Plan for Arlington overcrowding?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
* moving the IB program to the new Wakefield (from W/L)
* having all 9th/10th graders attend pre-IB classes in their home high schools and only transfer to the full IB for Jr/Sr year
* opening another 6-12 school (like HB but perhaps not like HB) at an existing smaller facility (or break up the middle and HS spaces -- to create another 500 or so seats in the upper grades)

Moving the IB program would require a few years of work and preparation--IB approval process takes some time. For now, Wakefield seems to be fairly content with its AP Network, which brought the school a prestigious award from the College Board a few years ago. I do hope they expand their language immersion program.

IB transfers limited to 11-12th grades would negatively impact extracurricular/athletic options for students who transfer midway through high school.
And strict VHSL transfer policies need to be considered.

I think it would be easier to just change boundaries and/or construct additions if needed than to create a new secondary program and find/renovate/build that infrastructure.
I understand that the Career Center in addition to its current programs that serve Wakefield, W-L, Yorktown and Geo Mason (Falls Church City) is starting a vocational arts program that will house students full-time, and that might help alleviate overcrowding just a little.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In addition to just adding a school or two and redrawing lines, there are lots of creative ideas that will undoubtedly (hopefully) be discussed and vetted, including, for example:

* moving the IB program to the new Wakefield (from W/L)
* having all 9th/10th graders attend pre-IB classes in their home high schools and only transfer to the full IB for Jr/Sr year
* opening another 6-12 school (like HB but perhaps not like HB) at an existing smaller facility (or break up the middle and HS spaces -- to create another 500 or so seats in the upper grades)
* offering more hybrid classes, where students do some high quality on-line work supported by a great teacher
* etc.etc.

But all of these will take significant effort by the community and the leadership to discuss, vet, implement. I hope all of us here will be engaged in this process; it will define the next generation of APS.

Yes. The process should be interesting, and you can bet that the community will be very involved. Maybe we can a get a French immersion program out of all this.

[Anonymous]

Per the sports question: I would like to see an analysis of how many out of zone kids who transfer to W/L for the IB program actually do the IB program (and beyond that how many play sports). I bet the number of out of zone kids who do full IB and play sports is pretty small, and it strikes me as exactly what the waiver process is supposed to address. Many of the kids I know who are IB transfers to W/L aren't doing full IB. If they're not doing full IB, we ought to think about how they can get what they need (pre IB and/or AP) in their home high schools. I wonder how much of a dent in the problem just fixing that would make.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Per the sports question: I would like to see an analysis of how many out of zone kids who transfer to W/L for the IB program actually do the IB program (and beyond that how many play sports). I bet the number of out of zone kids who do full IB and play sports is pretty small, and it strikes me as exactly what the waiver process is supposed to address. Many of the kids I know who are IB transfers to W/L aren't doing full IB. If they're not doing full IB, we ought to think about how they can get what they need (pre IB and/or AP) in their home high schools. I wonder how much of a dent in the problem just fixing that would make.

This issue of IB transfers not pursuing the full IB diploma was discussed in detail around 2001, as the W-L population was growing and the need for trailers was debated. A number of IB transfer students who pursued extracurricular activities at W-L spoke in favor of keeping the current arrangement. The school board sided with the students and so transfers are allowed to remain at W-L as long as they continue to take a minimum number of IB classes, and so they are not required to pursue the full diploma. I believe most if not all IB students are a part of some school-sponsored extracurricular activity, and i'm sure that data will figure into a reevaluation of the current policies.

And implementing pre-IB courses at other high schools that don't offer full IB might not work within the rules set up by the IB, but I don't know for sure.

I'm sure current IB policies will be reconsidered, and they should, but the solution needs to be much broader as the projected overcrowding far exceeds the number of IB transfers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think these projections are pretty accurate. Just look at the feeder-elementaries that are overcrowded and growing, and some of these kids will be at W-L in 2016 (the last year for which projections were made): Mckinley, Taylor, Glebe, Science Focus, and now Ashlawn. Barrett and Long Branch are also growing, although at a slower pace it seems. Swanson is similarly overcrowded.

Barrett (our neighborhood school) is also overenrolled. For years, Barrett accepted transfers from N. Arlington schools but that hasn't happened lately (past 2 years at least) since it's been above capacity with neighborhood children.

None of the elementary schools have enough space to adequately build on to, unless they all started to build up, which is very expensive and would probably require shutting a school for the duration of that kind of construction project. I think there may be a few minor tweaks in terms of redrawing boundaries but there is simply not public support for large-scale redistricting. Everyone I know bought the specific home/property they did in Arlington (particularly N. Arlington) for a reason, namely because they were buying into a particular set of schools or school choices, and very few people seem to be completely open to the idea of a reassignment that they didn't choose. I think people would rather have trailers and overcrowding than send their kid to an underenrolled school (and frankly, at this point, I don't think there are any/many schools that are underpopulated).

