Question about re zoning elementary schools in S. Arlington

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DP- Get bent. 172 ah units is nothing. Douglas park has 1,000’s. Also GP has a high percentage of units reserved for seniors.
Quit trying to make Alcova seem like it’s mostly lower class. It’s not.

It's also not the 1%. It is actually a decent mix, especially when Gilliam comes online. And I wasn't complaining about the 172 units. There may be a number of units reserved for seniors, but we'll see who actually ends up in them, including even some seniors with their grandchildren. Overall, Alcova isn't that big and it is not as dense as Douglas Park. But the conversation wasn't about DP, it was about where Alcova should be zoned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP- Get bent. 172 ah units is nothing. Douglas park has 1,000’s. Also GP has a high percentage of units reserved for seniors.
Quit trying to make Alcova seem like it’s mostly lower class. It’s not.

It's also not the 1%. It is actually a decent mix, especially when Gilliam comes online. And I wasn't complaining about the 172 units. There may be a number of units reserved for seniors, but we'll see who actually ends up in them, including even some seniors with their grandchildren. Overall, Alcova isn't that big and it is not as dense as Douglas Park. But the conversation wasn't about DP, it was about where Alcova should be zoned.

Right.
And it’s obvious it should stay at Barcroft.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. So they put the maps up and this thread just died.
Really interesting. So... I’m guessing most posters aren’t actually living or know much first hand about south Arlington.
The asfs thread is ridiculous, but you can’t say they aren’t engaged.

Guess we really are more chill than NA parents after all. On the other hand, I'll bet a lot of parents who are zoned to Henry or Oakridge now, or want to be, are furiously lobbying the school board about it as we speak. There's some shameful sh1t on the table. Sending Alcova to Fleet? The Berkeley Apts
to Drew? Those kids can see Oakridge out their window. It's literally across the street.

Part of Alcova can see Fleet, too. But you think it's shit to send them to Fleet?
Conversely, part of Alcova can walk to Patrick Henry in 5 minutes but gets a bus to Barcroft. Same as Berkeley would get to Drew.
I disagree with your premise; but I agree that taking a more affluent PU from Barcroft to Fleet and a very large low-income development away from Oakridge to Drew are bad ideas. However, keep in mind that Alcova will have 172 units of affordable housing opening the year Fleet opens. That, along with the fact that a lot of current Alcova kids opt out and don't attend Barcroft now anyway, moving them to Fleet won't have a very negative impact demographically - especially the first several years while current kids finish at their current option schools.

What's my premise with which you disagree? Sounds like we are on the same page. The part of alcova that isn't connected to the rest and is nearest Fleet? Ok. Send them to Fleet. It's what, 20 students. Gilliam Place? You make a good point, there. My underlying premise is that I find UMC neighborhoods efforts to dump their AH into a select few school zones completely reprehensible.

The premise that the Berkeley apartment kids can see Oakridge out their window and therefore they shouldn't be sent to Drew. And, following, that sending Alcova kids to a school they can see from across the street is part of the "shit" you indicate is going on. The part of Alcova closest to Fleet is not the wealthiest part of Alcova. And you've taken my point about Gilliam place. But the eastern part of Alcova, not just the disconnected part north of the fire station, is walkable to Henry now and Fleet. Alcova currently walks to Jefferson for middle school. The western side of Alcova is a closer walk to Barcroft/Randolph. And it isn't just UMC neighborhoods doing the dumping - the SB ultimately makes the decisions. And you have SB members fighting hard to preserver the segregation.

Yes, we are on the same page regarding socioeconomic diversity. Alcova is in the crossfire and it's ironic that it also is a rather mixed neighborhood. But overall, I think the # of low-income families Alcova will contribute to Barcroft is more harmful to the goal than sending it to Henry. Fewer MC families will likely opt out if Alcova is sent to Fleet; but those kids will be pretty well balanced by the kids in Gilliam and the lower-income kids already attending Barcroft. Many of Alcova's MC kids opt out of Barcroft now; so how much "affluence" does Alcova actually bring to Barcroft currently? Not enough to compensate for the addition of 172 committed affordable units.

Henry can use some more low-income students -- they've lost a lot with east-Pike gentrification. Whether they come from Alcova or somewhere else, doesn't really matter.

