MARYSVILLE – A boundary committee has recommended that seven of the 10 grade schools in the Marysville district start going to a different middle school.
Public meetings to talk about the boundary recommendations were canceled this week because of inclement weather.
Upcoming meetings will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at Marysville Getchell High School, Jan. 23 at Marysville-Pilchuck and Jan. 30 at the MSD Service Center Board Room. Another will be from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Tulalip Youth Council room.
Recommended elementary and middle school changes include:
•Cascade and some Grove students change from Marysville Middle to Cedarcrest.
•Liberty and Sunnyside change from Cedarcrest to MMS.
•Marshall and Grove change from MMS to Totem.
•Allen Creek changes from Totem to MMS.
Pinewood and Kellogg Marsh would still attend Cedarcrest; Shoultes would still go to MMS; and Quil Ceda Tulalip would still go to Totem.
As for the high schools, the three Cedarcrest schools plus Allen Creek and Grove would go to MG. Going to M-P would be the three Totem schools, plus Cascade and Shoultes. Previously, those high schools were choice schools. Legacy and Tulalip Heritage highs would remain choice schools, as would 10th Street in middle school.
Demographics was a key reason for the changes going to middle school. The boundary committee looked at: equity, cultural diversity, economics, race, special education, and more in making its recommendations.
At the high school level is also looked at Career and Technical Education and Advanced Placement classes.
In its research, it also looked at enrollment, birth and housing trends, and forecasts.
One finding: In each of the last four years, about 1,300 students transferred out of district, almost double from 2015. Trying to make bus rides shorter to save money on transportation was another factor.
The panel decided boundaries could change slightly again if a capital levy passes Feb. 11. The reason would be that new Liberty and Cascade elementaries would be bigger than the old ones so could handle more students.
At a recent work session of the school board, assistant superintendent Scott Beebe talked about gathering public input electronically and at public forums. At the forums, he said there will be different tables where people can find out about elementary, middle and high schools. He said the committee was very thoughtful during the process.
“They didn’t want to pit one community against another,” he said.
Beebe said in his experience elsewhere some people have a negative reaction at first, but then are more accepting once the process is explained. Some people want you to “Just do it” and others think a “new school is exciting.”
More information
•The district is reaching out to students, families and the community electronically at “Let’s Talk Link Input” at http://bit.ly/MSD25-Boundary-Input
•The committee report can be found at http://bit.ly/MSD-Boundary2019
•All committee work, agendas, minutes and materials can be found at http://www.msd25.org/enrollment-and-demographics-committee—3
