APS/SA boundary redrawing - meeting tonight

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:^^^I wasn't in the SAWG but I did go to the meetings about what was going to happen at Drew. The parent and PTA communities from Abingdon, Henry, Hoffman-Boston, Oakridge, and I think Randolph too were all participating from the start, because those schools could potentially send students to Drew. I frankly do not understand how there could have been any sort of commitment to draw from only Hoffman-Boston and Oakridge, because doing so doesn't make geographical or numeric sense.

Oakridge isn't included at all In the current proposal. One of the reasons why the SAWG voted the way we did was to help alleviate Oakridge by creating room in Drew.

I appreciate that but it was included as a possible source for students when the Drew process started. Oakridge is getting relief via Hoffman Boston, no?

What was the SAWG vote you mean? I guess I don't follow.

We voted to build an elementary school on TJ lot. Patrick Henry would go to Fleet. Montessori would move into PH which would leave spots open for Oakridge. That was the reasoning behind the vote. The neighborhoods in the west were never considered. This is a complete surprise.

Ah okay. Thanks. And also -- please take this without snark or any sort of tone -- this must be where the idea came from that APS committed that Henry could stay together, right?

APS NEVER COMMITTED that Henry would all stay together. SB members assured them that they HEARD their desires. NO promises were made. Henry people seem to have taken "we hear you; we understand; we know you want to stay together; we dont want to tear communities apart" as a promise and guarantee that there would be no PUs districted away.

Look, I know that. I'm just trying to figure out how it happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^I wasn't in the SAWG but I did go to the meetings about what was going to happen at Drew. The parent and PTA communities from Abingdon, Henry, Hoffman-Boston, Oakridge, and I think Randolph too were all participating from the start, because those schools could potentially send students to Drew. I frankly do not understand how there could have been any sort of commitment to draw from only Hoffman-Boston and Oakridge, because doing so doesn't make geographical or numeric sense.

Oakridge isn't included at all In the current proposal. One of the reasons why the SAWG voted the way we did was to help alleviate Oakridge by creating room in Drew.

I appreciate that but it was included as a possible source for students when the Drew process started. Oakridge is getting relief via Hoffman Boston, no?

What was the SAWG vote you mean? I guess I don't follow.

We voted to build an elementary school on TJ lot. Patrick Henry would go to Fleet. Montessori would move into PH which would leave spots open for Oakridge. That was the reasoning behind the vote. The neighborhoods in the west were never considered. This is a complete surprise.

Ah okay. Thanks. And also -- please take this without snark or any sort of tone -- this must be where the idea came from that APS committed that Henry could stay together, right?

APS NEVER COMMITTED that Henry would all stay together. SB members assured them that they HEARD their desires. NO promises were made. Henry people seem to have taken "we hear you; we understand; we know you want to stay together; we dont want to tear communities apart" as a promise and guarantee that there would be no PUs districted away.

Look, I know that. I'm just trying to figure out how it happened.

Yeah, basically keep Henry together claimed aps promised them something they didn't. Super dishonest. These are college educated professionals. Some of them are aps enployees. They know this claim is disingenuous.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Did the livestream capture the "Keep Henry Together" t-shirts?

The takeaway from these materials is that Columbia Forest didn't see it coming until it was too late, and that a mass of white parents wearing matching tshirts gets what they want from APS every time.

While I tend to agree and know it can be hard to change these maps once a true proposal is out, this map exposes APS on the “loud well off white people” get what they want criticism. Some of the decisions imbedded are going to be hard to justify.

And for anyone looking at the Drew boundary, do some research. On other occasions, APS has said that across the park situation didn’t create contiguous planning units.

??? Who are you talking about?

I really, really wish they hadn’t built Fleet and forced Henry to move. They should have just built another elementary in crystal city. Between this and the career center, it has been a planning disaster and tearing our community apart.

