Seattle Schools Community Forum

I mentioned a bit previously from the last Board Work Session on the BTA Levy . (It was that the figure for Sand Point was changed; it seems they forgot to include the portables space. The figure they gave was 225 for the building, with portables, it's 325.) From the Work Session: I need to get clarification on this but they referenced a "ghost law" (just in time for Halloween). It seems that there is some I-728 money that could accelerate levy collection. I am unclear on how I-728 money (which I believe is for operations) could be part of capital funds. They went through, building by building, the rationale for reopening each and each time Tracy said we are going to need the capacity. Board members seemed to have some unease with reopening McDonald which had the weakest case for the capacity issue and the biggest price tag. Michael said it might be an opportunity to consider opening McDonald as an option school to draw off attendance area kids from other schools tha...

Sierra Magazine came out with its top 20 list of the most green U.S. colleges. From the article: "Sierra magazine has just released its third annual list of what it calls “the most eco-enlightened U.S. colleges.” It ranks schools based on the results of a questionnaire sent to sustainability experts at hundreds of institutions across the country. Scores were assigned in eight categories: efficiency, energy, food, academics, purchasing, transportation, waste management, and administration. The rankings come at a time when two-thirds of college applicants say a school’s green record would influence their enrollment decision , according to a Princeton Review survey [PDF]." (italics mine) Washington State boasts not one but two of the top twenty; University of Washington and Evergreen College (UW is #2 and Evergreen is #6). (Number one is University of Colorado at Boulder.) Both UW and Evergreen also made the Princeton Review's green list.