(Editor’s note: This updates an earlier story. The over-capacity schools have now been identified)
A collection of Kent School District elementaries could be seeing boundary changes, due to fluctuations in their student populations.
A citizens’ board had its first meeting about that issue Monday at the Kent School District office, 12033 S.E. 256th St. The meeting of the community group, called the 2010 Citizens’ Elementary Boundary Committee, was open to the public.
According to Kent School District spokesperson Becky Hanks, the following schools could see changes to their boundaries next school year: Cedar Valley, Meridian, Covington, Millennium, Crestwood, Panther Lake, Jenkins Creek, Pine Tree, Meadow Ridge and Springbrook.
Hanks noted a number of schools in that group are “busting at the seams” in terms of how many students they have, while other schools in the group actually have too few.
“The challenge is because of changing demographics,” Hanks said, noting the fluidity of movement by students and their families in the district. “We have some of our schools which are over-capacity, and some which are under-capacity.”
According to minutes from Monday’s meeting, Panther Lake is over capacity by 60 students; Millennium is over by 100, and Covington is over by 40. The other seven schools listed for possible boundary changes could be taking some of those students, to balance the numbers out.
The Kent School Board formed the Citizens’ Elementary Boundary Committee to review the issue, and to come back to the board with a report by no later than April 14. Any changes to school boundaries would have to be approved by the School Board, and the report from the committee would be in strictly in advisory capacity.
“Their job is to recommend boundary changes, and develop a boundary-change plan, relative to these schools,” Hanks said, adding the district wanted to have a plan in hand well in advance of the upcoming school year, to give parents as much warning as possible.
True to its name, the Citizens’ Elementary Boundary Committee is just that – a group made up of parents from each affected school.
The point is public buy-in, as well as a broader understanding by members of issues outside just their schools, according to Hanks.
“We always do citizens’ review groups because we want them involved,” Hanks said, of past issues with moving boundaries so that Kent schools got balanced number of students per school. “People initially come to the first meeting understandably representing their school, but eventually come to the understanding of what’s best for the district.
“It’s by neighborhood – that’s why it’s important this is done with citizen involvement. It’s a great process,” she added.
Each school in this latest boundary review has two parent representatives on the committee. When the board delivers its report to the School Board, the board can then opt to make its decision. And once that formal decision is made, the district will notify affected parents of the change, as well as modify bus routes. There may be some opportunities for parents to keep their children in the school, if the boundaries change, but that would be contingent on whether parents could provide their own transportation to the school, and if the school actually had open enrollment, Hanks said.
For more information, go to www.kent.k12.wa.us/committees/committees.aspx?CommitteeId=36
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