By Susan Wilkins, LWSD parent and taxpayer
King County's Growth Management Planning Council convened a School Siting Task Force in 2012 to address the issue of school districts building schools in rural areas and then sending city kids out to the schools. The Task Force made a rule that no new schools could be built outside the Urban Growth Boundary, but didn't have time to address the issue of whether existing rural schools could be remodeled or be expanded.
The intent of the School Siting Task Force was to require school districts to build inside city boundaries where most people live and where ALL of the new homes, condos and apartments are being built. Chip Kimball, the school district's previous superintendent was on the Task Force so the district was aware of the Task Force's recommendation.
The Lake Washington School District has been tone-deaf to the intent of the School Siting Task Force and the needs of its students and families. The district has decided to add most of the new classroom portables and remodeled space at its rural schools. It plans to send HUNDREDS of additional students out to rural schools from inside the Redmond and Sammamish city limits. The district says they must add portables to rural schools because that is the only place that space is available. This is just NOT true.
The school district has known for nearly three years that King County's Growth Management Planning Council (GMPC) and the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) do not want students who live in cities to be sent to rural schools. Both of these governing bodies have a mandate to create regional development plans and objectives that dictate how, when and where growth occurs. Vision 2040's MPP-PS-21 & 22 dictate that new school facilities (even if it is a portable or remodeled space) should be located inside cities.* The school district has a mandate to follow their rules and recommendations. LWSD should not be adding classroom capacity to Evergreen, Alcott, Dickinson or Wilder and students should not be required to leave the city to go to these rural schools.
In addition to contacting the Lake Washington School District School Board, parents should contact King County, the GMPC and the PSRC. In your email, note that students will not be able to walk, bike or even ride a Metro bus to/from the rural schools because they are located on dangerous rural roads far from the students' homes. Tell King County not to issue Building Permits and Conditional Use Permits for the interior remodels and portables. (The PSRC does have the authority to freeze King County's transportation funds if the county issues permits that don't comply with Vision 2040 - so that just might be an incentive for the county not to issue the permits...)
Send email about this issue to:
King County Executive - Dow Constantine (natasha.jones@kingcounty.gov)
King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert (kathy.lambert@kingcounty.gov)
Growth Management Planning Council - Karen Wolf (karen.wolf@kingcounty.gov)
Puget Sound Regional Council - Rick Olsen (rolsen@psrc.org)
*(http://www.psrc.org/assets/1745/Public_Services.pdf)
King County's Growth Management Planning Council convened a School Siting Task Force in 2012 to address the issue of school districts building schools in rural areas and then sending city kids out to the schools. The Task Force made a rule that no new schools could be built outside the Urban Growth Boundary, but didn't have time to address the issue of whether existing rural schools could be remodeled or be expanded.
The intent of the School Siting Task Force was to require school districts to build inside city boundaries where most people live and where ALL of the new homes, condos and apartments are being built. Chip Kimball, the school district's previous superintendent was on the Task Force so the district was aware of the Task Force's recommendation.
The Lake Washington School District has been tone-deaf to the intent of the School Siting Task Force and the needs of its students and families. The district has decided to add most of the new classroom portables and remodeled space at its rural schools. It plans to send HUNDREDS of additional students out to rural schools from inside the Redmond and Sammamish city limits. The district says they must add portables to rural schools because that is the only place that space is available. This is just NOT true.
The school district has known for nearly three years that King County's Growth Management Planning Council (GMPC) and the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) do not want students who live in cities to be sent to rural schools. Both of these governing bodies have a mandate to create regional development plans and objectives that dictate how, when and where growth occurs. Vision 2040's MPP-PS-21 & 22 dictate that new school facilities (even if it is a portable or remodeled space) should be located inside cities.* The school district has a mandate to follow their rules and recommendations. LWSD should not be adding classroom capacity to Evergreen, Alcott, Dickinson or Wilder and students should not be required to leave the city to go to these rural schools.
In addition to contacting the Lake Washington School District School Board, parents should contact King County, the GMPC and the PSRC. In your email, note that students will not be able to walk, bike or even ride a Metro bus to/from the rural schools because they are located on dangerous rural roads far from the students' homes. Tell King County not to issue Building Permits and Conditional Use Permits for the interior remodels and portables. (The PSRC does have the authority to freeze King County's transportation funds if the county issues permits that don't comply with Vision 2040 - so that just might be an incentive for the county not to issue the permits...)
Send email about this issue to:
King County Executive - Dow Constantine (natasha.jones@kingcounty.gov)
King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert (kathy.lambert@kingcounty.gov)
Growth Management Planning Council - Karen Wolf (karen.wolf@kingcounty.gov)
Puget Sound Regional Council - Rick Olsen (rolsen@psrc.org)
*(http://www.psrc.org/assets/1745/Public_Services.pdf)