School Board votes to postpone boundary changes

November 1, 2005 - The Renton School Board voted recently to postpone some of the boundary changes planned for implementation in 2006-2007.

Last year, the Comprehensive Boundary Review Task Force (CBR) and the Enrollment Review Committee (ERC) both examined problems of overcrowding at some schools in the Hazen High School service area (Hazelwood, Kennydale, Maplewood Heights, Sierra Heights, and part of Highlands Elementary Schools). They also reviewed the under-utilization of some elementary schools in the Renton High School service area (Campbell Hill, Lakeridge, and Bryn Mawr Elementary Schools) and also fragmented elementary school boundaries throughout the district that created unnecessarily long bus rides and inefficiencies.

Based on their study, these committees made a series of recommendations to the Board. The Board voted to implement a number of these recommendations. One of the changes implemented for this year (2005-2006) was the movement of students in the Liberty Ridge and Monterey Terrace developments from Maplewood Heights and Highlands to Bryn Mawr (and Thomson Early Childhood Center for kindergarten).

This fall, a shift in enrollment patterns and additional information about new housing availability caused administration to recommend a one-year delay (until 2007-2008) in the implementation of further changes related to the Hazen High School and Renton High School service areas to the Board.

Recommendations of the CBR and ERC were based on analysis of enrollment trends and represented the best information available at the time of the study (Fall, 2004). Since then, enrollment in the Hazen High School service area has dropped, while at least two large new developments in the Renton High School service area are expected to increase enrollment at Campbell Hill Elementary.

The Board voted to:

1. delay boundary changes in the Renton High School service area elementaries in the Skyway area