APS Middle School Boundaries?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's refresh everyone on what a neighborhood-school is supposed to be about. We are all supposed to live near each other and its supposed to be a community. If I am in a PU that gets bused to TJ I don't want to now get bused to freaking Williamsburg and not be with any people near me just so some N Arlington jerks can still walk to school.

I'm sure that's just a rumor but it's freaking outrageous.

Yeah it is hard for kids to remain friends with other kids who live close by when they go to different schools. This would be awful.

The community is defined by the boundaries drawn by by APS. Your neighbors would still go to the same school, unless you happen to be right on a boundary. And boundaries have to be somewhere. It's not really a change from the status quo. It's just a question of what methodology and inputs APS uses to decide the boundary map.

When boundaries are not contiguous there is no community. Sorry but some bused island over by TJ or Kenmore is not going to be part of the school community no matter how you spin it.

That's crazy. Option schools have plenty of community. And MS and HS boundaries are already large. APS has already said it won't create small islands of PUs. Trying to preserve walk zones shouldn't do anything crazy.

It's very different than when the kids all live in the same area. By middle school they can all walk to see each other etc. In elementary you're talking about easy drives and play dates. I'm not saying it's not community, but it's not the same feel at all. Had kids do both.

Okay, so they will ride the bus home with a huge population of kids and then walk to see each other. It’s no different than current middle schools where a friend could live on one end of boundary and the other — they would be bused and still far from each other. Nothing changes for bused students except destination.

You really can't see how bused kids on the outer rings of a boundary but still contiguous would be having a different experience if they are bused to a school and don't live near their classmates. Your suggestion is they should just be friends with the kids on the bus with them. So basically the school will have 2 groups...the walkers and the busers. Keep in mind in most of these schools the busers will be the minority. But that's okay for them is what you're saying. No big deal.

Have you ever been to middle school?
Have you ever had a friend who didn't live in your neighborhood?
Just how much do you think friends have to get together outside of school and their extracurricular activities anyway?

I have children in middle school. My kids do have time to get together outside of school and they walk and ride bikes to see friends. They live outside of our very immediate neighborhood but their close enough to get to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if any of this is to be believed, but this is why APS annoys me.

I am in the Swanson walk zone and would prefer to go to Williamsburg with the rest of the elementary school. Most families I've talked to feel this way. But according to this unsubstantiated plan, you're going to bus some kids from TJ and Kenmore to fill Willamsburg? Huh?

I think this is all probably fake news, but it's like because some group of very loud Hamm people are not okay with taking a bus the new plan is that walk zones will be preserved at all costs. There is a diagram! That's the plan! They saw the diagram in the secret diagram room!

The sad part is if the loud people didn't always get listened to in the past, I might feel certain this is all a bunch of BS. But you can never be sure with APS.

If there are PUs at Swanson that want to go to WMS, they should raise their hands. There is zero reason for APS not to move them.

Except didn't you hear about the diagram????? The walk zones are preserved.

If APS is going to move heaven and earth to keep the Hamm walk zone intact what's the logic to not do the same thing with the Swanson one. They have to have some cover of consistency and a plan based on policy as opposed to just listening to a group of whiners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's refresh everyone on what a neighborhood-school is supposed to be about. We are all supposed to live near each other and its supposed to be a community. If I am in a PU that gets bused to TJ I don't want to now get bused to freaking Williamsburg and not be with any people near me just so some N Arlington jerks can still walk to school.

I'm sure that's just a rumor but it's freaking outrageous.

Yeah it is hard for kids to remain friends with other kids who live close by when they go to different schools. This would be awful.

The community is defined by the boundaries drawn by by APS. Your neighbors would still go to the same school, unless you happen to be right on a boundary. And boundaries have to be somewhere. It's not really a change from the status quo. It's just a question of what methodology and inputs APS uses to decide the boundary map.

When boundaries are not contiguous there is no community. Sorry but some bused island over by TJ or Kenmore is not going to be part of the school community no matter how you spin it.

That's crazy. Option schools have plenty of community. And MS and HS boundaries are already large. APS has already said it won't create small islands of PUs. Trying to preserve walk zones shouldn't do anything crazy.