Seems pretty clear to me that Gilliam should go to Fleet and Berkeley should go to Oakridge. without those buildings, neither will have a farms rate of even 20 percent. In the last ten years, the CB has allowed those school zones to gentrify while preserving a d building ever more AH in The other SA school zones. Their farms rates have dropped by over 40 points and their boundaries shouldn't be redrawn to lower it even more. We don't need a "Little NA" in SA, especially not one with its own high school on the career center site.

Wholeheartedly agree! But I sincerely doubt Alcova Heights will favor splitting the neighborhood, especially based on income.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP- Get bent. 172 ah units is nothing. Douglas park has 1,000’s. Also GP has a high percentage of units reserved for seniors.
Quit trying to make Alcova seem like it’s mostly lower class. It’s not.

I'm not going to tell you that Alcova is lower class, and I don't think this person was either. There are both working class and middle class families in Alcova, even before Gillam gets build. Alcova Heights definitely has some $1M homes, but it also has apartments, condos, and duplexes, with people of all income levels. It's not any nicer than Arlington Heights or Penrose or Barcroft, all of which are rarely have a house under $500K these days. It's just that it has no school in its own zone and is within 1 mile of 5 other schools. Does that make it able to swing the demographics? Maybe.

If you take the entire neighborhood out of Barcroft, or even half, there aren't enough students zoned to Barcroft and too many zoned to Fleet. Where would Barcroft pull students from that wouldn't raise its fr/l rate more than just pulling in Gilliam Place (which has a limited number of family units)? The only adjacent areas outside of the Barcroft neighborhood itself are low income. Fleet can take the duplexes and apartments closest to them that are cut off from the rest of Alcova. The rest, which is mainly SFHs, should stay at Barcroft. That would be a balance/compromise between efficiency/proximity and diversity.

This should be what happens.

And it may be quite likely to happen. But people shouldn't presume there won't be many children in Gilliam place. Arlington Mill Residences generated 60+ students just to Barcroft, plus some to option programs and middle and high schools. a "limited # of family units" doesn't mean there will be a limited # of families or partial families living there. Both one and two-bedroom units easily house kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP- Get bent. 172 ah units is nothing. Douglas park has 1,000’s. Also GP has a high percentage of units reserved for seniors.
Quit trying to make Alcova seem like it’s mostly lower class. It’s not.

I'm not going to tell you that Alcova is lower class, and I don't think this person was either. There are both working class and middle class families in Alcova, even before Gillam gets build. Alcova Heights definitely has some $1M homes, but it also has apartments, condos, and duplexes, with people of all income levels. It's not any nicer than Arlington Heights or Penrose or Barcroft, all of which are rarely have a house under $500K these days. It's just that it has no school in its own zone and is within 1 mile of 5 other schools. Does that make it able to swing the demographics? Maybe.

If you take the entire neighborhood out of Barcroft, or even half, there aren't enough students zoned to Barcroft and too many zoned to Fleet. Where would Barcroft pull students from that wouldn't raise its fr/l rate more than just pulling in Gilliam Place (which has a limited number of family units)? The only adjacent areas outside of the Barcroft neighborhood itself are low income. Fleet can take the duplexes and apartments closest to them that are cut off from the rest of Alcova. The rest, which is mainly SFHs, should stay at Barcroft. That would be a balance/compromise between efficiency/proximity and diversity.

This should be what happens.

And it may be quite likely to happen. But people shouldn't presume there won't be many children in Gilliam place. Arlington Mill Residences generated 60+ students just to Barcroft, plus some to option programs and middle and high schools. a "limited # of family units" doesn't mean there will be a limited # of families or partial families living there. Both one and two-bedroom units easily house kids.

The Berkeley is going to generate at least 100 students, most them disadvantaged. The Berkeley alone is a planning unit and currently has about 40 k-5 students, according to APS stats. And that's with 137 apartments total, and with only 60 of those being 2 or 3 bedroom units.

It's being expanded to 256 units total, with 200 of those being two or three bedrooms. Another 40 are one bedrooms. So the number of units suitable for families will more than triple. So when I say the Berkeley will have 100 students, that's probably a lowball figure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP- Get bent. 172 ah units is nothing. Douglas park has 1,000’s. Also GP has a high percentage of units reserved for seniors.
Quit trying to make Alcova seem like it’s mostly lower class. It’s not.

