Alexandria Redistricting Process Starting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was it strange that both members from both Tucker and Ramsay resigned off the committee already?

If true, I find that strange, yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Timeline pushed to "spring 2016" instead of ending in February 2016. From watching the work session, they need to know if they will get an additional school in the west end and 34 preschool classrooms moved out of elementaries.

Right. The practical question I think folks had was implementation, whether it would be 2016-2017 or the next year 2017-2018 (which it now will be given the push back of the time line)

You are stating the ACPS School Board pushed redistricting off to start of 2017-2018 school year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Timeline pushed to "spring 2016" instead of ending in February 2016. From watching the work session, they need to know if they will get an additional school in the west end and 34 preschool classrooms moved out of elementaries.

Right. The practical question I think folks had was implementation, whether it would be 2016-2017 or the next year 2017-2018 (which it now will be given the push back of the time line)

You are stating the ACPS School Board pushed redistricting off to start of 2017-2018 school year?

Yes. It's on the redistricting webpage and acps also tweeted that in the redistricting town hall today. https://storify.com/ACPSk12/redistricting-steering-committee-hosts-first-twitt#publicize?utm_source=hootsuite

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was it strange that both members from both Tucker and Ramsay resigned off the committee already?

Maybe they wised up and decided to move?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was it strange that both members from both Tucker and Ramsay resigned off the committee already?

This may be inaccurate, and I don't warrant it, but the rumor is that at least one determined that input from the committee isn't really desired or welcome, and that the strongly-suggested results will ultimately be delivered to the committee for a public discussion and adoption.

[Anonymous]

Well, at least some of the redistricting supporters were not re-elected, so maybe the whole thing will just fade away? Most of the committee are big school board supporters anyway, so maybe these folks just felt out of the whole thing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, at least some of the redistricting supporters were not re-elected, so maybe the whole thing will just fade away? Most of the committee are big school board supporters anyway, so maybe these folks just felt out of the whole thing?

Are you kidding? Redistricting absolutely needs to happen.

The City just needs to be honest and tell parents J-H is bad because of the FARMS rate, once it's reduced greatly, the school will be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, at least some of the redistricting supporters were not re-elected, so maybe the whole thing will just fade away? Most of the committee are big school board supporters anyway, so maybe these folks just felt out of the whole thing?

Are you kidding? Redistricting absolutely needs to happen.

The City just needs to be honest and tell parents J-H is bad because of the FARMS rate, once it's reduced greatly, the school will be fine.

One wonders if our ACPS School Board recognizes ongoing insecurity in redistricting will impact the real estate market. People who wish to move to/near Old Town for some urban life (some of our highest priced real estate there) won't, and West End homes' real estate sales will linger or decline due to continued poor overall school system which needs redistricting to address a key purpose of redistricting, the FARMS rate. ACPS needs to move up from the bottom of the VDOE heap, and faster than this delayed step allows.

Like a boil, redistricting needs to be lanced and done. It is a mandatory ACPS Board function and decision: step up and do your jobs ACPS School Board! You've been talking about it for years.

While the Board defers, Alexandria languishes in even more immeasurable ways. I suspect City Council and City Staff (at least the smart ones) are not pleased. If they did not see the negative effects in deference to now Fall, 2017-2018, they need to study up on "uncertainty effect" on the City economy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, at least some of the redistricting supporters were not re-elected, so maybe the whole thing will just fade away? Most of the committee are big school board supporters anyway, so maybe these folks just felt out of the whole thing?

Are you kidding? Redistricting absolutely needs to happen.

The City just needs to be honest and tell parents J-H is bad because of the FARMS rate, once it's reduced greatly, the school will be fine.

One wonders if our ACPS School Board recognizes ongoing insecurity in redistricting will impact the real estate market. People who wish to move to/near Old Town for some urban life (some of our highest priced real estate there) won't, and West End homes' real estate sales will linger or decline due to continued poor overall school system which needs redistricting to address a key purpose of redistricting, the FARMS rate. ACPS needs to move up from the bottom of the VDOE heap, and faster than this delayed step allows.

Like a boil, redistricting needs to be lanced and done. It is a mandatory ACPS Board function and decision: step up and do your jobs ACPS School Board! You've been talking about it for years.

While the Board defers, Alexandria languishes in even more immeasurable ways. I suspect City Council and City Staff (at least the smart ones) are not pleased. If they did not see the negative effects in deference to now Fall, 2017-2018, they need to study up on "uncertainty effect" on the City economy.

