Garfield, the Seattle public high school serving Capitol Hill and Central District area students, is growing so fast it will need portable classrooms to make space for its students.

The City of Seattle is looking for citizens to join advisory committees that will help determine recommendations for possible zoning changes to allow the 23rd Ave high school and a set of other Seattle Public Schools campuses to “provide less than required on-site parking” so they have space to add portable-style classrooms.

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The Seattle School Board has discussed the predicted over-capacity issues — and lack of capital solutions — in recent meetings. Projections show Garfield far exceeding its “operational” capacity of around 1,700 with more than 1,900 students expected to attend the school for the next 2018-2019 school year. The board report says the portables lined up for Garfield will cost around $680,000 — or $170,000 per classroom.

“Neighbors who live or own a business within 600’ of the associated school, residents in the surrounding neighborhood of the school, representatives of city-wide education issues, students of the school, and parents of potential students” are invited to join the advisory committees to shape the zoning recommendations.

In addition to population changes across the city, school demand is also shaped by regular boundary adjustments and shifts in special programs at Seattle Public Schools. Predictions of a booming middle schooler population prompted Seattle Schools to reopen its Meany Middle School on 20th Ave E this year. Demand for Garfield, meanwhile, is predicted to cool off starting with the 2019-2020 school year.