I'm not going to tell you that Alcova is lower class, and I don't think this person was either. There are both working class and middle class families in Alcova, even before Gillam gets build. Alcova Heights definitely has some $1M homes, but it also has apartments, condos, and duplexes, with people of all income levels. It's not any nicer than Arlington Heights or Penrose or Barcroft, all of which are rarely have a house under $500K these days. It's just that it has no school in its own zone and is within 1 mile of 5 other schools. Does that make it able to swing the demographics? Maybe.

If you take the entire neighborhood out of Barcroft, or even half, there aren't enough students zoned to Barcroft and too many zoned to Fleet. Where would Barcroft pull students from that wouldn't raise its fr/l rate more than just pulling in Gilliam Place (which has a limited number of family units)? The only adjacent areas outside of the Barcroft neighborhood itself are low income. Fleet can take the duplexes and apartments closest to them that are cut off from the rest of Alcova. The rest, which is mainly SFHs, should stay at Barcroft. That would be a balance/compromise between efficiency/proximity and diversity.

This should be what happens.

And it may be quite likely to happen. But people shouldn't presume there won't be many children in Gilliam place. Arlington Mill Residences generated 60+ students just to Barcroft, plus some to option programs and middle and high schools. a "limited # of family units" doesn't mean there will be a limited # of families or partial families living there. Both one and two-bedroom units easily house kids.

The Berkeley is going to generate at least 100 students, most them disadvantaged. The Berkeley alone is a planning unit and currently has about 40 k-5 students, according to APS stats. And that's with 137 apartments total, and with only 60 of those being 2 or 3 bedroom units.

It's being expanded to 256 units total, with 200 of those being two or three bedrooms. Another 40 are one bedrooms. So the number of units suitable for families will more than triple. So when I say the Berkeley will have 100 students, that's probably a lowball figure.

And yet when an AH project is actually approved in north Arlington, the community is assured it will be senior housing. How about 200 2-3 bedroom units at that American Legion project instead?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP- Get bent. 172 ah units is nothing. Douglas park has 1,000’s. Also GP has a high percentage of units reserved for seniors.
Quit trying to make Alcova seem like it’s mostly lower class. It’s not.

I'm not going to tell you that Alcova is lower class, and I don't think this person was either. There are both working class and middle class families in Alcova, even before Gillam gets build. Alcova Heights definitely has some $1M homes, but it also has apartments, condos, and duplexes, with people of all income levels. It's not any nicer than Arlington Heights or Penrose or Barcroft, all of which are rarely have a house under $500K these days. It's just that it has no school in its own zone and is within 1 mile of 5 other schools. Does that make it able to swing the demographics? Maybe.

If you take the entire neighborhood out of Barcroft, or even half, there aren't enough students zoned to Barcroft and too many zoned to Fleet. Where would Barcroft pull students from that wouldn't raise its fr/l rate more than just pulling in Gilliam Place (which has a limited number of family units)? The only adjacent areas outside of the Barcroft neighborhood itself are low income. Fleet can take the duplexes and apartments closest to them that are cut off from the rest of Alcova. The rest, which is mainly SFHs, should stay at Barcroft. That would be a balance/compromise between efficiency/proximity and diversity.

This should be what happens.

And it may be quite likely to happen. But people shouldn't presume there won't be many children in Gilliam place. Arlington Mill Residences generated 60+ students just to Barcroft, plus some to option programs and middle and high schools. a "limited # of family units" doesn't mean there will be a limited # of families or partial families living there. Both one and two-bedroom units easily house kids.

Maybe there will be, but unless you just carve out that one block, it would be detrimental to the balance at Barcroft, due to loss of the surrounding SFHs and the need to back-fill the now empty seats with PUs from the Barcroft Apartments in Douglas Park or the new Columbia Heights apartments currently zoned Abingdon. They could carve out just that block. But will they? Probably not. If it has to be a choice between keeping the majority of Alcova and taking Gilliam Place with it, or losing Alcova and taking more bus riders from across Columbia Pike, I think keeping Alcova would be the better option for a balance of diversity at Barcroft and for proximity/efficiency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP- Get bent. 172 ah units is nothing. Douglas park has 1,000’s. Also GP has a high percentage of units reserved for seniors.
Quit trying to make Alcova seem like it’s mostly lower class. It’s not.

