On Saturday, April 28, Highline Public Schools released the following update on School Boundary Changes:
Members met April 25 to begin sifting through feedback from 10 community meetings, more than 600 survey comments, and several suggested alternative boundary maps and school feeder patterns.
Three hours later, these community volunteers raised 15 thumbs in the air, without hesitation, to add additional meeting time to their calendars. Members expressed unanimous commitment to see this process through to the best possible boundary plan.
They asked Chief Technology Officer Mark Finstrom to adjust the draft CFAC boundary maps prior to their next meeting to include as many community suggestions as possible. They also selected a revised version of one of the districtwide boundary maps submitted by a group of community members to move forward in the review process.
As members work through the survey results and suggestions, they will provide additional directions to district staff.
Meeting Purpose
The agenda stated: “The purpose of the meeting is for committee members to review alternatives suggested by the community during our public feedback process (March 10-April 20) and decide which alternatives should be evaluated by CFAC at its May meeting.”Alternative Maps Considered
Committee members considered the following alternative maps submitted as suggestions:
- ABC4Highline (a group effort)
- Erik Claflin (a parent and teacher)
- Yvonne Bush (a parent and bus driver)
Members eliminated the Claflin and Bush maps as not workable with student enrollment projections, but made note of the ideas they liked.
They retained the ABC map (revised following the April 17 Boundary Design Session for the community), as a viable option with potential for further adjustments and compromises with the existing CFAC draft plan. (This pdf link includes resident student population numbers.) Members noted pros/cons of the ABC version 2 map.
Public Comment
Co-chairs Rose Clark and Aaron Garcia included 30 minutes in the agenda for public comments. Six community members signed up and spoke during the public comment period:
- Steven Droppelman (North Hill Elementary School service area)
- Melissa Mafua (Mount View Elementary School service area)
- Abby Hoffman (Parkside Elementary School service area)
- Christina Moi (Mount View Elementary School service area)
- Stuart Jenner (Marvista Elementary School service area)
- Kari Schelde (Marvista Elementary School service area)
- Tracie Champion (service area not noted)
Meeting Materials
In addition to the maps listed above, other handouts included:
- At a Glance… Data for Proposed and Suggested Boundaries & Feeder Patterns (4-25-2018)
- Boundary Survey Summary & Specific Suggestions (4-23-2018)
Next Steps
- Staff will provide projected student enrollment data for specified draft boundaries as classroom counts, not just student counts.
- Committee members will provide further comments and direction about changes they would like to see combined, if possible, in a revised CFAC boundary map in time for the next CFAC meeting on May 9. This allows additional time for members to process the survey feedback and data on smaller change areas.
- Committee members requested demographic data on draft boundary plans to have available when it is time to rate how well each final draft meets the group’s guiding principles: Ensure equity, Forecast for future needs, Value cohorts & community connections, and Plan for safety. Read the full definitions.
Next Committee Meetings
- May 9, 6:00-8:00 p.m., Central Office boardroom
- May 23, 6:00-8:00 p.m., Central Office boardroom
The public is welcome to attend and observe.