School Boundaries

A special report from Coeur d'Alene Public Schools — January 14, 2020

This past fall, we began work on a comprehensive review of all school attendance zones in our district. Updating our attendance zones is necessary to:

• Accommodate community growth and new residential developments that are planned or under construction
• Relieve pressure on schools that are full or over capacity
• Carve out an attendance zone for the new elementary school opening this fall on Prairie Avenue

A Boundary Review Committee with parent and school representatives is working on proposed changes to our attendance zones. After opportunities for public review and comments, the committee's final proposal will go to your Board of Trustees for discussion and a vote this March.

Later this week we hope to share with you the first proposal for new attendance zones from our Boundary Review Committee. The committee is scheduled to produce its first proposal during a 3-hour meeting this evening, and project consultant FLO Analytics will take the proposal and develop maps that we can post here on our Boundary Review web page.

ABOVE: Members of our 38-member Boundary Review Committee work on map changes during a committee meeting January 7.

We have two dates set for Open Houses to let you look at the proposed new boundaries for attendance zones and tell us what you think. These are drop-in opportunities; feel free to stop by anytime during these 2-hour windows.

It's important to know that the proposed new boundaries will be revised after the first Open House, based on the feedback we receive from the community. So you may want to plan on stopping by both nights.

OPEN HOUSE NO. 1

Tuesday, January 21, 6-8 PM

Coeur d'Alene High School commons

OPEN HOUSE NO. 2

Tuesday, February 18, 6-8 PM

Woodland Middle School cafe

In addition, we will have a way for you to view the proposals online and send us your comments via a survey tool.

Superintendent Steven Cook and Operations Director Jeff Voeller talk about key concerns related to the boundary review process in a 3-part series of our new podcast, The Sup is On.

Part 1 - The challenge of determining school capacity to know how many students can be placed in each of our schools. LISTEN HERE

Part 2 - Elementary magnet schools and how they fit into the conversation. LISTEN HERE

Part 3 - Coming this Friday at noon.

Find all our podcasts at cdaschools.buzzsprout.com

On Monday, January 13, the Board of Trustees met for a workshop to discuss student exemptions from transfer (or grandfathering) with respect to the new attendance zones to be adopted by the Board.

A formal decision about grandfathering students is expected to coincide with the board's final decision on new boundaries. A special board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 18, to receive a recommendation for new attendance zones.

Below, you can watch the Board's discussion on the question of which students might be allowed to remain in their current schools versus needing to relocate to a new school after revised boundaries take effect.

To help you find discussion points you are most interested in, here's when particular topics begin:

• Superintendent Cook's overview: 02:25
• Magnet elementary schools: 08:00
• Middle/High schools: 45:47
• All other elementary schools: 1:15:45

The Board of Trustees has scheduled public listening sessions, at the start and end of the boundary open house events, to listen to families regarding exemptions from transfer (grandfathering) of students.

LISTENING SESSION NO. 1

Tuesday, January 21

5:30-6:15 PM, 7:45-8:30 PM

Coeur d'Alene High School

LISTENING SESSION NO. 2

Tuesday, February 18

5:30-6:15 PM, 7:45-8:30 PM

Woodland Middle School

Dr. Steven Cook, Superintendent of Coeur d'Alene Public Schools, appointed the following members to our Boundary Review Committee.

The committee is working with consultant FLO Analytics to develop a proposed update to the school boundaries. The committee is following these guiding principles.

Here are the 38 members of the committee:

Atlas Elementary: Principal Heather Somers, parent Rachel Grady

Borah Elementary: Principal Kristina Davenport or Assistant Principal Aaron Peak, parent Aimee Moffatt

Bryan Elementary: Principal Kristin Gorringe, parent Deb Nelson

Dalton Elementary: Principal Jody Hiltenbrandt, parent Rose Backs

Fernan STEM Academy: Principal Kathy Livingston, parent Tracy Shull

Northwest Expedition Academy: Principal Bill Rutherford, parent Laura Nelson

Hayden Meadows Elementary: Principal Lisa Pica, parent Carl Fulton

Ramsey Magnet School: Principal Crystal Kubista, parent Kevin Mclleland

Skyway Elementary: Principal Jennifer Peak, parent Chanda Walther

Sorensen Magnet School: Principal Brett DePew, parent Danielle Quade

Winton Elementary: Principal Eileen Blough, parent Jennifer Dawson

Canfield Middle: Principal Nick Lilyquist, parent Lindsey Knoll

Lakes Middle: Principal Trayce Hemenway, parent Amber Dirksen

Woodland Middle: Principal Mike Lindquist, parent Tristan Hite

Coeur d'Alene High: Principal Libbi Barrett, parent Rebecca Smith

Lake City High: Principal Deanne Clifford, parent Constance Bond

Long Range Planning Committee delegates: Sarah McCracken, Jodi Johnson, Lauren Gage

SPARCC, the Superintendent's Parent Advisory and Resource Community Council, delegates: Alethea Carpenter, Marie Nail

Coeur d'Alene Education Association delegate: Karina Selby

Email: info@cdaschools.org
Website: www.cdaschools.org
Location: 1400 N. Northwood Center Court
Phone: (208) 664-8241
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cdaschools
Twitter: @cdaschools

You may contact us at boundaries@cdaschools.org