Huh? Fleet/Henry just got exactly what they wanted: a brand new school, with a lower farms rate and no one rezoned. Next up they'll have their own low farms high school.

Nope. Henry wanted to stay at Henry and build on. We were told it couldn’t be done (and this was before Reed), and that if we moved Nauck would finally get it’s own elementary that they were denied in the past.

Lol, so you are upset that you don't get to stay in an old ugly building, and have to move, student body entirely intact, to a brand new school building? Please spare me this bs.

p

Or is that you feel guilty about acting out of self interest, and your part in creating a school that is over 80% poor at Drew? I could see how that might bother you. You chose your side though.

No, I’m not upset. Just trying to say that it’s too bad that now south Arlington is fighting each other when we should be a solid front. Honestly though, I now get how north Arlington gets tired of us. I guess it’s all relative.

And I'm saying don't expect any solidarity from Drew when you print matching tshirts to avoid being rezoned to Drew.

Gotcha. FWIW, I’m 3 blocks from Fleet, so rezoning wouldn’t have personally affected me. Just supporting keeping my community together when we feel that that was promised to us. Although I see how your view that differently.

Everyone knows that the parents and homeowners in the PUs south of the pike zoned to Henry were scared and angry about the possibility of going to Drew because of its demographics. "Keep Henry together" is just messaging because the truth is unpalatable and embarassing. Other schools are going to lose a chunk of students that have been going there for years, why should Henry be different?

I don't disagree at all that nobody wanted to be sent to Drew. Nevertheless, why can't you believe that current Henry people simply wanted to stay with their school because -- like all you northern folks -- they really love their school. It's a high-performing school and a diverse community in an active civic association. And why aren't you harassing the Oakridge people? You don't think they've been fighting tooth and nail not to go to Drew (or to Hoffman Boston, though that is more palatable to them - and look where they're going: Hoffman Boston).

BTW, Hoffman Boston is only going to be 98% capacity - so what's in the next round for them?

No one is "harassing" anyone. Oakridge was a nonentity with regard to Drew. The schools and their walk zones are separated by an 8 lane freeway. Of course you want to stay at Henry. Henry's zone has shed most of its affordable housing over the last 10 years and in the process has achieved a concentration of wealth that has produced a strong well resources pta, and home values beginning to approach 1 million in Arlington heights. Your school used to be 65% farms. Today, your school having an abundance of those resources really does mean other south Arlington schools lose out. It is a zero sum game and you really screwed everyone else with your self interested lobbying. Especially Columbia Forest. You pulled he ladder up behind you, plain and simple.

I'm not at Henry. Never was at Henry. Never will be at Henry. 8 lane highway? You've heard of buses, right? And those buses don't even have to cross 395 - they can drive right under it. And don't tell me families in Arlington Ridge can't get to Drew because they don't have transportation.
So stop assuming you know who I am and who you're responding to.
I don't believe Columbia Forest should be sent to Drew. People on this forum have cited the "tearing apart" of the Henry community by moving a few PUs to Drew, and how they get to stay in tact. Well that just means somebody else's community gets "torn apart" instead. Get over it, people. Kids pass through schools and are part of the community no matter which school they're in.
I also can't believe nobody is bashing Oakridge parents who have had their strong advocacy efforts going on behind the scenes this whole time. I'd like to know that they were advocating to retain the diversity they have left and going to Hoffman Boston instead of Drew - rather than what everyone else is doing and advocating not to go to Drew. Oakridge knows people have to be moved - so they probably opted for a less undesirable scenario....like their kids getting bussed under 395.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry but no one is stopping Drew from having a PTA. Blaming Montessori is convenient but this move isn’t a surprise. Also not one single PU got rezoned from Oakridge to Drew. Interesting?

Oh you're right, Drew should just hold a silent auction and raise 50k to pay for extracurriculars and student enrichment! Why didn't they think of that?!

