For a full table of the data used to determine these findings, see: http://www.midbeaconhill.blogspot.com/2013/10/title-1-beacon-hill-schools-losing-most.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Beacon Hill, Seattle, Washington
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Beacon Hill parents seek city mini grant to implore school district to retain walk zones
District proposes shutting 67% of neighborhood’s grade schools out of walk zones during International Walk to School Month
BEACON HILL, OCT. 6, 2013 – Today a parents’ group on Beacon Hill applied for a Seattle Department of Transportation mini grant for funds to implore the Seattle School District to let their children keep walking to their local neighborhood schools.
In its draft Growth Boundaries Proposal, the district has proposed removing families at 67% of Beacon Hill neighborhood schools from their district-designated walk zones, and instead bussing them to faraway schools. The Beacon Hill group compared all the city’s current grade school maps to the school district’s proposed maps for 2014 and found that:
--Citywide, families at 28% of Title 1 (low-income) schools would lose official Seattle Public Schools-designated walk zones, compared to 12% of non-Title 1 schools.
--Under the new proposal, 67% of Beacon Hill schools would lose walk zones, compared to 13% for the rest of the city.
--All of the Beacon Hill schools losing walk zones are Title 1 (low-income) schools.
--Beacon Hill is the only neighborhood where children would be taken out of walk zones to cross interstate-feeding arterials, or, in the case of Beacon Hill International, I-90 itself.
“The district shouldn’t be removing kids from walk zones anywhere, but it’s especially unfair that the district is targeting low-income schools in Southeast Seattle to stop walking to school,” said Julie van Arcken, a Maple walk zone parent whose child would be bussed miles away under the new proposal.
The group applied for funding under the City of Seattle’s Safe Routes to School Mini Grant Program, which provides grants of up to $1,000 for education and encouragement programs for walking and biking to school. The group, which only asked for $28, would use the funding as reimbursement for funds already spent on signage, photocopying, and other lobbying materials to implore the school district to let Beacon Hill children remain in their current walk zones, and not be bussed to faraway schools.
“It’s ironic that the city is encouraging children to walk to school, while the district wants to make it unsafe for them to do so,” said van Arcken. “We’re really hoping that this Tuesday, Oct. 8 -- International Walk to School Day – isn’t the last day that many Beacon Hill kids are able to safely walk to their local schools.”
After hearing from parents up and down Beacon Hill, the North Beacon Hill Community Council voted unanimously to advise the School Board to reject the district's boundary proposal.
In a letter to the school board, Council President Melissa Jonas wrote, "Community response in the brief time since the proposal was announced has been overwhelmingly negative to every aspect of the plan as it applies to S Seattle. ... We are confident we can help develop a proposal that keeps neighborhood students in our neighborhood and within safe, realistic walk zones."
For more information about:
Beacon Hill, low-income schools losing walk zones: Julie van Arcken, midbeaconhill@gmail.com, http://midbeaconhill.blogspot.com
Seattle Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School Mini-Grant Program: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/ped_srts_grant.htm
Seattle Public Schools Growth Boundaries Proposal: http://www.seattleschools.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=294923
North Beacon Hill Community Council: http://www.northbeaconhillcouncil.org
International Walk to School Day: http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/
END
####
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Friday, October 4, 2013
Title 1, Beacon Hill Schools Losing Most Walk Zones (with Table and Downloadable Spreadsheet)
For the last week I've been considering how the Seattle Public Schools' new boundary proposal affects school walk zones throughout the city, with special attention on equity for our Title 1 (low-income) schools. Below is a table representing my findings about which neighborhood grade schools would lose "walk zones" -- SPS's own designated areas where children can and should safely walk to their local school. By "losing their walk zone," I mean that children who live within the walk zone for their local school would be reassigned to schools that the city and district believe are too far and/or unsafe for them to walk.
Here's what I've found:
--Citywide, 28% of Title 1 (low-income) schools are losing walk zones, compared to 12% of non-Title 1 schools.
--Under the new proposal, 67% of Beacon Hill schools would lose official SPS walk zones, compared to 13% for the rest of the city.
--All of the Beacon Hill schools losing walk zones are Title 1 (low-income) schools.
