Seattle Schools to Release Student Assignment Plan

Seattle schools will unveil its proposed student assignment plan at a workshop Tuesday, Oct. 6 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the John Stanford Center auditorium.
Officials are putting on the table new proposed attendance area boundary maps for all elementary, middle, and high schools, then traveling across the district with a slate of public meetings to hammer out school attendance changes.
After the public comment period, the recommended boundary maps — including any revisions — will be released at the School Board meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 4, where more public comment will be taken. The final approval vote is at the following week's meeting, on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
"The actions announced today are the next step in creating a new student assignment plan that is predictable, equitable, and easy for families to understand — as well as one that supports greater family participation in schools, brings needed services closer to where students live, fosters diversity, and is feasible and cost effective to implement and sustain," the district said in a statement.
"What we're embarking upon with the new student assignment plan is an important move toward ensuring that each school is an excellent school — and that every student receives a quality education," said Superintendent Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson.
The district says "predictable assignments" are their goal with the new process.
Students will receive initial assignments to elementary, middle or high schools in their attendance areas based on their addresses.
They can then apply to schools outside their attendance areas, with assignments there "based on a series of tiebreakers."
"If students are currently enrolled at schools outside their attendance areas, they can stay at those schools through its highest grade under a process called 'grandfathering' — as long as the services the students need are available at those schools," the district's announcement says.
The new plan will be phased-in starting next school year.
"We know that boundaries are of great interest to our families — as well as those with pre-school aged children and those considering moving from a private school to the public system," said Goodloe-Johnson. "Our job is to help families understand how we got to this point, what comes next, and reassure them that when new attendance area boundary maps are released, they will have the ability to be heard — and that we will be listening."
Comments can be e-mailed to newassign@seattleschools.org or sent to Seattle School Board, P.O. Box 34165, MS 11-010, Seattle, WA, 98124-1165.
The student assignment plan Web site is at http://www.seattleschools.org/area/newassign/.