UPDATE 3/27: About 50 anxious parents attended the meeting to learn more about the plan that will determine which school students will attend based on their home address.
School Board Director Michael DeBell said that students from Magnolia might end up being assigned to three different high schools. “A student will not pass one school to get to another. That just won’t happen under this plan,” DeBell told the small group. The focus will be on nearby schools,” he said. The big question for him is, “What should be the tie-breaker?” If there are 10 extra spots at one high school and 20 students want in, how do you determine who will go to that school? The key, he said, is to keep it simple. The school board will hold more public meetings and solicit feedback before finalizing the attendance boundaries this fall.
More coverage from our sister site myballard here.
Seattle Public Schools is working on a new student assignment plan which will reconfigure the boundaries of area schools. The biggest change will likely impact Ballard High, the high school of choice for many Magnolia residents.
“It is possible that the lines will be drawn so high school students will not be assigned to their closest high school, so, for example, some Ballard students could be assigned to Ingraham,” explains Anne Forester with the Loyal Heights PTA. “We want to ensure that students have the opportunity to attend their local high school.”
So far, no maps have been proposed, and Seattle Public Schools is actively gathering feedback from the public on the factors that should be considered in drawing the maps. A community forum is being held tonight (3/26) at the school library from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. All staff, families and community members are welcome.
