The new school attendance boundary maps released by the School District have sparked a lot of questions. One major controversy has been the zoning of Magnolia and Queen Anne students to Ballard High School, while many Ballard students are slated to go to Ingraham. The new boundary maps also means the reopening of several Seattle schools, including Old Hay at 411 Boston Street on Queen Anne.

The School District plans to renovate and reopen Old Hay as an “option school” to ease overcrowding and meet enrollment projections for Magnolia and Queen Anne neighborhoods. For the 2010-2011 school year, students in the program will be sent to Lincoln High School, and Old Hay would reopen on Queen Anne as a K-5 Montessori school in fall 2011.

Successful Schools in Action will host two community meetings to discuss program options for Old Hay’s new programs, and a new name for the school. The two meetings will be held on Wednesday, October 21 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Coe Elementary Cafeteria, located at 2424 7th Ave. W. and Thursday, October 29 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Catharine Blaine Elementary Library, located at 2550 34th Ave. W.

SSIA says that as an option school, Old Hay will “offer unique programs that are all-city draws, with attendance preference given to a small, local geographic area.  The District has proposed this school become a Montessori K-5 school, but they are asking for our feedback,” they wrote in an invitation to the community. “This is our opportunity to work together and provide input to the district on our newest neighborhood school.”