Sequim: Population shift spurs consideration of Haller, Greywolf school boundary changes

SEQUIM — As population demographics in Clallam County shift, officials in the Sequim School District are considering redefining boundary lines that determine which elementary school students attend.

That could lead to some kindergartners starting school this fall attending a different school than anticipated. It could possibly even send them to a different school than the one their siblings attend.

But Schools Superintendent Garn Christensen and directors of the school board say they will take great care to avoid disruptions as they come up with a solution to an uneven disbursement of students attending Greywolf and Helen Haller Elementary schools.

Adding to the problem is a lack of space at Greywolf, where there are no empty classrooms that can accommodate added kindergarten programs.

The boundary line between the schools was set roughly at the Dungeness River after Greywolf opened in 1992.

Recent countywide growth projections and actual enrollment figures hint at more families moving in to areas west of Sequim, toward Carlsborg and out in the county.

Also, an informal district policy of allowing students to choose between schools, despite their actual residence address, has led some incoming kindergartners inside the Haller boundaries to register at Greywolf, said Director Elna Kawal.

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