Superintendent is pretty much recommending McKinley PTA map--

[Anonymous]

The Taylor side of Lyon Village can't walk to ASFS. The walking map is confusing -- there is a busy street (Kirkwood) that makes them bus riders. They have expanded the ASFS walk zone to all of Lyon Village for Covid, but that's supposed to be temporary. Technically they can't walk, and are bus riders either way. They could have put all of Lyon Village at Taylor (which maybe they will do in the future, who knows), but they kept parts of it at ASFS so they don't have to move kids unnecessarily during the pandemic.
None of the walkers at Key (Clarendon/Courthouse/Lyon Village) will be there if they aren't moved there now. The school is going to be over capacity pretty much right after opening depending on what happens with hybrid/virtual next year. The F/RL rate is also going to be extremely high at Key, which is why they had to have the ASFS boundary go south and east to try to pull in some of the closer affordable housing (Woodbury Park and some of the other buildings around Rocky Run). It would be really sad to have a 50% farms school within a mile of another school at <7%.

I guess I'd disagree with this. Kirkwood is not that busy, and its a two lane street (one in each direction). A single crossing guard would make it perfectly safe. And there is no way that kids on the ASFS (west) side of Kirkwood, some of whom have houses which abut ASFS, should be getting bused to Taylor. I know that's how its set up now, but that's a legacy of the joint Key/ASFS zone that is now history. There is no reason not to fix that problem right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The Taylor side of Lyon Village can't walk to ASFS. The walking map is confusing -- there is a busy street (Kirkwood) that makes them bus riders. They have expanded the ASFS walk zone to all of Lyon Village for Covid, but that's supposed to be temporary. Technically they can't walk, and are bus riders either way. They could have put all of Lyon Village at Taylor (which maybe they will do in the future, who knows), but they kept parts of it at ASFS so they don't have to move kids unnecessarily during the pandemic.
None of the walkers at Key (Clarendon/Courthouse/Lyon Village) will be there if they aren't moved there now. The school is going to be over capacity pretty much right after opening depending on what happens with hybrid/virtual next year. The F/RL rate is also going to be extremely high at Key, which is why they had to have the ASFS boundary go south and east to try to pull in some of the closer affordable housing (Woodbury Park and some of the other buildings around Rocky Run). It would be really sad to have a 50% farms school within a mile of another school at <7%.

I guess I'd disagree with this. Kirkwood is not that busy, and its a two lane street (one in each direction). A single crossing guard would make it perfectly safe. And there is no way that kids on the ASFS (west) side of Kirkwood, some of whom have houses which abut ASFS, should be getting bused to Taylor. I know that's how its set up now, but that's a legacy of the joint Key/ASFS zone that is now history. There is no reason not to fix that problem right now.

Kind of agree. If walkers can cross Glebe Rd, they can cross Kirkwood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The Taylor side of Lyon Village can't walk to ASFS. The walking map is confusing -- there is a busy street (Kirkwood) that makes them bus riders. They have expanded the ASFS walk zone to all of Lyon Village for Covid, but that's supposed to be temporary. Technically they can't walk, and are bus riders either way. They could have put all of Lyon Village at Taylor (which maybe they will do in the future, who knows), but they kept parts of it at ASFS so they don't have to move kids unnecessarily during the pandemic.
None of the walkers at Key (Clarendon/Courthouse/Lyon Village) will be there if they aren't moved there now. The school is going to be over capacity pretty much right after opening depending on what happens with hybrid/virtual next year. The F/RL rate is also going to be extremely high at Key, which is why they had to have the ASFS boundary go south and east to try to pull in some of the closer affordable housing (Woodbury Park and some of the other buildings around Rocky Run). It would be really sad to have a 50% farms school within a mile of another school at <7%.

I guess I'd disagree with this. Kirkwood is not that busy, and its a two lane street (one in each direction). A single crossing guard would make it perfectly safe. And there is no way that kids on the ASFS (west) side of Kirkwood, some of whom have houses which abut ASFS, should be getting bused to Taylor. I know that's how its set up now, but that's a legacy of the joint Key/ASFS zone that is now history. There is no reason not to fix that problem right now.

