Another choice school in N Arlington?

[Anonymous]

Campbell is not really a choice school. Most of the incoming class is filled with VPI kids so only 20 spots are available for non VPI kids and siblings. Many, including myself, disagree with this. Many believe it should reserved no more then say 30% of the incoming class for VPI and open the remainder to all arlington families. Many, including myself, believe that ALL choice schools should be like that. Ensure diversity, but all families in arlington should have an equal chance to get accepted to a choice school. Flame away, as people always do.

[Anonymous]

So, is the school board also thinking of making this new choice school open on,y to north arlington families? Who on the school board is pushing for choice here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, is the school board also thinking of making this new choice school open on,y to north arlington families? Who on the school board is pushing for choice here?

I don't think anyone has said there would be a preference for anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where's my S Arlington choice school?

Or better, when are we just going to go back and redraw all the lines, institute a busing plan, or start completely over?

Campbell is the South Arlington choice school. South Arlington kids get a preference over North Arlington kids in the Campbell lottery. And Claremont, which should cover the Western half of the County, is mostly filled with kids from the neighborhoods adjacent to the school. Granted, this makes it function more like a neighborhood school than a choice school. But, to the extent that it still is a choice school, it is a choice school for those in certain South Arlington neighborhoods. And South Arlington kids have exactly the same chance in the ATS lottery as North Arlington kids. I think the same is true for Drew.

So, South Arlington parents are not denied choice school options. And I'm honestly not being snotty here. I'm a South Arlington parent myself. South Arlington schools have some challenges that North Arlington schools don't, but a lack of choice school seats isn't one of them.

Can we move away from N v. S? If it's a choice school, it should be a choice for everyone. I know plenty of north Arlington families who would've loved to be at Campbell, and I can't see why that would be a bad thing. Or at Claremont. It's so silly. If it's a choice, it should be one for everybody. Same as Drew, ATS, HB. Claremont and Key are meant to serve both N & S so that together they cover the whole county, but because of preferences, Claremont isn't really taking kids from outside of the immediate neighborhood. So, it's not exactly that south Arlington lacks choice schools, but some neighborhoods, that are not in anybody's preferred tier, are going to get shut out of choices that other families have. And I don't think that's only true for south Arlington. I think (but don't know for sure) that there are north Arlington neighborhoods that aren't getting in anywhere either. I think the difference may be that in north Arlington, the neighborhood school is largely considered "good" even if it wasn't the first choice. But the families in south Arlington don't really consider some of the neighborhood schools an option at all. Just guessing here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where's my S Arlington choice school?

Or better, when are we just going to go back and redraw all the lines, institute a busing plan, or start completely over?

Campbell is the South Arlington choice school. South Arlington kids get a preference over North Arlington kids in the Campbell lottery. And Claremont, which should cover the Western half of the County, is mostly filled with kids from the neighborhoods adjacent to the school. Granted, this makes it function more like a neighborhood school than a choice school. But, to the extent that it still is a choice school, it is a choice school for those in certain South Arlington neighborhoods. And South Arlington kids have exactly the same chance in the ATS lottery as North Arlington kids. I think the same is true for Drew.

So, South Arlington parents are not denied choice school options. And I'm honestly not being snotty here. I'm a South Arlington parent myself. South Arlington schools have some challenges that North Arlington schools don't, but a lack of choice school seats isn't one of them.

Can we move away from N v. S? If it's a choice school, it should be a choice for everyone. I know plenty of north Arlington families who would've loved to be at Campbell, and I can't see why that would be a bad thing. Or at Claremont. It's so silly. If it's a choice, it should be one for everybody. Same as Drew, ATS, HB. Claremont and Key are meant to serve both N & S so that together they cover the whole county, but because of preferences, Claremont isn't really taking kids from outside of the immediate neighborhood. So, it's not exactly that south Arlington lacks choice schools, but some neighborhoods, that are not in anybody's preferred tier, are going to get shut out of choices that other families have. And I don't think that's only true for south Arlington. I think (but don't know for sure) that there are north Arlington neighborhoods that aren't getting in anywhere either. I think the difference may be that in north Arlington, the neighborhood school is largely considered "good" even if it wasn't the first choice. But the families in south Arlington don't really consider some of the neighborhood schools an option at all. Just guessing here.

Well yes. Exactly. If your neighborhood school is Jamestown and a gs 10- not really a hardship that your didn't lottery into ATS. If you're in south Arlington and zoned to a 2 school... Not getting into a choice school really blows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are we fighting about this? Let's just hope they create some form of capacity at the site in the near future.

They want people to fight so no one notices that by the time the kids in ES get to HS, we will be short AN ENTIRE SCHOOL THAT THEY AREN'T BUILDING!

For the cheap seats. You want your walkable neighborhood school in your quaint little neighborhood, but get to the back of the line with that. We don't have the money or the space for all of the wants. We can only accommodate the needs at this point. We need schools that can solve capacity problems in multiple areas, and we need a new HS, otherwise our kids will be going to school in shifts. Not trailers, SHIFTS.

Um, you do realize that they are talking about seats at all 3 levels, right? A neighborhood school doesn't impact HS seats, unless........

