Why Does Van Ness Elementary School Not Have a Boundary

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless DCUM is full of folks looking for just-over-the-border housing projects that can be added to their child's school in order to spread the wealth, this thread reads like a bunch of people really bent out of shape that the Navy Yard is getting a modernized school and want it to be less attractive.

Not really. I'm just an Amidon parent who thinks their tone with respect to the kids that live in my neighborhood and go to my school is kind of shitty and, furthermore, thinks the zealous drive to use zoning and other regulatory rules to exclude residents from public services based on socio-economic class to be distasteful and something well worth lambasting them for.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless DCUM is full of folks looking for just-over-the-border housing projects that can be added to their child's school in order to spread the wealth, this thread reads like a bunch of people really bent out of shape that the Navy Yard is getting a modernized school and want it to be less attractive.

I'm just amused at the hubris displayed by the Riverfront parent(s) shown in this thread. They will learn who's in charge soon enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless DCUM is full of folks looking for just-over-the-border housing projects that can be added to their child's school in order to spread the wealth, this thread reads like a bunch of people really bent out of shape that the Navy Yard is getting a modernized school and want it to be less attractive.

Not really. I'm just an Amidon parent who thinks their tone with respect to the kids that live in my neighborhood and go to my school is kind of shitty and, furthermore, thinks the zealous drive to use zoning and other regulatory rules to exclude residents from public services based on socio-economic class to be distasteful and something well worth lambasting them for.

So what's wrong with making the boundary for Van Ness South Capitol Street to the West, the SE/SW freeway to the North, and the Anacostia River to the south and east?

Everyone seems to be criticizing this proposed border. Please let me know why this border is inadequate. What would you propose the borders to be? It's easy to criticize solutions without coming up with your own opinion on what the solution should be. What should the boundary of Van Ness be?

[Anonymous]

Please stop beating this lomg-dead horse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please stop beating this lomg-dead horse.

I guess no one has any better ideas on what the border should be.

[Anonymous]

Best option: make Van Ness for PK3-K, and Amidon for grades 1-5.

Or for each school to run PK-5 with plenty of economic diversity, make L St SE and M St SW the border, where north goes to Amidon and south goes to Van Ness.

[Anonymous]

The borders mentioned here are the same borders Van Ness had before it closed. Much has changed in the neighborhood since Van Ness closed and it makes sense to look at the population in the old boundary and the surrounding area before making a decision.

I imagine there are many fewer families living in the old boundaries which is what would lead one to expanding the boundaries, but beyond that I have no idea what lines make the most sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Best option: make Van Ness for PK3-K, and Amidon for grades 1-5.

Or for each school to run PK-5 with plenty of economic diversity, make L St SE and M St SW the border, where north goes to Amidon and south goes to Van Ness.

Or, the reverse since Amidon already has strong and well attended PK programs. Although, the north to Amidon, south of M to Van Ness boundary does rather make sense, especially since there are some projects south of M but also a bunch of townhouses that, in time, will have more families and more school age kids.

In general, SW is a bit elderly and I think you'll see a continuing trend of turnover of townhouses, with them being bought by younger residents with kids, which may increase demand for spots at Amidon, whereas the number of homes about the right size for families (i.e. not a one bedroom condo) with residents having children is pretty much encompassed by the EYA townhouse in SE, so is less likely to grow. (Even with more construction coming online in SE, I don't think very much of it looks to be family size. That is, of course, true in SW, too, but I think the existing 3 bed+ inventory is larger over there.)

[Anonymous]

Be careful what you wish for, Riverfront folks. If you have a smaller boundary, you might not get enough IB kids to fill the school. And Van Ness would be VERY convenient and attractive to OOB kids coming from Wards 7 and 8.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best option: make Van Ness for PK3-K, and Amidon for grades 1-5.

Or for each school to run PK-5 with plenty of economic diversity, make L St SE and M St SW the border, where north goes to Amidon and south goes to Van Ness.

Or, the reverse since Amidon already has strong and well attended PK programs. Although, the north to Amidon, south of M to Van Ness boundary does rather make sense, especially since there are some projects south of M but also a bunch of townhouses that, in time, will have more families and more school age kids.

In general, SW is a bit elderly and I think you'll see a continuing trend of turnover of townhouses, with them being bought by younger residents with kids, which may increase demand for spots at Amidon, whereas the number of homes about the right size for families (i.e. not a one bedroom condo) with residents having children is pretty much encompassed by the EYA townhouse in SE, so is less likely to grow. (Even with more construction coming online in SE, I don't think very much of it looks to be family size. That is, of course, true in SW, too, but I think the existing 3 bed+ inventory is larger over there.)

However you need to renovate a classroom to make it appropriate for preschool students. I think it's the law the have a bathroom in the classroom. (not sure about kindergarten) so either building would have to be fitted with children's restrooms. It would be easier to retrofit Van Ness before it opens than Amidon which is already open.

That said, I'm not a fan of splitting grade levels. A lot of the families in the community walk to school, and older siblings care for younger siblings. It's a big deal to expect children in middle school or upper elementary to walk over a mile to pick up siblings in Van Ness or Amidon

[Anonymous]

I don't see the advantage of splitting. I love having my kids at one school that goes pre k - 5. The younger kids learn from the big kids. It's lovely to see the interaction between the kids and their "old" teachers. I get why elementary stops at 5th-- maybe it should even stop at 4th given the Latin and basis effect-- but I think the advantages of keeping ECE and elementary under one roof far outweigh any disadvantage. Actually, I can't even imagine a disadvantage.

[Anonymous]

And it makes it so much easier to make So Cap St a fortress against the less socially desirable kids in SW, so that's a net bonus. Because yes it would be so hard to have kids move from one schook two blocks from a metro stop to another two blocks from the next metro stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best option: make Van Ness for PK3-K, and Amidon for grades 1-5.

Or for each school to run PK-5 with plenty of economic diversity, make L St SE and M St SW the border, where north goes to Amidon and south goes to Van Ness.

Or, the reverse since Amidon already has strong and well attended PK programs. Although, the north to Amidon, south of M to Van Ness boundary does rather make sense, especially since there are some projects south of M but also a bunch of townhouses that, in time, will have more families and more school age kids.

In general, SW is a bit elderly and I think you'll see a continuing trend of turnover of townhouses, with them being bought by younger residents with kids, which may increase demand for spots at Amidon, whereas the number of homes about the right size for families (i.e. not a one bedroom condo) with residents having children is pretty much encompassed by the EYA townhouse in SE, so is less likely to grow. (Even with more construction coming online in SE, I don't think very much of it looks to be family size. That is, of course, true in SW, too, but I think the existing 3 bed+ inventory is larger over there.)

"Projects". Are you about to tell us so,ethijg you know about the N****, Mr. Buddy?

[Anonymous]

Buddy = Bundy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And it makes it so much easier to make So Cap St a fortress against the less socially desirable kids in SW, so that's a net bonus. Because yes it would be so hard to have kids move from one schook two blocks from a metro stop to another two blocks from the next metro stop.

Having South Capitol Street be the border for Van Ness Elementary School and Amidon-Bowen benefits both schools. It allows Amidon-Bowen to retain a lot of in-bound kids, and it allows Van Ness Elementary to not become overcrowded as more and more new housing is built in the Capitol Riverfront.