It's about numbers. They don't want to create an impenetrable wall of recently moved units that prevents shifting kids northward if (when?) necessary. The pandemic is a convenient excuse to let it ride for two years while they figure out what's actually going to happen to immersion enrollment patterns in the area right around Key right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The Taylor side of Lyon Village can't walk to ASFS. The walking map is confusing -- there is a busy street (Kirkwood) that makes them bus riders. They have expanded the ASFS walk zone to all of Lyon Village for Covid, but that's supposed to be temporary. Technically they can't walk, and are bus riders either way. They could have put all of Lyon Village at Taylor (which maybe they will do in the future, who knows), but they kept parts of it at ASFS so they don't have to move kids unnecessarily during the pandemic.
None of the walkers at Key (Clarendon/Courthouse/Lyon Village) will be there if they aren't moved there now. The school is going to be over capacity pretty much right after opening depending on what happens with hybrid/virtual next year. The F/RL rate is also going to be extremely high at Key, which is why they had to have the ASFS boundary go south and east to try to pull in some of the closer affordable housing (Woodbury Park and some of the other buildings around Rocky Run). It would be really sad to have a 50% farms school within a mile of another school at <7%.

I guess I'd disagree with this. Kirkwood is not that busy, and its a two lane street (one in each direction). A single crossing guard would make it perfectly safe. And there is no way that kids on the ASFS (west) side of Kirkwood, some of whom have houses which abut ASFS, should be getting bused to Taylor. I know that's how its set up now, but that's a legacy of the joint Key/ASFS zone that is now history. There is no reason not to fix that problem right now.

It's about numbers. They don't want to create an impenetrable wall of recently moved units that prevents shifting kids northward if (when?) necessary. The pandemic is a convenient excuse to let it ride for two years while they figure out what's actually going to happen to immersion enrollment patterns in the area right around Key right now.

It isn't just immersion patterns. It is also kids from North Arlington who have jumped to private schools due to the pandemic. If you watched the work session, there was conversation about needing to make sure the numbers are solid before moving forward with more dramatic, and permanent, boundary changes. Duran wants to do the bare minimum now so that he has the most flexibility when he can do this at a countywide level in two years with better enrollment numbers. If the North Arlington flight to private is permanent, then they are going to have to either move another option program north or draw north/south boundaries that pull kids north. Otherwise, they will continue to have empty seats north of Lee Highway and crowding in South Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is BS - Mckinley got everything they wanted and the rest of us continue to be bussed. APS sucks. Between this and the mishandling of the return to school, I'm beyond angry.

Well at least Rosslyn isn’t being sent half way across the county. But that ASFS and Taylor peninsula just make it unnecessarily complicated

Seriously? WTH is up with that? It just looks ridiculous. If they were so fearful of change, why didn't they just let the kids there stay at Taylor who wanted to do so but draw a normal boundary for the rest of the people who can walk to school?

I think they are worried about moving kids in a way that leaves Taylor empty and ASFS and new Key overfull. They didn't move anything to ASFS that they aren't sure they want there long term. The PUs on the right side of the peninsula were already at ASFS so leaving them there is status quo and they can be moved in 2 years if necessary. The ones in the peninsula are at Taylor right now so if they moved them to ASFS they can't touch them again for 5 years. I agree it looks ridiculous and I'm not sure if it's the best plan, but that's why.

This. Similar to Tuckahoe and Ashlawn/Glebe. Move minimal number of kids now to preserve as many options as possible. APS should have gone ahead and done the whole county at once.

There is no way kids who can walk to school will not be moved there eventually so it makes no sense.