Technically, it's always been the Drew PTA. It's just that it's been run by Montessori parents who didn't waste a single minute before picking up their tents. And Montessori always cried "poor" because they were at Drew - but which kids got the nice comfy chartered buses for their field trips?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did the livestream capture the "Keep Henry Together" t-shirts?

The takeaway from these materials is that Columbia Forest didn't see it coming until it was too late, and that a mass of white parents wearing matching tshirts gets what they want from APS every time.

While I tend to agree and know it can be hard to change these maps once a true proposal is out, this map exposes APS on the “loud well off white people” get what they want criticism. Some of the decisions imbedded are going to be hard to justify.

And for anyone looking at the Drew boundary, do some research. On other occasions, APS has said that across the park situation didn’t create contiguous planning units.

??? Who are you talking about?

I really, really wish they hadn’t built Fleet and forced Henry to move. They should have just built another elementary in crystal city. Between this and the career center, it has been a planning disaster and tearing our community apart.

Huh? Fleet/Henry just got exactly what they wanted: a brand new school, with a lower farms rate and no one rezoned. Next up they'll have their own low farms high school.

Nope. Henry wanted to stay at Henry and build on. We were told it couldn’t be done (and this was before Reed), and that if we moved Nauck would finally get it’s own elementary that they were denied in the past.

Lol, so you are upset that you don't get to stay in an old ugly building, and have to move, student body entirely intact, to a brand new school building? Please spare me this bs.

p

Or is that you feel guilty about acting out of self interest, and your part in creating a school that is over 80% poor at Drew? I could see how that might bother you. You chose your side though.

No, I’m not upset. Just trying to say that it’s too bad that now south Arlington is fighting each other when we should be a solid front. Honestly though, I now get how north Arlington gets tired of us. I guess it’s all relative.

And I'm saying don't expect any solidarity from Drew when you print matching tshirts to avoid being rezoned to Drew.

Gotcha. FWIW, I’m 3 blocks from Fleet, so rezoning wouldn’t have personally affected me. Just supporting keeping my community together when we feel that that was promised to us. Although I see how your view that differently.

Everyone knows that the parents and homeowners in the PUs south of the pike zoned to Henry were scared and angry about the possibility of going to Drew because of its demographics. "Keep Henry together" is just messaging because the truth is unpalatable and embarassing. Other schools are going to lose a chunk of students that have been going there for years, why should Henry be different?

I don't disagree at all that nobody wanted to be sent to Drew. Nevertheless, why can't you believe that current Henry people simply wanted to stay with their school because -- like all you northern folks -- they really love their school. It's a high-performing school and a diverse community in an active civic association. And why aren't you harassing the Oakridge people? You don't think they've been fighting tooth and nail not to go to Drew (or to Hoffman Boston, though that is more palatable to them - and look where they're going: Hoffman Boston).

BTW, Hoffman Boston is only going to be 98% capacity - so what's in the next round for them?

No one is "harassing" anyone. Oakridge was a nonentity with regard to Drew. The schools and their walk zones are separated by an 8 lane freeway. Of course you want to stay at Henry. Henry's zone has shed most of its affordable housing over the last 10 years and in the process has achieved a concentration of wealth that has produced a strong well resources pta, and home values beginning to approach 1 million in Arlington heights. Your school used to be 65% farms. Today, your school having an abundance of those resources really does mean other south Arlington schools lose out. It is a zero sum game and you really screwed everyone else with your self interested lobbying. Especially Columbia Forest. You pulled he ladder up behind you, plain and simple.

