downtown school feasibility study presentation

7/30/2019 Downtown School Feasibility Study Presentation

1/23

DOWNTOWN SCHOOL

FEASIBILITY STUDY

Evaluating the need for a Public School in Downtown Seattle


2/23

Overview

Most populous neighborhood in Seattle Fastest growing since 1990 (127%)

DowntownDemographics

John Hay Elementary, atop QueenAnne Hill (118% of capacity by 2015)

Bailey Gatzert Elementary, atop FirstHill (146% of capacity by 2015)

AttendanceArea

ElementarySchools

Total Downtown public school studentpopulation

Downtowns share of enrollment at JohnHay Elementary

EnrollmentProjections

John Hay

Bailey

Gatzert


3/23

Downtown Population

Total Downtown population in 1990 was 16,100.

By 2010 residents numbered 36,700.

South Lake Union/

Denny Triangle

Uptown

Belltown

Core/

West Edge

Pioneer

Square/ Intl

District


4/23

Children Under Five

Percent Change in Population Under Five (1990-2010)

Downtown experienced the largest percent increase in the number of residents under five since1990, from 283 to 625 children (121%).

The number of children under 14 living Downtown increased from 679 in 1990 to 1,268 in 2010.

-20%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

140%


5/23

Demographic Snapshot of Downtown

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Downtown Seattle

Less than $30,000

$30k to 40k

$40k to 50k

$50k to 60k

$60k to 70k More than $80,000

$70k to 80k

86 percent rentDowntown v. 52

percent citywide

Rent v.

Own

Lowest medianhousehold income

Economic diversity

Income One of Seattles most

racially diverseneighborhoods

Diversity

66%

10%

1%

15%

3% 5%

White

Black

American Indian

Asian

Other

Two or More


6/23

2534 year olds (2010)

Uptown and South Lake Union have highestconcentration of 25-34 year olds in Seattle.

Presence of young adults is a goodpredictor of births.

0 to 15%

15 to 20%

20 to 25%

25 to 30%

30 to 35%

More than 35%


7/23

Downtown Employment

-

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

Boston* San Francisco Philadelphia Seattle Minneapolis Denver Portland San Diego Charlotte

Total Employees Employees per sq. mile

Seattle is a major employment center with nearly 200,000 workers.

Among peer cities, only Seattle and Denver do not have a downtown public school.


8/23

Commuting Downtown

i

N

Approximately one-third of Downtown workers areSeattle residents (60,000+).

40% come from North Seattle Middle School Areas(Whitman, Hamilton and Eckstein).

40% from Central Seattle (Washington and

McClure), 15% West Seattle.

Option school likely very popular (esp. STEM), manyalready bring children to daycare. Also, Downtownis a major transit hub.


9/23


10/23

Quotes about a Downtown School

We want to live in a

downtown and we want our

kids to go to public school . .

Queen Anne would not be

workable. Its a deal breakerfor us.

If theres not a public

school . . . I could see

ourselves leaving at that

point. School is everythingfor us.

Its extremely inconvenient for me

to feel connected to [John Hay], I

dont get to walk and pick her uplike the other moms. I dont get to

see the teacher daily . . . I would

love something I could walk by, just

feel like I belong to the community.


11/23

Elementary School Areas

Salmon Bay K-8

Pinehurst K-8

Jane AddamsK-8

Thornton Creek

TOPSK-8Queen Anne

OrcaK-8

South Shore PK-8

K-5 STEM @Boren

tWes Seattle Elementary

Leschiatzert

Kimball John Muir

Thurgood Marshall

Beacon Hill Int'l

t

Adams

Whi ter

G

Bagley

WedgwoodGreenwood

Viewlands John Rogers

BryantSand Point

View Ridge

Laurelhurst

lCoe

Hay

Lowell

Stevens

Montake

McGilvra

Madrona K-8

AlkiLafayette

Schmitz Park

c

Northgate

Olympi Hills

North Beach

Loyal Heights

Maple

MLK Jr.

Hawthorne

Graham Hill

Dearborn Park

Roxhill

Gatewood

Arbor Heights

t

Green Lake

Wes Woodland

McDonald Int'l

B F Day

John Stanford Int'lLawton

Catharine Blaine K-8

Broadview-Thomson K-8

SacajaweaOlympic View

Dunlap

Sanislo

Emerson

Wing Luke

Highland ParkConcord Int'l

VanAsselt atAAA

Illustrates a 1 mile radius surrounding everypublic elementary school in Seattle.

Switched to a neighborhood school model in2009. Darker shading indicates areas withseveral nearby schools.