--Beacon Hill is the only neighborhood where kids would be taken out of walk zones to cross interstate-feeding arterials, or, in the case of Beacon Hill International, I-90 itself.
Based on my review of the data (presented below), these are the neighborhood grade schools where families will be losing their walk zones:
• Maple (Title 1)
• Beacon Hill International (Title 1)
• Dearborn Park (Title 1)
• Graham Hill (Title 1)
• Kimball (Title 1)
• Northgate (Title 1)
• Roxhill (Title 1)
• BF Day
• Green Lake
• John Stanford
• North Beach
P.S. Please comment below if I have gotten anything wrong. The district makes it extremely difficult to understand how the boundaries are changing (the changes are not overlaid on the maps). Also, the new maps do not include walk zones. I did the best I could to parse all the data. Thank you!
Here is the below information in a downloadable spreadsheet.
Schools Keeping or Losing Walk Zones:
Here's what I've found:
--Citywide, 28% of Title 1 (low-income) schools are losing walk zones, compared to 12% of non-Title 1 schools.
--Under the new proposal, 67% of Beacon Hill schools would lose official SPS walk zones, compared to 13% for the rest of the city.
--All of the Beacon Hill schools losing walk zones are Title 1 (low-income) schools.
--Beacon Hill is the only neighborhood where kids would be taken out of walk zones to cross interstate-feeding arterials, or, in the case of Beacon Hill International, I-90 itself.
Based on my review of the data (presented below), these are the neighborhood grade schools where families will be losing their walk zones:
• Maple (Title 1)
• Beacon Hill International (Title 1)
• Dearborn Park (Title 1)
• Graham Hill (Title 1)
• Kimball (Title 1)
• Northgate (Title 1)
• Roxhill (Title 1)
• BF Day
• Green Lake
• John Stanford
• North Beach
P.S. Please comment below if I have gotten anything wrong. The district makes it extremely difficult to understand how the boundaries are changing (the changes are not overlaid on the maps). Also, the new maps do not include walk zones. I did the best I could to parse all the data. Thank you!
Here is the below information in a downloadable spreadsheet.
Schools Keeping or Losing Walk Zones:
Neighborhood Grade School | Losing walk zone? | Title 1 School | City of Seattle School Walk Route | Current Map w/ Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adams | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Lost Adams walk zone would become part of Loyal Heights walk zone |
Alki | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Alki retains its walk zone |
Arbor Heights | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Arbor Heights retains its walk zone |
Bagley | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Bagley retains its walk zone |
Bailey Gatzert | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Gatzert retains its walk zone. |
Beacon Hill Intl | Losing walk zone | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Beacon Hill families in D6 of the Thurgood Marshall growth map would be forced out of the Beacon Hill walk zone to be bussed to Thurgood Marshall.. |
BF Day | Losing walk zone | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | BF Day students in east Wallingford will lose their walk zone and need to be bussed to Green Lake |
Blaine | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Blaine retains its walk zone. |
Broadview Thomson K-8 | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | BTK8 families moved into Viewlands would be in the Viewlands walk zone. |
Bryant | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | North Bryant families would be in the walk zone for Wedgwood |
Cedar Park | No | No | N/A | N/A | Proposed Growth Map | Cedar Park not yet open |
Coe | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Coe retains its walk zone. |
Concord Intl | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Concord Int'l retains its walk zone. |
Dearborn Park | Losing walk zone | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | N/A | Dearborn Park would become an option school, and its entire attendance zone would be bussed to Van Asselt. |
Dunlap | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Dunlap retains its walk zone. |
Emerson | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Emerson retains its walk zone |
Fairmount Park | No | No | N/A | N/A | Proposed Growth Map | Fairmount Park not yet open |
Gatewood | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Gatewood families who would be moved to Fairmount Park would be much closer to Fairmount Park than Gatewood |
Graham Hill | Losing walk zone | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Graham Hill families in C2 of the growth Emerson map are in the Graham Hill walk zone but would be bussed to Emerson |
Green Lake | Losing walk zone | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Green Lake students in E-F 1-2 of the Green Lake growth zone will lose their walk zone and need to be bussed to Bagley |
Greenwood | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Greenwood retains its walk zone |
Hawthorne | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Hawthorne retains its walk zone |
Hay | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Hay retains its walk zone. |
Highland Park | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Highland Park families in the SW corner of the zone will be in the walk zone for Roxhill |
