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The Washington Elementary School District is proposing a change in the attendance areas for Maryland and Ocotillo Elementary School. The proposed change affects students who live between 27^th Avenue on the west, I-17 on the east, Claremont Street to the north and Bethany Home to the south. Three apartment complexes fall within this area:

• Dimension on 27^th Apartments;
• Pine Crest Apartments; and
• Bethany Crest Co-op Apartments.

The Â鶹Íø is proposing that, starting with the 2020-2021 school year, students who live in this area will attend Ocotillo Elementary. The Â鶹Íø is proposing these changes for a few reasons:

• To reduce the amount of time students are on a bus by attending a closer school;
• To improve students safety, reduce transport times and decrease costs by minimizing busing of students across I-17;
• To standardize the District with a natural East/West split with attendance boundaries on either side of I-17;
• To maximize the use of buildings and space based on enrollment; and
• To establish a more stabilized enrollment across the District.

Families whose students are moving to eighth grade next year will have the option to “grandfather” their student at Maryland for one year.

Students moving into first through seventh grades would follow the open enrollment process, if they would like to remain at Maryland School. Otherwise, all K-6 students will attend Ocotillo and students moving from seventh to eighth grade will attend Palo Verde Middle School.

The Â鶹Íø is proposing that, starting with the 2020-2021 school year, Desert View will serve students from kindergarten through sixth grades. Currently, sixth graders attend Royal Palm Middle School.

The Â鶹Íø rationale for new proposal:

• Reduce the amount of time students would be on a bus by attending a closer school;
• Improve student safety and costs by minimizing busing when the home school is a better option;
• Maximize the use of buildings and space based on enrollment; and
• Establish a more stabilized enrollment across the District.

Families whose students are moving to sixth grade next year will have the option to “grandfather” their student at Royal Palm for one year.

• Postcards were mailed to all residents impacted by this change, inviting them to attend a community meeting Monday, March 23 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Desert View Elementary and a community meeting Thursday, March 26 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Ocotillo Elementary.  
• The meetings were postponed due to the statewide school closures for the remainder of the school year.
• A second postcard was mailed to all residents impacted by this change, inviting them to attend the May 28 meeting of the Governing Board at 7 p.m.
• A letter was sent to students/families directly impacted by this change, first in March and then again in May.
• The Governing Board will hear the proposal and community feedback at its regular meeting, Thursday, May 28 at 7 p.m.
• The Â鶹Íø Governing Board will vote on the proposed grade configuration/boundary change at its regular meeting Thursday, June 11 at 7 p.m. at the Administrative Center, 4650 W. Sweetwater Ave.

Please contact your school to be connected with an administrator, or you may leave any questions or comments .