APS middle school boundary process

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of you guys posting here are just talking out of your asses and not looking at the map. We're talking about several Dominion Hills streets that are less than 1/2 mile from Swanson. If we want more diversity as a County, fine. Then lets break up the walk zones at all the middle schools. But this plan targets one walk zone at one middle school in one of the only areas in North Arlington that has welcomed affordable housing. But go ahead, peel off the walkers from that neighborhood. Meanwhile Williamsburg sits at 4% FARMS and only 93% utilization. You know who is pushing this plan the most? All those Nottingham and Discovery and Jamestown parents... sacrifice the Westover walkers and it makes South Arlington feel like the School Board has addressed "diversity"- meanwhile they get to keep their wall up around 22207.

+1. Exactly this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of you guys posting here are just talking out of your asses and not looking at the map. We're talking about several Dominion Hills streets that are less than 1/2 mile from Swanson. If we want more diversity as a County, fine. Then lets break up the walk zones at all the middle schools. But this plan targets one walk zone at one middle school in one of the only areas in North Arlington that has welcomed affordable housing. But go ahead, peel off the walkers from that neighborhood. Meanwhile Williamsburg sits at 4% FARMS and only 93% utilization. You know who is pushing this plan the most? All those Nottingham and Discovery and Jamestown parents... sacrifice the Westover walkers and it makes South Arlington feel like the School Board has addressed "diversity"- meanwhile they get to keep their wall up around 22207.

I don't think you are being persecuted. Geography alone makes you a target, and walls off the others. There is not some big conspiracy now, and there wasn't during the HS boundary decision against Arlington Forest. I know you guys got hosed in the ES boundary decision a few years ago, and that was deliberate, since it involved a campaign by parents. But these scenarios were created by staff without any input from the public beforehand.

I'm not some rube, just a pragmatist who doesn't feel that perfect should be the enemy of good. I don't think any of the current scenarios are perfect, but they are an imperfect attempt to balance community priorities, including diversity and proximity. Those two criteria seem to be the two most common priorities based on what I've heard here, at the meetings, and during the HS boundary debate, with probably an even split of half favoring diversity and half favoring proximity. My understanding is that the blended options are meant to be conversation starters. So can we come up with a better plan? Something that maybe keeps the fr/l rates a little closer together (or at the very least holds the numbers steady at the schools with the highest rates), and keeps most walkers walking? Are there scenarios that don't involve islands that would maintain diversity at Williamsburg? Probably hard to do, given the location of the new school, but if someone can figure it out I can't imagine anyone would fight it.

Anyone have access to enough planning level data take a crack at this? Did anyone save files from the HS boundary decision? I know it wasn't perfect data, but it's better than just guessing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you guys posting here are just talking out of your asses and not looking at the map. We're talking about several Dominion Hills streets that are less than 1/2 mile from Swanson. If we want more diversity as a County, fine. Then lets break up the walk zones at all the middle schools. But this plan targets one walk zone at one middle school in one of the only areas in North Arlington that has welcomed affordable housing. But go ahead, peel off the walkers from that neighborhood. Meanwhile Williamsburg sits at 4% FARMS and only 93% utilization. You know who is pushing this plan the most? All those Nottingham and Discovery and Jamestown parents... sacrifice the Westover walkers and it makes South Arlington feel like the School Board has addressed "diversity"- meanwhile they get to keep their wall up around 22207.

I don't think you are being persecuted. Geography alone makes you a target, and walls off the others. There is not some big conspiracy now, and there wasn't during the HS boundary decision against Arlington Forest. I know you guys got hosed in the ES boundary decision a few years ago, and that was deliberate, since it involved a campaign by parents. But these scenarios were created by staff without any input from the public beforehand.

I'm not some rube, just a pragmatist who doesn't feel that perfect should be the enemy of good. I don't think any of the current scenarios are perfect, but they are an imperfect attempt to balance community priorities, including diversity and proximity. Those two criteria seem to be the two most common priorities based on what I've heard here, at the meetings, and during the HS boundary debate, with probably an even split of half favoring diversity and half favoring proximity. My understanding is that the blended options are meant to be conversation starters. So can we come up with a better plan? Something that maybe keeps the fr/l rates a little closer together (or at the very least holds the numbers steady at the schools with the highest rates), and keeps most walkers walking? Are there scenarios that don't involve islands that would maintain diversity at Williamsburg? Probably hard to do, given the location of the new school, but if someone can figure it out I can't imagine anyone would fight it.

Anyone have access to enough planning level data take a crack at this? Did anyone save files from the HS boundary decision? I know it wasn't perfect data, but it's better than just guessing.

