- Why is a boundary process necessary?
- Why do we need to update the boundaries for Kirkland and Rose Hill Middle?
- Why didn’t we make Rush Elementary and/or Twain Elementary bigger?
- Our child is a current 5th grader at Mark Twain elementary and will be choosing between Kirkland Middle School and Rose Hill Middle School for Fall 2023. Will my child be allowed to finish at the middle school where she chooses?
- Will boundary exceptions be allowed?
- Currently Full-time Quest (gifted) are served in schools outside the Lake Washington feeder area. Will these boundary changes allow Quest to be served within the Lake Washington feeder?
- My child receives special education services and has a hard time with transitions. How will the district support them with this transition?
- What is the timeline for the boundary process?
Why is a boundary process necessary?
The boundary process is being conducted for multiple reasons:
- There are multiple elementary schools either over or nearing capacity.
- Voters passed a 2019 Construction Levy which provided 20 additional classrooms at Franklin ES, Rose Hill ESand Twain ES. The classrooms were completed in Fall 2021.
- Rose Hill MS will be over capacity in the near term.
- Voters passed a 2022 Construction Levy which provides an eight-classroom addition to Kirkland MS that is planned to open Fall 2024.
- It is necessary to balance enrollment between Rose Hill MS and Kirkland MS,
- Twain ES students have been able to choose between Kirkland MS or Rose Hill MS and in the future will need to attend the MS based on the recommended boundary.
Why do we need to update the boundaries for Kirkland and Rose Hill Middle?
There are two reasons:
- Rose Hill Middle’s enrollment is projected to exceed 1,200 students by Fall 2026 which exceeds the capacity of the school. Kirkland Middle’s enrollment is projected to be approximately 600 students. Voters approved an addition for Kirkland Middle School to bring its capacity to around 900 students which is the typical size of a middle school. The boundary process will balance enrollment to capacity for both schools.
- Rose Hill Middle School’s boundary technically includes Twain Elementary, however Twain students have historically been allowed to choose between Kirkland and Rose Hill Middle School regardless of where they live. This requires our buses to cover the same neighborhoods for two different schools. To increase efficiencies, it is necessary that we provide a formal boundary consistent with what we do for all our other elementary schools.
Why didn’t we make Rush Elementary and/or Twain Elementary bigger?
In 2019 voters approved additions at Franklin, Rose Hill and Twain Elementary schools adding 20 total classrooms to provide permanent capacity for our growing enrollment. Our capital projects department worked with an architect to determine what classroom and core additions were feasible at each school. The best, most cost-efficient design for Twain was a four-classroom addition while adding a library and gymnasium. Due to site constraints at Rush Elementary an addition is not possible there. The boundary process will make recommendations to balance enrollment for schools affected by overcrowding.
Our child is a current 5th grader at Mark Twain elementary and will be choosing between Kirkland Middle School and Rose Hill Middle School for Fall 2023. Will my child be allowed to finish at the middle school where she chooses?
Students who are in 6th grade during the 2023-24 school year will be required to attend the middle school that they are boundaried into for Fall 2024. The community will see initial proposals in mid-November with a final recommendation anticipated by March.So current 5th graders will have an idea of whether they could be affected by a boundary recommendation.
Will boundary exceptions be allowed?
A boundary exception is a process that allows students who are going into their last year at their current school, to elect to stay at their current school. The committee and superintendent will consider whether boundary exceptions will be part of the recommendation based on data and space available.
Currently Full-time Quest (gifted) are served in schools outside the Lake Washington feeder area. Will these boundary changes allow Quest to be served within the Lake Washington feeder?
When the construction levy was approved to add 20 classrooms, we communicated that due to projected enrollment growth, existing portables would need to remain at each campus and it was unlikely that there would be capacity to bring the Quest classrooms back. We will continue to review enrollment trends and Quest classroom needs to determine where the available options will be for the program.
My child receives special education services and has a hard time with transitions. How will the district support them with this transition?
Special education is a service, not a place. As such, our expectation is that our students are considered general education first and foremost. They will be a part of the boundary adjustment like all peers. If you have questions or concerns about your students’ program or services, please reach out to your building principal. School teams will work with each other to make transitions as smooth as possible.
What is the timeline for the boundary process?
After the January 19-29 online open house, the survey feedback will be shared with the committee at their next meeting. They will then develop a final recommendation to share with the Superintendent. We expect board action on the boundaries to occur at the March board meetings.