It's very different than when the kids all live in the same area. By middle school they can all walk to see each other etc. In elementary you're talking about easy drives and play dates. I'm not saying it's not community, but it's not the same feel at all. Had kids do both.

Okay, so they will ride the bus home with a huge population of kids and then walk to see each other. It’s no different than current middle schools where a friend could live on one end of boundary and the other — they would be bused and still far from each other. Nothing changes for bused students except destination.

You really can't see how bused kids on the outer rings of a boundary but still contiguous would be having a different experience if they are bused to a school and don't live near their classmates. Your suggestion is they should just be friends with the kids on the bus with them. So basically the school will have 2 groups...the walkers and the busers. Keep in mind in most of these schools the busers will be the minority. But that's okay for them is what you're saying. No big deal.

Have you ever been to middle school?
Have you ever had a friend who didn't live in your neighborhood?
Just how much do you think friends have to get together outside of school and their extracurricular activities anyway?

I have children in middle school. My kids do have time to get together outside of school and they walk and ride bikes to see friends. They live outside of our very immediate neighborhood but they are close enough to get to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Latest proposal I saw was basically preserving walk zones, and then just rotating bused PUs to balance enrollment. Seems likely they are ignoring alignment since it’s too difficult without more capacity in upper schools.

Where did you see this? How do they fill Williamsburg without dipping into some walk zones? There's nowhere to go but Swanson or Hamm walk zones. They need a lot of PUs to move to Williamsburg.

The diagram I saw imagined he bused PUs as a river, flowing around the walk zone islands. Basically bus for WMS could be coming from what used to be a Kenmore or TJ PU even, and just flow up to WMS around walkzones. It actually reduced the overall demand for buses in the system because the routes allowed for more effective utilization for each bus.

Dumb ass idea.

All this would do is increase the competition and prices for houses in the perceived immutable walk zones.

APS has already said it will try to preserve walk zones. It's nothing new.

Ok, so APS saying it will have walk zones as one of a series of guiding principles and saying APS produced a diagram (no they didn't) that preserves walk zones above all else and ignores any other guiding principles...two very different things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if any of this is to be believed, but this is why APS annoys me.

I am in the Swanson walk zone and would prefer to go to Williamsburg with the rest of the elementary school. Most families I've talked to feel this way. But according to this unsubstantiated plan, you're going to bus some kids from TJ and Kenmore to fill Willamsburg? Huh?

I think this is all probably fake news, but it's like because some group of very loud Hamm people are not okay with taking a bus the new plan is that walk zones will be preserved at all costs. There is a diagram! That's the plan! They saw the diagram in the secret diagram room!

The sad part is if the loud people didn't always get listened to in the past, I might feel certain this is all a bunch of BS. But you can never be sure with APS.

If there are PUs at Swanson that want to go to WMS, they should raise their hands. There is zero reason for APS not to move them.

Except didn't you hear about the diagram????? The walk zones are preserved.

If APS is going to move heaven and earth to keep the Hamm walk zone intact what's the logic to not do the same thing with the Swanson one. They have to have some cover of consistency and a plan based on policy as opposed to just listening to a group of whiners.

Since when has a boundary map or diagram by APS more than a year before a decision ever been definitive? It's a conversation topic at most.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if any of this is to be believed, but this is why APS annoys me.

I am in the Swanson walk zone and would prefer to go to Williamsburg with the rest of the elementary school. Most families I've talked to feel this way. But according to this unsubstantiated plan, you're going to bus some kids from TJ and Kenmore to fill Willamsburg? Huh?

I think this is all probably fake news, but it's like because some group of very loud Hamm people are not okay with taking a bus the new plan is that walk zones will be preserved at all costs. There is a diagram! That's the plan! They saw the diagram in the secret diagram room!

The sad part is if the loud people didn't always get listened to in the past, I might feel certain this is all a bunch of BS. But you can never be sure with APS.

If there are PUs at Swanson that want to go to WMS, they should raise their hands. There is zero reason for APS not to move them.

