Boundary talks heat up
January 28, 2009
By Laura Geggel
School board holds meeting to discuss possible transfer
Community members either clapped approvingly or muttered angrily at a public meeting discussing a Broadhurst petition for annexation from Snoqualmie Valley Schools Jan. 22.
The Snoqualmie Valley School Board listened to two presentations — one pro-petition and the other anti-petition — and then allowed audience members to comment either for or against the neighborhood’s transfer.
Parent Mary Alice Colvin explains why she is against a requested transfer by the Broadhurst neighborhood at a public hearing held by the Snoqualmie Valley School Board.
The school district held the public hearing after 96 percent of Broadhurst’s residents signed a petition requesting to transfer to the Lake Washington School District. Broadhurst, a neighborhood North of Northeast Ames Lake Road in Redmond, previously petitioned to transfer in 1997, but was denied.
“There was a promise, a commitment at that time (from the Snoqualmie Valley district). Give us a chance to do a better job to service your kids.” parent Carl Brandt said. “Twelve years have gone by, nothing has changed.”
To decide whether or not the neighborhood’s request is received this time, two school board members from each district will convene, before reporting back to their respective boards — Rudy Edwards and Caroline Loudenback from Snoqualmie Valley’s board and Doug Eglington and Jackie Pendergrass from Lake Washington’s board.
It is unclear yet whether LWSD will have room for Broadhurst students.
“We’re still doing the analysis,” said Kathryn Reith, communications officer for LWSD.
The school boards of both school districts have until March 14 to either approve or deny the transfer. If one district supports the transfer and the other rejects it, the case will be heard by a regional committee.
Broadhurst residents contest the Snoqualmie Valley Schools boundary that was set in 1944, years before Lake Washington built 11 schools that were closer to Broadhurst than any Snoqualmie Valley school.
If Broadhurst did transfer, Snoqualmie Valley levy and bond rates could increase for SVSD residents. According to the Snoqualmie Valley district, property tax rates would increase 1.7 percent if all 114 Broadhurst properties transfer. The Broadhurst residents who gave the presentation at the public hearing, Blythe Manson, Carl Brandt and Gary Patterson, said these costs could be offset by new developments in Fall City, Snoqualmie and North Bend.
Much of the argument for the transfer hinged on the amount of time it takes to travel to and from school. One-way trips take about 37 minutes from Broadhurst to Fall City Elementary and about 28 minutes to Chief Kanim, according to Jim Garhart, Snoqualmie Valley schools director of transportation.
Garhart added that the district uses one of its new fuel-efficient and quieter buses to pick up Broadhurst students.
The Lake Washington director of transportation could not be reached. Although LWSD schools are closer, they may take comparable times to reach because of road signs and traffic.
Broadhurst residents also argued the bus route from Broadhurst to Snoqualmie Valley schools is more dangerous than the route to Lake Washington schools. Parent Gary Patterson showed traffic accident numbers proving that the roads to LWSD are less dangerous than roads the school buses take to Snoqualmie Valley schools.
In addition to safety concerns, Patterson said the distance and time it takes to drive to Snoqualmie Valley schools is a deterrent to both parents, who find it hard to volunteer in their children’s community, and students, who live far away from their friends.
“I try to coach. I try to be there to support my kids,” Patterson said. “It’s very difficult in the work week to go an extra 10 to 15 miles trying to get to an event at a difficult time of the day after work.”
For families who do rough it out, Patterson said they lose many friends along the way. Many children get variances to attend LWSD, attend private schools, are home-schooled or simply move away when they are scheduled to start attending Mount Si High School, which is an average 44-minute one-way bus ride from Broadhurst.
“Simply put, Broadhurst is a scattered and transient community,” Patterson said. “It seems to be that once kids get to a certain age, families end up leaving. There is no sense of community in Broadhurst. We’re trying to change that.”
Yet the anti-transfer group, presented primarily by Mary Alice Colvin, Dan Spalding and Betsy Evensen, argued the Ames Lake Corridor had a long history of parent involvement. They also said SVSD schools attended by Broadhurst students are below capacity, even Mount Si High School, especially if the bond for more portables passes this spring.
If Broadhurst’s transfer is successful, the LWSD boundary would change and could make it easier for other Snoqualmie Valley neighborhoods to petition a transfer of their own, said Mary Alice Colvin, a parent who is against the Broadhurst transfer.
“Broadhurst is not an isolated neighborhood,” Colvin said. “It is linked to a series of other neighborhoods off of Ames Lake Road.”
She warned of a “domino effect” of neighborhoods that may seek transfers if the Lake Washington boundary line extends to Broadhurst, including Davereux and the Trails at Camden Park — both of which petitioned to transfer to Lake Washington in 2003 —and Ames Lake — which tried to organize a petition in 2007. Both Aldarra Estates and Montaine border the Issaquah school district and could also petition to change districts.
“We are asking the board to think long-term,” Colvin said, warning the board to be wary of losing more neighborhoods.
Broadhurst has 39 students attending Snoqualmie Valley schools. If all of these neighborhoods successfully transferred, the district would lose 333 children.
But Broadhurst residents in favor of the transfer said the school board is not allowed to factor in the domino effect when deciding Broadhurst’s case.
“We have the ideal case. If you let us out, you will show you are doing your duty. When the facts are right, you’re allowing us,” said Brandt. “When other communities want out, you can show what qualities you require.”
“We’re not up here doing it for us. The petition is to support the kids,” Brandt added.
“We’ve been part of Broadhurst for 14 years now. It does not have anything to do with test scores, it’s a distance issue,” parent Tracey Gaan said. “If this gets turned down, it will come back.”
Reach reporter Laura Geggel at 392-6434 .221 or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com.
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It should also be noted that not everyone who asked to be heard was given an opportuinity in this “public” hearing. The Board acknowledged that there were 10 individuals who asked to be heard in favor of the petition who were not given the opportunity to be heard and no others against were present.
Additionally the Petitioners were supporeted by a highly qualified uncompensated, independent educational researcher and consultant, David Spring, a resident of North Bend, who argued that the current situation is not in the best interest of the Broadhurst children as it related to their educational experience.
Lastly it should be noted that Mr. Spalding who made a point of how he enjoys the long drives to the valley from Broadhurst and actively participates in his child’s educational activities in the SVSD schools, while young, is retired with plenty of time on his hands unlike most Broadhurst residents who have working parents, the vastmajority of which work inthe other direction. SVSD does nto supply bus service for after school activities, even for the long dangerous ride in 202 in the dark, icy winters.
The only other person who spoke against the petition, Ms. Colvin is a resident of Carnation. I am not sure of her motivation other than to create fear of a “domino effect” which is not a factor that can or should be considered in the petition decision process according to the guidelines. Why have a poetition process if you are nto going to look at each case on its merits. The SVSD had NEVER granted a petition to date, except for an area looking to petition INTO the district, Aldarra, who also is now seeking to get out. They do not nearly have the compelling fact pattern that the Broadhurst group has.