APS Superintendent High School Overcrowding Plan

[Anonymous]

Now that felons can vote in VA, the AH lobby will have more power than ever.

[Anonymous]

Affordable housing has been used in Arlington for a very long time and has been successful. But at this point, it's becoming Manhattan-like: rich, poor, and nothing in the middle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Now that felons can vote in VA, the AH lobby will have more power than ever.

Oh riiiight, because poor = felon, law breaking, [stick in adjective here]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think I am going to send an email to both the school and county boards asking them to please, please, please work together to find the money to build a fourth full-size high school.

We know these kids are coming. They are in the system already. I don't want my kids doing flex scheduling or alternate days. And I don't want them attending a 3,000 kid high school. I want them to have a normal high school experience.

Raise our taxes if you need to. But don't pass a plan that basically throws up its hands for 1,500 kids who won't have high school seats. The time to buy land is NOW, not 10 years from now.

I attended a high school with over 3,000 kids. That's not unusually large. 4,000 would be pushing it though.

Can you tell us what state that was? Were they able to fit in 1 building or did you also use trailers ? Was it harder to make sports teams? TIA.

Different poster here, but I too attended a HS with over 3,000 students, in suburban MD. The main differences that I see and why I think it won't work well here in Arlington is that my HS was built from the beginning to be that size, on a sprawling campus that was not affected much even when we exceeded capacity. We needed a few relocatables during my years there, but it wasn't a huge issue because we had an enormous campus, and they were able to put the trailers on the parking lot, which was also large, and it was not a big deal. Not a blade of grass was affected by overcrowding. The other major difference is that my school was a STEM magnet school. Out of the 900 or so kids in my class, only 200 (maybe 250, I don't remember) were in the magnet program, so I was part of a smaller school within a school. So I never felt really lost in the crowd. Nearly all of my classes were with the same core group of kids, and we got to know each other well and formed an insular social group. Since Arlington has neither the land, nor a plan to form smaller schools within schools, I think the mega-school idea just not a good one for Arlington. And if they move forward with building a small 750 seat for the lucky few, while the other three schools swell to 3,000 students, I can't imagine this doesn't end in some sort of lawsuit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Affordable housing has been used in Arlington for a very long time and has been successful. But at this point, it's becoming Manhattan-like: rich, poor, and nothing in the middle.

Is it that important for all the upper middle class types in Arlington to call themselves "rich"? There are a few rich people in condos in Rosslyn and a few pockets of 22207 but overall Arlington remains middle-brow. It's not even Bethesda, much less Manhattan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think I am going to send an email to both the school and county boards asking them to please, please, please work together to find the money to build a fourth full-size high school.

We know these kids are coming. They are in the system already. I don't want my kids doing flex scheduling or alternate days. And I don't want them attending a 3,000 kid high school. I want them to have a normal high school experience.

Raise our taxes if you need to. But don't pass a plan that basically throws up its hands for 1,500 kids who won't have high school seats. The time to buy land is NOW, not 10 years from now.

I attended a high school with over 3,000 kids. That's not unusually large. 4,000 would be pushing it though.

Can you tell us what state that was? Were they able to fit in 1 building or did you also use trailers ? Was it harder to make sports teams? TIA.

Different poster here, but I too attended a HS with over 3,000 students, in suburban MD. The main differences that I see and why I think it won't work well here in Arlington is that my HS was built from the beginning to be that size, on a sprawling campus that was not affected much even when we exceeded capacity. We needed a few relocatables during my years there, but it wasn't a huge issue because we had an enormous campus, and they were able to put the trailers on the parking lot, which was also large, and it was not a big deal. Not a blade of grass was affected by overcrowding. The other major difference is that my school was a STEM magnet school. Out of the 900 or so kids in my class, only 200 (maybe 250, I don't remember) were in the magnet program, so I was part of a smaller school within a school. So I never felt really lost in the crowd. Nearly all of my classes were with the same core group of kids, and we got to know each other well and formed an insular social group. Since Arlington has neither the land, nor a plan to form smaller schools within schools, I think the mega-school idea just not a good one for Arlington. And if they move forward with building a small 750 seat for the lucky few, while the other three schools swell to 3,000 students, I can't imagine this doesn't end in some sort of lawsuit.

TL; DR

[Anonymous]

The County's #1 priority is affordable housing. People are deluding themselves if they think the AH crowd aren't already eyeing the Carling Springs site from the Virginia Hospital Center.

The recent elections, with the old Democratic board stalwarts being pushed aside and some new blood coming in, has at best put a hold on some of the more ridiculous shenanigans.

I have no issues with using some county funds to support affordable housing, even knowing that much of that is going toward people who aren't even Arlington residents yet. But when the County is fighting tooth and nail to not provide sewage services to long time residents (Lyon Village) while seriously entertaining converting a much used community center into AH (Lubber Run), you need to be realistic about what to expect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now that felons can vote in VA, the AH lobby will have more power than ever.

Oh riiiight, because poor = felon, law breaking, [stick in adjective here]

Correct. Check the stats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think I am going to send an email to both the school and county boards asking them to please, please, please work together to find the money to build a fourth full-size high school.