I'm not at Henry. Never was at Henry. Never will be at Henry. 8 lane highway? You've heard of buses, right? And those buses don't even have to cross 395 - they can drive right under it. And don't tell me families in Arlington Ridge can't get to Drew because they don't have transportation.
So stop assuming you know who I am and who you're responding to.
I don't believe Columbia Forest should be sent to Drew. People on this forum have cited the "tearing apart" of the Henry community by moving a few PUs to Drew, and how they get to stay in tact. Well that just means somebody else's community gets "torn apart" instead. Get over it, people. Kids pass through schools and are part of the community no matter which school they're in.
I also can't believe nobody is bashing Oakridge parents who have had their strong advocacy efforts going on behind the scenes this whole time. I'd like to know that they were advocating to retain the diversity they have left and going to Hoffman Boston instead of Drew - rather than what everyone else is doing and advocating not to go to Drew. Oakridge knows people have to be moved - so they probably opted for a less undesirable scenario....like their kids getting bussed under 395.

Hey, for what it's worth, at least they didn't rezoned the 200+ 2 and 3 bedroom CAFs under construction at the Berkeley to Drew ... yet. That's going to be 100 kids right there, at least, that APS isn't even counting in this proposal. They'll move in next year. God help Drew, which will be under capacity and poor as a churchmouse when that happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Drew/Randolph folks, I live in NA and am appalled by the stats on this proposal but don’t know what I don’t know. Are there things beyond what I’ve read here already I can address in the questionnaire that will help you? I don’t know how much they’ll credit the opinions of someone in 22207 on something that doesn’t directly affect my school, but I’d like to do what I can.

I am a Drew parent, but I have weighed in on all South Arlington boundary issues at every level for the past several years, many of which haven't directly affected my planning unit. I don't think one needs to be directly affected by a decision in order to have a valid opinion on it. We all pay taxes to the schools here and we all want our entire county to succeed. Indeed, arguably one can be more rational and reasonable if one isn't worried about the direct effect on their own kid.

Points you can make in the questionnaire: This proposal does not honor APS's own criteria for Drew. Alignment: Drew goes from sending to one MS to sending to three. Why are those Abingdon units zoned Kenmore being moved to Drew? Those kids in that small corner will be the only Drew-Kenmore students in the county. Demographics: 'nuff said. Drew will be 83% on a good day. Note, the Drew planning units (like many others) have more fr/l kids as of 2017 than total students that APS is projecting for 2019. In other words, APS is assuming that fewer total students will attend those schools in 2019 even though it knows that more kids are actually attending in 2017, and that every single one of those kids is low-income. So it could be worse than the projected figures. Further, Drew is 51% this year. Yes, that's because of Montessori being there as well -- but don't put Drew in your presentation, APS, and brag on lowering its fr/l rate. Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining. Proximity: Drew has a small walk zone and must draw from outside of the walk zone, but this map is absurd on its face. It looks like it was drawn by the Maryland state legislature. Kids from all the way out to the Pike and Four Mile will be going to Drew. Color me not surprised when it's harder for those families to participate in activities (yes, I know Abingdon is also far for them). Contiguity: Drew's proposed boundary runs through Jennie Dean Park and Barcroft Park, not through neighborhoods. There are *zero* students in one of those planning units. That's an island and APS said no more islands.

No one is asking for a miracle here. Nauck is a generally lower income neighborhood. But for all the importance of school communities, folks are showing a lot of disregard to the future Drew community by proposing to open it under these circumstances. Tell some of your friends who live in other counties that Arlington has elementary schools that are 80+ percent low income and see what they say. You don't have to live down south to think that Arlington should not tolerate this.

Claremont needs to become a neighborhood school. Immersion needs to move to Carlin Springs.
People need to stop demanding solutions to their own problems that don't result in any changes to their situation. The School Board needs to start doing what's right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But they also pull out the VPI kids. Every single option school has two VPI classes who are guaranteed spots for K. If you compare the resident vs. actual fr/l numbers at the poorest schools, the kids choosing to attend schools outside of their neighborhoods are helping to balance the poverty levels. The best thing would be to put the option schools in places that have no other way to balance, even better if it's to a school where there aren't that many walkers, as a result of geography/uncrossable roads.

Sure but what is the Data on the number of those kids that stay on in K? I knew several that move back to their neighborhood school after VPI.

