Understanding the Option School Model

1. Understanding the Option School Model

2. Purpose • Provide information & forum to discuss the Option School Model • JSIS struggles with current enrollment method – equity of access, limited heritage speaking students & overcapacity • Option School for JSIS being discussed & gaining support each year • For 3 years, JSIS staff has sent a letter to the District unanimously requesting to become an option school • Support voiced by a number of School Board members • Timing critical - BEX planning now & JSIS capacity

3. What is an “Option School” • 13 “Option Schools” exist - provide alternatives to neighborhood schools, offer different curriculums and educational styles • Assignment is by choice open enrollment (families “choose” the program) • Assignment based on set tiebreakers (siblings, geo-zone, lottery) • Lottery seats are all-city draw • Option school – no guaranteed attendance boundaries; but all current option schools have “geozone” • “Geozone” is drawn around school and bit more flexible than attendance boundaries. (Living within geo-zone does not guarantee assignment, but #2 tiebreaker) • Enrollment is fixed based on capacity; enrollment closes at the end of September • Transportation is provided to students within created “service” zone (not all city transportation)

4. JSIS Enrollment History • Pre-2009 - Enrollment based available seats – first siblings & then attendance area defined by distance; no address guarantee • Winter 2009 – NEW Student neighborhood assignment plan (created the “address guarantee”) Boundaries drawn quite wide for JSIS. • Fall 2010 & 2011- JSIS required 4 Kindergarten classes due to incoming guaranteed students • January 2012 –overcapacity at JSIS forced the boundaries to be reduced dramatically • Fall 2012- JSIS prepared for 2 K classes; days before start of school 3rd K class added due to last minute in-boundary enrollment. • Fall 2013- just determined that JSIS again requires 3 K classes, last available space that can be classroom will be used

5. SPS Option Schools & Why JSIS? K-5 Option Schools: Thornton Creek Elementary, Queen Anne, STEM at BorenK-8 Option Schools: Jane Addams, Orca, Pathfinder, Pinehurst, Salmon Bay, South Shore, TOPS A key argument to make JSIS Option School – International/ Immersion School Model qualifies as a unique curriculum that should be available to all, regardless of address. The JSIS international program was originally envisioned as an all-city draw to support diversity and equity among the student base, and to promote communication and interacting with diverse populations.

6. Why Option for JSIS Now? • JSIS staff has called for this change for three years, they have seen firsthand the impact of declining diversity & lack of equity on the immersion program. • Negative impact on JSIS community due to the annual capacity fluctuations and unknown classroom/grade assignments (e.g. staffing requirements, scrambling to find space) • The neighborhood guarantee has given JSIS no ability to predict & capacity plan. • Despite the small boundaries, families continue to squeeze into homes and apartments to gain access.

7. Why Now? (con’t) • JSIS enrollment challenges have created a divided & small neighborhood area; guarantee encourages address fraud • Option Model (if created w/ heritage speaker tie-breaker) would result in more native speakers - essential in supporting peer language learning • The number of ousted siblings created by the boundary shifting of recent years is high, impacting 16%* of current families. Siblings provide a language benefit similar to heritage speakers and help maintain family commitment to immersion program. Option school would solve ongoing sibling problem. • The recently approved BEX levies will create more changes to north Seattle boundaries…may be time to make change to JSIS. *(More like 20% if consider 3 previous years.)

8. What Would Change for JSIS?

9. Unknowns • Where would the geo-zone be drawn? Should it be same geography as today. (Note: SPS Board Director Carr brought up idea of no geozone for JSIS. This would be part of discussion.) • How would attendance areas be redrawn for existing JSIS boundaries? (Which surrounding schools absorb JSIS boundaries.) • Would JSIS be able to add a heritage speaker option school tie-breaker for certain % of seats? (i.e. 5-10%)

10. Negatives of changing to Option School • Burnout from changes in enrollment • “New” families with current neighborhood guarantee may now NOT get assigned to JSIS (this is likely only in 2014 due to capacity limits & siblings) • After 2014 –new families on other side of Corliss have equal chance to get in as any lottery student; therefore; JSIS will lose some of neighborhood feel once existing wave of siblings pass through in 5-6 years • In 5-6 years will walk & bike to school decline? • Will transportation expense increase for district? • Will parent volunteerism & fundraising go down or up? (could go either way)

11. Option School: how Kindergarten enrollment might look(Not official SPS Calculations; Forecast based upon surveys & historical data) Key to focus on Kindergarten enrollment outcome for longer term. Notes on Above Data: Geo-zone assumes current boundaries. “New Geo-zone” category is only brand new families not those who already have child enrolled at JSIS. Siblings in Geo-zone counted in “Sibling” category for comparison. (Typically 10-12 K sibling families live in current attendance boundaries.) Geo-zone New families based upon last 2 years data - # new K families enrolled from within current boundaries. Used 7% as native speaker clause meaning 2 students per K class are native speakers. Could be higher or lower.

12. Next steps • Director Carr noted that the public has opportunity to provide input between now and the Fall, when SPS's draft plan for boundaries and zone changes will be published for comment. • If have opinions on this topic, stay engaged & weigh in when there is SPS discussion. • Purpose of PTSA presentation was to provide information on the characteristics of an option school. And, to highlight positives & negatives of the idea for JSIS. • Questions? Please read the FAQ document which is very comprehensive on this topic. (Or, contact Darla Rhodes or Lucie Campbell, JSIS parents.)