You aren't "balancing" diversity and proximity by only disrupting the walk zone at one school. That's saying to Westover that their walk zone is not as important as everyone else's walk zone. On map 1H, you can just as easily take Williamsburg kids who live in the lower middle of the Williamsburg zone and are already on a bus and move them down Glebe Road or George Mason to Carlin Springs. Busting up the Swanson walk zone also disregards the traffic impact to Westover, which is about to get a new 725 student elementary school blocks away from Swanson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You aren't "balancing" diversity and proximity by only disrupting the walk zone at one school. That's saying to Westover that their walk zone is not as important as everyone else's walk zone. On map 1H, you can just as easily take Williamsburg kids who live in the lower middle of the Williamsburg zone and are already on a bus and move them down Glebe Road or George Mason to Carlin Springs. Busting up the Swanson walk zone also disregards the traffic impact to Westover, which is about to get a new 725 student elementary school blocks away from Swanson.

All the Westover kids will be walking to Reed, right? If someone were walking distance to ES, MS, and HS (Cherrydale springs to mind, and no, that's not where I live) and policies were changed so they were bused for every grade, I would think that's unreasonable. Three years of middle school on a bus? Yes, it's a drag, but I don't think it should be a show-stopper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you guys posting here are just talking out of your asses and not looking at the map. We're talking about several Dominion Hills streets that are less than 1/2 mile from Swanson. If we want more diversity as a County, fine. Then lets break up the walk zones at all the middle schools. But this plan targets one walk zone at one middle school in one of the only areas in North Arlington that has welcomed affordable housing. But go ahead, peel off the walkers from that neighborhood. Meanwhile Williamsburg sits at 4% FARMS and only 93% utilization. You know who is pushing this plan the most? All those Nottingham and Discovery and Jamestown parents... sacrifice the Westover walkers and it makes South Arlington feel like the School Board has addressed "diversity"- meanwhile they get to keep their wall up around 22207.

I don't think you are being persecuted. Geography alone makes you a target, and walls off the others. There is not some big conspiracy now, and there wasn't during the HS boundary decision against Arlington Forest. I know you guys got hosed in the ES boundary decision a few years ago, and that was deliberate, since it involved a campaign by parents. But these scenarios were created by staff without any input from the public beforehand.

I'm not some rube, just a pragmatist who doesn't feel that perfect should be the enemy of good. I don't think any of the current scenarios are perfect, but they are an imperfect attempt to balance community priorities, including diversity and proximity. Those two criteria seem to be the two most common priorities based on what I've heard here, at the meetings, and during the HS boundary debate, with probably an even split of half favoring diversity and half favoring proximity. My understanding is that the blended options are meant to be conversation starters. So can we come up with a better plan? Something that maybe keeps the fr/l rates a little closer together (or at the very least holds the numbers steady at the schools with the highest rates), and keeps most walkers walking? Are there scenarios that don't involve islands that would maintain diversity at Williamsburg? Probably hard to do, given the location of the new school, but if someone can figure it out I can't imagine anyone would fight it.

Anyone have access to enough planning level data take a crack at this? Did anyone save files from the HS boundary decision? I know it wasn't perfect data, but it's better than just guessing.

You aren't "balancing" diversity and proximity by only disrupting the walk zone at one school. That's saying to Westover that their walk zone is not as important as everyone else's walk zone. On map 1H, you can just as easily take Williamsburg kids who live in the lower middle of the Williamsburg zone and are already on a bus and move them down Glebe Road or George Mason to Carlin Springs. Busting up the Swanson walk zone also disregards the traffic impact to Westover, which is about to get a new 725 student elementary school blocks away from Swanson.

I think "balancing" means balancing on the whole of Arlington, not necessarily for every individual PU. I don't love this option, I've already said that. But can somebody come up with an alternative that the SB might actually adopt that has a similar effect? Meaning, no islands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You aren't "balancing" diversity and proximity by only disrupting the walk zone at one school. That's saying to Westover that their walk zone is not as important as everyone else's walk zone. On map 1H, you can just as easily take Williamsburg kids who live in the lower middle of the Williamsburg zone and are already on a bus and move them down Glebe Road or George Mason to Carlin Springs. Busting up the Swanson walk zone also disregards the traffic impact to Westover, which is about to get a new 725 student elementary school blocks away from Swanson.

All the Westover kids will be walking to Reed, right? If someone were walking distance to ES, MS, and HS (Cherrydale springs to mind, and no, that's not where I live) and policies were changed so they were bused for every grade, I would think that's unreasonable. Three years of middle school on a bus? Yes, it's a drag, but I don't think it should be a show-stopper.

Speaking as a Cherrydale resident whose four kids have been bused/currently bused to Swanson for three years each, no, it’s not a show-stopper.

[Anonymous]

Was there a meeting last night?
Someone mentioned it on the real estate thread, and implying David Cristeal was there showing that AHMP up on screen. That didn’t happen did it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You aren't "balancing" diversity and proximity by only disrupting the walk zone at one school. That's saying to Westover that their walk zone is not as important as everyone else's walk zone. On map 1H, you can just as easily take Williamsburg kids who live in the lower middle of the Williamsburg zone and are already on a bus and move them down Glebe Road or George Mason to Carlin Springs. Busting up the Swanson walk zone also disregards the traffic impact to Westover, which is about to get a new 725 student elementary school blocks away from Swanson.

