Board to settle Maltby dispute

By Eric Stevick

Herald Writer

MALTBY — In a territorial tug-of-war, a neighborhood near Maltby will let a little-known regional board decide whether it will be part of the Monroe or the Snohomish school district.

In limbo is a neighborhood in the Echo Falls and Valley Ridge Trails communities.

It had been part of the Snohomish School District until last summer, when some residents submitted petitions and convinced the regional board to move the 37 students within the neighborhood boundaries to the Monroe district.

Caught by surprise, other parents submitted their own petitions to get the board to reconsider. They want their children to remain in the Snohomish School District.

In both cases, parents are forced to play a kind of variance roulette. Neither side wants to risk not being able to get a variance that allows their children to attend a school in their preferred district. At the moment, some attend Monroe schools; others, Snohomish.

A hearing date has been set for Tuesday before the Regional Committee on School District Organization, which, before August, had not had a territorial dispute to resolve since 1992.

The committee could have refused to reconsider the issue but was concerned that many residents were unaware of the first hearing in August, said Jerry Jenkins, superintendent of the Northwest Educational Service District in Mount Vernon.

The parents wanting to remain in the Snohomish district are thankful for the chance to offer rebuttal.

"I’m confident that the committee will come with an open mind and give us a chance to tell the other side of the story," said Linda Schumacher, a parent who helped organize a petition drive.

Bonney Ottow, who led the effort to transfer the area into the Monroe district, hopes the debate ultimately makes the community stronger.

"I think we all feel the same way," Ottow said. "We don’t want our neighborhood split up because of this (even though) we may have a difference of opinion."

The Snohomish School District is supporting the families that want to remain in the district; the Monroe School District has taken a neutral position. The school districts were unable to reach an agreement.

The regional panel has a long list of factors to consider, including transportation and safety issues and sense of community. It could make a decision Dec. 18 after hearing testimony or take the matter under advisement.

You can call Herald Writer Eric Stevick at 425-339-3446 or send e-mail to stevick@heraldnet.com.

The issue: Conflicting opinions about whether a neighborhood near Maltby should be part of the Monroe or Snohomish school district.

The process: A hearing before the little-known Regional Committee on School District Organization, which had not heard a case since 1992 before this dispute came up.

When: The hearing is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Northwest Educational Service District, 205 Stewart Road, Mount Vernon.

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