(This post originally appeared on Wallingford’s neighborhood blog Wallyhood.  It was written by Wallywriter Margaret Steck.  Thanks Wallyhood and Margaret!)

100 members of the McDonald School community gathered on Saturday at Bethany Church in Green Lake to discuss the school’s re-opening.  School Board Directors Sherry Carr and Michael DeBell were available to address issues the group had compiled from community feedback, and State Senator Edward Murray observed the discussion.

Top issues were determined by reviewing results from an online survey, as well as comments discussed during previous meetings.  These issues include:

• Use of the Lincoln High School site as an interim facility
• Curriculum program placement including language immersion, Montessori, Spectrum, and the Advanced Placement Program
• Principal and teacher hiring
• Sibling placement
• School boundaries
• Design team, PTA and other opportunities for community involvement
• Factors of primary concern to incoming kindergarten parents

Community members published issue papers for each of the seven topics, detailing the nature of the issues.  Anyone may review those issue papers by joining the McDonald School Community Group on Yahoo

Director DeBell stated that a lot of the issues will be addressed by the end of January.  By then, the Board will have voted on a transition plan that encompasses grandfathering siblings, transportation, etc.

The current Buildings, Technology and Academics levy (BTA II) will expire in 2010.  A BTA III will be presented in which voters of Seattle Public Schools can approve a new six-year levy. The voting will take place on February 9,^, 2010.

Both Directors Carr and DeBell acknowledged concerns about using Lincoln as an interim site.  They mentioned that it’s been used as an elementary school in the past, including housing John Stanford students, during their school’s remodel.  Director DeBell also said that there will be busing available to and from Lincoln.  A school nurse will be available one day a week, shared between five different schools.  The Seattle Public Schools policy is that full-time nurses are only available for schools with 2,000 or more children or schools that are classified as “medically fragile.”  Schools, however, can choose to spend discretionary funds toward a nurse.

From a timing standpoint, Director DeBell said they expect to have a principal hired in late January, before school tours begin.  Once a principal has been hired, a design team can be assembled, including members of the community to provide feedback with regard to the school.  Director DeBell explained that ultimately, program placement is decided by the Superintendent, “Mainly because most of the programs are technical.  Special Ed. Programs, A.L.O. Programs, Medically Fragile Programs, etc.—are those that have to be distributed throughout the city in a way that is cost-effective.  Most programs are not necessarily the kind that we’re dealing with here–in that if we’re opening new schools should we have new programs or just use the standard curriculum?”

Director DeBell further stated that he and Director Carr believed the community should have a voice in determining the programs at a newly-opened school, and the way in which that will occur is through a design team.   The stronger the team with organized goals, the more likely the community has a strong voice in program placement.

Director Carr indicated that the sibling issue was probably the one issue most brought up from people providing feedback.  She said that “all of the School Board wants siblings to be able to be grandfathered in and go to school with their older siblings,” and that “everyone’s working to that objective.”  In order to do that, she added, “We have to ensure we meet our obligations.”

Boundaries

The Board will vote on the final boundary maps on Wednesday, November 18.  The question to amend the border back to 60^th Street was discussed (it had been changed to 57^th St.) as was the change between moving the southern border back from 46^th/47^th to 45^th.  But the boundaries in question may impact the grandfathering of siblings.  Director Carr indicated it was likely the northern border would move back to 60^th but unlikely the southern border would move back to 45^th.  Once the boundaries are finalized the question of grandfathering siblings will be answered.

Community Feedback

There is still time to provide feedback to the Board on any of the issues before they vote on Wednesday, November 18.  Anyone can e-mail feedback to newassign@seattleschools.org

Finally, the McDonald Community is still seeking neighbors to complete this survey prior to the November 18 vote.

[Wallyhood]