APS elementary planning initiative called off

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's because they are going to open Reed as an option school, so nothing moves until then. Surprise!!!

Let’s hope so.

Sorry, bitter troll. IF, and that is a huge if, they add an option school it will be at Tuckahoe or McKinley.

[Anonymous]

I think it was premature to start the process for changes that happen so far in the future. Every time they make a decision early, the data comes back close to go time to show they should change their decision. Historically, they've been unwilling to change course even in the face of glaring mistakes. So, it waiting gets us closer to balanced enrollment and efficient transportation, I'm all for it. I am disappointed by those who exclaim in glee that Reed will now become option. First, signs point to time only making the case for neighborhood in that area of the county. Second, it just continues to create distrust and animosity between neighborhoods. Can't you be better than that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Always punting. It's their MO.

And swinging and missing.

[Anonymous]

Any possibility any of this is related to the possibility that Amazon is choosing Arlington and the CB and SB are concerned about even MORE kids in APS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any possibility any of this is related to the possibility that Amazon is choosing Arlington and the CB and SB are concerned about even MORE kids in APS?

I really doubt that. Barbara doesn't want to anger anyone b/c she is up for re-election. RG will likely not run again and doesn't want the hassle. This is getting pushed out until the SB either looks different of feels more secure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why can’t the kids in Rosslyn go to Longbranch? That’s a straight shot up 50 and closer?

Because it's already maxed out and there's nowhere to push enough kids in Ashton Heights/Lyon Park area to, and no space for trailers on their very tiny lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any possibility any of this is related to the possibility that Amazon is choosing Arlington and the CB and SB are concerned about even MORE kids in APS?

I really doubt that. Barbara doesn't want to anger anyone b/c she is up for re-election. RG will likely not run again and doesn't want the hassle. This is getting pushed out until the SB either looks different of feels more secure.

Which means never. They will never take this up again. The can't draw new boundaries and then move program a year or two later, because then kids would have to move twice. It has to happen at the same time, or it won't happen. Which is why I am convinced they will be making Reed the next option school. Because they've boxed themselves out of any other choices. Reed people, if they won't move Key in the face of the overwhelming and compelling data to make it a walkable neighborhood school and to fix the crazy boundary around ASFS, they aren't going to make Reed a neighborhood school either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can’t the kids in Rosslyn go to Longbranch? That’s a straight shot up 50 and closer?

Because it's already maxed out and there's nowhere to push enough kids in Ashton Heights/Lyon Park area to, and no space for trailers on their very tiny lot.

When Fleet opens it can pull a lot of kids from Long Branch to make room for Rosslyn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to say I’m really surprised. Do you think this is a reaction to so much community push back?

I don't think they are caving to the community so much as the community made a lot of substantive arguments to which they don't have adequate responses (how will the proposed option sites accommodate the necessary buses? will enough Spanish-speaking families from the Columbia Pike/Carlin Springs Road area be interested in immersion to justify moving both programs to adjacent schools? etc.). I think they'll hold onto their notes and analysis from this time around and quietly work in the background over the next year (e.g., traffic studies, doing more promotion in certain Spanish-speaking populations to see if they can boost interest, creating more substantive community surveys directed at where they actually need better community data), so that 18 months from now they can revisit it with a new, sounder analysis.

[Anonymous]

Your faith in staff is adorable. They were told all year they needed to do these things and ignored it. They will ignore it again til it’s time for the next scramble. Then, they will return to the same place they were—sights set on Nottingham. Except this time there will be no other alternatives in S Arl because they will have already changed those boundaries in 2019. So it’ll all be focused on NW and Nottingham. Reed will never be option. Nottingham should not consider this over by a long shot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can’t the kids in Rosslyn go to Longbranch? That’s a straight shot up 50 and closer?

Because it's already maxed out and there's nowhere to push enough kids in Ashton Heights/Lyon Park area to, and no space for trailers on their very tiny lot.

When Fleet opens it can pull a lot of kids from Long Branch to make room for Rosslyn.

No, it' can't. It probably pulls in the couple planning units S of 50 that are currently zoned Long Branch but that isn't enough to then bring in the more densely populated Rosslyn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ASFS changes will wait until Reed.

Except that APS got rid of the team model last year and ASFS can’t handle all the kids in the Key boundary. Even if they keep most of the boundary intact, APS will have to trim somewhere. Plus, how does ASFS backtrack from all its talk about reducing busing and every school having a walk zone? What are they going to say, sorry ASFS, in our strive to make everything equitable everyone gets a walk zone except you?


...

Sorry but this isnt true. For the next five years, there shouldn’t be more than an additional classroom per grade at asfs due to losing neighborhood preference at key. That is easily cancelled out by the number of transfers from Taylor, so it would be a wash once the current transfers age out.
They were predicting a huge increase in the population around key, I don’t know if they got better numbers to change that and maybe that’s what killed the urgency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your faith in staff is adorable. They were told all year they needed to do these things and ignored it. They will ignore it again til it’s time for the next scramble. Then, they will return to the same place they were—sights set on Nottingham. Except this time there will be no other alternatives in S Arl because they will have already changed those boundaries in 2019. So it’ll all be focused on NW and Nottingham. Reed will never be option. Nottingham should not consider this over by a long shot.

[Anonymous]

Bless your heart. Not a troll. But Nottingham should go ahead and stand down and act like this is over. Ignoring the initiative served you really well so far. Moron.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ASFS changes will wait until Reed.

Except that APS got rid of the team model last year and ASFS can’t handle all the kids in the Key boundary. Even if they keep most of the boundary intact, APS will have to trim somewhere. Plus, how does ASFS backtrack from all its talk about reducing busing and every school having a walk zone? What are they going to say, sorry ASFS, in our strive to make everything equitable everyone gets a walk zone except you?


...

Sorry but this isnt true. For the next five years, there shouldn’t be more than an additional classroom per grade at asfs due to losing neighborhood preference at key. That is easily cancelled out by the number of transfers from Taylor, so it would be a wash once the current transfers age out.
They were predicting a huge increase in the population around key, I don’t know if they got better numbers to change that and maybe that’s what killed the urgency.

If they can do the bare minimum in redrawing the boundaries this fall and just add an ASFS walk zone and let it be stuffed, moving Key is still in play for 2020 or 2021.