Up or down. Left or right.

A decision will usually only go one way or the other. But even more important than reaching a destination is how we reach it.

The Lake Washington School District and the Kirkland City Council are facing decisions that will affect the community for years to come.

For the School District, it’s contemplating how to cut about $8 million from its budget for the next year to make up proposed state cuts.

For Council, it’s deciding whether or not to annex the unincorporated areas of Finn Hill, upper Juanita and Kingsgate – a decision that would almost double the size of the city.

Which way should they go? Cut staff positions or after school activities? Leave the annexed areas to Bothell or absorb the increased population and hope they can pay for it?

One thing is certain: the School District is in for a smoother ride.

LWSD Superintendent Dr. Chip Kimball says the District will budget by priority. What this means is parents, students and staff will be included in the decision-making process.

At recent budget input meetings, community stakeholders were asked to decide what programs should be eliminated, and what needs to be protected. Every person had the opportunity to fill out forms: one listed the cuts proposed by the state and the areas they would impact, and another form asked people to mark what cuts they thought should be made. The packet also listed the district’s proposed alternatives to state cuts.

In addition, parents and staff could select fees in lieu of cuts, or they could opt to save just part of a program, rather than an entire program.

Though Kimball will ultimately formulate how and where to make the cuts, it’s apparent that the District is listening to stakeholders and will take away their clear preferences to aid in that decision.

For the Council, the ride to reach their annexation decision has been bumpy and at times even slippery.

Many Kirklanders have said the Council rushed the decision to move the annexation process forward. What’s worse, they feel the Council has not listened to its constituents.

“This is your only chance to be heard,” said the citizen activist group CIVIK (Citizens for a Vibrant Kirkland) who at one point opposed annexation, urging residents to attend the recent public hearing on annexation.

Others questioned the public hearing procedures as Mayor James Lauinger decided to limit individual comments to three minutes.

Some Kirkland residents are enraged that the Council has twice denied them an advisory vote on annexation and worry they will have no say on the outcome.

Only residents in the annexation area are allowed a vote, if it makes it on the general election ballot this November. That is like the School District allowing only Kirkland residents with students at Rose Hill Elementary to decide where the budget cuts should go, simply because they live in Kirkland where the school is located. Forget that Sammamish and Redmond students go to the school as well.

How will the Council measure where Kirkland citizens stand on annexation? Will they take into account the letters, e-mails and public testimony?

Perhaps the Council could take three minutes and learn something from the School District.