1. Don't spend as much on Reed. Make it a bit smaller and bring it online quickly as a neighborhood school.
2. Turn ATS back into a neighborhood school, thereby providing more seats in Ballston.
3. Put ATS at Madison, a space that will never fill from the neighborhood.
4. Take that money saved from not building another huge ES and spend it on HS seats at VHC or Career Center.

What is the deal with Madison? It seems like a prime candidate for a new elementary school (choice or neighborhood). Someone on DCUM once said that Madison could not be converted into an elementary school because of a historical designation (or something similar). Does anyone know if that is correct? With land at such a premium, perhaps any such historic designation obstacles could be overcome?

I was wondering this too so I googled it recently. The park adjacent to it, Fort Ethan Allen Park, is on the National Register of Historic Places due to its role in the Civil War. I'm not sure where the school (now rec center)/park boundary is and how this impacts doing anything with Madison. But I agree that in a county with such a massive shortage of school space, Madison should be put to use as a school somehow.

[Anonymous]

Civil War? So , let's make it a fully integrated choice school for the entire county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard or seen nothing about it being a choice school. It would be a neighborhood school. Some versions have it being K-5, redistricting with McKinley, Tuckahoe, and Nottingham. Other versions have it being a K-2 that then sends the kids back to McK, Tuck, Nott for 3-5.

Definitely not guaranteed to be a neighborhood school. Last night, the school board had a meeting to discuss the CIP and the overwhelming opinion was that it would be a choice school. The K-2 option isn't even on the table anymore.

OMFG, why another choice school? Not enough resentment and infighting among Arlington parents?

That's probably WHY they are thinking about a choice school. Because then they can alleviate overcrowding at multiple schools (maybe even some in south Arlington), and given budget constraints, this is likely the only other new ES that will be built for years and years and it needs to address capacity issues system-wide. Also, I would think that they would not have to have the fights about what planning units are going to be moved where/when. This way, no fights, because people are opting in, and if they don't like it, they need not apply and can stick with their overcrowded neighborhood school.

Oh, there will be fighting. The neighborhood around Reed has been asking for that to be their school for years. Now, APS is talking about making it an ES, but not one that they can attend. Their kids can get bussed to trailers at other schools, but not walk to the one down the street. Yeah, there WILL be fighting.

Where exactly is Reed?
When Discovery was built, they said Reed was not an option. What has changed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Campbell is not really a choice school. Most of the incoming class is filled with VPI kids so only 20 spots are available for non VPI kids and siblings. Many, including myself, disagree with this. Many believe it should reserved no more then say 30% of the incoming class for VPI and open the remainder to all arlington families. Many, including myself, believe that ALL choice schools should be like that. Ensure diversity, but all families in arlington should have an equal chance to get accepted to a choice school. Flame away, as people always do.

Why flame away? Stays quo of the "choice schools" is not practical.
It seems all the choice schools are already filled up - either with VPI classes or with a particular neighborhood.

One solution could be that each elementary school gets an equal number of VPI classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Campbell is not really a choice school. Most of the incoming class is filled with VPI kids so only 20 spots are available for non VPI kids and siblings. Many, including myself, disagree with this. Many believe it should reserved no more then say 30% of the incoming class for VPI and open the remainder to all arlington families. Many, including myself, believe that ALL choice schools should be like that. Ensure diversity, but all families in arlington should have an equal chance to get accepted to a choice school. Flame away, as people always do.

Why flame away? Stays quo of the "choice schools" is not practical.
It seems all the choice schools are already filled up - either with VPI classes or with a particular neighborhood.

One solution could be that each elementary school gets an equal number of VPI classes.

Does Campbell have a larger target percentage of VPI students then ATS? Seems like it does...

[Anonymous]

Reed is in Westover, right in between overcrowded Tuckahoe, McKinley and Glebe.

[Anonymous]

I'm thrilled to be paying for the second renovation of reed in a dozen years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Civil War? So , let's make it a fully integrated choice school for the entire county.

Except it is basically on the border of McLean--I live in south Arlington and my kids did a summer camp there and it was a real PITA to get back and forth. Places like ATS and H-B are inconvenient but not that hard to get to. Madison is a real schlep from the quarter of the county south of Columbia Pike.

Not saying it shouldn't be used for something, but a countywide choice school is not the answer--no moving ATS or Montessori there, especially if one of the goals of choice is to increase diversity.

[Anonymous]

School board is damned if they do and damned if they don't. New school at TJ they didn't say if it would be neighborhood or choice and that was used as a reason to delay a year. New school in north Arlington they have said might be choice and now everyone wants to know what and who and how.

[Anonymous]

I live pretty close to the Madison Community Center. There is already a building there and everything. Even if you left its current footprint exactly as-is, you could create hundreds of seats. I do think it would need to be a choice school because I expect playing fields etc. would be more limited and you'd need parent buy-in to some of the limitations created by maintaining some of the historic designation etc. But to completely keep it off the list of sites available for a school just because it can't be built into a huge school seems like a self-inflicted injury on the part of Arlington. There are some old timers who live in the neighborhood who would probably fight tooth and nail to prevent any change. I suspect that is the true obstacle, and one to be taken seriously.