John Muir | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | John Muir retains its walk zone. |
John Rogers | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | John Rogers retains its walk zone |
John Stanford | Losing walk zone | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | N/A | John Stanford families must bus to Green Lake as John Stanford becomes an option school |
Kimball | Losing walk zone | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Kimball families in B-C 3-4 of the Kimball growth map are in the Kimball walk zone but would be bussed to Maple |
Lafayette | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Lafayette retains its walk zone |
Laurelhurst | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Laurelhurst retains its walk zone |
Lawton | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Lawton retains its walk zone. |
Leschi | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Leschi retains its walk zone. |
Lowell | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Lowell retains its walk zone. |
Loyal Heights | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Loyal Heights retains its walk zone. |
Madrona K-8 | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Madrona retains its walk zone. |
Maple | Losing walk zone | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Maple families in F-G 6 of the Maple growth map are in the Maple walk zone but would be bussed to Van Asselt |
McDonald | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | N/A | McDonald walk zone families enter the Green Lake walk zone |
McGilvra | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | McGilvra retains its walk zone. |
MLK | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Families in the southern end of the MLK walk zone would be moved into the Dunlap walk zone |
Montlake | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | If any Montlake families move into Stevens zone, they would be in Stevens walk zone. |
North Beach | Yes | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | North Beach families just north of Golden Gardens would move to Loyal Heights and not be in that walk zone. |
Northgate | Losing walk zone | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Northgate walk zone families in E7 of the Northgate growth map would be bussed to Viewlands. |
Olympic Hills | N/A | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Unclear if Olympic Hills is technically losing its walk zone, since no new city walk zone has been established for Cedar Hills. Some families will need to travel further to get to Cedar Park, up to about 10 blocks total and across LCW. |
Olympic View | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Olympic View retains its walk zone. |
Rainier View | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Rainier View retains its walk zone |
Roxhill | Losing walk zone | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Roxhill families in D3 of the Roxhill growth map would be in the bus zone for West Seattle Elementary | |
Sacajawea | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Sacajawea retains its walk zone |
Sand Point | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Sandpoint retains its walk zone |
Sanislo | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Sanislo retains its walk zone |
Schmitz Park | N/A | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Schmitz Park is moving 3 blocks south to Genesee Hill, so the previous walk zone no longer applies. |
Stevens | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Stevens retains its walk zone. |
Thurgood Marshall | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Thurgood Marshall retains its walk zone. |
Van Asselt | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Van Asselt families being moved into the Wing Luke zone would be in the Wing Luke walk zone |
View Ridge | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | View Ridge retains its walk zone |
Viewlands | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Viewlands retains its walk zone. |
Wedgwood | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Wedgwood retains its walk zone |
West Seattle | N/A | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | West Seattle Elem. Families in D-E 3 of the West Seattle growth map will be moved to Fairmount Park, which does not have a walk zone established yetpublished on the SPS site |
West Woodland | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | West Woodland retains its walk zone |
Whittier | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Whittier retains its walk zone. |
Wilson Pacific Elem | No | No | N/A | Proposed Growth Map | Wilson Pacific is not yet open. | |
Wing Luke | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Wing Luke retains its walk zone |
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Beacon Hill Would Lose the Most Walk Zones of Any Seattle Neighborhood
With Seattle Public Schools' new boundary proposal, Beacon Hill would lose the most grade school walk zones of any Seattle neighborhood.
--Out of the 11 schools citywide that are losing walk zone areas, 4 are on Beacon Hill.
--All 4 (Kimball, Beacon Hill International, Maple, Dearborn Park) of the neighborhood grade schools in North and Mid Beacon Hill would lose walk zone areas.
--Including the entire Beacon Hill area, 4 out of our 6 neighborhood schools (67%) are losing walk zones, compared to 13% for the rest of the city.
