Bellevue is growing and its schools are no exception. In recent years, the Bellevue School District has been the fastest growing school district in King County. The District has been closely monitoring crowding in several schools (Clyde Hill, Chinook and Newport) and you can see short-term solutions below which were developed in November of 2010 for those schools.
September 19, 2012
On September 19, the Boundary Review Committee met and received an update from the district Technical Team. Deputy Superintendent Shawn Lewis shared updated enrollment data and projections, which he had presented to the School Board the previous evening. Shawn also demonstrated a new online tool that makes it easier to track and project enrollment data. After reviewing the updated information, the Board passed a motion to support the shift from a boundary review process to a growth and planning process, to focus on options for increasing capacity at the elementary level while continuing to monitor and examine enrollment and capacity at the middle and high schools. District staff has been directed to begin exploring options to expand elementary school capacity. The Board asked staff to examine options that include either an additional elementary school, targeted expansion at existing schools, or a combination of both. The Board also requested the Boundary Review Committee receive briefings at several points during the year to ensure district-wide school and community information and feedback continues.
Superintendent Dr. Tim Mills thanked the committee for its feedback and comments during its August 22nd meeting. That feedback and questions, as well as several questions from the Board, have shaped the further development of a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page on the process. The Committee was asked to review the draft FAQ and respond back to boundary@bsd405.org within about a week with any feedback or suggestions to help further develop the FAQ before posting to the district web site.
The Boundary Review Committee will meet again on January 9, 2013 to hear an update and to provide feedback on the process. As of January 7, 2013, the January 9 meeting was canceled and will be rescheduled.
September 4, 2012
The Bellevue School Board heard the presentation of data and Technical Team recommendations which had been presented to the Boundary Review Committee on August 22 (see summary and presentation link below). The board was also provided the Boundary Review Committee meeting minutes from August 22 as well as summary of committee feedback on the recommendations. Several board members requested additional data by the next board meeting on September 18. The Board has been requested to provide direction and feedback on the Technical Team recommendations by the September 18 board meeting. The next meeting of the Boundary Review Committee is scheduled for the following evening, September 19.
August 22, 2012
The first meeting of the Boundary Review Committee was held August 22 and Superintendent Dr. Tim Mills opened the evening. The Boundary Review Committee heard a presentation by the district Technical Team of the data reviewed over the summer. After a review of recent program placement decisions, subsequent capacity review at all schools and the latest enrollment data, the Technical Team found:
- Enrollment projections indicate the district will be at or above capacity for most elementary schools by 2015 and potentially for all schools by 2020.
- Short term capacity issues are not as acute at the middle and high school levels.
- Overall capacity district-wide is at a functioning level for the upcoming school year, but must be addressed for 2015 and beyond.
Due to a lack of capacity at the elementary level, the Technical Team’s recommendation is to research options for adding a new school at the elementary level and suspend a boundary review process for the short term until capacity is addressed. In addition, long-term growth and capacity would be further researched. The Technical Team would report results of research to the School Board in January with a possible addition of a school in 2014-15 if authorized by the School Board.
Boundary Review Committee members worked in groups to provide questions and feedback for the Technical Team. Feedback from committee members on the recommendation was generally supportive of the recommendations. The Technical Team will present the information, recommendations and feedback to the School Board at their September 4th regular meeting, and receive Board feedback and direction at the September 18th regular Board meeting. The Boundary Review Committee will meet again on September 19 after the School Board has a chance to hear the presentation, recommendations and review feedback from the Committee. To see and hear the full presentation and recommendations to the Boundary Review Committee, click here.
May 2012
Members of the Boundary Review Committee have been selected through an application process and a selection committee. Over 100 applications were received. Click here to go to the Boundary Review Committee page which features a link to the list of Boundary Review Committee members.
March 2012
The District Technical Team and Facilitator Dick Withycombe joined the School Board for a study session on the Boundary Review Process. Information presented to the Board covered the problem statement and committee charge, as well as Technical Team accomplishments to date and next steps. Click here to listen to the complete presentation and view the slide deck.
The application time period for the citizen-based Boundary Review Committee has been extended to April 6. Applications are due by 4:00 pm April 6, 2012. The Boundary Review Committee (made up of two parents and a principal or assistant principal from each school with geographic boundaries) is charged with developing a district-wide boundary recommendation to forward to the Superintendent for implementation in the 2013-2014 school year. To learn more about the Boundary Review process, and access the application form, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page
February 2012
The application time period for the citizen-based Boundary Review Committee will open on February 27 and close on March 16. The Boundary Review Committee (made up of two parents and a principal or assistant principal from each school with geographic boundaries) is charged with developing a district-wide boundary recommendation to forward to the Superintendent for implementation in the 2013-2014 school year. Applications will be posted on the web site on February 27. To learn more about the Boundary Review process, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.
December 2011
District staff is starting work to prepare for Boundary Review. The process to review boundaries of all schools in the district is expected to take 18 months or more. A Boundary Review Committee comprised of parents and principals will be formed to develop a district-wide school boundary recommendation to send to the Superintendent. The District has identified staff members to form a district technical team. That team will identify what information may be needed to develop a springboard proposal to present to the citizen committee to consider for use as a starting point. A tentative timeline would launch applications for the citizens-based Boundary Review Committee in spring 2012 with committee meetings potentially starting in late summer of 2012.
November 2011
To address long-term growth, the District has started to discuss what a process might look like and how the community can be engaged to help develop a plan based on community values. The District has been working with consultant Dr. Dick Withycombe to discuss a process. Dr. Withycombe has worked successfully on boundary review processes with a number of nearby districts including Issaquah, Lake Washington, Northshore, Kent, Everett, Snohomish, and Bremerton. The following are the approved minutes of a November 1, 2011 Study Session with the School Board and the PowerPoint presentation that was presented.
Board Study Session Minutes 11 01 11 Approved.pdf
Board School Assignment Plan Presentation 11011 .pdf
In November 2010, the District and School Board developed short-term solutions to relieve crowding for the 2010-2011 schoolyear at the three schools that assume recent enrollment increases continue. The proposed solutions are:
- Clyde Hill would be helped by adding a classroom using already existing space currently occupied by an Early Learning program, which would move to Medina Elementary where existing classrooms spaces would be more efficiently used to house current programs.
- Chinook would be relieved by adding two portables, which the City of Clyde Hill has generously allowed to help the situation. Chinook starts construction on a rebuild project in the 2012-2013 school year.
- Newport High would be helped by adding at least two portables.
- All of these solutions are only short term and predicated on consistent enrollment.
Parents should continue to check the school district web site for any updates as well as be in contact with their school principal.
Meanwhile, the District is planning for the long-term assuming that enrollments continue to climb. As part of that planning, the District hired a demographer to look at population and growth trends. Click on the links below to view a video of the demographer’s presentation to the school board, or read the written report.