The 15-member Community Advisory Committee began the complex task of recommending which K-8, alternative and elementary schools to close, consolidate or relocate at their first meeting last week.

Some members feared their May 26 deadline wouldn't be long enough to solicit adequate community input.

So far, a series of community meetings and weekly gatherings with the committee as a whole will roll out the closure/consolidation plan. The committee, appointed by the Seattle School Board earlier this month, acknowledged that supplemental meetings in each community would likely be necessary.

For closure purposes, the city has been divided into four quadrants using Interstate 90 as the north-south boundary and Interstate 5 as the east-west border, which are boundaries that most people recognize, said school board President Brita Butler-Wall.

The district expects that closing at least 12 schools by fall 2007 will improve academic performance throughout the district as well as lessen projected multi-million dollar deficits, partly caused by excess facilities, said Butler-Wall. The district expects to save $4 million to $5 million annually.

But last week the school board proposed that the original decision to close 12 schools be amended to 11 - one less in the southeast quadrant. The decision was based on high excess space estimates in the area. The board will vote on the number of schools to close April 5.

The advisory team is also charged with making connections within the communities where closures will be considered; two buildings in the northwest, three buildings in the northeast and southwest and four (possibly three) in the southeast.

During the next 10 weeks, the committee must apply the eight criteria and overarching principles the board has approved to determine which schools don't make the grade when it comes to academic achievement, effective family connection, building condition and family satisfaction.

Throughout the process, the school board expects the citizen advisory team to consider a set of principles, such as sustaining academic effectiveness and minimizing disruptions to students, families and staff.

The board president said the process would be an "ask don't tell, short but intense analysation," but that it would stand out from last year's "cold-water shock" that sparked community protest at schools like Alki Elementary, which was slated for closure last spring.

Claire Foster, Alki Parent Teacher Association president, said she and other Alki parents are paying close attention to this year's closure process. The Alki community pulled together quickly when their school was chosen for closure last spring.

"Last year's rally was really a reaction to the human emotion and I can't see any reason to doubt that same reaction this time around," she said.

According to last year's preliminary closure recommendations, Alki was targeted for closure because it has the third lowest capacity in the region and it's building is in the fourth lowest condition.

But Foster feels confident that this year's criteria, such as effective community involvement, could work to their favor since Alki has a strong community volunteer base.

Also, last year's data showed that Alki was ranked third for school choice in West Seattle.

"The district is really making an earnest effort to engage the community in the decision," said Foster. "But no matter how open and fair the process is, ultimately, you'll see concern from the schools identified."

Last year's recommendation included the elimination of the Cooper elementary program, partly because of the school's low enrollment.

Shannon Woodbury, co- president of the 1-year-old Cooper Elementary Parent Teacher Association, fears they could be a target this year because of the school's lower than state average Washington Assessment of Student Learning scores and struggles to form an active parent community.

"But we've taken giant strides in the past year," said Woodbury.

Cooper's culturally diverse parent community is just starting to actively participate in school events and volunteer opportunities, but there is already a strong feeling of defeat among the staff and parents, said Woodbury.

"We feel like we are just getting started," she said. "We feel like saying, 'Wait, we're not there yet! We'll get there. Give us a chance.'"

The district is hoping to condense schools by adding more students to buildings that have excess capacity. With about 270 students, Woodbury said parents hope Cooper will be considered for consolidation.

In the meantime, she and other Cooper parents are forming a "pro-active community committee" to prepare their case to save Cooper.

"A closure committee is unacceptable to me without my input," she said. " It bothers me that these decisions will be made by someone who isn't from Copper - who doesn't really know the school."

The advisory committee will hold public meetings to keep the community involved with the process.

"The community will be heard and in the end they'll see their voice and understand the board's decision," said co-chair Mona Bailey, who served as deputy superintendent for Seattle Public Schools. "We are here to listen to the entire community, but they also need to understand that not everything they want to see will happen."

MIG, a school closures and consolidations consultant firm hired by the district to help guide the process, will gather data on the schools while the committee solicits input from school stakeholders and the community.

The firm has assisted other districts with school closures, including Portland Public Schools. But project manager John Rehm said Seattle's closure process is the most condensed project they have undertaken.

After public reviews and hearings throughout the spring at different phases of the process, the committee will submit its recommendations to the board at the end of May. School Superintendent Raj Manhas will make the final decision by July 26.

Rebekah Schilperoort can be reached at wseditor@robinsonnews.com or 932.0300.