I'm not going to tell you that Alcova is lower class, and I don't think this person was either. There are both working class and middle class families in Alcova, even before Gillam gets build. Alcova Heights definitely has some $1M homes, but it also has apartments, condos, and duplexes, with people of all income levels. It's not any nicer than Arlington Heights or Penrose or Barcroft, all of which are rarely have a house under $500K these days. It's just that it has no school in its own zone and is within 1 mile of 5 other schools. Does that make it able to swing the demographics? Maybe.

If you take the entire neighborhood out of Barcroft, or even half, there aren't enough students zoned to Barcroft and too many zoned to Fleet. Where would Barcroft pull students from that wouldn't raise its fr/l rate more than just pulling in Gilliam Place (which has a limited number of family units)? The only adjacent areas outside of the Barcroft neighborhood itself are low income. Fleet can take the duplexes and apartments closest to them that are cut off from the rest of Alcova. The rest, which is mainly SFHs, should stay at Barcroft. That would be a balance/compromise between efficiency/proximity and diversity.

Alcova resident here. I really would not support dividing the neighborhood in that manner. Splitting off the section north of the fire station is one thing; that area used to be Arlington Heights at one time and it really is very disconnected from the rest of the neighborhood. But Gilliam is in the main portion of Alcova - it's not even as though you're suggesting splitting the neighborhood down the middle. But worse, it is purposely grouping low-income kids and telling them they aren't welcomed in the neighborhood and have to attend a different neighborhood school from all the other kids who live in houses and townhomes in the neighborhood. Carving out Gilliam is divisive to a rather small neighborhood. Splitting large developments like the Berekely or Barcroft Apartments is a completely different thing.

I'm sure you heard all those PUs griping about kids across the street going to a different school than their kids and how their communities are being ripped apart during the middle school boundaries. Well, southern neighborhoods like to stay in tact, too. Alcova is divided into two different voting precincts...and that's strange enough, though benign. But isolating the poor kids isn't acceptable. Either split the neighborhood down the middle, just the northern section across from Fleet, or not at all.
This should be what happens.

And it may be quite likely to happen. But people shouldn't presume there won't be many children in Gilliam place. Arlington Mill Residences generated 60+ students just to Barcroft, plus some to option programs and middle and high schools. a "limited # of family units" doesn't mean there will be a limited # of families or partial families living there. Both one and two-bedroom units easily house kids.

Maybe there will be, but unless you just carve out that one block, it would be detrimental to the balance at Barcroft, due to loss of the surrounding SFHs and the need to back-fill the now empty seats with PUs from the Barcroft Apartments in Douglas Park or the new Columbia Heights apartments currently zoned Abingdon. They could carve out just that block. But will they? Probably not. If it has to be a choice between keeping the majority of Alcova and taking Gilliam Place with it, or losing Alcova and taking more bus riders from across Columbia Pike, I think keeping Alcova would be the better option for a balance of diversity at Barcroft and for proximity/efficiency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP- Get bent. 172 ah units is nothing. Douglas park has 1,000’s. Also GP has a high percentage of units reserved for seniors.
Quit trying to make Alcova seem like it’s mostly lower class. It’s not.

I'm not going to tell you that Alcova is lower class, and I don't think this person was either. There are both working class and middle class families in Alcova, even before Gillam gets build. Alcova Heights definitely has some $1M homes, but it also has apartments, condos, and duplexes, with people of all income levels. It's not any nicer than Arlington Heights or Penrose or Barcroft, all of which are rarely have a house under $500K these days. It's just that it has no school in its own zone and is within 1 mile of 5 other schools. Does that make it able to swing the demographics? Maybe.

If you take the entire neighborhood out of Barcroft, or even half, there aren't enough students zoned to Barcroft and too many zoned to Fleet. Where would Barcroft pull students from that wouldn't raise its fr/l rate more than just pulling in Gilliam Place (which has a limited number of family units)? The only adjacent areas outside of the Barcroft neighborhood itself are low income. Fleet can take the duplexes and apartments closest to them that are cut off from the rest of Alcova. The rest, which is mainly SFHs, should stay at Barcroft. That would be a balance/compromise between efficiency/proximity and diversity.

This should be what happens.

And it may be quite likely to happen. But people shouldn't presume there won't be many children in Gilliam place. Arlington Mill Residences generated 60+ students just to Barcroft, plus some to option programs and middle and high schools. a "limited # of family units" doesn't mean there will be a limited # of families or partial families living there. Both one and two-bedroom units easily house kids.

