Seattle Public Schools officials project enrollment will likely reach 60,000 by the year 2020—an increase of 9,000 students from the current population.
The growing student body is one of the biggest reasons why the district is proposing changes to the district's boundaries map.
The district has come up with a complex set of proposals to serve its growing student body. Over the next several years, seven new schools will open, and other schools will expand. And the district wants to make sure it is providing an equal level of services district-wide.
On the table are changes to 20 percent of the geographic attendance boundaries for elementary schools. The district will also look at which feeder schools will serve each elementary schools, and where the district's special education and gifted student programs will be located.
Another proposal is to turn John Stanford and McDonald International schools—both language immersion programs—into "option" schools, which means the schools would be open to any family, no matter where they live.
A series of community meetings will be held on the proposals. The board is expected to vote on the proposals in November.