tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post774240556225022370..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This WeekMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-20162394307874364102014-03-04T22:13:16.359-08:002014-03-04T22:13:16.359-08:00It is my understanding that Seattle Waldorf HS is ...It is my understanding that Seattle Waldorf HS is leasing their building at Magnuson, and there are only 150 or so kids. It's not a very big building, and I think it was originally going to house a medical clinic, but that use wasn't approved. It's not quite the same as building or renovating a building large enough to house 700+ kids.<br /><br />- reality checkAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-2848461295822136712014-03-04T22:07:28.290-08:002014-03-04T22:07:28.290-08:00@Patrick
"There's six years of 3-up eleme...@Patrick<br />"There's six years of 3-up elementary students in addition to the middle schoolers at JAK8. How do you arbitrarily tell 1/3 of those students and families that they can't continue at their school?"<br /><br />OMG! Do you not realize how insensitive and even offensive that question is to the 100s of 6th and 7th grade Eckstein and Hamilton families whose kids have been reassigned to JAMS for next fall? <br /><br />Somehow, though, I doubt SPS would treat JAK-8 students in quite the same manner as those from Eckstein and Hamilton have been treated. If there was a need to scale back the K-8 program, they would probably start by restricting it to 2 kindergarten classes instead of 3, and go from there.<br /><br />- reality checkAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-56939618953148821992014-03-04T20:03:54.803-08:002014-03-04T20:03:54.803-08:00There's six years of 3-up elementary students ...There's six years of 3-up elementary students in addition to the middle schoolers at JAK8. How do you arbitrarily tell 1/3 of those students and families that they can't continue at their school?<br /><br />Yes, it's expected that the middle school experience at a K-8 has fewer electives than a comprehensive. And they are. There are a few choices, but not nearly as much as there are at a comprehensive, and it's harder to work them into a schedule. With a 2-up middle school, instead there's hardly any choice at all.<br /><br />The new school will be built to cover most all the lot and be two complete stories plus part of a third. That's why the roof garden, to have a little green space. This is an environmental science school, it's a place to make observations.<br /><br />The Pinehurst site is not ideal, but when do we get anything that's ideal in SPS? It will work.<br /><br />Incidentally, Tracy Libros assured me to my face that she had explored with the interior dept. getting permission to use part of Sand Point as JAK8's new home, and that it was absolutely impossible, would have required cabinet level approval, or something. So it really pisses me off that there's a private school that did somehow get approval to be built on Sand Point.<br />Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16260807460417787614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-74876103157754818462014-03-03T22:53:43.118-08:002014-03-03T22:53:43.118-08:00If anyone still needs to head downtown to turn in ...If anyone still needs to head downtown to turn in Open Enrollment forms, I was there today. The line wasn't too long and the enrollment staff was very helpful.Majehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14946793603263324660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-64191893292328203512014-03-03T21:15:02.260-08:002014-03-03T21:15:02.260-08:00Just outside of the service (middle school attenda...Just outside of the service (middle school attendance) area in which they're located. Lynnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-54728274702322311082014-03-03T20:57:52.228-08:002014-03-03T20:57:52.228-08:00I thought that option schools were losing their sc...I thought that option schools were losing their school bus privileges?menoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-21388554655014528742014-03-03T16:17:52.540-08:002014-03-03T16:17:52.540-08:00Savvy Voter... thanks for the link.. I skimmed tho...Savvy Voter... thanks for the link.. I skimmed those... and I don't see the North Gate Design Guidelines well reflected in the Pinehurst drawings. I'm guessing the architect could "explain them" to me... but if those neighbors want something consistent with those guidelines... they should complain. The biggest things I see as transitions and massing. The drawings in general - rely far too much on grass in a high use area. Paths are going to be closed 9 months of the year. Also - the nooks and crannies offer lots of places for problems to develop. Catherinenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-77485288834823663562014-03-03T15:49:04.101-08:002014-03-03T15:49:04.101-08:00District administrators receive six-figure salarie...District administrators receive six-figure salaries, healthcare, dental benefits, paid holidays and other generous benefits. Costs for administrative raises will cost the district $230K. How can these same people ask for $$ while recommending the WSS get reduced by $3M?!