Background: A Learning Community (LC) is all schools in LWSD district that feed to a particular high school, and is the way the district has set up its administrative and educational sub-structure. Quest is a Service/Program, in the eyes of the district, that is outside of the LC.

Problem: Not every LWSD LC has a gifted program located in stable schools. Most recently, the quest program at Franklin elementary has been abruptly shut down after many years of service and relocated to Thoreau/Redmond Elementary, resulting all current and incoming quest elementary students in Lake Washington High School Learning Community going to far away schools in different Learning Communities (Juanita/Redmond LC). Middle school quest students within Lake Washington LC go to Kamiaken Middle, also far away in Juanita LC. Quest students from Sammamish LC need to travel to middle school in Redmond LC. With recent shifts, quest students are taken out of their community Lake Washington LC and moved to elementary and middle schools to either Juanita LC or Redmond LC. Such shift may happen next year in other LCs as well depending on enrollment numbers. As of now the district policy is that they are to return to their community LC for high school which is another substantial transition.

According to Washington State Legislature:

WAC 392-170-012
Funds.
For highly capable students, access to accelerated learning and enhanced instruction is access to a basic education. School districts may access basic education funds, in addition to highly capable categorical funds, to provide appropriate highly capable student programs.

WAC 392-170-080
Educational program for highly capable students.
Each student identified as a highly capable student shall be provided educational opportunities which take into account such student's unique needs and capabilities.

Such feeder pattern and change of quest program being moved from one school to another do not take into account of student's basic common needs - stable environment and accessible schools. Any change in this scope should be done with transparency, good planning, and long term goal. Quest students, future or current, need central, fixed and accessible school environments close to their homes and communities, that foster their social development needs. They should not be moved around like chess pieces every year without given any insight on future plans. Transportation and extended day program details should be considered together while planning such change so parents have as much information as possible to plan for the logistics without being stressed until late August. 

Solution:

With the recent bond pass, district should build new or expand current schools with quest program growth into account as FIRST priority, not as an after thought.  With the rapid growth of LWSD, there will be more quest students. Exactly because of this, we need quest program present at central and fixed schools within every Learning Community in LWSD. Transportation and extended day program should be provided with convenience: There should be an upper limit for every child attending the quest program of 30 minutes of bus ride from their home to their quest classroom. Extended day should be able to accommodate quest students being transferred to the quest school who are already in the program at their home school in the previous year. Parents can pay reasonable cost if needed.