Northwest Glendale residents have learned that Mark Keppel Elementary School’s designation as an arts magnet school with a 3-year U.S. Department of Education grant comes with a lottery policy that places prospective students living more than 1/2 mile from the school but within the school’s boundary 7th in line for priority enrollment.
Resident Tammi Relyea spoke at last night’s Glendale city council meeting to alert the public about strings attached to the new magnet school designations for GUSD dual-language immersion programs and the arts magnet school at Keppel. Relyea has obtained this copy of GUSD’s explanation of the Magnet Schools Enrollment Process.
Glendale city council members said complaints they received on this subject recently made it seem as if their “Blackberries had exploded.” All five council members expressed concern about the policy, which could prevent children living within a school’s boundaries from being able to enroll in that school. Laura Friedman and Mayor Ara Najarian both remarked that this was contrary to the city’s goals of reducing congestion, improving traffic safety, and encouraging students to get more exercise by walking or riding their bikes to school.
Relyea has filed a public records request with the Glendale Unified School District, asking for information about the grant application and terms. She asserts that the district did no community outreach before securing the grant, and that the enrollment policy is bound to be a consideration in local real estate transactions, as savvy buyers with or without school-age children pay close attention to local school issues.
The Northwest Glendale Homeowners Association is planning a community meeting to bring this issue to the neighborhood’s attention. It is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, February 23rd, 7:30 p.m., at Brand Library.
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