<br /><br />You can't compare I 609 workers to these highly paid administrators, either. Say NOnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-46838820994592849652014-03-03T13:29:10.679-08:002014-03-03T13:29:10.679-08:00@ Patrick: I am interested in the JAK8 Pinehurst b...@ Patrick: I am interested in the JAK8 Pinehurst building project. I don't see anyone on this thread trying to close JAK8 through the project. Where are you seeing it? <br /><br />I hope the building happens on time, on budget. The area is not pretty and sometimes not safe, so a new facility should be a boost for neighbors.<br /><br />I know this area is considered Northgate by the city and I remembered that there are some newer city design guidelines around urban villages. I looked up the document and here you go, as I have no time to read it. I would think the urban village designation should help not hurt the district to get the building done, as the city is pushing for density and nice design in the urban villages. Savvy Voter<br /><br />http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cs/groups/pan/@pan/documents/web_informational/p2098821.pdfAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-77167776449627303842014-03-03T13:27:30.232-08:002014-03-03T13:27:30.232-08:00@Patrick
" Now it's threatened with clos...@Patrick<br /><br />" Now it's threatened with closure again because it's too big..."<br /><br />Drama, drama, drama!<br /><br />Who said anything about closure? Scaling back to fit into a reasonably-sized building at the Pinehurst site is not the same thing as closure!<br /><br />- reality check<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-50167715700446430222014-03-03T13:00:03.485-08:002014-03-03T13:00:03.485-08:00Thanks for the link to the plans - they're wor...Thanks for the link to the plans - they're worse than I expected. Catherinenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-78019809147781581222014-03-03T12:37:42.507-08:002014-03-03T12:37:42.507-08:00What a roller coaster ride JAK8 has had. In the f...What a roller coaster ride JAK8 has had. In the first three years it was open, it was criticized as too small, and its only path to success was to build a great program and attract as many students as possible. Now it's threatened with closure again because it's too big...<br />Patrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16260807460417787614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-21183039024725353652014-03-03T12:30:17.838-08:002014-03-03T12:30:17.838-08:00Questions about Pinehurst:
1) Is there organized ...Questions about Pinehurst:<br /><br />1) Is there organized pushback from the neighborhood on the proposed size of the building, or is the neighborhood happy with plans for a nicer building or does the neighborhood ignorant of plans altogether?<br /><br />2) Is there a nonarterial side street suitable for loading buses at this site? If so, good. If not, a variance is not a workable solution. An option school will have a lot of buses and an arterial is not a safe place to load little kids. Safe bus loading needs to be built into the design not as an "oops, we're already permitted" afterthought.<br /><br />3) Is the fancy design with a garden on the roof, etc. that was dangled at JAK8 to get it out of the middle school space still a part of the proposed project? If we are blowing through BEX money with literally no home for hundreds of kids, SPS needs to be thinking about stretching dollars between sites. Solid construction minus frills is the priority.<br /><br />Northern parent<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-53503630084734417682014-03-03T12:08:27.825-08:002014-03-03T12:08:27.825-08:00If we are hoping for the city and the district to ...If we are hoping for the city and the district to work more closely together on capacity issues, the Pinehurst location is the place it needs to start. Will they work together strategically? No evidence that this will happen.<br /><br />So, failing city/SPS problem solving - if variances for the site don't allow 720+ students, SPS could hold down the incoming enrollment while the school is out of the building, and shrink the JAK8 program while it is in Marshall so that it is "rightsized" for its new home. The district has control over size of its option schools. <br /><br />I doubt JAK8 would appreciate what holding down enrollment would do to its class configurations, or teaching resources, but it is the district's purview to set those option school capacity numbers. Does SPS downtown think this far ahead and this strategically? Not that I've seen.<br /><br />Plus there is another issue: Constrained JAK8 enrollment means more kids in neighborhood schools. Eckstein and JAMS could absorb the middle school kids, but where would extra K5 kids fit? <br /><br />Altogether, this is another example that the capacity crisis is here to stay, no matter how much SPS claims otherwise.<br /><br />Capacity WonkAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-23079717346180916492014-03-03T12:04:57.202-08:002014-03-03T12:04:57.202-08:00Here's a link to the SPS website detailing the...Here's a link to the SPS website detailing the JAK8@Pinehurst project.