Maybe there will be, but unless you just carve out that one block, it would be detrimental to the balance at Barcroft, due to loss of the surrounding SFHs and the need to back-fill the now empty seats with PUs from the Barcroft Apartments in Douglas Park or the new Columbia Heights apartments currently zoned Abingdon. They could carve out just that block. But will they? Probably not. If it has to be a choice between keeping the majority of Alcova and taking Gilliam Place with it, or losing Alcova and taking more bus riders from across Columbia Pike, I think keeping Alcova would be the better option for a balance of diversity at Barcroft and for proximity/efficiency.

Arguably yes for diversity; definitely for efficiency; but not for proximity. There will be walkers to Fleet; all are bussed to Barcroft.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP- Get bent. 172 ah units is nothing. Douglas park has 1,000’s. Also GP has a high percentage of units reserved for seniors.
Quit trying to make Alcova seem like it’s mostly lower class. It’s not.

I'm not going to tell you that Alcova is lower class, and I don't think this person was either. There are both working class and middle class families in Alcova, even before Gillam gets build. Alcova Heights definitely has some $1M homes, but it also has apartments, condos, and duplexes, with people of all income levels. It's not any nicer than Arlington Heights or Penrose or Barcroft, all of which are rarely have a house under $500K these days. It's just that it has no school in its own zone and is within 1 mile of 5 other schools. Does that make it able to swing the demographics? Maybe.

If you take the entire neighborhood out of Barcroft, or even half, there aren't enough students zoned to Barcroft and too many zoned to Fleet. Where would Barcroft pull students from that wouldn't raise its fr/l rate more than just pulling in Gilliam Place (which has a limited number of family units)? The only adjacent areas outside of the Barcroft neighborhood itself are low income. Fleet can take the duplexes and apartments closest to them that are cut off from the rest of Alcova. The rest, which is mainly SFHs, should stay at Barcroft. That would be a balance/compromise between efficiency/proximity and diversity.

This should be what happens.

And it may be quite likely to happen. But people shouldn't presume there won't be many children in Gilliam place. Arlington Mill Residences generated 60+ students just to Barcroft, plus some to option programs and middle and high schools. a "limited # of family units" doesn't mean there will be a limited # of families or partial families living there. Both one and two-bedroom units easily house kids.

Maybe there will be, but unless you just carve out that one block, it would be detrimental to the balance at Barcroft, due to loss of the surrounding SFHs and the need to back-fill the now empty seats with PUs from the Barcroft Apartments in Douglas Park or the new Columbia Heights apartments currently zoned Abingdon. They could carve out just that block. But will they? Probably not. If it has to be a choice between keeping the majority of Alcova and taking Gilliam Place with it, or losing Alcova and taking more bus riders from across Columbia Pike, I think keeping Alcova would be the better option for a balance of diversity at Barcroft and for proximity/efficiency.

Arguably yes for diversity; definitely for efficiency; but not for proximity. There will be walkers to Fleet; all are bussed to Barcroft.

You're being myopic. Alcova isn't the only area where proximity/efficiency matters. If you look at those maps for Barcroft, keeping Alcova zoned to Barcroft rather than moving in PUs from Douglas Park or the current Abingdon zone is more proximate and efficient because the kids they'd replace the Alcova ones with would also be bus riders, and ride further less direct routes. So, by all objective measures, Alcova, with the exception of the NE corner of the neighborhood that is cut off from the rest and that is directly across Glebe from the new school, should remain zoned to Barcroft. You aren't guaranteed to go to the exact closest school to your house, or the one that would be a better more pleasant walk, not when you're smack in the middle of three nearby schools, none of which are actually in your neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Neighborhoods can and do get split. It’s about planning unit. Look at Columbia Heights. It goes to several schools already.

As a side note it’s nice to see that N Arlington’s plans to send long branch kids to Fleet to make more room for themselves at Long branch and ASFS is not part of the actual plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP- Get bent. 172 ah units is nothing. Douglas park has 1,000’s. Also GP has a high percentage of units reserved for seniors.
Quit trying to make Alcova seem like it’s mostly lower class. It’s not.

