Proposed changes to Montlake Elementary’s attendance area. Area 41 would move to Stevens, Area 39 to McGilvra.
Seattle Public Schools wants to shrink the Montlake Elementary school boundary to the north side of Boyer Avenue. Please take a moment now to ask Seattle Public Schools to change their proposal.
The proposal would assign certain homes that sit squarely within Montlake to Stevens Elementary. The affected areas are the south side of Boyer Avenue; Eaton Place; 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd Avenues south of Boyer; and other streets south of Boyer. See a map of the proposed changes here.
The proposed boundary would go right down the middle of Boyer Avenue. Imagine standing at the entrance to the Greek Church on Boyer Avenue and looking across the street: the families in those homes would no longer be part of the Montlake Elementary community.
Children in these areas would no longer have a short, safe walk to school. The district’s plan ignores the natural boundary of Interlaken Park at our southern edge.
The school district has asked for feedback via an online survey, available for one week, beginning today (Oct. 14-21). To get to the survey, click here. The number on which you are providing feedback is 41. You may cut and paste the form letter below or write your own. If you live in the impacted area, please personalize your comments to say so.
Numbers matter—even if you are not directly impacted by these changes, the more neighbors who weigh in, the more the school board will understand the importance of keeping our community intact.
Sincerely,
Julee Neuhart, President, Montlake Community Club
Amanda Williams, Montlake PTA/MCC Board Liaison
Kerry Clayman, Montlake Neighbor
Nina Hess, Montlake Neighbor
To submit your feedback:
Access the survey by clicking HERE.
1. Select the numbered area on which you are providing feedback: 41
2. What is your feedback?
As a Montlake resident, I am concerned about proposed changes to the Montlake Elementary School boundary.
The new boundary would fall in the middle of Boyer Avenue. This change would send a small section of Montlake families, living on the south side of Boyer Avenue—and the few streets south of Boyer that back up to Interlaken Park—to Stevens Elementary instead of Montlake. The children and parents in this area are deeply rooted in the Montlake community and isolating them from our neighborhood doesn’t make sense.
Although Stevens may appear to be close as the crow flies, the steep, heavily wooded Interlaken Park is a natural barrier. Designating Stevens as the school for these children goes against the district’s own guiding principles of a safe route to school. Walking or biking to school would not be possible. There are no sidewalks on Interlaken Ave. as it extends down the very steep north slope of Capitol Hill toward Montlake. The trails in Interlaken Park are secluded and unpopulated. They are not safe for school children. A safe route to Montlake Elementary School already exists: a 10-minute, safe, flat walk for most of our kids.
I encourage Seattle Public Schools to keep the children of Montlake together. Don’t split the Montlake community and keep the boundary where it belongs, at Interlaken Park.
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