Updated Nov 19, 2009 - 7:38 am

Seattle School District reassigns boundaries

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Zoom

It's the end of an era for students in Seattle.

Thirty years after "busing to end segregation" began, the school district has decided to use a new way to assign kids to schools.

The Seattle School Board unanimously adopted a plan Wednesday evening that assigns students primarily to their neighborhood schools. It said the new plan will be more simple, cheap, fair and predictable compared to the current system.

Students who are already attending classes outside their neighborhood are "grandfathered in." They can stay at their choice school, but their younger siblings will have to go to the closest school.

Pete Rammels, a concerned parent, told the board he's worried about splitting up siblings. "With split sibling families, those parents can no longer be involved in their schools as much as they were before."

Other parents claimed the plan actually divides some neighborhoods, will force some kids to attend "sub-par" schools, or increase segregation.

The district said it will come up with specifics on how to implement the plan in January.

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• mjlfire wrote...

  Finally

  It's about time the SPS figures out that bussing was a failure. Too bad it only took them 30 years and thousands of kids spending endless hours on a bus to accomplish nothing. Now their time can be spent learning the "three R's" as opposed to obsene hand gestures from frustrated drivers stuck in traffic.

  November 19, 2009 6:53 am

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• jeromy wrote...

  The end of a stupid stupid stupid Seattle idea - now lets hope the wisdom spreads.

  But on a side note" I think its funny how parents living in sub par areas are complaining that their children will now be forced to go to school in a sub par school. But for the last 30 years parents living in better areas have had their children shipped to sub par areas, as if thats fair. You want your children to attend better schools? Cut your fun habits - drinking, drugs, cable TV, Tobacco, G3 cell phones and also stop spending money to pimp your ride and you could probably afford to live in a better neighborhood and then your children could attend a better school. So stupid!

  November 19, 2009 8:36 am

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• Cat50 wrote...

  Sub-par schools

  All public schools are sub-par. Public Education is is sub-par when its decribed as excellant. What kids need is a new system, period.

  November 19, 2009 9:03 am

  125009

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• heidi26 wrote...

  Cannot Agree

  "With split sibling families, those parents can no longer be involved in their schools as much as they were before." Is that mean if the parents with kids spread in elementary, middle and high schools, they can't involved in their schools as much?? It is all about if the parents wants to involve or not, nothing to do with if they go to the same school or diff school.

  November 19, 2009 9:50 am

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• Michale wrote...

  Seattle Schools

  I am glad to hear a wrong is being righted. It was stupid to start with and now time is showing that this is the right thing to do. If parents don't like the sub-stand school, change the school not the students.

  November 19, 2009 10:32 am

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• mjlfire wrote...

  Bravo heidi26

  As much as parents want to blame the school district for their idiot kids...it really is on them...ONLY!

  November 19, 2009 11:05 am

  125106

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• PixiePal wrote...

  Here's a challenge...

  instead of whining about what school you're assigned or not assigned to or how your kiddos are split up or whatever, how about working for a voucher and charter school system so you can have some real choices? There are many lower and middle income families that are already making private schools work for them without vouchers and MANY more kids and families who would love to join their ranks if the state would only start sharing the wealth and sending the money to educate a child along with the child to the child's school of choice. The people who are paying for tuition along with your child's education through taxes are getting tired of hearing you whine. And no, not all private schools are persnickity and take only the brightest and best. If you really want choices, take a stand for some real change, I dare you.

  November 19, 2009 11:10 am

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• chaoswarden wrote...

  JEROMY

  You really need to be quiet, say nothing. You don't give enough truths to be listened to. I know of two well established, 'fruitful', mid to upper mid class areas that have some very poor results on the S.A.T. and WASL. I won't name them because that would open up another topic. Also, your examples of how to move into a 'NOT SUB PAR' area is laughable. You're kidding, right?

  November 19, 2009 11:39 am

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• Philbob wrote...

  Thank god

  not only is it environmentally friendly, it caters to the most liberals concept of think acting in your own community. It sad though that they are too stupid to follow their own slogans Kudos for Maria Goodlow-Johnson! Its sad it takes someone not from Seattle to create a neighborhood based school program that would actually strengthen the community

  November 19, 2009 11:44 am

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• jeromy wrote...

  chaoswarden wrote... JEROMY

  LOL No, not kidding. Those are the sacrifices I am making to enable my children to go to one of the best rated elementary schools in the state. No Drugs, drinking, tobacco, Cable TV, or even a cell phone. I drive an old car so I dont have to make a car payment also. All I have is this Quest $25 a month internet service and a Magikjack. You want to talk the talk you have to walk the walk my man. Cracks me up when I see some well-fair tweaker using a G3 or watching full cable. Bunch of losers. And I am not the only one either. I know a few others who are sacrificing for their children this way. So what if I pay more rent - children's education in everything.

  November 19, 2009 6:12 pm

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