Yes it does help balance that out some but MORE upper income people are leaving disticts like Drew to go to Montessori and Immersion than there are VPI kids coming in.

But yes Claremont is a horrible location for a choice school because it IS in a walkable neighborhood and there really isn't another school close to the Columbia Forest and Claremont neighborhoods (Outside of Abingdon) Randolph is the next closest but it can't do busses. So kids are going to have to be bussed somewhere.

It's 100% at ATS and pretty close to that at Campbell. Not sure about the numbers for Immersion, but it's probably similar, other wise the poverty level at Randolph would be into the 90s, rather than "just" 70%. Montessori has no VPI kids, so that's absolutely a problem, one that could be fixed by changing the fee structure (making it free for a percentage of very low-income families and charging slightly more at the upper end of the sliding scale).

Most of those VPI kids at Campbell are already in the area; so it's like going to a neighborhood school.

But all the kids stay at ATS. Likely they do at Claremont and Key. Like everyone, once they're in a school the majority stay.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

APS NEVER COMMITTED that Henry would all stay together. SB members assured them that they HEARD their desires. NO promises were made. Henry people seem to have taken "we hear you; we understand; we know you want to stay together; we dont want to tear communities apart" as a promise and guarantee that there would be no PUs districted away.

Look, I know that. I'm just trying to figure out how it happened.

Yeah, basically keep Henry together claimed aps promised them something they didn't. Super dishonest. These are college educated professionals. Some of them are aps enployees. They know this claim is disingenuous.

I don't think the Henry community has a great track record of listening to what APS is or is not telling them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Drew/Randolph folks, I live in NA and am appalled by the stats on this proposal but don’t know what I don’t know. Are there things beyond what I’ve read here already I can address in the questionnaire that will help you? I don’t know how much they’ll credit the opinions of someone in 22207 on something that doesn’t directly affect my school, but I’d like to do what I can.

I am a Drew parent, but I have weighed in on all South Arlington boundary issues at every level for the past several years, many of which haven't directly affected my planning unit. I don't think one needs to be directly affected by a decision in order to have a valid opinion on it. We all pay taxes to the schools here and we all want our entire county to succeed. Indeed, arguably one can be more rational and reasonable if one isn't worried about the direct effect on their own kid.

Points you can make in the questionnaire: This proposal does not honor APS's own criteria for Drew. Alignment: Drew goes from sending to one MS to sending to three. Why are those Abingdon units zoned Kenmore being moved to Drew? Those kids in that small corner will be the only Drew-Kenmore students in the county. Demographics: 'nuff said. Drew will be 83% on a good day. Note, the Drew planning units (like many others) have more fr/l kids as of 2017 than total students that APS is projecting for 2019. In other words, APS is assuming that fewer total students will attend those schools in 2019 even though it knows that more kids are actually attending in 2017, and that every single one of those kids is low-income. So it could be worse than the projected figures. Further, Drew is 51% this year. Yes, that's because of Montessori being there as well -- but don't put Drew in your presentation, APS, and brag on lowering its fr/l rate. Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining. Proximity: Drew has a small walk zone and must draw from outside of the walk zone, but this map is absurd on its face. It looks like it was drawn by the Maryland state legislature. Kids from all the way out to the Pike and Four Mile will be going to Drew. Color me not surprised when it's harder for those families to participate in activities (yes, I know Abingdon is also far for them). Contiguity: Drew's proposed boundary runs through Jennie Dean Park and Barcroft Park, not through neighborhoods. There are *zero* students in one of those planning units. That's an island and APS said no more islands.

No one is asking for a miracle here. Nauck is a generally lower income neighborhood. But for all the importance of school communities, folks are showing a lot of disregard to the future Drew community by proposing to open it under these circumstances. Tell some of your friends who live in other counties that Arlington has elementary schools that are 80+ percent low income and see what they say. You don't have to live down south to think that Arlington should not tolerate this.

