The Snoqualmie Valley school board denied the petition submitted by residents of the Broadhurst neighborhood near Ames Lake to join Lake Washington schools. The vote came after representatives from the two school boards discussed the petition.

Based on that meeting, each board’s representatives would recommend denying the petition, according to board member Rudy Edwards, who attended the meeting. Board member Caroline Loudenback also attended the meeting and agreed with Edwards.

The Lake Washington school board will vote on the petition at its next meeting, Monday, March 2. The board could not be reached for comment.

Petitioners plan to appeal the decision and seek a court ruling, according to Blythe Manson, a Broadhurst resident.

Broadhurst residents had cited their children’s long commute times to school on risky roads. The transfer would have affected fewer than 30 children.

Transferring Broadhurst to Lake Washington schools would be a burden on both districts, and Broadhurst residents would not greatly benefit, Edwards and Loudenback told the board.

The commute times from Broadhurst are almost equivalent for both districts, Loudenback said.

Broadhurst children must sometimes spend over an hour commuting to and from Valley schools up to 15 miles away. Several Lake Washington schools are within a few miles.

Despite the closer proximity, the average commute times from Broadhurst to Lake Washington schools would be around 40 to 45 minutes, according to that district.

“I don’t know how anyone could come up with those numbers,” Manson said in a telephone interview.

The Valley board was also concerned that if Broadhurst left the district, other neighborhoods would petition for transfer as well. This “domino effect” would increase the financial burden on Valley residents to support the schools.

Broadhurst residents had countered this claim in the past, saying it was unlikely and shouldn’t be considered.

Legal counsel for both school districts agreed that to not consider it would be “irresponsible,” said Joel Aune, Snoqualmie Valley School District’s superintendent.

Lake Washington also faces problems with increasing enrollment, and several of the schools closest to Broadhurst are nearing capacity limits.

“The chances of attending the [schools] that are closest might not actually happen,” Loudenback said.

None of the petitioners from Broadhurst were at the Feb. 12 board meeting, and had not known that the board would vote on the petition.

“That’s not good that they didn’t notify me,” said Manson, who submitted the petition.