Oh please. Sure, the city needs to re calculate the boundaries, etc. But the handwringing in this post is a bit over the top. I would rather have the committee and the board take several months to carefully review things, and make principled decisions, than try to ram this through in a couple of months....And apparently this is what many cooler heads thought, too. It's been 1999 since redistricting happened last, I hardly think the the old town re market will implode if the school district proceeds conscientiously and in doing so that means implementation is rolled out until 2017.

[Anonymous]

I am disappointed in the delay. I would be fine if I really thought the delay was to think it through. But I think it's just a guise to appease those that voiced opposition. The longer we wait, the longer before we see the needed results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, at least some of the redistricting supporters were not re-elected, so maybe the whole thing will just fade away? Most of the committee are big school board supporters anyway, so maybe these folks just felt out of the whole thing?

Are you kidding? Redistricting absolutely needs to happen.

The City just needs to be honest and tell parents J-H is bad because of the FARMS rate, once it's reduced greatly, the school will be fine.

One wonders if our ACPS School Board recognizes ongoing insecurity in redistricting will impact the real estate market. People who wish to move to/near Old Town for some urban life (some of our highest priced real estate there) won't, and West End homes' real estate sales will linger or decline due to continued poor overall school system which needs redistricting to address a key purpose of redistricting, the FARMS rate. ACPS needs to move up from the bottom of the VDOE heap, and faster than this delayed step allows.

Like a boil, redistricting needs to be lanced and done. It is a mandatory ACPS Board function and decision: step up and do your jobs ACPS School Board! You've been talking about it for years.

While the Board defers, Alexandria languishes in even more immeasurable ways. I suspect City Council and City Staff (at least the smart ones) are not pleased. If they did not see the negative effects in deference to now Fall, 2017-2018, they need to study up on "uncertainty effect" on the City economy.

Oh please. Sure, the city needs to re calculate the boundaries, etc. But the handwringing in this post is a bit over the top. I would rather have the committee and the board take several months to carefully review things, and make principled decisions, than try to ram this through in a couple of months....And apparently this is what many cooler heads thought, too. It's been 1999 since redistricting happened last, I hardly think the the old town re market will implode if the school district proceeds conscientiously and in doing so that means implementation is rolled out until 2017.

I urge you to attend and listen to every single recent past and current Alexandria City FY 2017 Budget meeting on our General Fund and Capital Improvement Plan, as well as read the many recent and past finance documents available. Cogitative hand-winging is definitely going on by Council and Staff as well as myself, over the state of Alexandria's real estate, from which our City budget derives the bulk of its revenue.

Clear minds recognize Alexandria must not inject further unknowns into real estate buys and sales. I don't agree with your "cool head Luke is missing" assessment. Delaying redistricting decisions, kicking them further down the road, not filling our brand new Jefferson Houston school at a time we lack student seats, brings into question ACPS not fulfilling it's fiduciary duty to City residents. Council is aware of this. Real estate and broader economic uncertainty, especially given same in our local, state and federal economy, is the opposite of what wise heads want.

Don't underestimate the impact this protracted redistricting process will have on our local housing real estate market. Look at recent sales, ma'am or sir, for example this week sales and you will take a deep breath if you see what I see.

[Anonymous]

The decision (about boundaries, etc...) is being delayed by 3 months. So that's 3 extra months of uncertainty. Not the end of the world. The implementation is delayed by a year. That is certainly unfortunate, but the implementation delay does not really add to uncertainty beyond the 3 month delay for the decision making.

I think that redistricting should have been implemented in 2014-2015 school year, when J-H school opened. The school board missed a big opportunity for change on the East end. There is no strong leadership on the issue at this point, especially since the process overlaps the start of a new school board. Very poor timing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, at least some of the redistricting supporters were not re-elected, so maybe the whole thing will just fade away? Most of the committee are big school board supporters anyway, so maybe these folks just felt out of the whole thing?

Are you kidding? Redistricting absolutely needs to happen.

The City just needs to be honest and tell parents J-H is bad because of the FARMS rate, once it's reduced greatly, the school will be fine.

One wonders if our ACPS School Board recognizes ongoing insecurity in redistricting will impact the real estate market. People who wish to move to/near Old Town for some urban life (some of our highest priced real estate there) won't, and West End homes' real estate sales will linger or decline due to continued poor overall school system which needs redistricting to address a key purpose of redistricting, the FARMS rate. ACPS needs to move up from the bottom of the VDOE heap, and faster than this delayed step allows.