All the Westover kids will be walking to Reed, right? If someone were walking distance to ES, MS, and HS (Cherrydale springs to mind, and no, that's not where I live) and policies were changed so they were bused for every grade, I would think that's unreasonable. Three years of middle school on a bus? Yes, it's a drag, but I don't think it should be a show-stopper.

Reed is getting a lot of buses. Reed is going to be 725+ kids, and it sits within 1 mile from McKinley. So there are kids who qualify as walkers to either school because the walk zones overlap. That means a good portion of both school buildings will be filled with kids coming in on buses.

[Anonymous]

Why is breaking up a walk zone preferable to creating a new island? That's a more expensive approach from a cost standpoint. With an island, you are taking kids already on a bus and driving them somewhere else. Breaking up a walk zone requires new buses. I'd rather see APS spend that money on building more high school seats.

[Anonymous]

Sorry people.
But no. Your walk score isn’t more important than Kenmore or TJ being pushed over 50% Farms.
Seriously get over yourselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was there a meeting last night?
Someone mentioned it on the real estate thread, and implying David Cristeal was there showing that AHMP up on screen. That didn’t happen did it?

It wasn't Cristeal. It was someone else (didn't take note of his name). He was at the poster boards with APS staff, actually he may even have been someone from APS staff but I thought he said he worked in housing. He did not give a presentation on stage. He responded with the AHMP when the McKinley parents asked why there isn't more affordable housing in the upper upper north. He simply said that there is a "plan," specifically for Lee Hwy for the "missing middle," but it hasn't come to fruition yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of you guys posting here are just talking out of your asses and not looking at the map. We're talking about several Dominion Hills streets that are less than 1/2 mile from Swanson. If we want more diversity as a County, fine. Then lets break up the walk zones at all the middle schools. But this plan targets one walk zone at one middle school in one of the only areas in North Arlington that has welcomed affordable housing. But go ahead, peel off the walkers from that neighborhood. Meanwhile Williamsburg sits at 4% FARMS and only 93% utilization. You know who is pushing this plan the most? All those Nottingham and Discovery and Jamestown parents... sacrifice the Westover walkers and it makes South Arlington feel like the School Board has addressed "diversity"- meanwhile they get to keep their wall up around 22207.

Is there some kind of coalition that I haven’t heard of, or are you just making this up? Usually when someone uses the term “those people” they are speaking from predjudice rather than actual knowledge.

-another 1/2 mile from Swanson parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is breaking up a walk zone preferable to creating a new island? That's a more expensive approach from a cost standpoint. With an island, you are taking kids already on a bus and driving them somewhere else. Breaking up a walk zone requires new buses. I'd rather see APS spend that money on building more high school seats.

That's a good question, but I don't have the answer and neither did facilitators last night. I just know that contiguity was such an issue for the HS boundaries, that it seems like they won't accept a scenario that doesn't have contiguity for the MS boundaries. If they allow it for this boundary decision, how do they then justify last year's bad decision? So I think the better approach is not to start with scenario we know will be rejected. I think it's stupid, too, but I didn't write these rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was there a meeting last night?
Someone mentioned it on the real estate thread, and implying David Cristeal was there showing that AHMP up on screen. That didn’t happen did it?

It wasn't Cristeal. It was someone else (didn't take note of his name). He was at the poster boards with APS staff, actually he may even have been someone from APS staff but I thought he said he worked in housing. He did not give a presentation on stage. He responded with the AHMP when the McKinley parents asked why there isn't more affordable housing in the upper upper north. He simply said that there is a "plan," specifically for Lee Hwy for the "missing middle," but it hasn't come to fruition yet.

Missing middle is not the same as AH. Missing middle means people making $80K-$150K who complain that they can't afford to buy a starter home in Arlington anymore because prices start at $800K+. Just to be clear, if there is a plan to build "missing middle" housing along Lee Highway, they are not talking about FARMS families.

Westover *has* AH. In fact, APAH is in the process of converting a building there right now. This is also why Westover can't understand why any plan to "diversify" APS has to be *only* on the back of our walk zone. If this is truly a community priority, then let's just go full on with that demographics map that busted up Williamsburg too. We're not doing that because diversity is not really a community priority for most of Arlington-- we're not as liberal as we like to think. If we were, APAH and all the banks and developers who fund them would not be concentrating all of the AH construction into West Columbia Pike where it is most profitable, which is the root of the high FARMS rate at Kenmore and fights about Wakefield. Nina Janopaul pulls down her $200K/year salary running APAH and frankly doesn't care what her organization's decisions mean to APS diversity. This should not be Westover's problem to fix. The problem is the County's overall housing plan.

[Anonymous]

PP speaks the truth. Arlington's lack of concern with diversity is coming home to roost. Lots of us in S. Arlington were complaining about this prior to the 2015 plan. Where were you McKinley & Ashlawn parents then? Welcome aboard.