Another choice school in N Arlington?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Superintendent recommended spending $43-65M to build a 725 seat ES at Reed. There is a predicted deficit of about 1,400 seats,

He also suggested spending only $33M on HS seats to give us only 1,200 of the predicted deficit of 2,775 seats.

At the previous closed SB meeting, the FAC told the SB to consider whether Reed would be a neighborhood or choice school. No decision was made.

I'm hoping that someone on the SB or FAC spoke up and said how it was nonsense to be spending that much on and ES when the HS situation is much more dire. Put the $$$ into the HS seats.

Isn't the issue that there is no site to build a new high school on? The money they are spending is to add seats to the existing locations for HS seats. If they had somewhere to build a HS, surely they would.

The high school capacity issue is not just land. It is just as much a bonding issue. Building a new comprehensive high school would use virtually all of the CIP money available this round. I say that as someone who thinks the looming high school crisis should take priority over just about everything else. How is it that we can spend $100M on a building to house essentially only a small middle and high school choice program yet only $33 M on seats to deal with a projected 2,775 high school seat deficit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After talking with someone on the school board I'm convinced that despite their public stance that "all options are on the table," it's going to be a choice school.

What a disgusting waste of money! We don't need another choice school in N. Arlington. We need more HS seats.

[Anonymous]

They need to pull out some small programs and put them at Reed. Then, use that money they didn't spend on another sparkly, new ES and deal with the fact that the kids in ES right now aren't going to have a place to attend 9th grade.

[Anonymous]

The plans for HB are infuriating and irresponsible.

[Anonymous]

Today, they could put a small K-2 school neighborhood school at Reed (there is room for 400 to 450 seats, and alleviate overcrowding at 4 elementary schools (one of which has been overcrowded for more than a decade). Very little money needed. Then they could focus all other funds or more funds on the MAJOR HS PROBLEM.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I put the HB school in with the $1 million bus stop and the $1.2 million dog park (I think that was the amount.

[Anonymous]

I agree, make Reed a K-2 and build a high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Today, they could put a small K-2 school neighborhood school at Reed (there is room for 400 to 450 seats, and alleviate overcrowding at 4 elementary schools (one of which has been overcrowded for more than a decade). Very little money needed. Then they could focus all other funds or more funds on the MAJOR HS PROBLEM.

Well, not today or even 2016/2017. They have to give proper notice to TCS and relocate Integration Station (not an easy b/c of the specialty classrooms, but doable in time).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Today, they could put a small K-2 school neighborhood school at Reed (there is room for 400 to 450 seats, and alleviate overcrowding at 4 elementary schools (one of which has been overcrowded for more than a decade). Very little money needed. Then they could focus all other funds or more funds on the MAJOR HS PROBLEM.

Well, not today or even 2016/2017. They have to give proper notice to TCS and relocate Integration Station (not an easy b/c of the specialty classrooms, but doable in time).

But I do agree that they should not be putting that amount of money into Reed when there is a much more pressing issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After talking with someone on the school board I'm convinced that despite their public stance that "all options are on the table," it's going to be a choice school.

Did they indicate why? I'm just confused as to how a county wide choice school lines up with the stated purpose of building at Reed, to alleviate overcrowding in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. Taking some 20-30 kids from every elementary school in the county, a la ATS, doesn't seem to address the specific overcrowding issue identified in the CIP. It just seems like...if they want to establish a choice school to better integrate schools, just say that, and then everyone can at least be on the same page.

[Anonymous]

Or how it lines up with creating walkable communities...

[Anonymous]

Or how it solves the more pressing high school issue

[Anonymous]

A choice school at Reed doesn't solve anything.

[Anonymous]

To make Reed back into a neighborhood school you'd have to do another round of redistricting. The immediate neighborhood might welcome that but for every parent that's happen another one will complain that their child is being taken our of their school. A choice school takes away that problem.

[Anonymous]

The current boundaries and North Arlington need to be completely reworked. The method of just using a few planning unit here in there is obviously broken.

By your logic, every new school that comes online should be a choice school. Heaven forbid we make boundaries that reduce busing and make sense!