<br /><br />http://bex.seattleschools.org/bex-iv/jane-addams-k-8-pinehurst/photo-gallery/John Sullivannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-75143134511605209762014-03-03T11:48:27.554-08:002014-03-03T11:48:27.554-08:00There are certainly ways to make that lot work for...There are certainly ways to make that lot work for that number of students, but SPS would have to get way out of it's traditional building design mode - think NW School's new building. I don't know that SPS has it in them. <br /><br />A quick look at the satellite view, the existing structure would require at least 6 variances to be built today. Catherinenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-74624870337040036772014-03-03T11:44:34.916-08:002014-03-03T11:44:34.916-08:00I think JAK8 got too comfortable in a building tha...I think JAK8 got too comfortable in a building that was too large for them and now they're too big for the smaller site. What would really help is to know the numbers for JAK8 and how many of they're middle schoolers will follow to JM vs staying on at JAMS. It's not too late to scale it back, is it? <br /><br />wonderingAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-72285585814245152014-03-03T11:41:08.579-08:002014-03-03T11:41:08.579-08:00If (and this is a big if) the waivers aren't a...If (and this is a big if) the waivers aren't approved, we have the following effects:<br /><br />* No more worries about what to do with Pinehurst--they just move back into their building (if it's still standing)<br /><br />* Another capacity shock in the NE with no space to absorb it. JAMS and Eckstein might be able to take the MS students, but there's no space for an elementary. I guess they'd have to put the new Thornton Creek building on the soccer fields instead of on the existing building, pump up Cedar Park, and gerrymander boundaries again. <br /><br />Not a very nice scenario, but it's a beensy lot for 720. Eric Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-2218994527724870152014-03-03T11:40:19.025-08:002014-03-03T11:40:19.025-08:00Mellissa--
I think you might have made a typo on ...Mellissa--<br /><br />I think you might have made a typo on the dates for the board retreat and the Carr meeting. Saturday is March 8, not 7. <br /><br />Incidentally, there is also the NW Gifted Education Conference being held at JSCEE on Saturday March 8: http://www.nwgca.org/connections-conference.html<br /><br />If the Board retreat is happening at the same time at JSCEE, parking might be interesting...<br /><br />--scheduling@JSCEE<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-59406744219852593312014-03-03T11:16:17.259-08:002014-03-03T11:16:17.259-08:00I ALWAYS wondered about how a large K-8 was going ...I ALWAYS wondered about how a large K-8 was going to be put on that tiny lot. It is really small so this does not surprise me. Might have to check this one out.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-79239020443515888982014-03-03T10:41:20.151-08:002014-03-03T10:41:20.151-08:00MEETING FOR BEX IV PROJECT:
Thurs March 13 6:30 pm...MEETING FOR BEX IV PROJECT:<br />Thurs March 13 6:30 pm at Pinehurst Building Library, 11530 12th Avenue NE.<br /><br />The Seattle School District is requesting a waiver (departure) from 5 major City zoning regulations in order to build a replacement K8 at the Pinehurst site. The existing K8 school houses 150 students, it is a tiny triangular lot. Over the years, though, the K8 had about 250 students enrolled back in 2000, and, at its peak, with 5 portables on the site, in 1954 it had 540 elementary students -- now, the District is trying to cram 720 on that same site.<br /><br />The District wants to demolish the existing school and construct a new K8 for 720 students at 11530 12th Avenue. The District is requesting modifications for increase lot coverage, greater than allowed height, more building square footage, SIGNIFICANTLY less than required on-site parking spaces and on-street bus loading.<br /><br />The process for considering this request includes hearings before an advisory committee composed of neighbors and District and City representatives. The Committee will gather and evaluate public comment on the departure requests. It can recommend a waiver (departure) from some regulations and any relevant conditions to be applied to minimize its impacts on the surrounding neighborhood, or it can recommend denial. The Committee may make its recommendation following this meeting or hold up to two additional meetings prior to making its recommendation.<br /><br />The Committee has been formed and will host its first public meeting on Thurs Mar 13 6:30 pm at 11530 12th Avenue NE.<br /><br />The meeting will include a brief presentation on the requested modifications to development standards (zoning) that have been requested. Following this presentation, the Committee will consider its recommendations. An additional meeting may be held if the Committee concludes that more information is needed.<br /><br />For more info: Steve Sheppard at 684-0302, or e-mail steve.sheppard@seattle.gov<br /><br />-urban planningAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com