Science Focus in Arlington / Re-Zoning?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Key district IS the Science Focus district.

but what if OP got zoned out of Key/ASFS to, say, Long Branch? that boundary is likely to change as the next one. nothing is guaranteed unless its on the same block of the school i guess.

Um, clearly you don't know what you are talking about. If you live right next door to ASFS you go to Taylor, not ASFS.

OP, your kid is fine. It might change down the line, but very, very unlikely before next year.

why so rude? my point is the change could affect every school. you said it yourself.

Sorry - it seemed like your point was for OP to move very close to her desired school (ASFS) if she wanted to guarantee that her children would go there. But that's wrong. The boundary for ASFS does NOT currently include the neighborhood surrounding ASFS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is at one of the overcrowded N Arl. schools and I appreciate that they are finally *planning* to do something about it.

I worry, however, that they aren't also looking down the road b/c these kids won't be in elementary school forever. The entering K class this year was enormous and they will eventually feed into Swanson & Williamsburg. Is APS going to wait until the bubble reaches MS level or are they planning for that, as well?

Yes, I think they are planning for that.

Not 100% sure what they are doing, but they know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren't Taylor and Jamestown at or above capacity? If so, wouldn't that mean they would be affected by boundary changes?
What makes you think Murphy doesn't want to do away with the team school concept and go back to neighborhood schools in those areas?
I just don't see how you can so definitively say ASFS wouldn't be affected.
The boundary changes are going to cause a ripple effect across the northern part of the county.

Whatever happens in the future won't affect the OP next year, or while her kids are at ASF. Anyway, APS is focusing on increasing capacity for McKinley, Ashlawn, Tuckahoe, Nottingham right now.

Right, and I know that Arlington Tradition and Science Focus are being required to increase class sizes to take some of the pressure off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Key district IS the Science Focus district.

but what if OP got zoned out of Key/ASFS to, say, Long Branch? that boundary is likely to change as the next one. nothing is guaranteed unless its on the same block of the school i guess.

Um, clearly you don't know what you are talking about. If you live right next door to ASFS you go to Taylor, not ASFS.

OP, your kid is fine. It might change down the line, but very, very unlikely before next year.

why so rude? my point is the change could affect every school. you said it yourself.

Sorry - it seemed like your point was for OP to move very close to her desired school (ASFS) if she wanted to guarantee that her children would go there. But that's wrong. The boundary for ASFS does NOT currently include the neighborhood surrounding ASFS.

no. my point was houses on the same block as Key are most guaranteed to go to Key/ASFS. nothing to do with ASFS.

[Anonymous]

ASFS may become a county-wide program. It's preposterous that a school with a unique program unavailable elsewhere in the county is reserved for what amounts to the some of the wealthiest neighborhoods. There is growing pressure/support within APS to move in this direction once more space is available to the surrounding neighborhood schools. Maybe not next year. But soon.

[Anonymous]

OP, your best source of information right now is this website: http://www.apsva.us/capacity

Capacity planning is huge in APS right now due to the bubble over the next 5 or so years. My DD will be starting K in 2015 so I am watching with interest as well.

In my mind, there is little question that some re-zoning will occur as new buildings (Williamsburg ES) and additions (Ashlawn, McKinley, etc) happen. However, the County has made no firm decisions about how and where those shifts will occur.

Almost every school north of Rt 50 is at or over capacity. It isn't unreasonable to expect that zoning shift will push some students further south. I.e. Rosslyn students head to Long Branch. Southern-most Long Branch families pushed to the next southern or western school. At the same time, opening a new school in northwest Arlington will substantially ease crowding in the 22207 zip code.

Unless you move next door to a given school, I don't think you are guaranteed anything by the time your child enters elementary school. We are 3 blocks from our current school, yet my expectation is that we will be rezoned based on the expansions that are happening at schools around us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ASFS may become a county-wide program. It's preposterous that a school with a unique program unavailable elsewhere in the county is reserved for what amounts to the some of the wealthiest neighborhoods. There is growing pressure/support within APS to move in this direction once more space is available to the surrounding neighborhood schools. Maybe not next year. But soon.

Hoffman Boston is the new science and math focused school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ASFS may become a county-wide program. It's preposterous that a school with a unique program unavailable elsewhere in the county is reserved for what amounts to the some of the wealthiest neighborhoods. There is growing pressure/support within APS to move in this direction once more space is available to the surrounding neighborhood schools. Maybe not next year. But soon.

Hoffman Boston is the new science and math focused school.

It might be an additional one (just rumors). But it will not be the only one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ASFS may become a county-wide program. It's preposterous that a school with a unique program unavailable elsewhere in the county is reserved for what amounts to the some of the wealthiest neighborhoods. There is growing pressure/support within APS to move in this direction once more space is available to the surrounding neighborhood schools. Maybe not next year. But soon.

Hoffman Boston is the new science and math focused school.

It might be an additional one (just rumors). But it will not be the only one.

not might. it already is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ASFS may become a county-wide program. It's preposterous that a school with a unique program unavailable elsewhere in the county is reserved for what amounts to the some of the wealthiest neighborhoods. There is growing pressure/support within APS to move in this direction once more space is available to the surrounding neighborhood schools. Maybe not next year. But soon.

Hoffman Boston is the new science and math focused school.

It might be an additional one (just rumors). But it will not be the only one.

not might. it already is.

Hoffman-Boston and Taylor both have new STEM programs, but that doesn't make them "math and science focused." It means that the math and science parts of the day are handled differently: more hands-on, student-run activities. ASFS presents everything via its relationship to science. That's different.