The School Board is considering several proposed changes to the student assignment policy that would create special privileges for students from certain neighborhoods. They should reject these proposals, not only because they are inequitable, but because they are unnecessary. There are better solutions to all of these problems.

 

One proposal would entitle students from Laurelhurst access to Eckstein Middle School. This is a terrible idea that would set a horrible precident. No one in Seattle Public Schools is guaranteed assignment to a specific building.

 

The reason given for the need is weak:

"Because of the distance tiebreaker, students residing in the area between Hamilton and Eckstein are assigned to Eckstein, making it impossible for the Laurelhurst students to get into their closest middle school. The net result is to separate a handful of new middle-schoolers students from their friends and former classmates while increasing transportation costs to the district."

 

There are several presumptions at work here and they are all ugly. One is that students from Laurelhurst have some greater right or need to attend Eckstein that students who live closer to the school. Let's not forget that every Laurelhurst student forced into Eckstein means another student forced out of Eckstein. The second is that there is something horrible about attending Hamilton and that it is somehow more horrible for Laurelhurst students than for Northgate students. The third is that Laurelhurst students are incapable of forming new friendships upon entering middle school. The fourth is tragic tale of unrequited love: the Laurelhurst students who do gain entry to Eckstein don't miss the few friends and former classmates who don't get into Eckstein, or at least they don't miss them enough to switch to Hamilton.

 

The proposal doesn't require anything of the Laurelhurst students. It doesn't require them to make at least three choices. It doesn't even require them to name Eckstein as their first choice.

Here are three alternative solutions:

 

1. Assign all Laurelhurst students automatically to Hamilton. This way they can all stay together with their friends and former classmates. That solves the problem of the few who are separated. There is plenty of room for all of them at Hamilton. The Facilities Master Plan makes it very clear that there is ample capacity in middle schools in the north for all of the students there.

 

2. Include access to the nearest school as part of the student assignment policy, but do it for everyone, not just for a few students. How about a little equity, folks. I'm not sure what impact this will have, particularly for elementary schools on Capitol Hill, but if this is important to people in Laurelhurst, I think we can safely presume that it is important to other people as well.

 

Let's not forget that the district has long respected the voices of families who say that they chose a home close to a school so their children could attend that school. If we are going to respect and reward that choice then we must be ready to tell people who chose to live far from a school that their choice reduced their children's chances of attending that school. We don't apologize to people for the consequences of their choices.

 

Kids who live in the CD have an even tougher time getting into Eckstein. Where is their guarantee of access?

 

3. Provide an attractive alternative that will draw people out of Eckstein. Here one way to do that:

 

Washington Middle School is overcrowded. The district is either unable or unwilling to reduce the Special Education population, the general education population, or the Spectrum population. The APP students at Washington will have to find another home. If the middle school APP students relocate to Marshall (the best choice for a long list of reasons which are not part of this discussion), and if the district places a Spectrum program with them at Marshall, that would draw a lot of students out of Eckstein and make room for all of the Laurelhurst students who want to go there as well as many others.

 

Regardless of what the Board decides, creating a special privilege for some students in inherently inequitable.