Like a boil, redistricting needs to be lanced and done. It is a mandatory ACPS Board function and decision: step up and do your jobs ACPS School Board! You've been talking about it for years.

While the Board defers, Alexandria languishes in even more immeasurable ways. I suspect City Council and City Staff (at least the smart ones) are not pleased. If they did not see the negative effects in deference to now Fall, 2017-2018, they need to study up on "uncertainty effect" on the City economy.

Oh please. Sure, the city needs to re calculate the boundaries, etc. But the handwringing in this post is a bit over the top. I would rather have the committee and the board take several months to carefully review things, and make principled decisions, than try to ram this through in a couple of months....And apparently this is what many cooler heads thought, too. It's been 1999 since redistricting happened last, I hardly think the the old town re market will implode if the school district proceeds conscientiously and in doing so that means implementation is rolled out until 2017.

I urge you to attend and listen to every single recent past and current Alexandria City FY 2017 Budget meeting on our General Fund and Capital Improvement Plan, as well as read the many recent and past finance documents available. Cogitative hand-winging is definitely going on by Council and Staff as well as myself, over the state of Alexandria's real estate, from which our City budget derives the bulk of its revenue.

Clear minds recognize Alexandria must not inject further unknowns into real estate buys and sales. I don't agree with your "cool head Luke is missing" assessment. Delaying redistricting decisions, kicking them further down the road, not filling our brand new Jefferson Houston school at a time we lack student seats, brings into question ACPS not fulfilling it's fiduciary duty to City residents. Council is aware of this. Real estate and broader economic uncertainty, especially given same in our local, state and federal economy, is the opposite of what wise heads want.

Don't underestimate the impact this protracted redistricting process will have on our local housing real estate market. Look at recent sales, ma'am or sir, for example this week sales and you will take a deep breath if you see what I see.

Alternatively, you could consider urging the. Council to do something to reverse the situation and encourage them to grow a bigger commercial tax base.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, at least some of the redistricting supporters were not re-elected, so maybe the whole thing will just fade away? Most of the committee are big school board supporters anyway, so maybe these folks just felt out of the whole thing?

Are you kidding? Redistricting absolutely needs to happen.

The City just needs to be honest and tell parents J-H is bad because of the FARMS rate, once it's reduced greatly, the school will be fine.

One wonders if our ACPS School Board recognizes ongoing insecurity in redistricting will impact the real estate market. People who wish to move to/near Old Town for some urban life (some of our highest priced real estate there) won't, and West End homes' real estate sales will linger or decline due to continued poor overall school system which needs redistricting to address a key purpose of redistricting, the FARMS rate. ACPS needs to move up from the bottom of the VDOE heap, and faster than this delayed step allows.

Like a boil, redistricting needs to be lanced and done. It is a mandatory ACPS Board function and decision: step up and do your jobs ACPS School Board! You've been talking about it for years.

While the Board defers, Alexandria languishes in even more immeasurable ways. I suspect City Council and City Staff (at least the smart ones) are not pleased. If they did not see the negative effects in deference to now Fall, 2017-2018, they need to study up on "uncertainty effect" on the City economy.

Oh please. Sure, the city needs to re calculate the boundaries, etc. But the handwringing in this post is a bit over the top. I would rather have the committee and the board take several months to carefully review things, and make principled decisions, than try to ram this through in a couple of months....And apparently this is what many cooler heads thought, too. It's been 1999 since redistricting happened last, I hardly think the the old town re market will implode if the school district proceeds conscientiously and in doing so that means implementation is rolled out until 2017.

I urge you to attend and listen to every single recent past and current Alexandria City FY 2017 Budget meeting on our General Fund and Capital Improvement Plan, as well as read the many recent and past finance documents available. Cogitative hand-winging is definitely going on by Council and Staff as well as myself, over the state of Alexandria's real estate, from which our City budget derives the bulk of its revenue.

Clear minds recognize Alexandria must not inject further unknowns into real estate buys and sales. I don't agree with your "cool head Luke is missing" assessment. Delaying redistricting decisions, kicking them further down the road, not filling our brand new Jefferson Houston school at a time we lack student seats, brings into question ACPS not fulfilling it's fiduciary duty to City residents. Council is aware of this. Real estate and broader economic uncertainty, especially given same in our local, state and federal economy, is the opposite of what wise heads want.

