Seattle Public Schools (house, neighborhood, school district)

[tlmg21]

I read something that worries me a little (actually a lot) on another thread, so I thought I would post and try to get some answers from other parents here.

Where we live (northern California) and where we are from (Texas) your child goes to the neighborhood school, meaning whichever school your address has been assigned to. If you do not like that school you can petition the district board to try to get your child into a different school. In California there are also public Charter schools that you can only get into using their own lottery system (we were not interested in this because we chose a house to live in that was assigned to a good school).

So what I read is that Seattle public schools run their entire district on a lottery system. The lottery takes place in February, and your child gets placed in whichever school they draw.

I would like to hear from parents of kids in the public school system. Tell me how this works. Does this mean you could be driving 30 minutes across town everyday to take your child to the school they drew in the lottery (instead of the one right down the street)? What happens if you miss the lottery in February (we are hoping to move to Seattle this summer after school lets out)? If you get assigned to a school you don't like what are the chances of getting a different school by request? Does your child then stay in that school until they have completed all grades, or do they have to go through the lottery each year and possibly switch schools each year? My daughter is in elementary school. Is it a lottery again that determines which middle school and high school she would attend when the time comes?

Sorry so many questions! This is a concern because we can't afford private school, and would prefer not to do home school. I do plan on calling the school district, but I was hoping to get some opinions from those of you who have kids in the system. Thanks!

[SaltyDawg]

You now definitely go to school based entirely upon your address. You can apply for other schools, but you're assigned based on where you live.

[tlmg21]

Originally Posted by SaltyDawg

You now definitely go to school based entirely upon your address. You can apply for other schools, but you're assigned based on where you live.

That is a HUGE relief, thank you!

[texastrigirl]

Originally Posted by SaltyDawg

You now definitely go to school based entirely upon your address. You can apply for other schools, but you're assigned based on where you live.

Apparently this change will be rolled out over a period of time in the coming years? The final boundaries are being voted on November 18. This is what I found on the website. Call SPS and ask as it still sounds a bit unclear to me...not cut and dried.

Seattle Public Schools*|*New Student Assignment Plan | FAQ | Enrollment Process (http://www.seattleschools.org/area/newassign/faq_enrollprocess.html - broken link)