Hi, I’m Beth and my family has lived in the Evergreen community for over 43 years. I am also a member of the White Center Kiwanis, which works with Key Clubs at Evergreen and New Start Alternative High School. We see Evergreen kids every week and are alarmed by the high school experience that the Highline School District is giving them. The segregation imposed by the three small schools has made maintaining a viable Key Club difficult. The lack of communication between schools (only steps away from each other) makes reaching all students virtually impossible--which means that our once diverse, decades-old club has devolved into a club for only one of the small schools. Other than Key Club there are very few options remaining for students to participate in community service, learn leadership skills and have fun! What kind of high school experience is that? It is not acceptable that our wonderful teens, who have so much potential, are not being afforded the same opportunities for class choice, enrichment and social growth as their peers in the rest of the Highline School District. And it’s only because they happen to live in the Evergreen Service Area, where they are forced to attend a small school. Their peers outside Evergreen have the option to attend a traditional high school or a small school, and transportation is provided to either option. We can do better! If you feel, as I do, that our students deserve better, I urge you to stay involved in the planning process that will determine the future of our high schools: 1) Evergreen Community Meetings: The district will be hosting two community meetings that are open to the public. Staff, students, families and community members are encouraged to attend. Thursday, February 25, 2016 6:00 - 7:30 pm Evergreen Campus (830 SW 116th St, Seattle, WA 98146) Wednesday, April 27, 2016 6:00 - 7:30 pm Evergreen Campus (830 SW 116th St, Seattle, WA 98146) 2) Evergreen Core Planning Team: The district has convened a team of diverse stakeholders--students, families, community members, teachers, staff and administrators--to develop recommendations that will ensure an equitable and rigorous high school experience for all students. Learn more: http://highlineschools.org/Page/8404