When will Out-of-Boundary Access End - Practically, Due to Enrollments - West of Rock Creek Park?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Lafayette is projected to have 940 kids next year, 2019-2020, more than the number that DCPS is projecting in 5 years. I wonder if all the estimates are too low.

It's the Wilson one I wonder about: no growth for five years, even though the feeder schools are exploding?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
But DCPS is a couple of years away from unsustainable overcrowding at Deal and Wilson. Deal already has a bunch of portable classrooms and no room for more without taking over the athletic field and Wilson I don't believe has any more space to add portables or expand.

But DCPS has plenty of seats for HS students it just needs the political courage to re-draw the boundaries and stick with it. Unfortunately despite years of discussion about this DCPS still has not built the necessary successful Ward 4 MS to bridge kids between ES and HS and keep them out of Deal/Wilson.

I think it would be easier if there were only one option, however unattractive; the problem is that DCPS has several options and their all unattractive. The basic issue is that more kids have the right to attend certain schools than the schools have capacity for. There's two ways to address that: either increase the capacity of the schools, or decrease the number of kids who have the right to attend.

Increasing the capacity of WOTP schools is not attractive when DCPS has a bunch of other schools with unused capacity.

Reducing the number of kids with the right to attend the school means looking at the two ways kids get the right to attend -- in-boundary through living within the boundaries, and out-of-boundary through the OOB process. In boundary rights can be reduced by changing the boundaries. That is unpopular with those who lose the right to attend, given the geography would likely have a dramatic effect on the diversity of WOTP schools, and would probably take years to have a meaningful impact. IB rights could even be eliminated by doing away with boundaries altogether, which would have its own issues. Curtailing OOB rights would be unpopular with those who have them, and would also make the WOTP schools less diverse. It also might take years to have an impact.

[Anonymous]

It’s going to be interesting (entertaining) to watch how the new chancellor tries to address the problem of overcrowding at Deal and Wilson. I wonder if he’ll be fully briefed on the politics and history.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
But DCPS is a couple of years away from unsustainable overcrowding at Deal and Wilson. Deal already has a bunch of portable classrooms and no room for more without taking over the athletic field and Wilson I don't believe has any more space to add portables or expand.

But DCPS has plenty of seats for HS students it just needs the political courage to re-draw the boundaries and stick with it. Unfortunately despite years of discussion about this DCPS still has not built the necessary successful Ward 4 MS to bridge kids between ES and HS and keep them out of Deal/Wilson.

I think it would be easier if there were only one option, however unattractive; the problem is that DCPS has several options and their all unattractive. The basic issue is that more kids have the right to attend certain schools than the schools have capacity for. There's two ways to address that: either increase the capacity of the schools, or decrease the number of kids who have the right to attend.

Increasing the capacity of WOTP schools is not attractive when DCPS has a bunch of other schools with unused capacity.

Reducing the number of kids with the right to attend the school means looking at the two ways kids get the right to attend -- in-boundary through living within the boundaries, and out-of-boundary through the OOB process. In boundary rights can be reduced by changing the boundaries. That is unpopular with those who lose the right to attend, given the geography would likely have a dramatic effect on the diversity of WOTP schools, and would probably take years to have a meaningful impact. IB rights could even be eliminated by doing away with boundaries altogether, which would have its own issues. Curtailing OOB rights would be unpopular with those who have them, and would also make the WOTP schools less diverse. It also might take years to have an impact.

And DCPS will most likely continue to do nothing, trusting that the market will self correct (families with means will go private or move thus keeping overcrowding at a slow boil).

[Anonymous]

The only way OOB feeder rights will be able to be curtailed is to set a sunset date that doesnt impact families currently in DCPS. You have to accept that they have a social contract. So if your kid will enter K next year, you know that you don’t have a right to whatever middle your elementary feeds to seven years from now. Sounds like a long time. It isn’t. But the decision needs to be made now so the clock starts ticking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s going to be interesting (entertaining) to watch how the new chancellor tries to address the problem of overcrowding at Deal and Wilson. I wonder if he’ll be fully briefed on the politics and history.

Fully-briefed. LMAO. It's a 30-second conversation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only way OOB feeder rights will be able to be curtailed is to set a sunset date that doesnt impact families currently in DCPS. You have to accept that they have a social contract. So if your kid will enter K next year, you know that you don’t have a right to whatever middle your elementary feeds to seven years from now. Sounds like a long time. It isn’t. But the decision needs to be made now so the clock starts ticking.

This. They did grandfathering with respect to changing boundaries; this is similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
But DCPS is a couple of years away from unsustainable overcrowding at Deal and Wilson. Deal already has a bunch of portable classrooms and no room for more without taking over the athletic field and Wilson I don't believe has any more space to add portables or expand.

But DCPS has plenty of seats for HS students it just needs the political courage to re-draw the boundaries and stick with it. Unfortunately despite years of discussion about this DCPS still has not built the necessary successful Ward 4 MS to bridge kids between ES and HS and keep them out of Deal/Wilson.

I think it would be easier if there were only one option, however unattractive; the problem is that DCPS has several options and their all unattractive. The basic issue is that more kids have the right to attend certain schools than the schools have capacity for. There's two ways to address that: either increase the capacity of the schools, or decrease the number of kids who have the right to attend.

Increasing the capacity of WOTP schools is not attractive when DCPS has a bunch of other schools with unused capacity.