Claremont needs to become a neighborhood school. Immersion needs to move to Carlin Springs.
People need to stop demanding solutions to their own problems that don't result in any changes to their situation. The School Board needs to start doing what's right.

Yes but that would not solve the problem of Drew (and Randolph for that matter) being super low income. Although I agree that needs to be done!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But they also pull out the VPI kids. Every single option school has two VPI classes who are guaranteed spots for K. If you compare the resident vs. actual fr/l numbers at the poorest schools, the kids choosing to attend schools outside of their neighborhoods are helping to balance the poverty levels. The best thing would be to put the option schools in places that have no other way to balance, even better if it's to a school where there aren't that many walkers, as a result of geography/uncrossable roads.

Sure but what is the Data on the number of those kids that stay on in K? I knew several that move back to their neighborhood school after VPI.

Yes it does help balance that out some but MORE upper income people are leaving disticts like Drew to go to Montessori and Immersion than there are VPI kids coming in.

But yes Claremont is a horrible location for a choice school because it IS in a walkable neighborhood and there really isn't another school close to the Columbia Forest and Claremont neighborhoods (Outside of Abingdon) Randolph is the next closest but it can't do busses. So kids are going to have to be bussed somewhere.

It's 100% at ATS and pretty close to that at Campbell. Not sure about the numbers for Immersion, but it's probably similar, other wise the poverty level at Randolph would be into the 90s, rather than "just" 70%. Montessori has no VPI kids, so that's absolutely a problem, one that could be fixed by changing the fee structure (making it free for a percentage of very low-income families and charging slightly more at the upper end of the sliding scale).

Most of those VPI kids at Campbell are already in the area; so it's like going to a neighborhood school.

But all the kids stay at ATS. Likely they do at Claremont and Key. Like everyone, once they're in a school the majority stay.

Do you have the stats for this out of curiosity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please stop blaming Henry for the concentration of poverty in S Arlington. This is exactly what N Arlington wants. Fleet is not going to take N Arlington PUs and the PUs south of the Pike are not all expensive homes. Some are apartments, some are condos, some are duplexes, and many of the single family homes are rentals. Yes there are some MC homes with kids but let’s not pretend it’s all lily white and UMC SFHs with kids. The area is very diverse economically and it has its share of FARMS and homelessness. Henry did not pull the ladder up. It just wants to keep its school.

It’s the entire counties job to balance diversity that is where the blame lies. A handful of MC kids will not balance a 90% plus poverty rate at Drew.

I tried to point some of this out earlier also, as someone who actually lives in that neighborhood. It’s strange that we are suddenly THE thing that is going to take Drew out of high FARMs. I don’t get it, to be honest.

But here's the thing: if you do t go to Drew some other neighborhood has to. In this case, it's Columbia Forest. You can run the numbers yourself: both the pu at Henry south of the pike and Columbia Forest have about 200 students. The farms rate for those Henry units south of the pike is about 50% so yes, diverse. Also about half white/Asian.

What about Columbia Forest planning units? It's over 80% disadvantaged. The math here is difficult because in many units, aps says there are more disadvantaged students than there are total students. Likewise, APS figures show Columbia Forest has more black and Hispanic students than total students so it's safe to say it's more racially segregated than the Henry PUs as well.

Basically, when Henry said no, we won't go to Drew aps found a poorer, more minority neighborhood to go to Drew instead, one that definitely worsens Drew's farms rate by its inclusion. And does the students in Columbia Forest no favor either- busing them past two closer schools to attend what will likely be the poorest school in the system.

