OPINION: Superintendent Traci Pierce's controversial boundary recommendation, By Julianne Bogaty

OPINION:  The larger Redmond school community will voice concerns at tonight's meeting of the Lake Washington School District board, which is scheduled to vote on Superintendent Traci Pierce's controversial reboundary recommendation. In the aftermath of three failed ballot measures to expand school capacity, the proposal would send more students from other areas to already-overcrowded Evergreen Middle School in unincorporated Redmond (adding more portables there, for a total of 13). Community members are asking the district to first utilize empty permanent classrooms at nearby schools such as the newly modernized Rose Hill Middle School, which is closer to Redmond Elementary than Evergreen and recently expanded to a spacious building capacity of 921. The new Tesla STEM school could also house a special program such as Quest (for highly capable students).

 

The superintendent's proposal calls for Evergreen Middle School's original building capacity of 672 to jump to 1,120 students—55 percent over capacity. The fiscally irresponsible plan would also spend $2.5 million of remaining capital funds to add four portables and restroom portables to the nine portables already on site at Evergreen, while shrinking teacher-planning space to squeeze in even more kids. Meanwhile Redmond Middle School, a school with a larger original capacity of 841 within City of Redmond limits, would be a smaller 32 percent over its original capacity (not the true "rebalancing" the district claims). Since the district is only permitted to add one more portable at Redmond Middle School, other area schools with excess space such as Rose Hill Middle School and Tesla STEM should first be utilized before sending Evergreen 55 percent over capacity. Evergreen's current, significant issues with traffic safety, overcrowded buses, sewer and water will be even more compounded with such a high enrollment. Crowds are also an issue for hallways, cafeteria, lockers, sports and electives, as there is simply not enough space to contain all students.

When:

TONIGHT, Monday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. (start of board meeting, which includes 30-minute public-comment period on the reboundary topic)

 

Where:

Board Room, LWSD Resource Center

(near the Marriott at Redmond Town Center)
16250 NE 74th Street
Redmond, WA 98052