The enrollment boundaries for five Edmonds School District elementary schools will see changes for the 2013-2014 school year if a proposal is approved by the district’s board on Tuesday. Boundary changes would affect Brier Elementary School in Brier and Cedar Way Elementary School in Mountlake Terrace, in addition to three Lynnwood schools. You can view a map showing the proposed new enrollment boundaries here.
The district is seeking changes to the enrollment boundaries of its northeast and southeast quadrant elementary schools in an effort to ease crowding at Martha Lake Elementary and growing numbers of students at Hilltop Elementary. The changes would send more new students to Hazelwood, Cedar Way and Brier Elementary Schools, facilities that the district says have available space for growth in student populations.
“The boundary modification proposal responds to ongoing and increasing enrollment pressures in the northeast quad schools, but in a way that is gradual and minimally disruptive to currently enrolled families,” Assistant Superintendent Ellen Kahan said in a report to the school board.
The proposal would not require currently enrolled students or their younger siblings to change schools in the fall of 2013. Only new students to the school enrolling for the first time or students returning after attending another district’s school would be affected.
While Martha Lake Elementary has a current student enrollment below its 650 capacity, district officials say the facility is crowded. Lacking available space, the orchestra uses the school library for rehearsals five hours a week, and all students eat meals in classrooms due to the multipurpose room being used for the physical education program.
Hilltop Elementary has a student attendance close to 600, up from 529 in 2007. The district forecasts more growth at the school as residential construction in the area continues.
While Martha Lake and Hilltop feel the enrollment crunch, the southeast elementary schools have room for more students. “Hazelwood and Cedar Way currently have significant space available in their buildings and the overall target for increase in student population is about 100 to 150 students,” Kahan’s report stated, adding “There is still ample space at Brier for growth.”
The district’s Board of Directors takes up the proposed enrollment boundary changes during its regular meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 29. Meetings are held in the Board Room of the Educational Service Center, 20420-68th Ave. W. in Lynnwood, starting at 6:30 p.m.
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