Parents may get less of a choice

Seattle's difficult school-closure process is under way, but ahead may loom another far-reaching — and potentially contentious — change: reducing elementary-school choice.

District officials say the popular choice system — which, since 1989, allows families to apply for slots in schools beyond their immediate neighborhood — may need to be scaled back to cut transportation costs.

The issue could come up for discussion as early as this fall, and if the School Board approves, students would have fewer enrollment options as early as fall 2007.

"We are not eliminating school choice, but we want to reduce it," said board President Brita Butler-Wall.

Faced with declining enrollment and a multimillion-dollar budget deficit, the district is embarking on the most dramatic restructuring of its public schools in two decades. A major phase begins Monday when a citizens committee meets for the first time to begin talking about which alternative and elementary schools to close in the 2007-08 academic year.

The committee later this spring will forward a list to the board and Superintendent Raj Manhas, who will make the final decision in July.

In what will be the first school closures in nearly 20 years, underenrolled schools may be merged. High-performing schools in dilapidated buildings may be relocated. Some elementary schools may be reconfigured to K-8 models to relieve overcrowding in middle schools. And a few schools may be strengthened with classes for highly capable students, Montessori programs or a dual-language curriculum like that of the John Stanford International School, board members said.

Simultaneously, the district could limit school choice, an initiative that surfaced last year when Manhas pitched a plan to close 10 schools and revise other district programs and services. Lacking School Board and public support, he dropped the closure plan in May; the future of school choice was left undecided.

School districts typically assign students to their nearest schools, but in Seattle, parents can rank their top three choices from a list of schools.

Now the district divides the city into nine regions, or elementary-school "clusters."

Families within each cluster have five to nine elementary schools to choose from, along with a handful of alternative and out-of-cluster schools. Students can try to enroll in any school outside their cluster, if there's room.

"School choice is not just about [picking] strong schools over weak schools," said Seattle Council PTSA President Sherry Carr. "Some want a K-8 school, a Montessori program or art-focused school."

But faced with a nearly $15 million budget deficit in 2006-07 and a nearly $25 million deficit the following school year, senior administrators want to cut transportation spending. District officials want to redraw the cluster boundaries and give families a shorter list of schools, closer to their homes, to choose from. By narrowing the list to, say, three elementary schools and one alternative or out-of-cluster school, busing costs would be lower.

"That would be the starting point for our discussion," said the district Chief Operating Officer Mark Green, who added that the proposal could change since administrators and board members have not met yet to discuss the pros and cons.

The district spends millions of dollars annually running long and intricate bus routes and managing a complex registration system because children in the same neighborhoods are enrolled in different schools, administrators said.

"Choice is expensive," said School Board member Michael DeBell, chair of the board's finance committee. "Now we are in a tight budget situation. And I think we are starting to get an idea clearly of how much it costs us."

The district has started scaling back yellow-bus service. Earlier this month, the School Board voted to transport Franklin and Ballard high-school students on Metro buses this fall and may phase in other high schools over the next two years. Tied to that is a long-term plan to save $2 million to $4 million annually by getting rid of dozens of yellow buses.

A smaller fleet, officials say, means the district needs to reduce school choice and start elementary schools on a staggered schedule to allow bus drivers time to run additional routes. But limit school choice, and families will "go ballistic," said parent activist Charles Rolland, whose youngest son attends Summit K-12.

The community was upset enough over the proposed school closures last year, he said, and the district better explain how reducing school choice helps academically.

"School choice is important to me. I have three children and they all have different kinds of learning style and interests," Rolland said.

Board members pointed to another outcome of closing schools and limiting choice: improving underenrolled or low-achieving schools.

School funding is driven largely by enrollment, and schools with fewer students receive less money to pay for additional teachers or elective courses than schools with higher enrollment.

By closing a dozen elementary and alternative schools, the district estimates the remainder would be at or near capacity, and those schools would get more money to offer instrumental music, foreign language or other electives. "As a school grows, you are going to be able to add services to that building," said board member Darlene Flynn.

About five years ago, Van Asselt Elementary served 260 students and could only afford academic courses and physical education. Now with enrollment at 460, the school gets more money to hire music, art and literacy teachers and a nurse three times a week. It's a stronger school with more resources, said Principal Hajara Rahim.

Tan Vinh: 206-515-5656 or tvinh@seattletimes.com