I'm not going to tell you that Alcova is lower class, and I don't think this person was either. There are both working class and middle class families in Alcova, even before Gillam gets build. Alcova Heights definitely has some $1M homes, but it also has apartments, condos, and duplexes, with people of all income levels. It's not any nicer than Arlington Heights or Penrose or Barcroft, all of which are rarely have a house under $500K these days. It's just that it has no school in its own zone and is within 1 mile of 5 other schools. Does that make it able to swing the demographics? Maybe.

If you take the entire neighborhood out of Barcroft, or even half, there aren't enough students zoned to Barcroft and too many zoned to Fleet. Where would Barcroft pull students from that wouldn't raise its fr/l rate more than just pulling in Gilliam Place (which has a limited number of family units)? The only adjacent areas outside of the Barcroft neighborhood itself are low income. Fleet can take the duplexes and apartments closest to them that are cut off from the rest of Alcova. The rest, which is mainly SFHs, should stay at Barcroft. That would be a balance/compromise between efficiency/proximity and diversity.

This should be what happens.

And it may be quite likely to happen. But people shouldn't presume there won't be many children in Gilliam place. Arlington Mill Residences generated 60+ students just to Barcroft, plus some to option programs and middle and high schools. a "limited # of family units" doesn't mean there will be a limited # of families or partial families living there. Both one and two-bedroom units easily house kids.

Maybe there will be, but unless you just carve out that one block, it would be detrimental to the balance at Barcroft, due to loss of the surrounding SFHs and the need to back-fill the now empty seats with PUs from the Barcroft Apartments in Douglas Park or the new Columbia Heights apartments currently zoned Abingdon. They could carve out just that block. But will they? Probably not. If it has to be a choice between keeping the majority of Alcova and taking Gilliam Place with it, or losing Alcova and taking more bus riders from across Columbia Pike, I think keeping Alcova would be the better option for a balance of diversity at Barcroft and for proximity/efficiency.

Arguably yes for diversity; definitely for efficiency; but not for proximity. There will be walkers to Fleet; all are bussed to Barcroft.

You're being myopic. Alcova isn't the only area where proximity/efficiency matters. If you look at those maps for Barcroft, keeping Alcova zoned to Barcroft rather than moving in PUs from Douglas Park or the current Abingdon zone is more proximate and efficient because the kids they'd replace the Alcova ones with would also be bus riders, and ride further less direct routes. So, by all objective measures, Alcova, with the exception of the NE corner of the neighborhood that is cut off from the rest and that is directly across Glebe from the new school, should remain zoned to Barcroft. You aren't guaranteed to go to the exact closest school to your house, or the one that would be a better more pleasant walk, not when you're smack in the middle of three nearby schools, none of which are actually in your neighborhood.

I agree. Tell that to north arlington. My kids rode the bus to Barcroft. And I personally don't care whether our neighborhood stays with Barcroft or moves to Fleet. I have so little expectation or hope that the SB will ever care about the demographics to actually start making any decisions for demographic benefit. Like many others, I've given up and will support whatever's best for my neighborhood. My kids are done, so the educational and social aspects don't matter to us anymore. Fighting for the right thing to do in this County is more futile than resisting the Borg. I actually believe what will happen is the siphoning off of the northern part of the neighborhood to Fleet and the rest remain at Barcroft. It's just unfortunate that doing so will add so many low-income students that it essentially neutralizes the middle class impact. So, one can only hope that moving other PUs elsewhere (or retaining them where they are) will bring more economically disadvantaged to Fleet and to Oakridge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Neighborhoods can and do get split. It’s about planning unit. Look at Columbia Heights. It goes to several schools already.

As a side note it’s nice to see that N Arlington’s plans to send long branch kids to Fleet to make more room for themselves at Long branch and ASFS is not part of the actual plan.

I believe Alcova does have multiple planning units; if so, they could very easily send the eastern part (which includes Gilliam Place) to Fleet and retain the western part at Barcroft. But I don't think that will leave very many kids from Alcova at Barcroft to help. It is much more likely they take only the small northern piece and send it to Fleet. I'm not sure whether that is a separate PU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Neighborhoods can and do get split. It’s about planning unit. Look at Columbia Heights. It goes to several schools already.

As a side note it’s nice to see that N Arlington’s plans to send long branch kids to Fleet to make more room for themselves at Long branch and ASFS is not part of the actual plan.

