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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole amenities thing - I think the school should have what is reasonable, but I think the academics should come first.

This location will be equidistant between W-L and Wakefield, which both have pools, or even use a neighborhood.

Says the person of no risk of being zoned to the lesser than school. Oh, and what neighborhood pool are the kids supposed to use? The fancy north arlington ones built to keep black kids out?

Ehhm, there is no neighborhood pool there.
And the "equiDISTANT" pools will already be used by the 2500 kids at EACH site!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole amenities thing - I think the school should have what is reasonable, but I think the academics should come first.

This location will be equidistant between W-L and Wakefield, which both have pools, or even use a neighborhood.

Says the person of no risk of being zoned to the lesser than school. Oh, and what neighborhood pool are the kids supposed to use? The fancy north arlington ones built to keep black kids out?

Ehhm, there is no neighborhood pool there.
And the "equiDISTANT" pools will already be used by the 2500 kids at EACH site!!

Bolded refers to bolded, not direct PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of parents, including myself, would be pushing harder for the CC site and solutions to the athletics concern if we had confidence that the farms rate at Wakefield would not shoot up even higher than it did in the last boundary change. Recall that the planning units along the western Pike area were added to Wakefield at the last minute. I, and many others, feel that the same type of switcharoo would happen here. And, wealthy areas at Arlington Ridge and Aurora Highlands would fight hard to exit the Wakefield zone.

Personally, I would support a high school at the Kenmore site over CC. I drive Carlin Springs everyday (because I live here) and totally understand the traffic mess - but that needs to be fixed and a new school would force the two counties to fix it. A site at Kenmore has the space and can draw easily from North Arlington to balance the demographics. I know that is somehow off the table, but that doesn't change my mind about it.

The Arlington Heights neighborhood - and any others lobbying for a 4th HS at the Cc site should commit to a plan that equalizes the farms rate between that school and Wakefield. True colors would be on display.

Yes! This. If you look at the proposed map, the walk zones and the areas that aren't grayed out suggest a balanced student body in terms of income and ethnicity, at around 20-30%, if I'm getting the numbers right when looking at the density map at the same time. Wakefield will still have Pentagon/Crystal City and Shirlington to keep it from being too lower income, but I don't think the numbers work out better for them.

I actually think they could, it really depends. TJ is not fairing well after the last boundary redraw with free lunch nearly the same as Kenmore (high!). So I think that both Wakefield, and the new CC high school have reasons to want to balance diversity between them, and perhaps it would be possible to draw it down to 33% for both. Wouldn't that be ideal and preferable to the status quo?

But why not equalize the FRL numbers across all schools?? Why is it just south of 50?

Because it's politically impossible and the schools already exist. My equalize argument was about heading off perceived or real attempts by Arlington heights to capture a "better" high school for itself that everyone else pays for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole amenities thing - I think the school should have what is reasonable, but I think the academics should come first.

This location will be equidistant between W-L and Wakefield, which both have pools, or even use a neighborhood.

Says the person of no risk of being zoned to the lesser than school. Oh, and what neighborhood pool are the kids supposed to use? The fancy north arlington ones built to keep black kids out?

Nope. My kiddos are zoned for the CC. We live 5 mins away from it. And we're black. As far as I know, I can use any pool that I want to join or any public school pool I want. If you know differently, please let me know so I can get my attorney on the case.

I just think a pool, however much I really, really want one, 5 minute way from my house, could be too much. I'd rather have the school exist than have the whole thing torpedoed because we're asking for something that may cost too much. And there are several apartment buildings with pools, which could be rented? It's an idea to explore. Arlington is unique in that all these schools have pools. I get that. What I really want from this school is a rigorous academic program and some access to quality sports. We can do that without building a $20 million pool when there's 2 pools nearby. You could even build a second pool at either school and make better use of the land at the CC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole amenities thing - I think the school should have what is reasonable, but I think the academics should come first.

This location will be equidistant between W-L and Wakefield, which both have pools, or even use a neighborhood.

Says the person of no risk of being zoned to the lesser than school. Oh, and what neighborhood pool are the kids supposed to use? The fancy north arlington ones built to keep black kids out?

Ehhm, there is no neighborhood pool there.
And the "equiDISTANT" pools will already be used by the 2500 kids at EACH site!!

There are several pools, they just aren't owned by APS. They are owned by apartment buildings. It could be possible to rent one for the school as an alternative. It'd be cheaper, though not ideal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole amenities thing - I think the school should have what is reasonable, but I think the academics should come first.

This location will be equidistant between W-L and Wakefield, which both have pools, or even use a neighborhood.

Says the person of no risk of being zoned to the lesser than school. Oh, and what neighborhood pool are the kids supposed to use? The fancy north arlington ones built to keep black kids out?