Don't underestimate the impact this protracted redistricting process will have on our local housing real estate market. Look at recent sales, ma'am or sir, for example this week sales and you will take a deep breath if you see what I see.

Alternatively, you could consider urging the. Council to do something to reverse the situation and encourage them to grow a bigger commercial tax base.

I wish. We all wish. The accidental mayor-elect opposes all development and all taxation, and has convened a secret ethics court to put anyone who disagrees on trial. The days when the Alexandria Schools could have at least hoped to keep pace and engage in some limited growth (even if delayed and insufficient) are all over. The "Mayor" has spoken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, at least some of the redistricting supporters were not re-elected, so maybe the whole thing will just fade away? Most of the committee are big school board supporters anyway, so maybe these folks just felt out of the whole thing?

Are you kidding? Redistricting absolutely needs to happen.

The City just needs to be honest and tell parents J-H is bad because of the FARMS rate, once it's reduced greatly, the school will be fine.

One wonders if our ACPS School Board recognizes ongoing insecurity in redistricting will impact the real estate market. People who wish to move to/near Old Town for some urban life (some of our highest priced real estate there) won't, and West End homes' real estate sales will linger or decline due to continued poor overall school system which needs redistricting to address a key purpose of redistricting, the FARMS rate. ACPS needs to move up from the bottom of the VDOE heap, and faster than this delayed step allows.

Like a boil, redistricting needs to be lanced and done. It is a mandatory ACPS Board function and decision: step up and do your jobs ACPS School Board! You've been talking about it for years.

While the Board defers, Alexandria languishes in even more immeasurable ways. I suspect City Council and City Staff (at least the smart ones) are not pleased. If they did not see the negative effects in deference to now Fall, 2017-2018, they need to study up on "uncertainty effect" on the City economy.

Oh please. Sure, the city needs to re calculate the boundaries, etc. But the handwringing in this post is a bit over the top. I would rather have the committee and the board take several months to carefully review things, and make principled decisions, than try to ram this through in a couple of months....And apparently this is what many cooler heads thought, too. It's been 1999 since redistricting happened last, I hardly think the the old town re market will implode if the school district proceeds conscientiously and in doing so that means implementation is rolled out until 2017.

I urge you to attend and listen to every single recent past and current Alexandria City FY 2017 Budget meeting on our General Fund and Capital Improvement Plan, as well as read the many recent and past finance documents available. Cogitative hand-winging is definitely going on by Council and Staff as well as myself, over the state of Alexandria's real estate, from which our City budget derives the bulk of its revenue.

Clear minds recognize Alexandria must not inject further unknowns into real estate buys and sales. I don't agree with your "cool head Luke is missing" assessment. Delaying redistricting decisions, kicking them further down the road, not filling our brand new Jefferson Houston school at a time we lack student seats, brings into question ACPS not fulfilling it's fiduciary duty to City residents. Council is aware of this. Real estate and broader economic uncertainty, especially given same in our local, state and federal economy, is the opposite of what wise heads want.

Don't underestimate the impact this protracted redistricting process will have on our local housing real estate market. Look at recent sales, ma'am or sir, for example this week sales and you will take a deep breath if you see what I see.

Alternatively, you could consider urging the. Council to do something to reverse the situation and encourage them to grow a bigger commercial tax base.

I wish. We all wish. The accidental mayor-elect opposes all development and all taxation, and has convened a secret ethics court to put anyone who disagrees on trial. The days when the Alexandria Schools could have at least hoped to keep pace and engage in some limited growth (even if delayed and insufficient) are all over. The "Mayor" has spoken.

Let's just put a public "get the hook" on your nonsense post.

Firstly, Allison Silberberg isn't even Mayor yet and ran and won on "thoughtful development" for historic Alexandria not unbridled, secondly she publicly spoke of ethics reform after Mayor Euille publicly said he had no trouble taking large amounts of cash from developers. Lastly ACPS School Board is by state law, a separate elected entity from the Council with it's own duties, mandatory education and providing of buildings for education of the City students.

Look back to the eight year Volkert school board for people to hold accountable for limited Capital Improvement budgeting and carry through of building of needed new schools, if you're looking for accountability. Jefferson Houston, at $45 Million, sitting half empty even today because of no redistricting is one of her board's legacies. Nice job.