Except didn't you hear about the diagram????? The walk zones are preserved.

If APS is going to move heaven and earth to keep the Hamm walk zone intact what's the logic to not do the same thing with the Swanson one. They have to have some cover of consistency and a plan based on policy as opposed to just listening to a group of whiners.

Since when has a boundary map or diagram by APS more than a year before a decision ever been definitive? It's a conversation topic at most.

No one has even produced the diagram being spoken about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's refresh everyone on what a neighborhood-school is supposed to be about. We are all supposed to live near each other and its supposed to be a community. If I am in a PU that gets bused to TJ I don't want to now get bused to freaking Williamsburg and not be with any people near me just so some N Arlington jerks can still walk to school.

I'm sure that's just a rumor but it's freaking outrageous.

Yeah it is hard for kids to remain friends with other kids who live close by when they go to different schools. This would be awful.

The community is defined by the boundaries drawn by by APS. Your neighbors would still go to the same school, unless you happen to be right on a boundary. And boundaries have to be somewhere. It's not really a change from the status quo. It's just a question of what methodology and inputs APS uses to decide the boundary map.

When boundaries are not contiguous there is no community. Sorry but some bused island over by TJ or Kenmore is not going to be part of the school community no matter how you spin it.

That's crazy. Option schools have plenty of community. And MS and HS boundaries are already large. APS has already said it won't create small islands of PUs. Trying to preserve walk zones shouldn't do anything crazy.

It's very different than when the kids all live in the same area. By middle school they can all walk to see each other etc. In elementary you're talking about easy drives and play dates. I'm not saying it's not community, but it's not the same feel at all. Had kids do both.

Okay, so they will ride the bus home with a huge population of kids and then walk to see each other. It’s no different than current middle schools where a friend could live on one end of boundary and the other — they would be bused and still far from each other. Nothing changes for bused students except destination.

You really can't see how bused kids on the outer rings of a boundary but still contiguous would be having a different experience if they are bused to a school and don't live near their classmates. Your suggestion is they should just be friends with the kids on the bus with them. So basically the school will have 2 groups...the walkers and the busers. Keep in mind in most of these schools the busers will be the minority. But that's okay for them is what you're saying. No big deal.

Have you ever been to middle school?
Have you ever had a friend who didn't live in your neighborhood?
Just how much do you think friends have to get together outside of school and their extracurricular activities anyway?

I have children in middle school. My kids do have time to get together outside of school and they walk and ride bikes to see friends. They live outside of our very immediate neighborhood but their close enough to get to.

If they bus kids from by Hamm to WMS, thats 3 miles away. How is that not also destroying community? It’s not a neighborhood over, kids will be spread 5 miles apart. It’s no different than the walkable islands, except the walkable islands plan would minimize buses to the greatest degree possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if any of this is to be believed, but this is why APS annoys me.

I am in the Swanson walk zone and would prefer to go to Williamsburg with the rest of the elementary school. Most families I've talked to feel this way. But according to this unsubstantiated plan, you're going to bus some kids from TJ and Kenmore to fill Willamsburg? Huh?

I think this is all probably fake news, but it's like because some group of very loud Hamm people are not okay with taking a bus the new plan is that walk zones will be preserved at all costs. There is a diagram! That's the plan! They saw the diagram in the secret diagram room!

The sad part is if the loud people didn't always get listened to in the past, I might feel certain this is all a bunch of BS. But you can never be sure with APS.

If there are PUs at Swanson that want to go to WMS, they should raise their hands. There is zero reason for APS not to move them.

Except didn't you hear about the diagram????? The walk zones are preserved.

If APS is going to move heaven and earth to keep the Hamm walk zone intact what's the logic to not do the same thing with the Swanson one. They have to have some cover of consistency and a plan based on policy as opposed to just listening to a group of whiners.

Since when has a boundary map or diagram by APS more than a year before a decision ever been definitive? It's a conversation topic at most.

No one has even produced the diagram being spoken about.

There isn't one. The whole idea has been made up just to stir up the conversation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it really depends on where each school is at with capacity.