And what would this do to Henry's FRL rate? It would go even lower, yes? I don't support this current plan - I think it is morally irreprehensible to intentionally establish an 80% FRL school - but one factor that makes this whole puzzle even more challenging is not letting some schools (like Oakridge and Henry) to continue losing what economic diversity they have left. APS (staff, not SB) is listening - they've finally heard that "we" want schools to reflect the system overall. So for them, getting Oakridge and Henry up to/at that 32% FRL rate is an end goal even if it means creating a 3rd highly segregated school. So how can we get Henry's FRL back up even a bit higher AND drastically reduce the FRL at Drew? Oakridge can certainly use some more low-income families; but where are they going to come from?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please stop blaming Henry for the concentration of poverty in S Arlington. This is exactly what N Arlington wants. Fleet is not going to take N Arlington PUs and the PUs south of the Pike are not all expensive homes. Some are apartments, some are condos, some are duplexes, and many of the single family homes are rentals. Yes there are some MC homes with kids but let’s not pretend it’s all lily white and UMC SFHs with kids. The area is very diverse economically and it has its share of FARMS and homelessness. Henry did not pull the ladder up. It just wants to keep its school.

It’s the entire counties job to balance diversity that is where the blame lies. A handful of MC kids will not balance a 90% plus poverty rate at Drew.

I tried to point some of this out earlier also, as someone who actually lives in that neighborhood. It’s strange that we are suddenly THE thing that is going to take Drew out of high FARMs. I don’t get it, to be honest.

But here's the thing: if you do t go to Drew some other neighborhood has to. In this case, it's Columbia Forest. You can run the numbers yourself: both the pu at Henry south of the pike and Columbia Forest have about 200 students. The farms rate for those Henry units south of the pike is about 50% so yes, diverse. Also about half white/Asian.

What about Columbia Forest planning units? It's over 80% disadvantaged. The math here is difficult because in many units, aps says there are more disadvantaged students than there are total students. Likewise, APS figures show Columbia Forest has more black and Hispanic students than total students so it's safe to say it's more racially segregated than the Henry PUs as well.

Basically, when Henry said no, we won't go to Drew aps found a poorer, more minority neighborhood to go to Drew instead, one that definitely worsens Drew's farms rate by its inclusion. And does the students in Columbia Forest no favor either- busing them past two closer schools to attend what will likely be the poorest school in the system.

And what would this do to Henry's FRL rate? It would go even lower, yes? I don't support this current plan - I think it is morally irreprehensible to intentionally establish an 80% FRL school - but one factor that makes this whole puzzle even more challenging is not letting some schools (like Oakridge and Henry) to continue losing what economic diversity they have left. APS (staff, not SB) is listening - they've finally heard that "we" want schools to reflect the system overall. So for them, getting Oakridge and Henry up to/at that 32% FRL rate is an end goal even if it means creating a 3rd highly segregated school. So how can we get Henry's FRL back up even a bit higher AND drastically reduce the FRL at Drew? Oakridge can certainly use some more low-income families; but where are they going to come from?

send Columbia Forest to Abingdon- send Fairlington that is on the other side of 395 (PU 36130) to Drew. This drastically reduces the FARMS rate at DREW to 61% instead of 83%. it elevates it some at Abingdon- but it will stay around 50%. It improves alignment b/c it takes out the students feeding to Kenmore from Drew. That PU is on a bus anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^I wasn't in the SAWG but I did go to the meetings about what was going to happen at Drew. The parent and PTA communities from Abingdon, Henry, Hoffman-Boston, Oakridge, and I think Randolph too were all participating from the start, because those schools could potentially send students to Drew. I frankly do not understand how there could have been any sort of commitment to draw from only Hoffman-Boston and Oakridge, because doing so doesn't make geographical or numeric sense.

Oakridge isn't included at all In the current proposal. One of the reasons why the SAWG voted the way we did was to help alleviate Oakridge by creating room in Drew.

I appreciate that but it was included as a possible source for students when the Drew process started. Oakridge is getting relief via Hoffman Boston, no?

What was the SAWG vote you mean? I guess I don't follow.

We voted to build an elementary school on TJ lot. Patrick Henry would go to Fleet. Montessori would move into PH which would leave spots open for Oakridge. That was the reasoning behind the vote. The neighborhoods in the west were never considered. This is a complete surprise.

