Let’s Talk APS High Schools: 4th one or no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Fleet wanted some things in its construction that were eliminated in order to - gasp - stay on budget. Didn't get everything the community wanted.

I've seen this mentioned before- what was cut from Fleet to meet the budget?

I didn’t know this either. If I were at Fleet, I’d be pissed the SB was falling all over themselves to find money and beg for it for Reed. What was cut from Fleet?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Can we talk about the CB? I want them to give APS the Walter Reed CC!!! Use it for amenities for the 4th H.S. it is so close.

And senior centers and the like can be in much smaller land. Come on, people. Would that help make the CC site a much better option for a 4th high school?!

Can of worms
But knock yourself out. I’ve always felt that was a ton wasted space, but I don’t use it- easy for me to say.

I live right next to it and agree it’s total wasted space. I’ve always thought that could be used for something better.

If you do that, do you leave the Patrick Henry school untouched, or do you get to take it all? Maybe we could build a new school at Walter Reed to replace Patrick Henry?

Don’t know how much room there is at Walter Reed. We absolutely cannot build a second class high school. If it needs both plots to have everything the other school have, do it. The whole county suffers if this H.S. is any less than the others. And the CB has to understand that.

And listen, we won’t be zoned for it. But I cannot fathom that we do anything less than 100%. I get there are very important programs at Walter Reed. But those programs can be moved. Aren’t those better suited to some of this commercial space than a H.S.?

We absolutely can build a second class HS and call it an option program, and that's what they're going to do. It's easier than taking community centers. If you argue you should have a neighborhood boundary, you still can't force them to give you what is not possible to give.

Not unless you promise a second HB, with the test scores to support it.
Familes aren’t interested in arl tech.wake up. You are talking about wasting so much money.
You must work for the county...

Look, I am just a realist. They cannot and will not give this school equivalent amenities because there are too many other expensive things on the horizon and there's a huge budget shortfall. It's APS that is going to bear the brunt of this. The County Board is not going to prioritize schools above the other things. I don't agree with them, but I acknowledge the reality. So if APS has less to work with, I don't think it can afford to build a 4th HS right now, even if we do need it, without making a lot of other cuts that would affect the whole system. And I don't think they are willing to do that. So if it's not going to be a true comprehensive HS with all the amenities, I don't think anyone should be forced there and it should be an option school. If they invest in making that option school awesome, the seats will fill even without a pool and a field.

And when they voted to spend 100+ million on the 770 seats for HB Woodlawn 3 years and 4 months ago, there were NO other expensive projects on the horizon???? We were not anticipating ANY projects at that time? Riiight. This budget shortfall comes completely out of the blue??
You got to be kidding!!!!!

It is this kind on unbelievable shortsightedness, mismanagement, and plain idiocy (and the lack of real leadership) that got us into this situation in the first place!

They will spend it, just not for YOU. Welcome to Arlington.

Wakefield is that nicest Hs
Fleet is going to be top of the line
Reed is getting every penny to be what they want
Abingdon - $$$$$
HB- you get the idea.
They spend it on everyone.
There is no precedent for them NOT doing what a neighborhood wants.
You are just making stuff up. You sound silly and uninformed.

Abington was just a small addition/renovation, did they go over budget with it?
Otherwise I don’t understand the 5 $$$$$ , in comparison to the other projects.
There were also the Ashlawn and McKinley renovations, which I thought each cost more than the Abington overhaul?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Fleet wanted some things in its construction that were eliminated in order to - gasp - stay on budget. Didn't get everything the community wanted.

I've seen this mentioned before- what was cut from Fleet to meet the budget?

I didn’t know this either. If I were at Fleet, I’d be pissed the SB was falling all over themselves to find money and beg for it for Reed. What was cut from Fleet?

I don't know what was cut from Fleet, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the funding needed to make it one single building rather than two. Reed will end up making compromises on its interior as well to keep it within the revised budget, it's not going to get another increase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Fleet wanted some things in its construction that were eliminated in order to - gasp - stay on budget. Didn't get everything the community wanted.

I've seen this mentioned before- what was cut from Fleet to meet the budget?

I didn’t know this either. If I were at Fleet, I’d be pissed the SB was falling all over themselves to find money and beg for it for Reed. What was cut from Fleet?

I don't know what was cut from Fleet, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the funding needed to make it one single building rather than two. Reed will end up making compromises on its interior as well to keep it within the revised budget, it's not going to get another increase.

People are talking out of their asses. Fleet will be beautiful and well appointed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Fleet wanted some things in its construction that were eliminated in order to - gasp - stay on budget. Didn't get everything the community wanted.

I've seen this mentioned before- what was cut from Fleet to meet the budget?

I didn’t know this either. If I were at Fleet, I’d be pissed the SB was falling all over themselves to find money and beg for it for Reed. What was cut from Fleet?

I don't know what was cut from Fleet, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the funding needed to make it one single building rather than two. Reed will end up making compromises on its interior as well to keep it within the revised budget, it's not going to get another increase.