--Currently, 100% (2 out of 2) of Beacon Hill's freeway onramp feeder arterials serve as natural boundaries between neighborhood grade school zones. The district now wants our grade school zones to overlap the freeway onramp arterials of Spokane and Graham.
Instead of moving forward with the current boundary proposal, the District should:
(1) increase children's fitness levels, save transportation dollars, and limit diesel pollutants by retaining their own established Beacon Hill walk zones, and
(2) retain the busy I-5 arterials of Graham and Spokane as natural boundaries between school zones to keep our children safe.
Besides Dearborn Park (which loses its entire zone if it becomes an option school), here are maps of the lost walk zones at Maple, Kimball, and Beacon Hill International.
This Maple walk zone needs to stay at Maple, not cross the I-5 arterial of Graham to go to Van Asselt over 2 miles away:
This Kimball walk zone needs to stay at Kimball, not cross the I-5 arterial of Spokane to go to Maple and replace Maple walk zone kids' seats:
This Beacon Hill International walk zone needs to stay at Beacon Hill International, not cross under I-90 to go to Thurgood Marshall:
--Out of the 11 schools citywide that are losing walk zone areas, 4 are on Beacon Hill.
--All 4 (Kimball, Beacon Hill International, Maple, Dearborn Park) of the neighborhood grade schools in North and Mid Beacon Hill would lose walk zone areas.
--Including the entire Beacon Hill area, 4 out of our 6 neighborhood schools (67%) are losing walk zones, compared to 13% for the rest of the city.
--Currently, 100% (2 out of 2) of Beacon Hill's freeway onramp feeder arterials serve as natural boundaries between neighborhood grade school zones. The district now wants our grade school zones to overlap the freeway onramp arterials of Spokane and Graham.
Instead of moving forward with the current boundary proposal, the District should:
(1) increase children's fitness levels, save transportation dollars, and limit diesel pollutants by retaining their own established Beacon Hill walk zones, and
(2) retain the busy I-5 arterials of Graham and Spokane as natural boundaries between school zones to keep our children safe.
Besides Dearborn Park (which loses its entire zone if it becomes an option school), here are maps of the lost walk zones at Maple, Kimball, and Beacon Hill International.
This Maple walk zone needs to stay at Maple, not cross the I-5 arterial of Graham to go to Van Asselt over 2 miles away:
This Kimball walk zone needs to stay at Kimball, not cross the I-5 arterial of Spokane to go to Maple and replace Maple walk zone kids' seats:
This Beacon Hill International walk zone needs to stay at Beacon Hill International, not cross under I-90 to go to Thurgood Marshall:
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Seattle Public Schools to Shut Low-Income Students Out of Walk Zones?
Seattle Public Schools' proposed new boundaries would push many children out of neighborhood grade school walk zones and onto buses. And these changes would disproportionately affect Title 1 (low income) schools, with 28% of Title 1 neighborhood grade schools losing walk zones compared to only 12% of non-Title 1 schools. As usual, Southeast Seattle is also disproportionately affected, with most of the schools losing their walk zones located here.
While Seattle Public Schools should not be shutting any children out of walk zones and onto buses, they should be trying especially hard to keep low-income communities within city-approved walking distance of their local schools. Higher family income is already correlated with higher performance in school, and recent studies also suggest a connection between fitness and academic success. As recently noted in the New York Times Well blog, a University of Illinois study found that nine and 10-year-olds did better at memorizing facts if they were physically fit, and the Journal of Pediatrics reported that a study of about 12,000 Nebraska public school students in fourth through eighth grade showed that fitter kids did better on standardized tests.
Nevertheless, Seattle Public Schools is pushing students at seven Title 1 schools out of their official city-approved walk zones to their nearby neighborhood grade schools and onto buses to faraway schools. Yet another layer of inequity is that this will increase the use of diesel buses in areas already disproportionately plagued by diesel exhaust and other pollution (as near I-5 and Boeing Field on Mid Beacon Hill).