Reducing the number of kids with the right to attend the school means looking at the two ways kids get the right to attend -- in-boundary through living within the boundaries, and out-of-boundary through the OOB process. In boundary rights can be reduced by changing the boundaries. That is unpopular with those who lose the right to attend, given the geography would likely have a dramatic effect on the diversity of WOTP schools, and would probably take years to have a meaningful impact. IB rights could even be eliminated by doing away with boundaries altogether, which would have its own issues. Curtailing OOB rights would be unpopular with those who have them, and would also make the WOTP schools less diverse. It also might take years to have an impact.

And DCPS will most likely continue to do nothing, trusting that the market will self correct (families with means will go private or move thus keeping overcrowding at a slow boil).

Or move to the suburbs.

That certainly seems to be DCPS' intention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
But DCPS is a couple of years away from unsustainable overcrowding at Deal and Wilson. Deal already has a bunch of portable classrooms and no room for more without taking over the athletic field and Wilson I don't believe has any more space to add portables or expand.

But DCPS has plenty of seats for HS students it just needs the political courage to re-draw the boundaries and stick with it. Unfortunately despite years of discussion about this DCPS still has not built the necessary successful Ward 4 MS to bridge kids between ES and HS and keep them out of Deal/Wilson.

I think it would be easier if there were only one option, however unattractive; the problem is that DCPS has several options and their all unattractive. The basic issue is that more kids have the right to attend certain schools than the schools have capacity for. There's two ways to address that: either increase the capacity of the schools, or decrease the number of kids who have the right to attend.

Increasing the capacity of WOTP schools is not attractive when DCPS has a bunch of other schools with unused capacity.

Reducing the number of kids with the right to attend the school means looking at the two ways kids get the right to attend -- in-boundary through living within the boundaries, and out-of-boundary through the OOB process. In boundary rights can be reduced by changing the boundaries. That is unpopular with those who lose the right to attend, given the geography would likely have a dramatic effect on the diversity of WOTP schools, and would probably take years to have a meaningful impact. IB rights could even be eliminated by doing away with boundaries altogether, which would have its own issues. Curtailing OOB rights would be unpopular with those who have them, and would also make the WOTP schools less diverse. It also might take years to have an impact.

And DCPS will most likely continue to do nothing, trusting that the market will self correct (families with means will go private or move thus keeping overcrowding at a slow boil).

Or move to the suburbs.

That certainly seems to be DCPS' intention.

New feeder pattern: Janney, Mann, Key and Lafayette feed Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
New feeder pattern: Janney, Mann, Key and Lafayette feed Bethesda.

More like:
Garrison, Marie Reed, Seaton, Cleveland, and Ross feed Bethesda.

Deal and the WOTP schools incl Wilson are gonna be ok. DCPS's problem is what to do about its rising elementary schools and keeping those kids in middle school and high school and in the system. Shaw has tons of families of small kids who will be choosing between good public and private. All the Shaw schools (plus Marie Reed) have been on the rise the past five years, due to families, renovations, and new great principals.
On the feeder question, first DCPS needs to figure out how to offer the Shaw kids the equivalent of Deal+Wilson, either by improving schools or switching feeders around.
And second DCPS needs to ride the wave of elementary schools in Petworth/Takoma DC etc which are about 5 years behind the Shaw schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
New feeder pattern: Janney, Mann, Key and Lafayette feed Bethesda.

More like:
Garrison, Marie Reed, Seaton, Cleveland, and Ross feed Bethesda.

Deal and the WOTP schools incl Wilson are gonna be ok. DCPS's problem is what to do about its rising elementary schools and keeping those kids in middle school and high school and in the system. Shaw has tons of families of small kids who will be choosing between good public and private. All the Shaw schools (plus Marie Reed) have been on the rise the past five years, due to families, renovations, and new great principals.
On the feeder question, first DCPS needs to figure out how to offer the Shaw kids the equivalent of Deal+Wilson, either by improving schools or switching feeders around.
And second DCPS needs to ride the wave of elementary schools in Petworth/Takoma DC etc which are about 5 years behind the Shaw schools.

That's the optimist's view.

DCPS has significant structural problems. Among them: it owns a lot of buildings, but not where families want to go to school, and there are a lot of economically disadvantaged kids in the city, who tend to be more difficult and more expensive to educate. The rosy scenario is that as the city's population continues to grow, more families live in the city, and they create demand for under-utilized schools and reduce the concentration of poverty, in a virtuous cycle. The doomsday scenario is that the unattractive schools remain unattractive and that crowding makes the schools that are attractive today less attractive in the future -- "nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded" per Yogi Berra.

[Anonymous]

Yes, exactly.

[Anonymous]

There is no question that OOB places have declined WOTP. Finally, DCPS seems to be taking a stand with the upcoming Eaton renovation, effectively guaranteeing a significant number of OOB places there well into the future. Partly this is because folks have seen Eaton as a citywide school traditionally and partly because it may be the last opportunity to lock in OOB spaces in upper Northwest

[Anonymous]

If DCPS really cared about kids EOTP, they would not have allowed a long term lease for the old Hardy school to the Lab school.

If done right, taking this space back would alleviate some overcrowding, provide additional spaces for OOB students with a pathway to Wilson.

The legislation is under review - reach out to your councilperson and ask them to say no!
http://lims.dccouncil.us/Legislation/B22-0153#

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If DCPS really cared about kids EOTP, they would not have allowed a long term lease for the old Hardy school to the Lab school.

If done right, taking this space back would alleviate some overcrowding, provide additional spaces for OOB students with a pathway to Wilson.

The legislation is under review - reach out to your councilperson and ask them to say no!
http://lims.dccouncil.us/Legislation/B22-0153#

Pretty outdated thinking that the solution for EOTP families is more seats WOTP.