Superintendent's Preliminary Recommendation

Analysis by region: NORTHEAST

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Overview:  

There are eight neighborhood schools in the Northeast region (Bryant, Laurelhurst, Olympic Hills, Olympic View, John Rogers, Sacajawea, View Ridge, and Wedgwood) as well as one regional alternative school (AE II at Decatur) that provide a total of 3,190 seats for kindergarten through fifth grade students. AS #1 at Pinehurst and Summit K-12 at Jane Addams are also located in this region, but are not included in these capacity numbers, as these are all-city draw programs. Currently 3,662 of the elementary students attending Seattle Public Schools reside in this region. The number of resident elementary students attending Seattle Public Schools is projected to increase to 4,336 by 2014.

Currently there are 472 elementary seats needed; by 2014 we anticipate needing 1,176 elementary seats. Therefore we recommend not closing any buildings and increasing elementary capacity by adding portables to several sites.

Building Closure Recommendation:

• None

Building Repurpose Recommendation:

• Eliminate Summit K-12 alternative program ( school analysis) and repurpose Jane Addams building for a neighborhood K-5 and a neighborhood 6-8 middle school.

Other Recommendations:

• Expand AE II ( school analysis) from a K-5 to a K-8 regional alternative school, and accommodate middle school capacity by adding portables.
• Reduce AS #1 assignment and transportation area from all-city draw to Northeast, Northwest, and Queen Anne/Magnolia.
• Increase elementary capacity at Olympic Hills, View Ridge, and John Rogers by adding portables at each site.

Criteria Metrics:

Note: Buildings within the region are ranked on each criterion in descending order from 1 to 10, with 1 indicating the most preferred.

Discussion of the Criteria and Rationale:

We recommend eliminating the Summit K-12 alternative program in order to increase the neighborhood elementary and middle school capacity needed in this region. (Please see the middle school section, below, for a full discussion of this recommendation).

AE II at Decatur is currently an alternative K-5 for the Northeast region. In order to give families in the region the opportunity to attend an alternative middle school in the region, we recommend increasing the AE II to include grades 6-8. The capacity for this can be achieved by adding portables with restroom facilities to the site.

AS #1, an alternative K-8 school, is located in the Pinehurst building in this region. This program is currently an all-city draw, but many of the students in the program come from the Northwest and Northeast regions. We recommend reducing the AS #1 assignment draw to the Northwest, Northeast, and Queen Anne/Magnolia regions. This will allow more regional students to access this program, and will also reduce transportation costs.

Given the current population, and the anticipated growth in the region, we do not recommend closing any elementary buildings.  At this time we expect that adding suitable portables at Olympic Hills, View Ridge, and John Rogers will accommodate anticipated growth.  

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Overview:

There is one neighborhood school in the Northeast region (Nathan Eckstein) that provides a total of 1,267 seats for sixth through eighth grade students. There are currently no regional alternative schools with middle school capacity (there are two all-city alternative schools with middle school capacity that are not included in this analysis: Summit K-12 and AS #1). Currently 1,671 of the middle school students attending Seattle Public Schools reside in this region; we anticipate that number to grow to 1,959 in 2014.  

We need to add capacity in this region, as the region currently needs 404 more seats, and we anticipate needing 692 seats by 2014.  

Building Closure Recommendation:

• None

Building Repurpose Recommendation:

• Summit K-12 program eliminated ( school analysis). Jane Addams building repurposed to accommodate a neighborhood K-5 elementary and a neighborhood 6-8 middle school.

Other Recommendation:

• Expand AE II from a K-5 alternative program to a K-8 alternative program.

Criteria Metrics:

Discussion of the Criteria and Rationale:

If Nathan Eckstein remains the only middle school for the Northeast region, then there is a shortage of approximately 400 seats and an anticipated shortage in 2014 of approximately 700 seats. This demand requires that more middle school capacity be created.  Jane Addams was originally built as a middle school, and to create the required elementary and middle school capacity, we recommend repurposing Jane Addams as a K-5 neighborhood elementary and a 6-8 neighborhood middle school.   This will add approximately 300 elementary seats and approximately 500 middle school seats to the region. Although approximately 200 more middle school seats may be needed by 2014, we will continue to monitor enrollment growth in the region to ensure all students can be accommodated.  

In order to provide families in every region with a K-8 alternative option, we recommend that AE II expand from a K-5 to a K-8 alternative program. The AE II K-8 alternative program will remain at the Decatur building with the needed capacity provided by the addition of portables. Students in this region will continue to have access to AS #1.

HIGH SCHOOL

Overview:  

There are currently two comprehensive high schools in the Northeast region (Nathan Hale and Roosevelt) that provide a total of 3,137 seats. Additionally, there is one all-city draw (Summit at Jane Addams) in the region that is not included in the capacity totals. Currently 2,350 of the high school students attending Seattle Public Schools live in this region; we anticipate that number to increase to 2,624 in 2014.

Although we have excess capacity now, with 787 excess seats, and anticipate continued excess, with 513 excess seats, this excess is not sufficient to close any high school.  

Building Closure Recommendation:

• None

Building Repurpose Recommendation:

• None

Other Recommendation:

• Remove enrollment cap at Nathan Hale ( school analysis) and increase enrollment to more closely match building capacity of 1,583 students.

Criteria Metrics:

Discussion of the Criteria and Rationale:

The District's goal is to provide every high school student with a guaranteed regional high school assignment. To achieve this goal, and in particular to guarantee Queen Anne/Magnolia students an assignment to a nearby high school, capacity at existing comprehensive north end high schools must be maximized. Nathan Hale's capacity is 1,583 and its October 2004 enrollment was 1,074. To maximize north end capacity, the enrollment at Nathan Hale must increase to more closely match the building capacity.