kids still need space to run around, play, throw balls, practice sports, etc, as well. I hope that we can protect our open space through smart growth rather than through the current panicked must-build-classrooms-at-any-cost mindset.

NW Mom
11/1/16, 10:06 AM
Anonymous said…
I still wonder why SPS did not utilize the Eaglestaff site instead for a high school or even Whitman. More land. Makes no sense. I guess we are too far ahead in this process now.
-a wondering parent
11/1/16, 11:00 AM
Anonymous said…
Hi. I too was concerned that there is a lack of field space for Lincoln High as well as Hamilton Middle Schools and all the other schools and rec groups that currently use Lower Woodland and Greenlake. I wrote to the city and the school district about coordinating efforts to plan and fund space for additional fields.

This could perhaps be solved by both Seattle Parks and Seattle School District. So, I recommend others write as well if they are concerned. I wrote the mayor but perhaps there are others that I should have contacted?
11/1/16, 1:08 PM
kellie said…
The update that clarified that there will be no information about programs or services is disappointing.

It would make sense to have sample master schedules that could be used with the building ed specs. Without a master schedule, it is just a bunch of homerooms without the context of how a high school works.

If there aren't sample master schedules, then the next best thing would be to have an inventory of the other comprehensive high schools and how their budding operates. A document that is similar to the one used for elementary schools would be helpful, with a corresponding inventory to the ed specs.


http://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/Capital%20Projects%20and%20Planning/Capacity/task_force_meetings/School%20Space%20and%20Capacity%20V3.pdf

11/1/16, 4:07 PM
Anonymous said…
Buildings and facilities, not programs and services. So again I ask, why now?

why now?
11/1/16, 4:27 PM
SPS Mom said…
Why now? I'm guessing the new HS at Seattle Center.
11/1/16, 8:11 PM
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