I think the only solution is to add on to existing school buildings where feasible and/or build new schools that will serve the existing neighborhood structures. People just don't want to send their kids to schools they perceive as "not as good" as the ones they are districted for. I don't think too many people in the Taylor district would want their kids to be sent to Glebe, or the people in McKinley district to have their kids go to Ashlawn, or the people from Ashlawn or Barrett to have their kids go to Carlin Springs... The other part is that people seem to really support the idea of neighborhood/community schools and don't want to put them on a bus and ship them off to S. Arlington or wherever the underenrolled schools are. I think if they built a couple more new elementary schools in N. Arlington and maybe another in S. Arlington and pulled enrollment from new districts around the schools they would get more support. Same for a new middle school.

I find it hard to believe there are only two middle schools in N Arlington (not counting H-B which serves a county-wide population). N. Arlington could definitely use a new middle school - there are 3 middle schools in S. Arlington which has a lower population (but does draw some of its students from N Arlington districts like Long Branch and Barrett.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think these projections are pretty accurate. Just look at the feeder-elementaries that are overcrowded and growing, and some of these kids will be at W-L in 2016 (the last year for which projections were made): Mckinley, Taylor, Glebe, Science Focus, and now Ashlawn. Barrett and Long Branch are also growing, although at a slower pace it seems. Swanson is similarly overcrowded.

Barrett (our neighborhood school) is also overenrolled. For years, Barrett accepted transfers from N. Arlington schools but that hasn't happened lately (past 2 years at least) since it's been above capacity with neighborhood children.

None of the elementary schools have enough space to adequately build on to, unless they all started to build up, which is very expensive and would probably require shutting a school for the duration of that kind of construction project. I think there may be a few minor tweaks in terms of redrawing boundaries but there is simply not public support for large-scale redistricting. Everyone I know bought the specific home/property they did in Arlington (particularly N. Arlington) for a reason, namely because they were buying into a particular set of schools or school choices, and very few people seem to be completely open to the idea of a reassignment that they didn't choose. I think people would rather have trailers and overcrowding than send their kid to an underenrolled school (and frankly, at this point, I don't think there are any/many schools that are underpopulated).

I think the only solution is to add on to existing school buildings where feasible and/or build new schools that will serve the existing neighborhood structures. People just don't want to send their kids to schools they perceive as "not as good" as the ones they are districted for. I don't think too many people in the Taylor district would want their kids to be sent to Glebe, or the people in McKinley district to have their kids go to Ashlawn, or the people from Ashlawn or Barrett to have their kids go to Carlin Springs... The other part is that people seem to really support the idea of neighborhood/community schools and don't want to put them on a bus and ship them off to S. Arlington or wherever the underenrolled schools are. I think if they built a couple more new elementary schools in N. Arlington and maybe another in S. Arlington and pulled enrollment from new districts around the schools they would get more support. Same for a new middle school.

I find it hard to believe there are only two middle schools in N Arlington (not counting H-B which serves a county-wide population). N. Arlington could definitely use a new middle school - there are 3 middle schools in S. Arlington which has a lower population (but does draw some of its students from N Arlington districts like Long Branch and Barrett.

N Arlington also had 3 "junior highs" until 1978 when H-B moved into the old Stratford Jr High building during a period of declining enrollment. Arlington had plans in the early 90s to reopen Gunston and/or Stratford. Gunston reopened, but H-B didn't want to move out of the Stratford building, so over the past 15 years Arlington has built additions to both Swanson and Williamsburg to accommodate a growing N Arlington school-age population. So there is a predicament, and Swanson and/or Williamsburg will need additions.

The old 1924-1976 era W-L HS building had a capacity of over 3,000 students, but with a declining enrollment since the mid-70s, boundary changes in the 80s that sent Lee Heights, Donaldson Run, and Old Dominion to Yorktown HS, and after a series of reconstructions the capacity was reduced to about 1,600. The new W-L HS building was designed to comfortably meet that population and no one projected that the school age population would ever meet or surpass the 1960s levels. The new building, even at the expanded capacity of 1,900+ and with the 4 planned trailers (the maximum that will fit) could maybe hold around 2,200 max if teacher workrooms and computer labs became additional classroom space. Boundaries will eventually have to change--a simple, although very temporary fix would be to restore the pre-1995 high school boundaries: Glencarlyn and Col Heights West in South Arlington would then go back to Wakefield, and Rosslyn through Court House would go back to W-L. But that idea alone wont solve the overcrowding at W-L. I think we can expect to see a number of boundary proposals--W-L is simply too small to handle the projected enrollment of 2,600 in five years.