The Taylor side of Lyon Village can't walk to ASFS. The walking map is confusing -- there is a busy street (Kirkwood) that makes them bus riders. They have expanded the ASFS walk zone to all of Lyon Village for Covid, but that's supposed to be temporary. Technically they can't walk, and are bus riders either way. They could have put all of Lyon Village at Taylor (which maybe they will do in the future, who knows), but they kept parts of it at ASFS so they don't have to move kids unnecessarily during the pandemic.
None of the walkers at Key (Clarendon/Courthouse/Lyon Village) will be there if they aren't moved there now. The school is going to be over capacity pretty much right after opening depending on what happens with hybrid/virtual next year. The F/RL rate is also going to be extremely high at Key, which is why they had to have the ASFS boundary go south and east to try to pull in some of the closer affordable housing (Woodbury Park and some of the other buildings around Rocky Run). It would be really sad to have a 50% farms school within a mile of another school at <7%.

- Expanded walk zone to ASFS to include these units was not post-COVID. This was done with the 2018 Boundary process when ASFS was part of that plan and then APS changed it's mind, yet again.
- These children can easily walk to ASFS with a crossing guard on Kirkwood as APS has said it will provide. Also pre-COVID.
- Yes more walkers from Clarendon/Courthouse/LV could be added and more folks in Rosslyn will need to be bussed to Taylor.
- ASFS boundary had to go where it did because Key fills up by the time you get to it if you start the boundary at the Potomac. It's just math. This was not about F/RL rates - don't kid yourself.
- Lots of different ways to reduce F/RL rates - none of which the community has rallied around to say they want that.
- Key will not be 50% F/RL no matter how much panic you try and instill in people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The Taylor side of Lyon Village can't walk to ASFS. The walking map is confusing -- there is a busy street (Kirkwood) that makes them bus riders. They have expanded the ASFS walk zone to all of Lyon Village for Covid, but that's supposed to be temporary. Technically they can't walk, and are bus riders either way. They could have put all of Lyon Village at Taylor (which maybe they will do in the future, who knows), but they kept parts of it at ASFS so they don't have to move kids unnecessarily during the pandemic.
None of the walkers at Key (Clarendon/Courthouse/Lyon Village) will be there if they aren't moved there now. The school is going to be over capacity pretty much right after opening depending on what happens with hybrid/virtual next year. The F/RL rate is also going to be extremely high at Key, which is why they had to have the ASFS boundary go south and east to try to pull in some of the closer affordable housing (Woodbury Park and some of the other buildings around Rocky Run). It would be really sad to have a 50% farms school within a mile of another school at <7%.

I guess I'd disagree with this. Kirkwood is not that busy, and its a two lane street (one in each direction). A single crossing guard would make it perfectly safe. And there is no way that kids on the ASFS (west) side of Kirkwood, some of whom have houses which abut ASFS, should be getting bused to Taylor. I know that's how its set up now, but that's a legacy of the joint Key/ASFS zone that is now history. There is no reason not to fix that problem right now.

It's about numbers. They don't want to create an impenetrable wall of recently moved units that prevents shifting kids northward if (when?) necessary. The pandemic is a convenient excuse to let it ride for two years while they figure out what's actually going to happen to immersion enrollment patterns in the area right around Key right now.

It isn't just immersion patterns. It is also kids from North Arlington who have jumped to private schools due to the pandemic. If you watched the work session, there was conversation about needing to make sure the numbers are solid before moving forward with more dramatic, and permanent, boundary changes. Duran wants to do the bare minimum now so that he has the most flexibility when he can do this at a countywide level in two years with better enrollment numbers. If the North Arlington flight to private is permanent, then they are going to have to either move another option program north or draw north/south boundaries that pull kids north. Otherwise, they will continue to have empty seats north of Lee Highway and crowding in South Arlington.

