Another choice school in N Arlington?

[Anonymous]

Seems like a neighborhood school would be good for the Westover people. I understand that they would welcome an elementary school if it is a neighborhood school.

The SB's estimates/projections (which have never been accurate) about overcrowding have changed. Now the SB believes that crowding will be worse in the Balston - Rosalyn corridor, and still be overcrowded, but less so in the NW quadrant. What changes will come out of next year's projections? IF they need to solve and overcrowding in the B-R corridor, and no parcel is available in the B-R corridor, Then build a neighborhood school in Westover and change boundaries --

When is the last time the SB looked at boundaries in a comprehensive way? Seems like that could solve some issues.

[Anonymous]

The Facilities Advisory Committee will recommend moving Arlington Science Focus to the Reed School. I have the inside scoop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Facilities Advisory Committee will recommend moving Arlington Science Focus to the Reed School. I have the inside scoop.

What will happen to current ASF space? Regular neighborhood school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems like a neighborhood school would be good for the Westover people. I understand that they would welcome an elementary school if it is a neighborhood school.

The SB's estimates/projections (which have never been accurate) about overcrowding have changed. Now the SB believes that crowding will be worse in the Balston - Rosalyn corridor, and still be overcrowded, but less so in the NW quadrant. What changes will come out of next year's projections? IF they need to solve and overcrowding in the B-R corridor, and no parcel is available in the B-R corridor, Then build a neighborhood school in Westover and change boundaries --

When is the last time the SB looked at boundaries in a comprehensive way? Seems like that could solve some issues.

The issue is that they just spent a ton of money expanding McK and Ashlawn to 685 student schools, but these two facilities are extremely close to Reed (McK in particular). It is hard to draw boundaries for these three NW facilities (Reed, McK, and Ashlawn) as neighborhood schools that meaningfully alleviates NE overcrowding especially when Ashlawn itself is still overcrowded even with the addition. What they should have done is turned Reed into an ES and put the money for the McK addition towards an addition at one of the NE ES buildings-- but too late for that. However, the only way choice works as a solution to the NE overcrowding is if enough NE families are willing to travel to Reed for ES. And those of you in South Arlington who are lobbying for Reed to be a choice school-- go right ahead, but it won't help your situation. Look at the CIP deck-- once the new ES is up and running and they redraw South Arlington boundaries, they are predicting a SURPLUS of South Arlington seats. They will prioritize seats at a new Reed choice school to North Arlington residents because they have to do that to relieve NE overcrowding. Don't yell at me for saying that-- just look at slide #8 of the CIP deck that is linked in one of the prior posts. Those are the numbers APS is working with and they have to slice down that NE capacity crunch in some way. They aren't looking to engage in some sort of policy debate about the value of choice schools with South Arlington. APS thinks the new ES takes care of all of your problems. Don't complain here... go to the School Board meeting on Thursday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BTW, Reed as an ES is NOT a done deal. That was the super's recommendation. It was never presented in any of the previous CIP meetings. APS said they would form a working group to determine the location of the ES and Reed was only ever presented (publicly) as an early education center. So, when the Super presented the plan to make Reed an ES and bypass the whole NAWG plan, even the Facilities Advisory Committee was caught off guard.

Speaking as someone who was part of the vaunted SAWG, I can tell you the result you'll get if you form a NAWG: you will delay the construction of a new school by about a year, and the end result will be the one APS had in mind all along. But, please do go ahead with the charade so that you can see for yourself. Truly, APS is out of good options, so the working groups are not going to magically find one. They won't let you include the Buck property, because APS doesn't and won't own it, just like SAWG wasn't allowed to include the VHC site, or the two different sites that developers were offering in exchange for up-zoning. But if you need this process so that you can come to the same conclusion, be my guest. Just trying to show you the real picture.

Is there a good place to find this information? I'd like to share this with neighbors pushing for a NAWG, but I think it would sound better if I had a source I would point them to other than DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Facilities Advisory Committee will recommend moving Arlington Science Focus to the Reed School. I have the inside scoop.

Westover will only accept ASFS if they get priority enrollment, like Key does now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like a neighborhood school would be good for the Westover people. I understand that they would welcome an elementary school if it is a neighborhood school.

The SB's estimates/projections (which have never been accurate) about overcrowding have changed. Now the SB believes that crowding will be worse in the Balston - Rosalyn corridor, and still be overcrowded, but less so in the NW quadrant. What changes will come out of next year's projections? IF they need to solve and overcrowding in the B-R corridor, and no parcel is available in the B-R corridor, Then build a neighborhood school in Westover and change boundaries --

When is the last time the SB looked at boundaries in a comprehensive way? Seems like that could solve some issues.