Ah okay. Thanks. And also -- please take this without snark or any sort of tone -- this must be where the idea came from that APS committed that Henry could stay together, right?

APS NEVER COMMITTED that Henry would all stay together. SB members assured them that they HEARD their desires. NO promises were made. Henry people seem to have taken "we hear you; we understand; we know you want to stay together; we dont want to tear communities apart" as a promise and guarantee that there would be no PUs districted away.

Look, I know that. I'm just trying to figure out how it happened.

To answer your question, PP: Yes (from a Henry parent). Yes, yes, now we know that we were dumb, naive, should have got in a "better" writing.

[Anonymous]

Look, geography is what it is. You have to take the good with the bad. If Henry and Oakridge are really that upset about "losing" "their" diversity, they can move or, better, lobby for better housing policy in this county. But I'm not agreeing to maintain concentrated poverty so that Henry and Oakridge can have what they consider to be their goal fr/l rate. There are options here that are imperfect but they are better than the current proposal. Tanking them on the basis of privileged and successful schools wanting to "keep" diversity is not a good outcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please stop blaming Henry for the concentration of poverty in S Arlington. This is exactly what N Arlington wants. Fleet is not going to take N Arlington PUs and the PUs south of the Pike are not all expensive homes. Some are apartments, some are condos, some are duplexes, and many of the single family homes are rentals. Yes there are some MC homes with kids but let’s not pretend it’s all lily white and UMC SFHs with kids. The area is very diverse economically and it has its share of FARMS and homelessness. Henry did not pull the ladder up. It just wants to keep its school.

It’s the entire counties job to balance diversity that is where the blame lies. A handful of MC kids will not balance a 90% plus poverty rate at Drew.

I tried to point some of this out earlier also, as someone who actually lives in that neighborhood. It’s strange that we are suddenly THE thing that is going to take Drew out of high FARMs. I don’t get it, to be honest.

I tried to do some rough, back of the envelope calculations, and making assumptions in favor of the Drew parents on this Board (e.g., that all ED kids would be replaced by non-ED kids), it seems like moving those south-of-Columbia Pike Henry PUs to Drew would decrease Drew's poverty rate by about 10-15 percent.

I agree with the Drew parents that pulling in Columbia Heights is wrong on many levels, but I agree with Henry parents that tearing apart a school community is not the way to "improve" Drew. For example, when Montessori made its own PTA, they were assuming that Oakridge parents were coming to "save" Drew. But, it's my understanding that Nauck CA has worked hard over the past 2 years to prevent that from happening.

Let's not assume Montessori assumed anything. Montessori was going to establish its PTA regardless of who came or didn't come. That's just a stupid remark. It's not like Montessori was ever going to say, "oh, wait a minute! since Oakridge isn't taking our place, we'll stay."

And "tearing apart a school community" is just exaggerated drama and hysteria. Boundaries have to change. When boundaries change, some people actually get moved from one school to another school. What's APS supposed to do? Leave Drew sitting with 450 empty seats? Just wait for more students to come into the neighborhood and fill those seats when they do? Let Fleet, the largest elementary school in the system, be overcapacity in a year and leaving no room for enrollment growth from its zoned boundary?

Did anyone see the Washington Post article yesterday about Montgomery County schools making diversity its primary factor in new boundaries? Why? because the SCHOOL SYSTEM is actually trying to DO SOMETHING to mitigate the impacts of the COUNTY'S housing patterns and REDUCE SEGREGATION in its schools. THAT's progressive policy. THAT's political courage. THAT's elected leaders (the majority who voted for it) making decisions and doing their jobs.

Um, it's not an assumption because I'm a Montessori parent involved in the previous PTA. Montessori said, let's do our own PTA this year because Oakridge will be coming in and we don't have to worry about leaving the rest of the PTA (which, honestly, there was none) in the lurch.