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.