It’s been 40 years since the Spokane school board has adjusted the boundary lines that determine which students go to which schools.
But the board could vote next month on a plan to update those boundary lines and determine which students will attend the district’s three new middle schools. Tonight [Wednesday] members of the district’s boundary committee will present their findings to the board.
The committee has worked for nearly a year and a half to identify and debate which factors are most important, says Associate Superintendent Mark Anderson.
“The research has shown that, if you keep families and students together, they perform well during those difficult transitions, going from an elementary school to a middle school. That was one high priority of the committee. Sometimes that’s in conflict with proximity. Being close to the school, you could almost see the school, but you’re going with your cohort to a different school, so sometimes there’s that tension between the two," he said.
Anderson spoke during a recent KSPS program about the school boundary proposal.
The board will hear the committee’s recommendations during a special meeting today [Wednesday] at 5:45. It will hold a public hearing next Wednesday at 5.