Based on my initial review of the data (presented below), these are the neighborhood grade schools losing their walk zones:
• Maple (Title 1)
• Beacon Hill International (Title 1)
• Dearborn Park (Title 1)
• Graham Hill (Title 1)
• Kimball (Title 1)
• Northgate (Title 1)
• Roxhill (Title 1)
• BF Day
• Green Lake
• John Stanford
• North Beach
Shutting all these Title 1 schools out of walk zones violates almost all of Seattle Public Schools' guiding principles:
• "Ground decisions in data." (No. The data, presented in tabular format below, shows that the changes disproportionately shut low-income schools out of walk zones.)
• "Create boundaries that reflect equitable access to services and programs." (These SE Seattle boundary changes do not improve access to existing services and programs, but definitely create income and racial INEQUITY in terms of walkability.)
• "Maximize walkability." (No -- the exact opposite.)
• "Enable cost-effective transportation standards." (No -- this will take children out of walk zones and put them on buses the district has to pay for.)
• "Maintain key features of New Student Assignment Plan (e.g. opportunities for creating diversity within boundaries, choice, option schools, feeder patterns)." (There is no evidence this will be the case. SPS is proposing changing Dearborn Park into a language immersion option school, but they admit they have no plan in terms of funding, curriculum, or timeline. I asked this question several times at the Mercer meeting.)
• "Minimize disruptions by aligning new boundaries with current attendance area boundaries when feasible." (No -- the exact opposite.)
• "Be mindful of fiscal impact (costs and savings)." (No -- it will cost more to bus students to faraway schools than to let them walk to their local school.
• "Be responsive to family input to the extent feasible." (We can only hope! Absolutely no one at the Mercer meeting approved of these changes. There is huge outcry from SE Seattle about how bad these changes are to our community.)
Based on the turnout at the Mercer community meeting on Monday as well as School Board Rep. Betty Patu's monthly coffee chat today, there will be too many of us banding together against this plan for the district to ignore us. Make your voice heard, and email these groups with your comments today: GrowthBoundaries@seattleschools.org; schoolboard@seattleschools.org
P.S. Please let me know if I have gotten anything wrong below. The district makes it extremely difficult to understand how the boundaries are changing (the changes are not overlaid on the maps). Also, the new maps do not include walk zones. I did the best I could to parse all the data. Thank you!
Schools Keeping or Losing Walk Zones:
While Seattle Public Schools should not be shutting any children out of walk zones and onto buses, they should be trying especially hard to keep low-income communities within city-approved walking distance of their local schools. Higher family income is already correlated with higher performance in school, and recent studies also suggest a connection between fitness and academic success. As recently noted in the New York Times Well blog, a University of Illinois study found that nine and 10-year-olds did better at memorizing facts if they were physically fit, and the Journal of Pediatrics reported that a study of about 12,000 Nebraska public school students in fourth through eighth grade showed that fitter kids did better on standardized tests.
Nevertheless, Seattle Public Schools is pushing students at seven Title 1 schools out of their official city-approved walk zones to their nearby neighborhood grade schools and onto buses to faraway schools. Yet another layer of inequity is that this will increase the use of diesel buses in areas already disproportionately plagued by diesel exhaust and other pollution (as near I-5 and Boeing Field on Mid Beacon Hill).
Based on my initial review of the data (presented below), these are the neighborhood grade schools losing their walk zones:
• Maple (Title 1)
• Beacon Hill International (Title 1)
• Dearborn Park (Title 1)
• Graham Hill (Title 1)
• Kimball (Title 1)
• Northgate (Title 1)
• Roxhill (Title 1)
• BF Day
• Green Lake
• John Stanford
• North Beach
Shutting all these Title 1 schools out of walk zones violates almost all of Seattle Public Schools' guiding principles:
• "Ground decisions in data." (No. The data, presented in tabular format below, shows that the changes disproportionately shut low-income schools out of walk zones.)
• "Create boundaries that reflect equitable access to services and programs." (These SE Seattle boundary changes do not improve access to existing services and programs, but definitely create income and racial INEQUITY in terms of walkability.)
• "Maximize walkability." (No -- the exact opposite.)
• "Enable cost-effective transportation standards." (No -- this will take children out of walk zones and put them on buses the district has to pay for.)
