Task force offers board list of proposed solutions to school overcrowding

School Board will direct Enrollment Review Committee to hone, add to list of proposed solutions

December 22, 2004 - The Comprehensive Boundary Review Task Force has drafted a final report with proposals to fix problems of overcrowding at some district schools and change fragmented boundaries at others. The 17-member group, consisting of nine parents and eight staff members, worked for months to find options to balance school populations, relieve overcrowding at certain schools and efficiently use classrooms in all schools. Additionally, the group defined problem areas where current boundaries were fragmented or continued growth is anticipated.

Renton School Board members directed the task force to review and recommend adjustments to current school boundaries with certain parameters in mind, including: providing balanced, equitable schools; maintaining the integrity of instructional programs; and maintaining, as much as possible, the concept of neighborhood schools and a feeder school system.

Input was solicited from parents, staff and community members at meetings and community forums. Hundreds attended the forums and gave individual input using new technology that allows participants to immediately share their view of proposed options offered by the task force.

Next steps in the process include a review by the board of the proposed recommendations and a decision to add, omit or alter the suggested changes to school boundaries. The board will then pass their list on to the Enrollment Review Committee (ERC) for further study on the feasibility of the proposed changes and additional options to ease overcrowding at schools. The ERC will report their findings to the board in the spring.

Solutions proposed by the task force include:

Hazen High School Service Area:

• Recommendation 1: Re-open Honey Dew Elementary School in the fall of 2006 with the boundaries of Sunset/Redmond/4th Street/144th Street.
• Recommendation 2: A less preferred alternative to re-opening Honey Dew : Adjust Maplewood Heights Elementary School boundaries - all of the Liberty Ridge development to Renton High School service area.
  Balance Hazen High School service area elementary school enrollments, including Highlands Elementary, by one or more boundary adjustments, within the Hazen High School service area.
• Recommendation 3: Address the over-crowding problem at McKnight Middle School in the 2005-06 school year by: (1) moving the CEDARS program to Hillcrest; (2) assigning all of the Liberty Ridge development to the Renton High School service area (elementary school to be determined); (3) opening an alternative middle school; and (4) examining the utilization of McKnight Middle School to provide additional instructional space.
• Recommendation 4: Less preferred option would be to utilize Hillcrest as a McKnight annex and relocate the current Hillcrest programs as needed.
• Recommendation 5: Examine the potential for adding a wing at Hazen High School .

Lindbergh High School Service Area:

• Recommendation 6: Adjust the Benson Hill, Cascade, Renton Park , and Tiffany Park elementary school boundaries in the fall of 2006 as determined by the task force and refined by Enrollment Review Committee (ERC).

Renton High School Service Area:

• Recommendation 7: Adjust Bryn Mawr, Campbell Hill and Lakeridge elementary school boundaries to north/south corridors to the extent supported by board parameters.
• Recommendation 8: Move all of the Liberty Ridge development to attend the Renton High School service area.
• Recommendation 9: Assess the feasibility and benefits/adverse effects of returning the kindergarten program at Thomson to resident elementary schools.