Seattle Public Schools is hosting two community workshops and a series of drop-in meetings from May 16 to 30 so that parents and community members can offer their ideas and learn more about the Board's review of the Student Assignment Plan, a policy that determines where students attend school.

The review process was initiated at a school board work session last September and has been discussed at several committee meetings. The current Student Assignment Plan hasn't received a comprehensive review for a number of years and, therefore, has not been updated to reflect the population and density changes in Seattle.

The Board's goal is to adopt a simplified plan for 2008-2009 that supports academics, is easier for families to understand and manage, and results in cost savings. There will be no changes in the plan for the 2007-2008 school year.

Community workshops, including a formal presentation and drop-in meetings in an open-house format, have been scheduled so the public can offer their opinions on the development of a framework based on district values of predictability, continuity and choice. The board will use this initial set of ideas to create a final plan, scheduled to occur this fall.

The community workshop meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, May 22, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Hamilton International Middle School, 1610 N. 41st St. and Thursday, May 24, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at New Holly Gathering Hall, 7054 32nd Ave. S.

Drop-in meetings are on Wednesday, May 16, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., John Stanford Center, 2445 Third Ave. S., Room 3700; Wednesday, May 23, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Ballard Community Center, 6020 28th Ave. N.W.; Thursday, May 24, 9 a.m. -11 a.m., Garfield Community Center, 2323 E. Cherry St.; Thursday, May 24, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Delridge Community Center, 4501 Delridge Way S.W.; Wednesday, May 30, 3:30-5:30 p.m., John Stanford Center, 2445 Third Ave. S., Room 2700.

The public is also invited to visit a new Seattle Public Schools website that explains the process for reviewing the plan. The website address is: http://www.seattleschools.org/areas/newassign/index.dxml. The website includes access to the information that school board members have been studying and drafts of working documents that will be updated periodically so that the public can offer comments as a plan starts to emerge.

The board is scheduled to discuss the Student Assignment Plan review during its regular meetings of the full Board on June 6 and June 20. It will also hold a Student Assignment Plan public hearing at 5:30 p.m., June 13, in the John Stanford Center Auditorium.