Seemingly out of the blue and with no time for real public comment, Seattle School Board member Kay Smith-Blum is proposing that they re-draw the boundaries for Stevens and Madrona K-8. Full disclosure: My family lives within ‘Area 4’ – the proposed area that would be re-assigned.
Here is a link to her proposal and a map showing the potential changes: http://www.seattleschools.org/area/board/10-11agendas/011911
This is the 3rd time in 3 years that the boundaries for this area have been motioned to be reassigned. 1st with the closing of TT Minor. 2nd to Stevens. And now to Madrona.
Changing the school boundaries so frequently breaks up our community by dividing the families that live together by sending us to different schools. Kids that are just a year apart in age living next door to each other will be attending different schools. It doesn’t allow us to lend a hand to each other as neighbors to raise our families. In this economy, we all count on each other for childcare assistance, babysitting exchanges, and carpools to school.
Please join me and speak up now in order to ensure that our families and our communities can have a real voice in deciding what is best when it comes to our vital public schools. The School Board is considering changing this boundary one year after saying that their demographic projections ensured some stability at least until 2015, and the extent of the ‘community engagement process’ identified in Smith-Blum’s document is that the proposal was reviewed by the Executive Board.
This email will reach all of the board members:
Please feel to modify and cut and paste this message into your email.
The meeting where the proposal will be discussed is THIS WEDNESDAY,
January 19th
6pm