When they opened Hamm, they did not grandfather the 8th graders (I don't believe) and a bunch of them moved. But it was a huge chunk of them and Swanson was bursting and they needed to open a brand new school.

But I was at McKinley way back when they added a bunch of kids with the expansion and they did allow K students to start at McKinley if they knew they were being rezoned there, if that makes any sense. So the analogy for this situation would be rising 6th graders who know they will be moved to Williamsburg in 7th will likely be given the option to go to Williamsburg in 6th.

That's funny -- I thought they did grandfather eighth grade when Hamm opened (which is why Hamm was super empty the first year).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's refresh everyone on what a neighborhood-school is supposed to be about. We are all supposed to live near each other and its supposed to be a community. If I am in a PU that gets bused to TJ I don't want to now get bused to freaking Williamsburg and not be with any people near me just so some N Arlington jerks can still walk to school.

I'm sure that's just a rumor but it's freaking outrageous.

Yeah it is hard for kids to remain friends with other kids who live close by when they go to different schools. This would be awful.

The community is defined by the boundaries drawn by by APS. Your neighbors would still go to the same school, unless you happen to be right on a boundary. And boundaries have to be somewhere. It's not really a change from the status quo. It's just a question of what methodology and inputs APS uses to decide the boundary map.

When boundaries are not contiguous there is no community. Sorry but some bused island over by TJ or Kenmore is not going to be part of the school community no matter how you spin it.

That's crazy. Option schools have plenty of community. And MS and HS boundaries are already large. APS has already said it won't create small islands of PUs. Trying to preserve walk zones shouldn't do anything crazy.

It's very different than when the kids all live in the same area. By middle school they can all walk to see each other etc. In elementary you're talking about easy drives and play dates. I'm not saying it's not community, but it's not the same feel at all. Had kids do both.

Okay, so they will ride the bus home with a huge population of kids and then walk to see each other. It’s no different than current middle schools where a friend could live on one end of boundary and the other — they would be bused and still far from each other. Nothing changes for bused students except destination.

You really can't see how bused kids on the outer rings of a boundary but still contiguous would be having a different experience if they are bused to a school and don't live near their classmates. Your suggestion is they should just be friends with the kids on the bus with them. So basically the school will have 2 groups...the walkers and the busers. Keep in mind in most of these schools the busers will be the minority. But that's okay for them is what you're saying. No big deal.

Have you ever been to middle school?
Have you ever had a friend who didn't live in your neighborhood?
Just how much do you think friends have to get together outside of school and their extracurricular activities anyway?

I have children in middle school. My kids do have time to get together outside of school and they walk and ride bikes to see friends. They live outside of our very immediate neighborhood but their close enough to get to.

If they bus kids from by Hamm to WMS, thats 3 miles away. How is that not also destroying community? It’s not a neighborhood over, kids will be spread 5 miles apart. It’s no different than the walkable islands, except the walkable islands plan would minimize buses to the greatest degree possible.

This whole discussion is nonsense. Be friends with whomever you want. Schools are to educate your child, not to facilitate neighborhood relationships.

[Anonymous]

“ APS is pausing the 2023 Middle School Boundary Process and the Proposal to Relocate the Spanish Immersion Program until Fall 2024.” In email now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“ APS is pausing the 2023 Middle School Boundary Process and the Proposal to Relocate the Spanish Immersion Program until Fall 2024.” In email now.

Publically. Internally I’m sure things are being developed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“ APS is pausing the 2023 Middle School Boundary Process and the Proposal to Relocate the Spanish Immersion Program until Fall 2024.” In email now.

This makes sense. I'm glad they are looking at it as a whole with the program pathways from middle to high school. But have to laugh that they didn't realize this before starting the immersion process!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“ APS is pausing the 2023 Middle School Boundary Process and the Proposal to Relocate the Spanish Immersion Program until Fall 2024.” In email now.

Wasn’t this announced like three days ago is there something new?

[Anonymous]

Here is the slide deck for the upcoming meeting:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/arlington/Board.nsf/files/CVTRSN6F3A6D/$file/Work%20Session%20MS%20Boundaries.pdf