Policy committee approves removing proximity preference from district lottery policy
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Summary
The school board policy committee voted unanimously to delete a sentence that would have given geographic proximity preference in magnet-school lotteries for two elementary schools, making Eaton and Coddington straight lotteries after sibling/employee priorities are applied.
The school board policy committee voted 3-0 to forward a revised student assignment policy that removes language giving geographic proximity a weighted preference in the lottery process for certain magnet schools. The committee vote sends Policy 41-50 to the full board in September.
The change removes the clause “save the students' geographic proximity to the school” from the student-assignment plan’s description of lottery weights. Committee members said the revision makes Eaton and Coddington operate as straight lotteries once sibling and employee privileges are applied.
Why it matters: Committee members said proximity has traditionally been used to reduce travel and support neighborhood access to magnet schools. Judy Justice said she was “very opposed to this change” and criticized removing proximity as undermining neighborhood access, while staff members and other board members described the current practice as a straight lottery for Eaton and Coddington and noted that other magnet schools retain attendance zones.
Details of the decision: Committee staff explained that Eaton and Coddington were the only elementary schools operating as straight lottery schools; Gregory, Snipes and Freeman retain attendance zones. The committee chair clarified that sibling privilege and employee privilege are applied before running the lottery, so siblings and children of staff are admitted ahead of the lottery draw.
Discussion vs. decision: Discussion centered on whether proximity should be restored for year-round schools and how a proximity weight would operate. Several committee members raised practical concerns — for example, that a child living “two blocks away” could be placed on a bus under a pure lottery — but the committee ultimately approved forwarding the policy with the deletion.
Outcome and next steps: The motion to approve Policy 41-50 with the deletion carried 3-0 and the revision will be presented to the full school board at the September meeting.
Ending: The committee recorded that the lottery process will continue to apply sibling and employee preferences before the lottery draw and that attendance-zone schools are unaffected by this change.