American Notes SEATTLE

What does Seattle want? In 1977 Seattle became the first major city to adopt busing to integrate its schools without being forced to do so by a court. On Nov. 7 it became the first city in the Northwest to elect a black mayor: Democratic Councilman Norm Rice, who campaigned strongly against an antibusing referendum proposal called Save Our Schools. Yet after absentee ballots were counted last week, it turned out that the voters had also approved the nonbinding S.O.S. measure by 1,135 votes.

Rice, whose victory stemmed from his image as a civic healer, has urged the N.A.A.C.P. and others not to challenge the busing ban in court. Instead, the mayor-elect wants the school board to continue busing until he can develop a more attractive system of improved "magnet" schools that could keep the Seattle classrooms integrated. Rice's healing powers may be tested sooner than he expected.