By MATT PATNEAUDE

A community meeting on March 9 at Roosevelt High School to discuss planning of the Seattle Public Schools 2001 Capital Measure was attended by about 40 local residents. The meeting was one of four district-wide where citizens were encouraged to give input as to what they would like to see on the 2001 school levy.

The 2001 Capital Measure will shape what the district and buildings will look like ten to fifteen years from now. Some of the general planning issues include classroom size, community use of schools, site acquisition, technology, and historic preservation.

The levy will be adopted in September and voted on in February of 2001. If tax rates are kept current, the levy will be about $400 to $430 million. North Seattle schools Roosevelt High and Hamilton Middle School are on the list of Core Programs that are a priority to be renovated under the current proposal.

Other schools in the North Seattle area that have been mentioned as needing improvements are Nathan Hale High, Eckstein Middle School, and Whitman Middle School. Nathan Hale is the only high school in the city without a dedicated auditorium. Eckstein and Whitman both have over 1000 students, while an ideal middle school would have closer to 600.

Residents at the meeting expressed the importance of having buildings where students feel comfortable. This includes having clean schools with natural light. Keeping kids in their neighborhood and out of portables is also supported. Currently, Whitman Middle School has 14 portables.

Other hot topics included the integration of computer technology into classrooms and the dedication of facilities for specific subjects. For example, having actual science labs for science classes and adequate areas for physical education.

The Seattle Parks Department is encouraging that new elementary schools be built with larger gyms so that their programs could also utilize these facilities in the evenings and other times. Several people at the meeting expressed that taxpayers pay for the facilities so they should have some access to them.

The next community meetings to discuss the levy will take place at the end of April or early May. Contact Seattle Schools Customer Service at 298-7010 for further information.