We know these kids are coming. They are in the system already. I don't want my kids doing flex scheduling or alternate days. And I don't want them attending a 3,000 kid high school. I want them to have a normal high school experience.

Raise our taxes if you need to. But don't pass a plan that basically throws up its hands for 1,500 kids who won't have high school seats. The time to buy land is NOW, not 10 years from now.

I attended a high school with over 3,000 kids. That's not unusually large. 4,000 would be pushing it though.

Can you tell us what state that was? Were they able to fit in 1 building or did you also use trailers ? Was it harder to make sports teams? TIA.

Different poster here, but I too attended a HS with over 3,000 students, in suburban MD. The main differences that I see and why I think it won't work well here in Arlington is that my HS was built from the beginning to be that size, on a sprawling campus that was not affected much even when we exceeded capacity. We needed a few relocatables during my years there, but it wasn't a huge issue because we had an enormous campus, and they were able to put the trailers on the parking lot, which was also large, and it was not a big deal. Not a blade of grass was affected by overcrowding. The other major difference is that my school was a STEM magnet school. Out of the 900 or so kids in my class, only 200 (maybe 250, I don't remember) were in the magnet program, so I was part of a smaller school within a school. So I never felt really lost in the crowd. Nearly all of my classes were with the same core group of kids, and we got to know each other well and formed an insular social group. Since Arlington has neither the land, nor a plan to form smaller schools within schools, I think the mega-school idea just not a good one for Arlington. And if they move forward with building a small 750 seat for the lucky few, while the other three schools swell to 3,000 students, I can't imagine this doesn't end in some sort of lawsuit.

TL; DR

Well, I read it and I thought it was really helpful. I'm the poster who doesn't want their kids attending a 3,000 kid high school. It's just too easy to get lost in there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Affordable housing has been used in Arlington for a very long time and has been successful. But at this point, it's becoming Manhattan-like: rich, poor, and nothing in the middle.

Is it that important for all the upper middle class types in Arlington to call themselves "rich"? There are a few rich people in condos in Rosslyn and a few pockets of 22207 but overall Arlington remains middle-brow. It's not even Bethesda, much less Manhattan.

Huh? Arlington has the highest HHI in the nation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Affordable housing has been used in Arlington for a very long time and has been successful. But at this point, it's becoming Manhattan-like: rich, poor, and nothing in the middle.

Is it that important for all the upper middle class types in Arlington to call themselves "rich"? There are a few rich people in condos in Rosslyn and a few pockets of 22207 but overall Arlington remains middle-brow. It's not even Bethesda, much less Manhattan.

Huh? Arlington has the highest HHI in the nation.

Well my family is solidly middle class living in south Arlington. Its very clear that the only people matter on this side are the AH lobby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Affordable housing has been used in Arlington for a very long time and has been successful. But at this point, it's becoming Manhattan-like: rich, poor, and nothing in the middle.

Is it that important for all the upper middle class types in Arlington to call themselves "rich"? There are a few rich people in condos in Rosslyn and a few pockets of 22207 but overall Arlington remains middle-brow. It's not even Bethesda, much less Manhattan.

Huh? Arlington has the highest HHI in the nation.

Well my family is solidly middle class living in south Arlington. Its very clear that the only people matter on this side are the AH lobby.

Move to Chantilly or Ashburn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Affordable housing has been used in Arlington for a very long time and has been successful. But at this point, it's becoming Manhattan-like: rich, poor, and nothing in the middle.

Is it that important for all the upper middle class types in Arlington to call themselves "rich"? There are a few rich people in condos in Rosslyn and a few pockets of 22207 but overall Arlington remains middle-brow. It's not even Bethesda, much less Manhattan.

Huh? Arlington has the highest HHI in the nation.

Well my family is solidly middle class living in south Arlington. Its very clear that the only people matter on this side are the AH lobby.

Move to Chantilly or Ashburn.

How about the people who can't afford to live in Arlington move to Chantilly or Ashburn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Affordable housing has been used in Arlington for a very long time and has been successful. But at this point, it's becoming Manhattan-like: rich, poor, and nothing in the middle.

Is it that important for all the upper middle class types in Arlington to call themselves "rich"? There are a few rich people in condos in Rosslyn and a few pockets of 22207 but overall Arlington remains middle-brow. It's not even Bethesda, much less Manhattan.

You must live a very unhappy life.

[Anonymous]

I predict that in 20 years, south Arlington will gentrify and the lower and middle classes will move out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Affordable housing has been used in Arlington for a very long time and has been successful. But at this point, it's becoming Manhattan-like: rich, poor, and nothing in the middle.

Is it that important for all the upper middle class types in Arlington to call themselves "rich"? There are a few rich people in condos in Rosslyn and a few pockets of 22207 but overall Arlington remains middle-brow. It's not even Bethesda, much less Manhattan.

Huh? Arlington has the highest HHI in the nation.

Well my family is solidly middle class living in south Arlington. Its very clear that the only people matter on this side are the AH lobby.

Move to Chantilly or Ashburn.

How about the people who can't afford to live in Arlington move to Chantilly or Ashburn.