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Frequently Asked Questions -
Boundaries
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Are the boundary
maps presented on October 6 the final
boundaries?
No—and this is very important
for all families to understand. The boundary maps presented on
October 6 are proposed boundaries. After their
presentation, we will hold a series of community meetings and
gather comments from families and other stakeholders about the
plan. Comments will be reviewed and then recommended
boundaries— including any revisions to the proposed
boundaries — will be presented to the School Board on
November 4. The Board will hold a public hearing on the attendance
area boundaries on November 9, and a vote is scheduled for November
18. Boundaries may be adjusted up until the final vote. For a
complete schedule of public meetings, please click here. To learn
about the many ways you can engage on this project, please click here.
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If you make any
revisions to the proposed boundary maps will you explain why you
did so?
Yes. We will hold community information meetings
in November to summarize the feedback we received from the
community and then present the decisions and rationale to revise or
maintain a boundary. For a complete schedule of community meetings,
please click here.
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What demographic
data were used in the creation of the attendance area
boundaries?
Our demographic model, which is designed to
predict enrollment through 2015, uses historic, current, and
projected data from numerous sources. The methodology used for
making these projections is one that is standard across school
districts in the United States.
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Can families be
confident that there will actually be a space for their student at
the school to which they receive an initial
assignment?
Yes. If a student receives an initial assignment
to a school there will be a space available at that school. The
idea is to align the attendance boundaries, building capacity, and
number of students.
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How long can
families rely on the proposed attendance area boundaries as being
accurate?
Our demographic model is designed to predict
enrollment through 2015. However, we will continue to monitor
population data and adjust our projections accordingly. In
addition, the district is in the process of developing a
capacity-management policy to take a more proactive approach in
addressing shifting demographic patterns. This approach to capacity
management will include ongoing monitoring of demographic and
enrollment changes to better anticipate any modifications that may
be needed in future years.
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How often will the
District redraw attendance area boundaries? Just as a neighborhood’s population changes over
time, so too will the enrollment in a school. The ability of the
District to deliver services at a given building can shift with the
changing needs of the students who attend. To meet the needs of a
changed student population and/or a building’s functional
capacity it may be necessary at some point to alter a
school’s attendance area boundary.
Our demographic model is designed to predict
enrollment through 2015. However, we will continue to monitor
population data and adjust our projections accordingly. In
addition, the district is in the process of developing a
capacity-management policy to take a more proactive approach in
addressing shifting demographic patterns. This approach to capacity
management will include ongoing monitoring of demographic and
enrollment changes to better anticipate any modifications that may
be needed in future years.
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There seems to be
an error in how the middle and high school boundaries in West
Seattle were drawn because they don't appear consistent with
co-location at Denny and Sealth. Will this be fixed in the
November recommendations?
Yes. This was an error that will need to be
corrected in the recommended maps that will be presented in
November.
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Why did the
Roxhill boundary change between the recommended maps and the
proposed maps? How will these changes impact
demographics?
The options available for drawing elementary
school boundaries in West Seattle were limited by the need to align
the Chief Sealth and Denny boundaries. This alignment resulted in
proposed elementary school boundaries being changed, including
those for Roxhill.
In this realignment, there are two data points
worth noting about Roxhill: enrollment and socioeconomics. If the
western boundary of the school remained 35th Avenue SW, its
enrollment would exceed its functional capacity by 62 students. As
for socioeconomics, the recommended boundaries are projected reduce
the percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price
lunches (FRL). In 2008-2009, 83% of Roxhill students were eligible
for FRL. Under the recommended boundary, 71% will be eligible for
FRL. Moving the boundary to 35 Ave SW would have reduced the FRL
eligibility only four points further to 67%, but would have put the
school nearly 18% over its functional capacity of 345
students.
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Changes in
boundaries change the makeup of a school’s population. Is it
possible that a population shift would cause a current Title I
school to lose its status—or a school without Title I status
to gain it?
A school's Title I status is determined by its
free and reduced lunch (FRL) status, which is measured annually.
Changes in demographics caused by the new student assignment plan
could render certain schools either eligible or ineligible for
Title I funds.
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Did the District
review the history of neighborhood assignments in the 1970’s
and before when developing the proposed
boundaries?
Our demographic model, which is designed to
predict enrollment through 2015, uses historic, current, and
projected data from numerous sources. The methodology used for
making these projections is one that is standard across school
districts in the United States. However, we have not incorporated a
review of historical attendance patterns from decades ago in
developing this new plan.
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TT Minor is
within a very walkable area with a viable number of families who
are being disenfranchised. Have the District’s
demographic projections encouraged it to open TT
Minor?
No. The available demographic data and capacity
of buildings in that area do not indicate the need for additional
capacity.
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Why do the
proposed boundaries split some streets down the
middle?
The objective when drawing an attendance area
boundary to balance the functional capacity of a building with the
services required by its students—all while considering the
non-weighted factors identified by the School Board for boundary
development. These factors are: proximity of students to schools;
safe walk zones; efficiency of school bus routing (elementary and
middle school boundaries); Metro transportation routes (high school
boundaries); demographics, including anticipated changes in
enrollment; opportunities for creating diversity within boundaries;
and physical barriers.
Many of the proposed boundaries are placed along
heavily trafficked streets and highways. Those on residential
streets reflect the District’s objective to make the most
efficient use of its buildings.
That said, we have received and are reviewing
specific boundary-change suggestions. Recommended boundary
maps—including revisions—will be presented at a Board
work session on November 3, 2009 and will be introduced at the
Board meeting on November 4, 2009 for a vote on November 18,
2009.
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Why is the
District only producing one set of proposed attendance area maps,
even when it acknowledged that there were errors in those
maps?
Even though we have acknowledged errors on
certain maps, it is important that all communities be able to see
and comment on the same basic information. Now that we have heard
from communities throughout the city, we will correct errors and
consider additional revisions. Recommended boundary
maps—including revisions—will be presented at a Board
work session on November 3, 2009 and will be introduced at the
Board meeting on November 4, 2009 for a vote on November 18,
2009.
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Where can I find
the data used to create the proposed attendance area
boundaries?
A good resource is the Proposed Attendance Area
Boundaries Report, which is available at: http://www.seattleschools.org/area/newassign/maps.html.
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Does living in
the walk zone of an attendance area school guarantee an automatic
assignment to that school?
No. Boundaries are developed by balancing the
functional capacity of available buildings with the services needed
by students living in a particular attendance area—all while
considering the non-weighted factors identified by the School Board
for boundary development. While safe walk zones are one of these
factors, living in particular walk zone—or near a particular
school or within one Metro bus ride to a school—does not mean
that the area is included automatically within a specific
attendance area boundary. In a number of situations, students live
in the walk zones of more than one school.
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Comments or questions on the New Student
Assignment Plan - Boundaries?
Return to top Last Updated: November 18,
2009
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