I highly doubt any secondary school boundary changes will take place before the new Wakefield is finished in 2013.

Concerning elementary schools, it's about time for a new school in N Arlington. Over the past 15 years, S Arlington gained four elementary schools: Claremont and Hoffman-Boston reopened, a new elementary school was built--Carlin Springs, and Drew became neighborhood elementary. Over that same time period, N Arlington gained just one school when Page Traditional moved to the Stonewall Jackson building and became ATS, and Page became ASF. When Reed closed in '84 the expectation was that it would be reopened as an elementary at some point in the future. I hope that Reed and/or Madison reopen, and perhaps Arlington can raise some money to fund renovations through the sale of the smaller Clarendon property, and teaming up with a developer to redevelop part of the Wilson school site.

[Anonymous]

We don't need another survey to tell us that people are moving in with kids, or with plans to have kids with each new house being sold in north arlington. The people
moving in are moving to north arlington for the public schools not the private ones. That being said, they should reopen Reed School as an elementary school to offset
the capacity issues at Nottingham, Tuckahoe, Glebe and McKinley. The programs currently at Reed School could be administered in other parts of Arlington where there are underutilized buildings. This is such a no brainer. Reed School was closed through controversy - it should be reopen as an elementary school. If nothing else, it is a "green" solution as most of the kids could walk to school rather than ride buses to the overcrowded schools.

The teachers can still have a day care (which is operated at Reed School) - but the day care doesn't have to be right smack in the middle of a neighborhood that is in dire need of an elementary school.

The teenage pregnancy program currently at Reed can be housed anywhere - but relocated so the children near Reed can go to their neighborhood school which will address the overcrowding at the other schools.

The library at Reed can continue - on Thursday (when it is closed to the public) it can be opened for the Reed elementary children so that they are protected from the public.

This is such a no brainer. Am I missing something????

[Anonymous]

The Reed School also houses the countywide special needs preschool that is integrated with the employees' daycare.

[Anonymous]

Also a no-brainer: Move one of the very popular programs -- ASFS or ATS to Hoffman-Boston, which is far under capacity through 2016.

[Anonymous]

Simple solution here that would restore one or two of N Arlington's neighborhood schools: (1) Tell the seniors to huff it to another county facility and reopen Madison as a neighborhood school. (2) Move the programs out of Reed into Wilson or some other county owned facility like the under construction Arlington Mill building, and reopen Reed as a neighborhood elementary.

Reopening Madison and Reed will help with the overcrowding at Taylor, ASF, Glebe, Mckinley, Tuckahoe, Ashlawn, and Nottingham. And as previously stated, kids will once again have the option of walking to their neighborhood school.

[Anonymous]

13:38: You are just baiting those N. Arlington moms. I'll get my popcorn while they freak out about sending their kids to school south of Route 50.

[Anonymous]

13:38 here, and I am a North Arlington mom, so I am turning on my own.

mwa ha ha!

Dear potential freaking out moms: You think it's such a great program, by all means, travel for it. Otherwise, let me introduce you to the wonders of the neighborhood school.

[Anonymous]

If Science Focus were to move and the old Page building became a neighborhood elem once again for Lyon Village, Va Square and parts of Cherrydale, that would solve some overcrowding problems. But that would disappoint Lyon Village "east" families who are "guaranteed" the Sci Focus option, and maybe even Lyon Village "west" families that really like Taylor.

I doubt that the school board will want to tinker with such a successful program, however, and that's precisely why H-B Woodlawn will never leave Stratford and why ATS will never become a partial neighborhood school. I think we can count on ASFS staying where it is.

[Anonymous]

The thought that these programs are So Totally Awesome That Everyone Else Is Jealous of Us but cannot survive transplantation does not wow me with its logic. (Not blaming 17:50 for bad logic, just mocking the idea s/he presents, which I know is out there, but GMAFB.)

[Anonymous]

The other problem is that the "magnet" programs are so well established in their current locations, moving them would be a difficult option--indeed past attempts to move them have been futile.

Regarding a previous comment on moving ATS to Hoffman Boston: despite the low test scores, I don't think the historically black neighborhood, Arlington View, would look to kindly on its recently reopened neighborhood school becoming a magnet program. Nauck/Green Valley fought for years to reclaim their neighborhood elementary Drew, which had been county-wide magnet. Neighborhood kids were bussed to other schools.

Moving a popular magnet program to an under-perfoming school is not as easy as it may seem.

Reed and Madison were kept as county facilities with the intention of reopening them as schools should the need arise. There is a very pressing need for one or both schools to reopen. South Arlington schools reopened during its population boom in the mid-late 90s, and it only makes sense to reopen North Arlington schools to serve its growing population.