• "Maintain key features of New Student Assignment Plan (e.g. opportunities for creating diversity within boundaries, choice, option schools, feeder patterns)." (There is no evidence this will be the case. SPS is proposing changing Dearborn Park into a language immersion option school, but they admit they have no plan in terms of funding, curriculum, or timeline. I asked this question several times at the Mercer meeting.)
• "Minimize disruptions by aligning new boundaries with current attendance area boundaries when feasible." (No -- the exact opposite.)
• "Be mindful of fiscal impact (costs and savings)." (No -- it will cost more to bus students to faraway schools than to let them walk to their local school.
• "Be responsive to family input to the extent feasible." (We can only hope! Absolutely no one at the Mercer meeting approved of these changes. There is huge outcry from SE Seattle about how bad these changes are to our community.)
Based on the turnout at the Mercer community meeting on Monday as well as School Board Rep. Betty Patu's monthly coffee chat today, there will be too many of us banding together against this plan for the district to ignore us. Make your voice heard, and email these groups with your comments today: GrowthBoundaries@seattleschools.org; schoolboard@seattleschools.org
P.S. Please let me know if I have gotten anything wrong below. The district makes it extremely difficult to understand how the boundaries are changing (the changes are not overlaid on the maps). Also, the new maps do not include walk zones. I did the best I could to parse all the data. Thank you!
Schools Keeping or Losing Walk Zones:
Neighborhood Grade School | Losing walk zone? | Title 1 School | City of Seattle School Walk Route | Current Map w/ Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adams | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Lost Adams walk zone would become part of Loyal Heights walk zone |
Alki | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Alki retains its walk zone |
Arbor Heights | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Arbor Heights retains its walk zone |
Bagley | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Bagley retains its walk zone |
Bailey Gatzert | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Gatzert retains its walk zone. |
Beacon Hill Intl | Losing walk zone | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Beacon Hill families in D6 of the Thurgood Marshall growth map would be forced out of the Beacon Hill walk zone to be bussed to Thurgood Marshall.. |
BF Day | Losing walk zone | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | BF Day students in east Wallingford will lose their walk zone and need to be bussed to Green Lake |
Blaine | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Blaine retains its walk zone. |
Broadview Thomson K-8 | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | BTK8 families moved into Viewlands would be in the Viewlands walk zone. |
Bryant | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | North Bryant families would be in the walk zone for Wedgwood |
Cedar Park | No | No | N/A | N/A | Proposed Growth Map | Cedar Park not yet open |
Coe | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Coe retains its walk zone. |
Concord Intl | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Concord Int'l retains its walk zone. |
Dearborn Park | Losing walk zone | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | N/A | Dearborn Park would become an option school, and its entire attendance zone would be bussed to Van Asselt. |
Dunlap | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Dunlap retains its walk zone. |
Emerson | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Emerson retains its walk zone |
Fairmount Park | No | No | N/A | N/A | Proposed Growth Map | Fairmount Park not yet open |
Gatewood | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Gatewood families who would be moved to Fairmount Park would be much closer to Fairmount Park than Gatewood |
Graham Hill | Losing walk zone | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Graham Hill families in C2 of the growth Emerson map are in the Graham Hill walk zone but would be bussed to Emerson |
Green Lake | Losing walk zone | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Green Lake students in E-F 1-2 of the Green Lake growth zone will lose their walk zone and need to be bussed to Bagley |
Greenwood | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Greenwood retains its walk zone |
Hawthorne | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Hawthorne retains its walk zone |
Hay | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Hay retains its walk zone. |
Highland Park | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Highland Park families in the SW corner of the zone will be in the walk zone for Roxhill |
John Muir | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | John Muir retains its walk zone. |
John Rogers | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | John Rogers retains its walk zone |
John Stanford | Losing walk zone | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | N/A | John Stanford families must bus to Green Lake as John Stanford becomes an option school |
Kimball | Losing walk zone | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Kimball families in B-C 3-4 of the Kimball growth map are in the Kimball walk zone but would be bussed to Maple |
Lafayette | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Lafayette retains its walk zone |
Laurelhurst | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Laurelhurst retains its walk zone |
