Major Changes are Proposed for the some Central District Area Students.  Don’t be shy about offering suggestions to the district via the information below.

The Seattle School District staff presented the first draft of proposed boundary changes for student assignment on Tuesday, September 17 during a Board Work Session.  The draft will be updated again after a series of community meetings noted below.  The proposal will then be an introductory item on the Board agenda for October 16, and presented for a final vote at the November 20, 2013 Board Meeting.

Many families especially in  the Squire Park area  will be affected by the Seattle School District’s proposed changes to student assignment at both the elementary and middle school levels.  No students south of E. Madison will be allowed to attend Stevens Elementary and  a second middle school will mean major changes to those assignment patterns as well. So far the proposed boundaries have been presented with no data regarding the projected number of resident students or enrollment at the schools. Committees and parent groups are requesting that information.

Elementary students currently assigned to Stevens  west of  19th, between E. Madison and Cherry  would be assigned to Lowell and those east of 19th to Madrona.  A portion of the current Gatzert area will also be  reassigned and split between Thurgood Marshall and Madrona.  The Stevens boundary will be extended north just north of the school itself.

The new proposal would shift a  vast majority of all middle school student assignments in the Central District.   Students from Stevens, Lowell,  Gatzert, Madrona (K-8), McGilvra, and Montlake would be assigned to  Meany Middle School.  Currently, they all all feed into Washington Middle School.  Only Muir, Leschi and Thurgood Marshall would feed into  Washington.

The District encourages all to give feedback and not to be shy about making suggestions either online or at the community meetings.Email: [email protected]

The following Seattle Schools Community Meetings are from 6:30 to 8:00 PM:

• Monday, Sept. 23, Mercer Middle School, 1600 South Columbian Way;
• Tuesday, Sept. 24, Nathan Hale High School Commons, 10750 – 30th Ave NE;
• Wednesday, Sept. 25, West Seattle High School Commons, 3000 California Ave SW;
• Monday, Sept. 30, Meany Middle School, 300 – 20th Ave E;
• Tuesday, Oct. 1, Ballard High School Commons,1418 NW 65th St.

Maps and further information, along with where  students can walk or can not walk to school can be found: http://www.seattleschools.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?sessionid=585edd3785215fed3ab8351025e32feb&pageid=294923&sessionid=585edd3785215fed3ab8351025e32feb

A better than usual description of the issues and the likelihood that all CD public school students will be in school on Wednesday is posted on the SLOG

teachers-reach-tentative-contract-agreement-likely-avoiding-strike

Happy Summer, East Precinct Neighbors!

Our monthly EastPAC Community Meeting is this Thursday, July 25th, from 6:30 to 8:00 PM.  The meeting is at Seattle University’s Pigott Hall, Room 200. (See below for directions)

This will be a good meeting, and I encourage you to attend!

• Sargent Jason Diamond, third watch George Sector, will be attending to update you on the 26th and Spring area, and Lieutenant Gregg Calder will be giving updates on other East Precinct concerns.

• Also on the agenda are representatives from the Seattle Human Services Department. At a recent EastPAC Board meeting, the Board discussed the continuing violence, gang activity and nuisance crime that doesn’t seem to change significantly, especially from our perspectives as residents. The issue arose regarding the large amount (millions) of dollars disseminated by the Human Services Department to mitigate underlying causes and barriers faced by those involved in criminal activity. We asked these questions:

1.    Why haven’t things changed? Why is criminal activity still active after several years?

2.    How effective are we, as a city (and taxpayers), despite putting forth millions of dollars, to mitigate criminal activity and suspects’ root causes leading to lives of crime?

3.    Are the recipients of these dollars meeting their target outcomes, and reporting deliverables? If not, why not, and are their funds still awarded?

We have asked Sola Plumacher and Heidi Albritton, Strategic Advisors with the Human Services Department, for information about the amount of city funds being allotted, to whom, and any information on goals met and/or unmet.

This promises to be interesting! I hope to see you all there!

See the map at http://www.seattleu.edu/maps/.  

(Use the ‘buildings’ pull-down menu to the right to locate the Pigott building). FREE Parking in the Broadway parking garage, on the East Side of Broadway between Marion and Columbia.  You can also park on the street, enter the campus at 12th and Marion, make the short walk straight ahead and you will see the sign leading to Pigott just to your right.)

All the best,

Stephanie Tschida, Chair

East Precinct Advisory Council

Details from the Central Area Land Use Review Committee (CA LURC):

The newly formed CA LURC would like to invite you to attend an Open House at Douglass Truth Library on July 17th from 6:30 – 7:45 pm where we will be getting a preview of the long awaited Colman Building to be constructed at 2203 E Union St. The project, now slated to begin construction in August, went through its Design Review process with the City in early 2008 and has since been purchased by Ian Eisenberg. Lake Union Partners will manage the development process and has offered to provide the neighborhood with a refresher on the building’s design as well as help nearby neighbors anticipate any upcoming impacts that may arise due to construction. Please note that this project has already been approved through the City’s official Design Review process and has been issued a Master Use Permit based on that design. As such, this meeting will be focused on providing residents with clarification on the current design but will not delve into potential modifications of the design.

But wait there’s more!

Immediately following the Colman Building presentation, the Central Area Land Use Review Committee (CA LURC) would like to introduce themselves to the neighborhood and tell you what they’re all about. The CA LURC is composed of residents just like you who want to take an active role in shaping development as it enters our neighborhood. We’ve spent a year getting to know people in the neighborhood, in an effort to avoid being “yet another community group” so please stick around for the second half of our meeting to hear more about what we’ve been up to and how you can get involved!
I will plan to give you a few minutes and get back to you soon.
Is anyone in you group commenting on the City Council action regarding the 23rd Avenue? I was thinking of observing. I am curious what exactly it means. I was surprised to see such short notice.

Proposed changes for Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan includes new directions for 23rd Ave

Agenda

Introductions

Main Presentations

• Emergency Preparedness
• DPD and SDOT on Swedish/Sabey Parking and Traffic

Information will also be presented on the following:

• Plans for lighting on the new Championship Field for SU
• Information on the Citizens Advisory Committee for the new King County Children and Family Justice Center.
• Swedish MIMP CAC

Meet members of the newly formed Central Area Land Use Review Committee and have fun at the barbecue featuring music of the Ariel Loud Trio.

The Livable Streets Candidate Forum

When: July 1st, 7:00-8:30 PM

Where: Madison Valley at the MLK Family, Arts, Mentoring, and Enrichment Community Center, 3201 E Republican Seattle, WA 98112

Cost/RSVP: Free. RSVP requested. Register online at: http://2013sngmayoral.eventbrite.com/#

Transportation: The community center is served by nearby bus routes 8 and 11 and is on the Lake Washington Loop bike route. A by-donation bike valet will be available. There is no off-street car parking.

Anticipated attendance: Mike McGinn, Peter Steinbrueck, Bruce Harrell, Ed Murray, Charlie Staadecker, Kate Martin, Joey Gray, and Mary Martin

is hosted by Seattle NeighborhoodGreenways and the Park Shore Retirement Community with support from the Seattle Parks Foundation, Commute Seattle, Sustainable Seattle, Senior Services, Seattle Subway, Feet First, the Bicycle Alliance of Washington, Cascade Bicycle Club, 12th Ave Stewards, Seattle Bike Blog, Futurewise, Capitol Hill EcoDistrict, the Madison Park Community Council, West Seattle Bike Connections, and Bike Works.