By Pamela Brice
For the Herald
EDMONDS — Several upset elementary school parents came to a recent Edmonds School Board meeting to ask directors to reject proposed boundary changes at five schools.
The board is scheduled to vote on the proposals Tuesday.
"The proposal before you is divisive, inconsistent and needlessly traumatizing to children," parent Tom Farmer said. "It shatters explicit promises made to countless district families regarding the protected nature of transfer enrollees."
The district’s Citizens Planning Committee, a group of 41 parents, administrators, building representatives and community members, came up with the proposals in order to ease crowding at Spruce, Lynnwood, College Place, Beverly and Seaview elementary schools.
District officials say overcrowding was caused, ironically, in part by Initiative 728, which passed in November of 2000 and routed money to districts to use toward lowering class sizes.
The initiative helped lower class sizes in the Edmonds district from an average of 24 to 27 students to between 20 and 21. The district had to hire an additional 40 elementary school teachers this school year.
But by lowering class size, additional classes were created, and in these five schools, classes are being held in the hallways or in common areas, assistant superintendent Ken Limon said.
Not all elementary schools are crowded; some have space, which is why the district needed to rearrange school boundaries, he said.
But several parents are upset with the proposals.
"You should reject this plan, because it represents a betrayal of trust," Farmer told the board. "Numerous families opted to participate in school choice because of assurances by district officials that a child, once enrolled in a particular school, was safe there for the duration of their career.
"People made day care arrangements based on these assurances."
Lisa Cole, another parent, said: "I have two children at Seaview in first and fourth grades, and this has been a big worry, not only to have to leave school, but also the day care that they’ve been going to since they were 2 years old.
"I voted for 728 because it also included construction costs to go with lowering class sizes. Why hasn’t that been considered?"
Superintendent Wayne Robertson admitted the district seems to be shifting away from being strong in school choice.
"We do have some schools losing choice because of 728, and we are struggling with that," he said. "But while using 728 money to purchase portables or construct additional classrooms is a legal option, it is not a practical one.
"We are held accountable by taxpayers, and the question they would raise is: Why spend money on portables when there is space in other areas in the district?"
Sally Fabro, school board director, said: "I am sorry if promises were made to parents that their students would never move — those promises should never have been made.
"We never know what the district will look like year to year."
Added school board president Larry Ehl: "I am a Seaview parent myself, and overcrowding has been an issue for at least three years. … And it’s more than just about adding a portable or classroom.
"It has an impact on the cafeteria, children going to the bathroom in a timely fashion, overcrowding on the playgrounds causing fights, and has an impact on the arts program and gym."
Two years ago, the committee recommended boundary changes at Seaview and the school board voted against it, hoping with the opening of Meadowdale Elementary parents would voluntarily move their kids to the new school, Ehl said.
"But that didn’t happen."
Pamela Brice is a staff writer for the Enterprise weekly newspapers. You can call her at 425-673-6522 or send e-mail to brice@heraldnet.com.
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