ACPS - George Mason Elementary becoming middle school?

[Anonymous]

Is George Mason ES going to be made a middle school or middle school/elementary?

It was raised at a school board meeting in December and the three SB members from B didn't say a word (including Baird who makes it very public that she is a parent there). I think it's a great idea to solve the overcrowding at the middle schools. Very efficient.

Wilson's recent public comments about needing to take "every square inch for construction" of GM and that the new 60,000+sqft "will take up more of the green space" seems like things are progressing design wise.

[Anonymous]

It would be smart to make it a k-8 to alleviate unaddressed overcrowding at GWMS.

But I know that requires a building with a bigger footprint that some may not support.

[Anonymous]

I agree.

Not sure why you'd need a +60,000 square foot school for just 309 kids and GM enrollment continues to crater.

But it seems like the SB and city are in agreement about the size. ACPS keeps using that sqf number 60K on top of the current sqfootage at SB meetings and everyone seems happy with that.

It's going to be huge - bigger than the new McArthur I think.

[Anonymous]

New MacArthur is 150k square feet. So new GM will be about half of that according the ACPS.

[Anonymous]

He won't rule out co-location so it's possible. I don't think that it is likely though. Although the GM neighborhood loves Wilson so maybe. ACPS calls it a total "building replacement" so with the old building gone, there will be a pretty big space.

I was looking at some of the old plans from a few years ago. The church next store better get ready for the bus and car line that's going to go right up against it's property line. Too bad about those playing fields going away but they are on top of a spring and get so muddy anyway.

Given the size of the plan, it will be a K-8 school for sure. It makes a lot of sense since GM population is so small. It would be a lot of wasted space.

[Anonymous]

Way to small to be a middle school. They won’t do co-location either, they floated that balloon and apologized.

They will rename the school.

[Anonymous]

So 300 kids in a 60k plus sqft building? That doesn't make any sense and given the overcrowding in the middle schools, it would be irresponsible and cruel NOT to add a middle school.

School Board and the ACPS person driving the meeting thought that adding/making it a middle school was a great idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Way to small to be a middle school. They won’t do co-location either, they floated that balloon and apologized.

They will rename the school.

What? The plans show a school BIGGER than the existing GW middle school. Of course they are planning on making it a K-8. And if they aren't, then it is through sheer ignorance or gross negligence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Way to small to be a middle school. They won’t do co-location either, they floated that balloon and apologized.

They will rename the school.

What? The plans show a school BIGGER than the existing GW middle school. Of course they are planning on making it a K-8. And if they aren't, then it is through sheer ignorance or gross negligence.

It will be more than 100,000 square feet according to the last round of plans. So 2/3 the size of the new MacArthur. What is the square footage of GW?

GM lost the most kids over the last few years and post-pandemic continues to lose kids and is under capacity. It's been ACPS' overflow school for years even pre-pandemic. It makes absolute sense for it to be K-8.

As for renaming how about Gregory Hutchings Elementary? He has really strong supporters in the neighborhood. I've seen some of those moms do some pretty nasty things to defend him during his time as super.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Way to small to be a middle school. They won’t do co-location either, they floated that balloon and apologized.

They will rename the school.

What? The plans show a school BIGGER than the existing GW middle school. Of course they are planning on making it a K-8. And if they aren't, then it is through sheer ignorance or gross negligence.

It will be more than 100,000 square feet according to the last round of plans. So 2/3 the size of the new MacArthur. What is the square footage of GW?

GM lost the most kids over the last few years and post-pandemic continues to lose kids and is under capacity. It's been ACPS' overflow school for years even pre-pandemic. It makes absolute sense for it to be K-8.

As for renaming how about Gregory Hutchings Elementary? He has really strong supporters in the neighborhood. I've seen some of those moms do some pretty nasty things to defend him during his time as super.

According to the City's website GWMS is 286,000 square feet.

https://realestate.alexandriava.gov/detail.php?accountno=13339500

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Way to small to be a middle school. They won’t do co-location either, they floated that balloon and apologized.

They will rename the school.

What? The plans show a school BIGGER than the existing GW middle school. Of course they are planning on making it a K-8. And if they aren't, then it is through sheer ignorance or gross negligence.

It will be more than 100,000 square feet according to the last round of plans. So 2/3 the size of the new MacArthur. What is the square footage of GW?

GM lost the most kids over the last few years and post-pandemic continues to lose kids and is under capacity. It's been ACPS' overflow school for years even pre-pandemic. It makes absolute sense for it to be K-8.

As for renaming how about Gregory Hutchings Elementary? He has really strong supporters in the neighborhood. I've seen some of those moms do some pretty nasty things to defend him during his time as super.

According to the City's website GWMS is 286,000 square feet.

https://realestate.alexandriava.gov/detail.php?accountno=13339500

This is really helpful. George Mason is currently just over 70K square feet. ACPS says it will be another 60K square feet. So it will be pretty close in size to the new MacArthur and that's an enormous building.

Is MacArthur built on a spring like GM will be?

[Anonymous]

Notice that the posts talking about Wilson's plans to coloacte homeless shelters and schools have been removed.

Why?

It's literally public record. Our tax dollars were paid to consultants to draw the plans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Notice that the posts talking about Wilson's plans to coloacte homeless shelters and schools have been removed.

Why?

It's literally public record. Our tax dollars were paid to consultants to draw the plans.

There’s zero public record about co-locating a homeless shelter with schools. Stop it.

[Anonymous]

K- 8 is an excellent idea for that school.
And for the surrounding neighborhood - great for property value and it will keep more local neighborhood kids in the school system through middle and not go to private

The problem with ACPS schools is they were constructed out and not up. Going forward they need to be building schools up and to ensure that all buildings can support additional up building as needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Notice that the posts talking about Wilson's plans to coloacte homeless shelters and schools have been removed.

Why?

It's literally public record. Our tax dollars were paid to consultants to draw the plans.

There’s zero public record about co-locating a homeless shelter with schools. Stop it.

Do you have amnesia?

https://www.alxnow.com/2021/02/01/acps-community-is-generally-opposed-to-affordable-housing-at-t-c-expansion/