With the exception of rising K who were held, they know who these kids are. Why don't they just ask these parents what their intentions are? Not a hard task.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It isn't just immersion patterns. It is also kids from North Arlington who have jumped to private schools due to the pandemic. If you watched the work session, there was conversation about needing to make sure the numbers are solid before moving forward with more dramatic, and permanent, boundary changes. Duran wants to do the bare minimum now so that he has the most flexibility when he can do this at a countywide level in two years with better enrollment numbers. If the North Arlington flight to private is permanent, then they are going to have to either move another option program north or draw north/south boundaries that pull kids north. Otherwise, they will continue to have empty seats north of Lee Highway and crowding in South Arlington.

With the exception of rising K who were held, they know who these kids are. Why don't they just ask these parents what their intentions are? Not a hard task.

Why? First, manpower. Calling hundreds of families and asking them to commit to next year is a hard task. Second, presumes even more don't jump. I know two families just in my DC's homeroom who are departing APS within the month for private schools, including one family who is moving out of state with their two kids. These two families can't be the only ones still in flux. This isn't static. How many more will scramble next spring/summer if it becomes clear that APS may not be fully open in the fall?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The Taylor side of Lyon Village can't walk to ASFS. The walking map is confusing -- there is a busy street (Kirkwood) that makes them bus riders. They have expanded the ASFS walk zone to all of Lyon Village for Covid, but that's supposed to be temporary. Technically they can't walk, and are bus riders either way. They could have put all of Lyon Village at Taylor (which maybe they will do in the future, who knows), but they kept parts of it at ASFS so they don't have to move kids unnecessarily during the pandemic.
None of the walkers at Key (Clarendon/Courthouse/Lyon Village) will be there if they aren't moved there now. The school is going to be over capacity pretty much right after opening depending on what happens with hybrid/virtual next year. The F/RL rate is also going to be extremely high at Key, which is why they had to have the ASFS boundary go south and east to try to pull in some of the closer affordable housing (Woodbury Park and some of the other buildings around Rocky Run). It would be really sad to have a 50% farms school within a mile of another school at <7%.

I guess I'd disagree with this. Kirkwood is not that busy, and its a two lane street (one in each direction). A single crossing guard would make it perfectly safe. And there is no way that kids on the ASFS (west) side of Kirkwood, some of whom have houses which abut ASFS, should be getting bused to Taylor. I know that's how its set up now, but that's a legacy of the joint Key/ASFS zone that is now history. There is no reason not to fix that problem right now.

It's about numbers. They don't want to create an impenetrable wall of recently moved units that prevents shifting kids northward if (when?) necessary. The pandemic is a convenient excuse to let it ride for two years while they figure out what's actually going to happen to immersion enrollment patterns in the area right around Key right now.

It isn't just immersion patterns. It is also kids from North Arlington who have jumped to private schools due to the pandemic. If you watched the work session, there was conversation about needing to make sure the numbers are solid before moving forward with more dramatic, and permanent, boundary changes. Duran wants to do the bare minimum now so that he has the most flexibility when he can do this at a countywide level in two years with better enrollment numbers. If the North Arlington flight to private is permanent, then they are going to have to either move another option program north or draw north/south boundaries that pull kids north. Otherwise, they will continue to have empty seats north of Lee Highway and crowding in South Arlington.

With the exception of rising K who were held, they know who these kids are. Why don't they just ask these parents what their intentions are? Not a hard task.

They don't have time. They are too busy pandering to the crazy McK parents and all the other crazy parents in NA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is BS - Mckinley got everything they wanted and the rest of us continue to be bussed. APS sucks. Between this and the mishandling of the return to school, I'm beyond angry.

Well at least Rosslyn isn’t being sent half way across the county. But that ASFS and Taylor peninsula just make it unnecessarily complicated

Seriously? WTH is up with that? It just looks ridiculous. If they were so fearful of change, why didn't they just let the kids there stay at Taylor who wanted to do so but draw a normal boundary for the rest of the people who can walk to school?

I think they are worried about moving kids in a way that leaves Taylor empty and ASFS and new Key overfull. They didn't move anything to ASFS that they aren't sure they want there long term. The PUs on the right side of the peninsula were already at ASFS so leaving them there is status quo and they can be moved in 2 years if necessary. The ones in the peninsula are at Taylor right now so if they moved them to ASFS they can't touch them again for 5 years. I agree it looks ridiculous and I'm not sure if it's the best plan, but that's why.

