Superintendent's Preliminary Recommendation

Student Assignment Plan

Recommendation for Elementary Grades K-5

Neighborhood Schools:   (The school with which an individual home address is associated.)

• Assignment:   Students in Grades K-5 are assigned to the neighborhood elementary school associated with the home address. (Exceptions include Bilingual newcomers and some Special Education programs.)
• Transportation:   Students are provided yellow bus transportation to the assigned neighborhood school if the distance between home and the school is greater than the established walk distance.

Options other than a neighborhood school: (Students can apply for a non-neighborhood school in the cluster such as a K-8 alternative or other traditional school.)

• K-8 and Alternative schools:   Schools that offer grade configurations other than K-5 or have different instructional and governance methodology.
• Cluster Schools:   A group of schools that are geographically near each other form a cluster (typically between 2-4 schools). Special programs are typically available within a cluster or a school.)
• Application:   Students may apply for enrollment into an alternative or cluster school associated with the home address.
• Assignment:   Assignment to the alternative or other cluster school is based on space available. If there are more applicants than space, priority will be given first to students with siblings at the school. After siblings, random lottery is used to determine who gets into the school.
• Transportation:   Students are provided transportation to the alternative or cluster school if the distance between home and the school is greater than the established walk distance.

Other:

• School start times will vary within a cluster to maximize transportation efficiency.
• Students in grades 3-5 in a school in 2005-06 can remain there through the highest grade of the school. (Note this information was corrected on 4/22/05)  
• Transportation service authorized for the 2005-06 school year will continue until June 2008.  
• Transportation to new school assignments for school year 2006-07 and beyond will be subject to new transportation provisions.
• Where schools are dissolved, students will be assigned to their neighborhood school.

Recommendation for Middle School Grades 6-8

Neighborhood Schools:   (The school with which an individual home address is associated.)

• Assignment:   Students in Grades 6-8 are assigned to the neighborhood middle school associated with the home address. (Exceptions include some Bilingual newcomers, APP, and some Special Education programs.)
• Transportation:   Students are provided yellow bus transportation to the assigned neighborhood school if the distance between home and the school is greater than the established walk distance.

Options other than a neighborhood school: (Students can apply for a non-neighborhood middle school in the district including a K-8 alternative school.)

• Application:   Students may apply for enrollment into any other school with grades 6-8.
• Assignment:   Assignment to another school is based on space available. If there are more applicants than space, priority will be given first to students with siblings at the school. After siblings, family economic status is the second determiner followed by a random lottery determines who gets into the school.
• Transportation:   Students receive a bus pass if the distance between home and school is greater than the established walk distance.

Other:

• Students in a school in 2005-06 can remain there through the highest grade of the school.  
• Transportation service authorized for the 2005-06 school year will continue until June 2008.  
• Plan changes apply beginning in the 2007-08 school year.

Recommendation for High School Grades 9-12

Neighborhood Schools:   (The school with which an individual home address is associated.)

• Assignment:   Students in Grades 9-12 are assigned to the neighborhood high school associated with the home address. (Exceptions include Bilingual newcomers and some Special Education programs.)
• Transportation:   As requested, students are provided public bus pass transportation to the assigned neighborhood school.

Options other than a neighborhood school: (Students can apply for a non-neighborhood high school in the district.)

• Application:   Students may apply for enrollment into any other school with grades 9-12.
• Assignment:   Assignment to another high school is based on space available. If there are more applicants than space, priority will be given first to students with siblings at the school. After siblings, family economic status is the second determiner followed by a random lottery determines who gets into the school.

Other:

• Students in a school in 2005-06 can remain there through the highest grade of the school.  
• Existing yellow bus transportation service will continue until June 2008.  
• The plan will be effective September 2007.

Recommendation and Educational Impact :   Change the current student assignment plan to one of fixed assignments with limited choice to other schools.

The current assignment plan in Seattle Public Schools is an "open choice" plan. This means that families are not required to send their students to one particular school, but rather can choose from among a variety of schools.   The recommendation is to move to a more traditional student assignment plan, where students have a fixed assignment to a neighborhood school (elementary, middle or high), and have some limited options to choose another school. This plan will provide a quality education to all the students who live in the Seattle Public School District, in a school that is close to home.

Moving to the recommended assignment plan is expected to increase family involvement in schools and to increase the number of students participating in after-school activities, as students and their families will live in the same neighborhood as their school. Additionally, community involvement in the neighborhood schools is expected to increase, as community members will feel more connected to their neighborhood school.  

The Seattle Public Schools current assignment plan often disadvantages those families who move into our communities mid-year, as they are required to attend a school that has available capacity, as opposed to attending the school near their home. By moving to a neighborhood assignment plan, seats will be available in neighborhood schools for those students who enter the District after the start of the school year.  

We recognize that this change is major, and that it will feel disruptive to families, staff, and community members for some time. However, the overall benefits to students, their families, and the community is expected to outweigh this discomfort. Quality schools, in every neighborhood, will benefit every member of our community.