February 12, 2008
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Kathryn Reith, Director of Communications |
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(425) 702-3342 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Redmond, Wash. – At its February 11 meeting, the Board of Directors of the Lake Washington School District approved the proposed change in boundaries for elementary schools on the Sammamish plateau. Superintendent Chip Kimball recommended that the Board approve the boundary plan as proposed; the recommendation was unanimously approved. The boundary changes determine which students will attend a new elementary school that was built to alleviate overcrowding at other schools in the area.
These changes will affect primarily McAuliffe and Smith Elementary Schools, as well as a smaller number of students from Alcott Elementary. Mead Elementary and Blackwell Elementary boundaries remain unchanged by the process.
“I’m gratified that community members participated so interactively in the process of boundary determination for our newest school,” noted Dr. Cindy Lundvall, chair of the committee that developed the proposal. “Our committee worked hard to find the best solution to meeting as many of the different needs of students, families and schools as possible.”
The boundary approval occurs in time for kindergarten registration, which begins on March 6, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Families with prospective kindergarten students who live in the boundary now approved for the new school, known as site 52, will be able to register their students at Smith Elementary. All other kindergarten students should be registered at their neighborhood school, according to the new boundaries.
The committee charged with developing the new boundaries began meeting in August, 2007. It conducted three web surveys and held an open house, getting input from a large portion of the parents of the 2095 students who could potentially be affected. A total of 1,131 community members responded to the surveys or provided input at the open house (includes multiples). A section of the district Website housed press releases, maps and enrollment projections for the draft and proposed scenarios. There were over 24,000 page views of this section of the Web site. In addition, 15 community members e-mailed or wrote to the district or committee outside of the survey comments.
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About Lake Washington: Lake Washington School District is the sixth largest district in the state of Washington. It has more than 23,000 students in 49 schools located in Kirkland, Redmond, and Sammamish, Washington.
Site 52 Boundary Map (PDF version)
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Site 52 Interactive Boundary Map