This. Similar to Tuckahoe and Ashlawn/Glebe. Move minimal number of kids now to preserve as many options as possible. APS should have gone ahead and done the whole county at once.

There is no way kids who can walk to school will not be moved there eventually so it makes no sense.

I agree and I wrote in to point that out. They don't seem to care.

+1. Where you have walkable PUs, there is no reason for them to be moved again so why kick the cam down the road? Offer some grandfathering if it’s really about the pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is BS - Mckinley got everything they wanted and the rest of us continue to be bussed. APS sucks. Between this and the mishandling of the return to school, I'm beyond angry.

Well at least Rosslyn isn’t being sent half way across the county. But that ASFS and Taylor peninsula just make it unnecessarily complicated

Seriously? WTH is up with that? It just looks ridiculous. If they were so fearful of change, why didn't they just let the kids there stay at Taylor who wanted to do so but draw a normal boundary for the rest of the people who can walk to school?

I think they are worried about moving kids in a way that leaves Taylor empty and ASFS and new Key overfull. They didn't move anything to ASFS that they aren't sure they want there long term. The PUs on the right side of the peninsula were already at ASFS so leaving them there is status quo and they can be moved in 2 years if necessary. The ones in the peninsula are at Taylor right now so if they moved them to ASFS they can't touch them again for 5 years. I agree it looks ridiculous and I'm not sure if it's the best plan, but that's why.

This. Similar to Tuckahoe and Ashlawn/Glebe. Move minimal number of kids now to preserve as many options as possible. APS should have gone ahead and done the whole county at once.

There is no way kids who can walk to school will not be moved there eventually so it makes no sense.

The Taylor side of Lyon Village can't walk to ASFS. The walking map is confusing -- there is a busy street (Kirkwood) that makes them bus riders. They have expanded the ASFS walk zone to all of Lyon Village for Covid, but that's supposed to be temporary. Technically they can't walk, and are bus riders either way. They could have put all of Lyon Village at Taylor (which maybe they will do in the future, who knows), but they kept parts of it at ASFS so they don't have to move kids unnecessarily during the pandemic.
None of the walkers at Key (Clarendon/Courthouse/Lyon Village) will be there if they aren't moved there now. The school is going to be over capacity pretty much right after opening depending on what happens with hybrid/virtual next year. The F/RL rate is also going to be extremely high at Key, which is why they had to have the ASFS boundary go south and east to try to pull in some of the closer affordable housing (Woodbury Park and some of the other buildings around Rocky Run). It would be really sad to have a 50% farms school within a mile of another school at <7%.

- Expanded walk zone to ASFS to include these units was not post-COVID. This was done with the 2018 Boundary process when ASFS was part of that plan and then APS changed it's mind, yet again.
- These children can easily walk to ASFS with a crossing guard on Kirkwood as APS has said it will provide. Also pre-COVID.
- Yes more walkers from Clarendon/Courthouse/LV could be added and more folks in Rosslyn will need to be bussed to Taylor.
- ASFS boundary had to go where it did because Key fills up by the time you get to it if you start the boundary at the Potomac. It's just math. This was not about F/RL rates - don't kid yourself.
- Lots of different ways to reduce F/RL rates - none of which the community has rallied around to say they want that.
- Key will not be 50% F/RL no matter how much panic you try and instill in people.

You should look at the math. Right now its at 30%, and that is assuming that most of the kids currently in immersion stay in immersion. When you add the recent developments that are being built (queen's court), that has the potential to add 100+ F/RL kids. That brings you up to 40% even if you assume most of Rosslyn sticks with immersion (156 current F/RL + 100 / 621). Throw in a lot of the other development that has significant CAF in Rosslyn/Courthouse or just lower the number of kids you think will stick with immersion, you are very close to 50%.