Lawton | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Lawton retains its walk zone. |
Leschi | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Leschi retains its walk zone. |
Lowell | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Lowell retains its walk zone. |
Loyal Heights | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Loyal Heights retains its walk zone. |
Madrona K-8 | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Madrona retains its walk zone. |
Maple | Losing walk zone | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Maple families in F-G 6 of the Maple growth map are in the Maple walk zone but would be bussed to Van Asselt |
McDonald | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | N/A | McDonald walk zone families enter the Green Lake walk zone |
McGilvra | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | McGilvra retains its walk zone. |
MLK | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Families in the southern end of the MLK walk zone would be moved into the Dunlap walk zone |
Montlake | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | If any Montlake families move into Stevens zone, they would be in Stevens walk zone. |
North Beach | Yes | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | North Beach families just north of Golden Gardens would move to Loyal Heights and not be in that walk zone. |
Northgate | Losing walk zone | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Northgate walk zone families in E7 of the Northgate growth map would be bussed to Viewlands. |
Olympic Hills | N/A | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Unclear if Olympic Hills is technically losing its walk zone, since no new city walk zone has been established for Cedar Hills. Some families will need to travel further to get to Cedar Park, up to about 10 blocks total and across LCW. |
Olympic View | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Olympic View retains its walk zone. |
Rainier View | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Rainier View retains its walk zone |
Roxhill | Losing walk zone | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Roxhill families in D3 of the Roxhill growth map would be in the bus zone for West Seattle Elementary | |
Sacajawea | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Sacajawea retains its walk zone |
Sand Point | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Sandpoint retains its walk zone |
Sanislo | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Sanislo retains its walk zone |
Schmitz Park | N/A | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Schmitz Park is moving 3 blocks south to Genesee Hill, so the previous walk zone no longer applies. |
Stevens | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Stevens retains its walk zone. |
Thurgood Marshall | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Thurgood Marshall retains its walk zone. |
Van Asselt | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Van Asselt families being moved into the Wing Luke zone would be in the Wing Luke walk zone |
View Ridge | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | View Ridge retains its walk zone |
Viewlands | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Viewlands retains its walk zone. |
Wedgwood | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Wedgwood retains its walk zone |
West Seattle | N/A | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | West Seattle Elem. Families in D-E 3 of the West Seattle growth map will be moved to Fairmount Park, which does not have a walk zone established yetpublished on the SPS site |
West Woodland | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | West Woodland retains its walk zone |
Whittier | No | No | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Whittier retains its walk zone. |
Wilson Pacific Elem | No | No | N/A | Proposed Growth Map | Wilson Pacific is not yet open. | |
Wing Luke | No | Title 1 | Walk route | Current Map with Walk Zone in Pink | Proposed Growth Map | Wing Luke retains its walk zone |
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Three Georgetown Photos from This Weekend
Great Stuff Friday night:
Nine Pound Hammer Friday night:
Outside Pental Granite & Marble on Saturday:
Nine Pound Hammer Friday night:
Outside Pental Granite & Marble on Saturday:
Monday, July 20, 2009
Mari and Andrew's West Seattle Garden in July
Chuck visited Saturday, and we took him to Mari and Andrew's garden.
Not my child. Someone else's.
Later that evening we went to Elemental for dinner and had...
Watermelon with garbonzo beans.
Crab, roe.
Roasted red pepper with smoked salmon cream cheese.
Beet hazelnut salald.
(Did I mention the wine pairings with each course and then some?)
Escargot and bone marrow crostini.
Salmon with cherries, grapes, and roasted corn.
Game hen with ratatouille risotto.
Lamb taco with pickled cabbage.
Cheese.
Panna cotta.
Apricot tart with ice cream.
Chocolate crepes.
Then we walked to Gas Works Park.
Not my child. Someone else's.
Later that evening we went to Elemental for dinner and had...
Watermelon with garbonzo beans.
Crab, roe.
Roasted red pepper with smoked salmon cream cheese.
Beet hazelnut salald.
(Did I mention the wine pairings with each course and then some?)
Escargot and bone marrow crostini.
Salmon with cherries, grapes, and roasted corn.
Game hen with ratatouille risotto.
Lamb taco with pickled cabbage.
Cheese.
Panna cotta.
Apricot tart with ice cream.
Chocolate crepes.
Then we walked to Gas Works Park.
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