A series of proposed elementary-school boundary changes has some parents miffed in the Edmonds School District.
The district looks to redraw boundaries that would affect more than 350 students beginning next fall.
Schools with the highest enrollments, including Oak Heights, Martha Lake, Hilltop, Spruce and Lynnwood Intermediate, will lose some students to schools with lower enrollments.
Brier, Cedar Way, Lynndale and Meadowdale will welcome the transferred students.
At the same time, Spruce Primary, a kindergarten through third-grade school, and Lynnwood Intermediate, a fourth- through sixth-grade school, both will convert to kindergarten through sixth-grade campuses next fall, affecting additional families.
“The hope is we create more of an equal opportunity to attend schools that don’t have crowding issues,” said Ellen Kahan, an assistant superintendent for the district. “There’s a desirable sort of school size. You don’t want to go too far over that and too far under that.”
Some parents said they will fight the boundary changes, arguing they feel they are being torn from their neighborhood school.
“It just doesn’t seem like they used common sense when they made the proposed boundaries,” said Scott Cachopo, whose second-grade son and fourth-grade daughter attend Oak Heights.
Oak Heights is within a mile of their home. Cachopo estimates their new school, Spruce Elementary, would be up to four miles away.
Cachopo said he was aware the district was studying changes but couldn’t believe it could affect him.
“We are so close,” he said.
Tom Pearce, who has a son in the third grade at Hilltop Elementary School, lives even closer. His home is a quarter-mile from campus.
He learned late last week that his son could be bused to Brier Elementary School four miles away. There are other elementary schools closer than Brier, he said.
“My concern is if your kids can walk to a school, they should be able to go to that school,” Pearce said.
The district’s Citizens Planning Committee, which studies long-term enrollment trends and facility needs, already has made one change to the proposal.
Thirty students who were going to be redistricted into the Oak Heights boundary will continue to attend Martha Lake.
The district has scheduled a redistricting open house for 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at its headquarters, 20420 68th Ave. W., Lynnwood. District leaders and principals from the affected schools will be available to answer questions.
The Edmonds School Board will take public testimony at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 at the district office. It will consider the proposal Dec. 7.
Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or stevick@heraldnet.com.
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