While it should be an absolute given for Reed to make compromises here on out to keep within its revised budget (though I wouldn't hold my breath)
the point is that their budget was increased before the project even began. They've started from a point of no-compromise. Henry started by giving up its location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Fleet wanted some things in its construction that were eliminated in order to - gasp - stay on budget. Didn't get everything the community wanted.

I've seen this mentioned before- what was cut from Fleet to meet the budget?

I didn’t know this either. If I were at Fleet, I’d be pissed the SB was falling all over themselves to find money and beg for it for Reed. What was cut from Fleet?

I don't know what was cut from Fleet, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the funding needed to make it one single building rather than two. Reed will end up making compromises on its interior as well to keep it within the revised budget, it's not going to get another increase.

People are talking out of their asses. Fleet will be beautiful and well appointed.

And on budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Fleet wanted some things in its construction that were eliminated in order to - gasp - stay on budget. Didn't get everything the community wanted.

I've seen this mentioned before- what was cut from Fleet to meet the budget?

I didn’t know this either. If I were at Fleet, I’d be pissed the SB was falling all over themselves to find money and beg for it for Reed. What was cut from Fleet?

I don't know what was cut from Fleet, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the funding needed to make it one single building rather than two. Reed will end up making compromises on its interior as well to keep it within the revised budget, it's not going to get another increase.

People are talking out of their asses. Fleet will be beautiful and well appointed.

And on budget.

Hear, hear!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Fleet wanted some things in its construction that were eliminated in order to - gasp - stay on budget. Didn't get everything the community wanted.

I've seen this mentioned before- what was cut from Fleet to meet the budget?

I didn’t know this either. If I were at Fleet, I’d be pissed the SB was falling all over themselves to find money and beg for it for Reed. What was cut from Fleet?

I don't know what was cut from Fleet, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the funding needed to make it one single building rather than two. Reed will end up making compromises on its interior as well to keep it within the revised budget, it's not going to get another increase.

While it should be an absolute given for Reed to make compromises here on out to keep within its revised budget (though I wouldn't hold my breath)
the point is that their budget was increased before the project even began. They've started from a point of no-compromise. Henry started by giving up its location.

I get for Reed that having two buildings or that funky bridge did seem reasonable. And that they were told the ciurrent building could just be built up. Nonetheless, everyone (except for HB, of course) are going to have to expect less than others were given.

Reed has come across as demanding and unaware of the changing environment. Plus, as a parent in the NW Quadrant I’m pissed these same parents on these civic associations haven’t stepped into the debate about losing a neighborhood school nearby. They could all write one more joint letter talking about how they know their part of Arlington is growing and will continue to see a rise in young kids. Ask the SB not to take away a neighborhood school in an area that has always defied APS’s expectations on growth.

Did I want a neighborhood school at Reed? Yes. Did I ever imagine it meant a nearby school would become an option school? No. So do I give a crap about it having to be in two buildings? Not a bit. I want that extra money to go to the next project. They will need it too.

[Anonymous]

Westover people are selfish, entitled jerks. They got what they want, so to heck with everyone else.

[Anonymous]

Gee, it sound like everyone is a selfish, entitled prick. It must be the Arlington Way or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gee, it sound like everyone is a selfish, entitled prick. It must be the Arlington Way or something.

Nailed it.

[Anonymous]

It's a bunch of people competing for a scarce resource that cannot be evenly distributed among everyone. It's basic human psychology that it will get ugly, that's not specific to Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a bunch of people competing for a scarce resource that cannot be evenly distributed among everyone. It's basic human psychology that it will get ugly, that's not specific to Arlington.

Not aware of any other local school system that's shot itself in the foot through poor planning to the same degree as APS, but carry on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a bunch of people competing for a scarce resource that cannot be evenly distributed among everyone. It's basic human psychology that it will get ugly, that's not specific to Arlington.

Not aware of any other local school system that's shot itself in the foot through poor planning to the same degree as APS, but carry on.

APS has struggled with a county board that continues to approved increasing- and high-density residential development leading to a skyrocketing student population while refusing to make additional contributions to APS's capital infrastructure investment. That's the real problem here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a bunch of people competing for a scarce resource that cannot be evenly distributed among everyone. It's basic human psychology that it will get ugly, that's not specific to Arlington.

Not aware of any other local school system that's shot itself in the foot through poor planning to the same degree as APS, but carry on.

APS has struggled with a county board that continues to approved increasing- and high-density residential development leading to a skyrocketing student population while refusing to make additional contributions to APS's capital infrastructure investment. That's the real problem here.

This. Every time the county approves the tear-down of a 2BR house to replace it with a 5BR one. Every time it approves luxury townhome developments to replace old 1 and 2-BR garden apartments. Every time it approves an AH complex. None of these really appeal to single people, they are family-oriented homes. Families mean kids. Yet, the CB and the baby boomers in Arlington refuse to add to the APS budget.

Westover residents aren't being assholes any more than the HB community, or jack-asses anywhere else (Nottingham petition, anyone?).