I am happy about the new assignment plan. Ballard High will benefit from all the bright and talented kids from Magnolia and Queen Anne. They come from good families who are very active within their community and within their schools. Who would complain about that?

Folks that live a heck of a lot closer than those in QA that can't go there anymore! QA has to be on a bus anyway, might as well go to Ingraham!

That makes sense? How will you be getting to school? Bet not walking or you would be assigned there too. Use your energy to work with Metro and the school district to make the bus rides a lot more convenient!

What happened to the days when I was forced in to Rainier Valley just to get an education? Times have changed.

Magnolia parents: this is of course very good news, but it's important to remember that these maps are a PROPOSAL and not the District's final decision. The Board will vote on these maps in a couple of weeks. Please, please, write to the Board (you can do this by e-mail to newassign@seattleschools.org, or by regular mail) and tell the Board how much you approve of the maps! There are a lot of angry people who will be telling the Board that Magnolia and QA should be kicked out of the Ballard assignment area, and it's important to make sure that our voices are heard on this, too. We're in the final stretch--let's not make the mistake of being complacent about it.

Better yet, write to your school board and ask them build a high school closer to your area. Why is QA and Magnolia so complacent with just going to some other area's high school?

What an odd thing to say. Of course we want a high school in the Magnolia/QA area. We asked the District not to dispose of QAHS, to no avail, and we have been asking for a new school, to no avail. "Complacent" is a very strange way to describe the mood around here on that issue.

As for going to "some other area's high school"--well, since 1981 Ballard High School has been our area's high school, though the District has not generally recognized the importance of that fact. What we've been asking for is not the right to go to someone else's neighborhood school, but the right to go to our neighborhood school: Ballard High School.

You have got to be joking. In no way shape or form is Ballard High in your neighborhood.

I am sure that you must be joking, but I'll respond to you as though you're not...

If Ballard is not our neighborhood school, which school is? I grew up in Magnolia and went to Queen Anne High School; I didn't live in Queen Anne, but my neighborhood school was Queen Anne High. Today, with QAHS gone, I don't live in Ballard, but my neighborhood school now is Ballard. How is that any different?

Agreed ! We have schools named Garfield, Roosevelt, Clevland, Washington, Lincoln... Let's say for arguments sake that Ballard High School is renamed to William Taft High School, or High School X or High School Musical .... THEN can it be considered "our" school too ?

Who owns a school? The taxpayers. Therefore I call bunk on this argument that it's "their" school, or not "our" school. It's a high school located at 65th and 15th.

Change is hard. At some point, lines have to be drawn, boundaries set, policies implemented. Many (I'd say most, but I don't have the data to back it up) school districts over the country follow a similar attendance area scenario (go do a real estate search in another city, and you'll see what I mean). The first few years will be bumpy, as many transitions are, but Seattle families will get through it.

I say change the name to 'Malcolm X High' and watch how fast Magnolians and Queen Annies bolt.

And Ballardians...

Thanks, kmup--and just a reminder: if you haven't already let the District know how you feel, shoot an e-mail or a letter over there to voice your support for the plan. Things look good but it ain't over till it's over.