Looking at current enrollment as well as 10-year projections, the Seattle School Board is planning to reallocate resources so that schools might address these demographic changes.

While some Seattle's public elementary schools are over capacity other student populations are dropping.

The goal is to minimize both student wait lists and the costs created by schools over capacity. Meanwhile the school board strives to keep their system flexible enough to deal with inevitable demographic shifts in the future.

"We have to look at what resources we have within the district and what population needs we have and make sure that were being fiscally responsible with all of these," said David Tucker, media relations spokesman for Seattle Public Schools.

In the school district's northwest sector, capacity at many elementary schools is expected to increase significantly as a result of increased birth rates since 1992.

According to DeJong Inc., an independent consultant, Loyal Heights projected enrollment will increase by 50 students over the next 10 years and Whittier Elementary should increase by 181 students.

Increased migration into the neighborhoods of John Stanford International and North Beach will also affect changes in their capacity. While the student body at John Stanford International is expected to increase by 154, North Beach should have 29 more students in 10 years.

The Seattle School Board will respond to these capacity changes in two phases.

The first includes five proposed solutions. For one, district planning teams will visit schools to identify ways that they might more efficiently make use of school space.

As the school board determines how to best address these capacity changes Kathy Johnson, facility planning manager for Seattle Public Schools, will be working to provide information to parents and community members while considering their opinions.

"Parents are interested in a long term solution, where children can have facilities of their own," she said.

The district will also look for opportunities to create new classrooms within existing buildings. This will likely take place at BF Day, where enrollment is expected to drop slightly.

Programs could also be transferred to different schools such as preschool education.

Additionally the district could respond to schools over capacity by providing new portables or relocating existing ones. Loyal Heights and North Beach would both be likely to receive these.

Finally, the Seattle School District might also make minor modifications to student assignment plans. This would address the excess capacity in the Northwest sector by allowing them access and transportation to more schools. The School Board assured community members that they would be guaranteed an assignment to a nearby school and that they would still have the opportunity to chose a school.

The second phase will include long term projects such as consolidating under capacity schools and opening closed buildings.

At Adams Elementary School, where enrollment is expected to continue declining, two classrooms will be reconfigured at a cost of $525,000.

Four unfinished classrooms at BF Day will also be completed, costing approximately $1 million.

Some community members have suggested that the district reopen Viewlands School, but the building's conditions are reportedly too poor and the location would not help to relieve schools over capacity.

On Oct. 15 proposed changes regarding the Student Assignment Plan and Transportation will be presented to the School Board for approval. If approved these could be presented to the Superintendent by December.

Meanwhile the public is open to attend a Board Work Session on October 1 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the John Stafford Center Auditorium.

For more information please visit http://www.seattleschools.org/area/strategicplan/capacity_management.html.