Nope. My kiddos are zoned for the CC. We live 5 mins away from it. And we're black. As far as I know, I can use any pool that I want to join or any public school pool I want. If you know differently, please let me know so I can get my attorney on the case.

I just think a pool, however much I really, really want one, 5 minute way from my house, could be too much. I'd rather have the school exist than have the whole thing torpedoed because we're asking for something that may cost too much. And there are several apartment buildings with pools, which could be rented? It's an idea to explore. Arlington is unique in that all these schools have pools. I get that. What I really want from this school is a rigorous academic program and some access to quality sports. We can do that without building a $20 million pool when there's 2 pools nearby. You could even build a second pool at either school and make better use of the land at the CC.

For a lot of kids in Arlington that’s a quality swim team!

[Anonymous]

I’d be fine with a plan for a deferred pool.
Laying the design and ground work to eventual put one in. You know... planning ahead.
We never seem to do that.
But wouldn’t that be something!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole amenities thing - I think the school should have what is reasonable, but I think the academics should come first.

This location will be equidistant between W-L and Wakefield, which both have pools, or even use a neighborhood.

Says the person of no risk of being zoned to the lesser than school. Oh, and what neighborhood pool are the kids supposed to use? The fancy north arlington ones built to keep black kids out?

Ehhm, there is no neighborhood pool there.
And the "equiDISTANT" pools will already be used by the 2500 kids at EACH site!!

There are several pools, they just aren't owned by APS. They are owned by apartment buildings. It could be possible to rent one for the school as an alternative. It'd be cheaper, though not ideal.

Those are not “neighborhood” pools. What a moronic idea, safety issues aside! And how do you know this would be cheaper? Also, these are leisure pools. Not competition and swim team ready pools. You obviously don’t know the first thing about swimming, and are not interested in it, and therefore don’t count it among the “quality sports” you ask for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d be fine with a plan for a deferred pool.
Laying the design and ground work to eventual put one in. You know... planning ahead.
We never seem to do that.
But wouldn’t that be something!

I totally agree with that. I am just concerned that demanding it up front may ruin the whole thing. It'd be great to see it in coded in the plan and guaranteed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole amenities thing - I think the school should have what is reasonable, but I think the academics should come first.

This location will be equidistant between W-L and Wakefield, which both have pools, or even use a neighborhood.

Says the person of no risk of being zoned to the lesser than school. Oh, and what neighborhood pool are the kids supposed to use? The fancy north arlington ones built to keep black kids out?

Nope. My kiddos are zoned for the CC. We live 5 mins away from it. And we're black. As far as I know, I can use any pool that I want to join or any public school pool I want. If you know differently, please let me know so I can get my attorney on the case.

I just think a pool, however much I really, really want one, 5 minute way from my house, could be too much. I'd rather have the school exist than have the whole thing torpedoed because we're asking for something that may cost too much. And there are several apartment buildings with pools, which could be rented? It's an idea to explore. Arlington is unique in that all these schools have pools. I get that. What I really want from this school is a rigorous academic program and some access to quality sports. We can do that without building a $20 million pool when there's 2 pools nearby. You could even build a second pool at either school and make better use of the land at the CC.

Even taking you at your word, you've obviously not been around Arlington very long, since all of those private pools have 5-10+ years waiting lists. And if your solution to to build a second pool at Wakefield or W-L, you haven't been paying attention since the architects have shown the pool in the footprint of an urban, 6 to 8 story building, so it's not taking up any field space--if that's what you are worried about. All the apartments I know up and down Columbia pike have outdoor pools, not in operation during most of the school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole amenities thing - I think the school should have what is reasonable, but I think the academics should come first.

This location will be equidistant between W-L and Wakefield, which both have pools, or even use a neighborhood.

Says the person of no risk of being zoned to the lesser than school. Oh, and what neighborhood pool are the kids supposed to use? The fancy north arlington ones built to keep black kids out?

Nope. My kiddos are zoned for the CC. We live 5 mins away from it. And we're black. As far as I know, I can use any pool that I want to join or any public school pool I want. If you know differently, please let me know so I can get my attorney on the case.

I just think a pool, however much I really, really want one, 5 minute way from my house, could be too much. I'd rather have the school exist than have the whole thing torpedoed because we're asking for something that may cost too much. And there are several apartment buildings with pools, which could be rented? It's an idea to explore. Arlington is unique in that all these schools have pools. I get that. What I really want from this school is a rigorous academic program and some access to quality sports. We can do that without building a $20 million pool when there's 2 pools nearby. You could even build a second pool at either school and make better use of the land at the CC.

Even taking you at your word, you've obviously not been around Arlington very long, since all of those private pools have 5-10+ years waiting lists. And if your solution to to build a second pool at Wakefield or W-L, you haven't been paying attention since the architects have shown the pool in the footprint of an urban, 6 to 8 story building, so it's not taking up any field space--if that's what you are worried about. All the apartments I know up and down Columbia pike have outdoor pools, not in operation during most of the school year.

