Many have signed, or at least seen the online petition advocating for Magnolia students to be kept at Ballard High School, rather than attend the much further away Lincoln High. A local group, From “Magnolia for Ballard High School”writes:
Currently, Ballard High School (BHS) is Magnolia’s neighborhood public high school. Certain boundary proposals would force Magnolia students to attend Lincoln, a to-be-renovated and reopened high school in Wallingford. Magnolia is the farthest from Wallingford, with the most difficult commute of any neighborhood considered for Lincoln.
These new boundaries could also force Magnolia students to change schools in the midst of their high school careers. This would be highly disruptive to their lives and education and even juniors would potentially have to leave BHS for Lincoln.
Please sign this petition to urge Seattle Public Schools decision makers to create boundaries that retain Ballard High School as an option for all Magnolia students, both current and future.
Key issues include:
- BHS is Magnolia’s neighborhood school and it is the closest high school to our community. District buses are provided in the morning and commuting via Metro takes 29 minutes minimum with one transfer. Additionally, commuting by bicycle is possible.
- The commute between Magnolia and Wallingford would be a difficult one. It is West-East, while Seattle’s traffic corridors are North-South.
- There are no district buses planned and unlike other neighborhoods under consideration, Magnolia does not have “Frequent Transit Service.”
- A change to Lincoln would extend a Magnolia student’s Metro commute to up to 74 minutes at best each way, with an additional transfer, and bike commuting would not be possible.
- The increased commute and bus route would jeopardize student sleep, safety, academics, and participation in sports and other activities.
- The commute would be an extreme hardship on Magnolia students and families. Families could need to make this commute multiple times a day in traffic.
- BHS’s outstanding, award-winning academies and pathways including Biotechnology, Digital Filmmaking, Finance, Maritime, and Project Lead the Way would almost certainly be unavailable at Lincoln.
- Students would find themselves unable to complete these 3-4 year programs, jeopardizing admissions and scholarships for related college programs.
- BHS has strong athletic programs and appropriate infrastructure while Lincoln currently has no play or practice fields.
- BHS has robust, well-established, and well-financed fine arts programs that have taken years to develop. BHS’s choir, wind ensemble, and orchestra have been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center in New York.
- BHS has 43 clubs and organizations and it is easy to start a new club. This offers community and engagement for virtually every student.
- A move from BHS to Lincoln during high school would be highly disruptive, separating siblings, and negatively impacting academics, teams, clubs, friendships, and individual students, reducing overall engagement and diminishing future prospects.