Noticeable absence in Downtown Seattle. Greenare neighborhood schools; purple representsoption schools.


12/23

Downtown Public Schoolchildren

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Washington McClure Hay Gatzert

Four guaranteed assignment schools areHay, Gatzert, McClure and Washington.

Since assignment change, Hay hasexperienced significant growth in studentsfrom Downtown.

In 2007, 36 Downtown students at Hay. In2011, 102 children.


13/23

K-12 Downtown and District Enrollment

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

District K-12 Downtown K-12

Enrollment of Downtown students in K-12has grown faster than the district as awhole.

Since 2007-2008, Downtown enrollmentgrew 21percent, compared to 7 percentdistrict-wide.

In 2011, 558 SPS students lived Downtown.

% Change since 2007-2008


14/23

Downtown Births

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Sep 2000

thru Aug2001

Sep 2001

thru Aug2002

Sep 2002

thru Aug2003

Sep 2003

thru Aug2004

Sep 2004

thru Aug2005

Sep 2005

thru Aug2006

Sep 2006

thru Aug2007

Sep 2007

thru Aug2008

Sep 2008

thru Aug2009

Sep 2009

thru Aug2010

John Hay Attendance Area births are increasing, growth is from Downtown (97% increasesince 2000).

In 2000, Downtown would have represented 39 percent of Hay Attendance Area births,

today its 66 percent.


15/23

District and Downtown Births

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Downtown Births District Births

Over the past decade, SPS has seen a risein the number of city-wide and Downtownbirths.

Since 2001, Downtown births haveincreased 97 percent, compared to nearly19 percent for the district.

Represents year eligible for kindergarten.Notable rise in births since 2007 (2012-2013 school year).

% Change since 2006-2007


16/23


17/23

Downtown K-8 Student Projection

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Downtown K-8 projected to increaseby 51% (moderate growth scenario).

Moderate growth has a capture rateof 30%, far below districts 2011average (71%).

Assumes no Downtown school.


18/23

John Hay Student Projections

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

District projects more than 700Hay students by 2020.

Downtown students are projectedto number between 320 and 430Hay students.

Scenarios assume capture ratesbetween 25 and 33 percent.

Total John Hay

Enrollment

Downtown Students at

John Hay


19/23

Historical Precedent

There have been schools in Downtown Seattlebefore, notably the Denny School (6th & Wall) andCascade School (schools playfield becameCascade Playground).

Denny School closed in 1928 in order to completethe Regrade. The schools bell tower is preserved inDenny Park.

Cascade closed in 1949 after suffering earthquakedamage.


20/23

Urban School Precedents

There are urban schoolsacross the country from SanDiego to New York.

Creative solutions tochallenges from the lack ofspace (e.g. play areas atopbuildings)

Most are incorporated into

existing buildings, very fewstand alone.


21/23

Potential Sites

12

3

5

67

8

9

10

1112

13

4

Many sites withinDowntown with thenecessary square footageand access to play areas.


22/23

Conclusion

Downtown has experienced a demographictransformation

Targeted to absorb future growth, development

Families have historically left Downtown as childrenaged, data indicate many would consider staying ifthere was a school, school enrollment rising

Downtown is well-positioned for a neighborhood

school, or option given Downtown jobs, transit Many organizations want to partner, STEM

opportunities


23/23

Downtown School Steering Committee

Jack McCullough McCullough Hill Leary

Pegi McEvoy Seattle Public Schools

Kate Joncas Downtown Seattle Association

Gary Johnson City of Seattle

Lucy Morello Seattle Public Schools

Holly Ferguson Seattle Public SchoolsHolly Miller City of Seattle

Lyn Tangen Vulcan

Bob Royer Gallatin Public Affairs

Jim Hendricks Seattle Childrens Research Institute

Jerry DeGrieck City of Seattle

Matt Roewe VIA Architecture

Jon Scholes Downtown Seattle AssociationJohn Heathcliff Heathcliff & Company

Nate Van Duzer Office of Councilmember Tim Burgess

Calvin Lyons Boys & Girls Clubs of King County

Ed Hewson Paragon Real Estate Advisers

John Coney Uptown Alliance

Rachel Cassidy Seattle Public Schools

Diana Canzoneri City of Seattle

Brian Scott BDS Planning & Urban DesignPeter Folkins New Ventures Group

Amanda Bryan VIA Architecture

Ryan Gockel Downtown Seattle Association

Jen Kelly VIA Architecture

Pat Callahan Urban Renaissance Group

Greg Johnson Wright Runstad

Diana Sugimura City of Seattle

downtown school feasibility study presentation

Documents