Why is that nice? It would have been good to see MC families from the north assigned south of 50 for a change, rather than just low-income kids from the south in schools north of 50. And, the lower-income PUs south of 50 currently at Long Branch could stay. What does moving them to Fleet or HB or Drew do to Long Branch's FRL%?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP- Get bent. 172 ah units is nothing. Douglas park has 1,000’s. Also GP has a high percentage of units reserved for seniors.
Quit trying to make Alcova seem like it’s mostly lower class. It’s not.

I'm not going to tell you that Alcova is lower class, and I don't think this person was either. There are both working class and middle class families in Alcova, even before Gillam gets build. Alcova Heights definitely has some $1M homes, but it also has apartments, condos, and duplexes, with people of all income levels. It's not any nicer than Arlington Heights or Penrose or Barcroft, all of which are rarely have a house under $500K these days. It's just that it has no school in its own zone and is within 1 mile of 5 other schools. Does that make it able to swing the demographics? Maybe.

If you take the entire neighborhood out of Barcroft, or even half, there aren't enough students zoned to Barcroft and too many zoned to Fleet. Where would Barcroft pull students from that wouldn't raise its fr/l rate more than just pulling in Gilliam Place (which has a limited number of family units)? The only adjacent areas outside of the Barcroft neighborhood itself are low income. Fleet can take the duplexes and apartments closest to them that are cut off from the rest of Alcova. The rest, which is mainly SFHs, should stay at Barcroft. That would be a balance/compromise between efficiency/proximity and diversity.

This should be what happens.

And it may be quite likely to happen. But people shouldn't presume there won't be many children in Gilliam place. Arlington Mill Residences generated 60+ students just to Barcroft, plus some to option programs and middle and high schools. a "limited # of family units" doesn't mean there will be a limited # of families or partial families living there. Both one and two-bedroom units easily house kids.

Maybe there will be, but unless you just carve out that one block, it would be detrimental to the balance at Barcroft, due to loss of the surrounding SFHs and the need to back-fill the now empty seats with PUs from the Barcroft Apartments in Douglas Park or the new Columbia Heights apartments currently zoned Abingdon. They could carve out just that block. But will they? Probably not. If it has to be a choice between keeping the majority of Alcova and taking Gilliam Place with it, or losing Alcova and taking more bus riders from across Columbia Pike, I think keeping Alcova would be the better option for a balance of diversity at Barcroft and for proximity/efficiency.

Arguably yes for diversity; definitely for efficiency; but not for proximity. There will be walkers to Fleet; all are bussed to Barcroft.

You're being myopic. Alcova isn't the only area where proximity/efficiency matters. If you look at those maps for Barcroft, keeping Alcova zoned to Barcroft rather than moving in PUs from Douglas Park or the current Abingdon zone is more proximate and efficient because the kids they'd replace the Alcova ones with would also be bus riders, and ride further less direct routes. So, by all objective measures, Alcova, with the exception of the NE corner of the neighborhood that is cut off from the rest and that is directly across Glebe from the new school, should remain zoned to Barcroft. You aren't guaranteed to go to the exact closest school to your house, or the one that would be a better more pleasant walk, not when you're smack in the middle of three nearby schools, none of which are actually in your neighborhood.

I agree. Tell that to north arlington. My kids rode the bus to Barcroft. And I personally don't care whether our neighborhood stays with Barcroft or moves to Fleet. I have so little expectation or hope that the SB will ever care about the demographics to actually start making any decisions for demographic benefit. Like many others, I've given up and will support whatever's best for my neighborhood. My kids are done, so the educational and social aspects don't matter to us anymore. Fighting for the right thing to do in this County is more futile than resisting the Borg. I actually believe what will happen is the siphoning off of the northern part of the neighborhood to Fleet and the rest remain at Barcroft. It's just unfortunate that doing so will add so many low-income students that it essentially neutralizes the middle class impact. So, one can only hope that moving other PUs elsewhere (or retaining them where they are) will bring more economically disadvantaged to Fleet and to Oakridge.

Only the Alignment map shows a significant portion of Alcova being moved out of Barcroft. That's a pretty weak reason to disregard the demographic and efficiency and proximity criteria, especially since so many Alcova kids are in Option ES anyway, and might not be going to the MS that most of their ES peers are anyway. Really, unless your Civic Association decides to be total Orange Shirts, I can't see the SB moving more than the two PUs at the NE corner of your neighborhood to Fleet, if any at all.