I've been here 13 years, though I'm only wading into the school discussion recently. That whole time, I've lived around Columbia Pike.

I'm only offering ideas to be explored. I have noticed that when it comes to APS, at least a few owners have offered things to get something in return, like Dominion Arms offering up its land across from TJ if they could add density to smaller property. Perhaps an apartment building would be willing to make a deal with APS, when the weather is good for school use during the week, when most people are working? Maybe with a deal like that, some of the facilities that the community wants could be built nearby?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I think you can equalize with all schools, or at least with W-L for 35% or so each, but balancing with Yorktown will always be the hardest, because once you get north of Lee Highway, the FLR drops to under 2% and all these students have to go somewhere. - in the past that's been Yorktown. But I agree, that it COULD be balanced much better, than what we have now.

This is where the MS boundary argument broke down last fall. Some scenarios would have increased bussing across only parts of the county in order to improve the demographic balance, but APS was not going to full-on make everyone bus to achieve that end. The end result was partly a result of the need to apply the criteria to everyone fairly.

If you're going to make it a priority to move kids around and increase bus requirements for the prime goal of diversifying then you cannot reasonably leave untouched the whitest and wealthiest portion of the county. I don't think that will ever happen in Arlington.

Transit subsidies and a few extra special ART buses might go a long way to helping with that, since APS has a hard time recruiting and retaining bus drivers.

I suspect that the fear concerning full out busing is that it will trigger flight and a loss of tax revenue. Still, something needs to change.

The goal should be equitable seats for all and getting rid of this idea that you "bought into" a certain school. It would certainly be more affordable to spread out students or even build a whole 4th school on a current high school lot, save for logistics.

It's outside the box thinking, but I can almost guarantee that a transit subsidy and ART bus isn't going to be enough for most families in 22207 to willingly send their kids to Wakefield.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole amenities thing - I think the school should have what is reasonable, but I think the academics should come first.

This location will be equidistant between W-L and Wakefield, which both have pools, or even use a neighborhood.

Says the person of no risk of being zoned to the lesser than school. Oh, and what neighborhood pool are the kids supposed to use? The fancy north arlington ones built to keep black kids out?

Nope. My kiddos are zoned for the CC. We live 5 mins away from it. And we're black. As far as I know, I can use any pool that I want to join or any public school pool I want. If you know differently, please let me know so I can get my attorney on the case.

I just think a pool, however much I really, really want one, 5 minute way from my house, could be too much. I'd rather have the school exist than have the whole thing torpedoed because we're asking for something that may cost too much. And there are several apartment buildings with pools, which could be rented? It's an idea to explore. Arlington is unique in that all these schools have pools. I get that. What I really want from this school is a rigorous academic program and some access to quality sports. We can do that without building a $20 million pool when there's 2 pools nearby. You could even build a second pool at either school and make better use of the land at the CC.

Even taking you at your word, you've obviously not been around Arlington very long, since all of those private pools have 5-10+ years waiting lists. And if your solution to to build a second pool at Wakefield or W-L, you haven't been paying attention since the architects have shown the pool in the footprint of an urban, 6 to 8 story building, so it's not taking up any field space--if that's what you are worried about. All the apartments I know up and down Columbia pike have outdoor pools, not in operation during most of the school year.

I've been here 13 years, though I'm only wading into the school discussion recently. That whole time, I've lived around Columbia Pike.

I'm only offering ideas to be explored. I have noticed that when it comes to APS, at least a few owners have offered things to get something in return, like Dominion Arms offering up its land across from TJ if they could add density to smaller property. Perhaps an apartment building would be willing to make a deal with APS, when the weather is good for school use during the week, when most people are working? Maybe with a deal like that, some of the facilities that the community wants could be built nearby?

APS said thanks, but no thanks. The county only wants money for the AHIF, not land for schools.

[Anonymous]

Swimming is a quality sport. And apartment pools are small and only open May 31 to Labor Day. So how is that helpful? And to those suggesting the kids get PE at a local gym... what gym mini export with 6 tanning beds? No CC shouldn’t have to balance with Wakefield unless we balance all schools. If they don’t do 4th comprehensive high school then career center students still deserve a pool, sports fields, outdoor space. This process is making me despise N Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Swimming is a quality sport. And apartment pools are small and only open May 31 to Labor Day. So how is that helpful? And to those suggesting the kids get PE at a local gym... what gym mini export with 6 tanning beds? No CC shouldn’t have to balance with Wakefield unless we balance all schools. If they don’t do 4th comprehensive high school then career center students still deserve a pool, sports fields, outdoor space. This process is making me despise N Arlington.

Yes, you should have to consider the rest of South Arlington or we'll side with the North. Don't be stupid.