The issue is that they just spent a ton of money expanding McK and Ashlawn to 685 student schools, but these two facilities are extremely close to Reed (McK in particular). It is hard to draw boundaries for these three NW facilities (Reed, McK, and Ashlawn) as neighborhood schools that meaningfully alleviates NE overcrowding especially when Ashlawn itself is still overcrowded even with the addition. What they should have done is turned Reed into an ES and put the money for the McK addition towards an addition at one of the NE ES buildings-- but too late for that. However, the only way choice works as a solution to the NE overcrowding is if enough NE families are willing to travel to Reed for ES. And those of you in South Arlington who are lobbying for Reed to be a choice school-- go right ahead, but it won't help your situation. Look at the CIP deck-- once the new ES is up and running and they redraw South Arlington boundaries, they are predicting a SURPLUS of South Arlington seats. They will prioritize seats at a new Reed choice school to North Arlington residents because they have to do that to relieve NE overcrowding. Don't yell at me for saying that-- just look at slide #8 of the CIP deck that is linked in one of the prior posts. Those are the numbers APS is working with and they have to slice down that NE capacity crunch in some way. They aren't looking to engage in some sort of policy debate about the value of choice schools with South Arlington. APS thinks the new ES takes care of all of your problems. Don't complain here... go to the School Board meeting on Thursday.

Actually, slide #8 shows that there would still be a deficit of seats in SW Arlington, which is the poorest area of the county and where the county is agitating to add/concentrate even more affordable housing. Seems like redrawing the boundaries to draw in some of those students to Reed could be a good solution; it evens out some of the demographics, satisfies S Arlington parents, and alleviates some of the overcrowding.

[Anonymous]

You realize Reed is no where near South Arlington and not convenient for those that live in Key b/c it's likely the opposite direction from where they work. It's not going to pull from all parts of the county. It just won't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Facilities Advisory Committee will recommend moving Arlington Science Focus to the Reed School. I have the inside scoop.

ASFS are going to have something to say about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Facilities Advisory Committee will recommend moving Arlington Science Focus to the Reed School. I have the inside scoop.

Westover will only accept ASFS if they get priority enrollment, like Key does now.

This would be awesome!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Facilities Advisory Committee will recommend moving Arlington Science Focus to the Reed School. I have the inside scoop.

ASFS are going to have something to say about that.

I cannot comprehend the ASFS building. It's like a big, ugly, Tetris piece. They need new space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like a neighborhood school would be good for the Westover people. I understand that they would welcome an elementary school if it is a neighborhood school.

The SB's estimates/projections (which have never been accurate) about overcrowding have changed. Now the SB believes that crowding will be worse in the Balston - Rosalyn corridor, and still be overcrowded, but less so in the NW quadrant. What changes will come out of next year's projections? IF they need to solve and overcrowding in the B-R corridor, and no parcel is available in the B-R corridor, Then build a neighborhood school in Westover and change boundaries --

When is the last time the SB looked at boundaries in a comprehensive way? Seems like that could solve some issues.

The issue is that they just spent a ton of money expanding McK and Ashlawn to 685 student schools, but these two facilities are extremely close to Reed (McK in particular). It is hard to draw boundaries for these three NW facilities (Reed, McK, and Ashlawn) as neighborhood schools that meaningfully alleviates NE overcrowding especially when Ashlawn itself is still overcrowded even with the addition. What they should have done is turned Reed into an ES and put the money for the McK addition towards an addition at one of the NE ES buildings-- but too late for that. However, the only way choice works as a solution to the NE overcrowding is if enough NE families are willing to travel to Reed for ES. And those of you in South Arlington who are lobbying for Reed to be a choice school-- go right ahead, but it won't help your situation. Look at the CIP deck-- once the new ES is up and running and they redraw South Arlington boundaries, they are predicting a SURPLUS of South Arlington seats. They will prioritize seats at a new Reed choice school to North Arlington residents because they have to do that to relieve NE overcrowding. Don't yell at me for saying that-- just look at slide #8 of the CIP deck that is linked in one of the prior posts. Those are the numbers APS is working with and they have to slice down that NE capacity crunch in some way. They aren't looking to engage in some sort of policy debate about the value of choice schools with South Arlington. APS thinks the new ES takes care of all of your problems. Don't complain here... go to the School Board meeting on Thursday.

Actually, slide #8 shows that there would still be a deficit of seats in SW Arlington, which is the poorest area of the county and where the county is agitating to add/concentrate even more affordable housing. Seems like redrawing the boundaries to draw in some of those students to Reed could be a good solution; it evens out some of the demographics, satisfies S Arlington parents, and alleviates some of the overcrowding.

Exactly - there will still be a deficit. And it's so much worse with crowded poverty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Facilities Advisory Committee will recommend moving Arlington Science Focus to the Reed School. I have the inside scoop.

Westover will only accept ASFS if they get priority enrollment, like Key does now.

Unfortunately what Westover "will only accept" is irrelevant to the decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Facilities Advisory Committee will recommend moving Arlington Science Focus to the Reed School. I have the inside scoop.

ASFS are going to have something to say about that.

ASFS may have something to say but in the end the fact that it will not want to move will be subservient to the overall needs of APS. And between the trailers that it already has, the fact that additional classrooms could not be added in the lower level as planned and the projected increase in another 100 students next year, well ASFS is outgrowing its space.

[Anonymous]

Move Key/Immersion to Reed.