Wakefield HS year 2030

[Anonymous]

So... What do we think Wakefield is going to be like 15 years from now? I have a friend who grew up zoned Washington- Lee in the 90's. She said is was terrible and not an option. I believe her parents sent her to Bishop O'Connell. I'm not really interested in debated people's experiences with W-L 20 years ago. If you graduated at that time, I'm sure you turned out fine. However, the reputation of the school has changed.
Thoughts on Wakefield?

[Anonymous]

well the pecking order of APS high schools will never change and WF will always be at the very bottom, no matter how many new high schools they build. whether it'll remain 'not an option' though is up to individual families.

just buy the house and not worry about something 15 years from now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So... What do we think Wakefield is going to be like 15 years from now? I have a friend who grew up zoned Washington- Lee in the 90's. She said is was terrible and not an option. I believe her parents sent her to Bishop O'Connell. I'm not really interested in debated people's experiences with W-L 20 years ago. If you graduated at that time, I'm sure you turned out fine. However, the reputation of the school has changed.
Thoughts on Wakefield?

It has some of the lowest test scores in NoVa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So... What do we think Wakefield is going to be like 15 years from now? I have a friend who grew up zoned Washington- Lee in the 90's. She said is was terrible and not an option. I believe her parents sent her to Bishop O'Connell. I'm not really interested in debated people's experiences with W-L 20 years ago. If you graduated at that time, I'm sure you turned out fine. However, the reputation of the school has changed.
Thoughts on Wakefield?

My brother went to Washington-Lee 25 years ago, and it was a generally well regarded school. It may have a slightly better reputation today, but I can't think of anyone who thought it was "terrible." And the school actually had a wealthier student demographic then as the Donaldson Run kids were zoned to W-L. Colin Powell's kids were classmates of his and Powell was the graduation speaker one year. It's hard to compare W-L twenty years ago with Wakefield today, because W-L then had wealthier demographics than Wakefield does today.

While W-L had a pretty good reputation in the early 90s in my recollection, some nearby neighborhoods had gone downhill and that can affect perceptions. Neighborhoods like Buckingham had gang and crime problems, and many of those kids went to W-L. Friends of mine were jumped by a gang near the old Steak and Egg in '93. For comparison Yorktown was close to 100% white, did not have any ESL classes, and had virtually no low income students. That's why Rosslyn students are bused to Yorktown today.

Unlike W-L, Wakefield does not draw from a high concentration of middle and upper income neighborhoods. So unless boundaries are changed between all three high schools, school quality or the perception of school quality will not change. 25 years ago, Wakefield had a reputation as the "ghetto school." That is still true today for many in Arlington, but I hope and I am optimistic that will change. Wakefield's reputation is already improving if you look at the increasing numbers of 8th graders from Gunston who pick Wakefield over private schools.

[Anonymous]

Look at the housing. That's why HSs rarely change. The housing options draw a certain economic level of families. The only time it changes is if a new/special program is created within the school drawing kids from outside the boundaries. Otherwise, the test scores will reflect the economic success of the families who live in boundary.

[Anonymous]

My point in the previous post--it may have been confusing--is that your premise is false. Honestly, W-L twenty years ago had similar SAT and college acceptance results, and actually had a slightly wealthier student body. (There were no SOLs then.) Your friend's family may have been turned off by the then growing gang presence in Buckingham in particular, since that neighborhood was zoned to W-L.

Demographics are the key to a school's success, so if the high school boundaries change, Wakefield may end up having stronger test scores and a better socio-economic mix.

[Anonymous]

Housing prices are rising in the area and there is an influx of young middle class families. Wouldn't that make a difference?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So... What do we think Wakefield is going to be like 15 years from now? I have a friend who grew up zoned Washington- Lee in the 90's. She said is was terrible and not an option. I believe her parents sent her to Bishop O'Connell. I'm not really interested in debated people's experiences with W-L 20 years ago. If you graduated at that time, I'm sure you turned out fine. However, the reputation of the school has changed.
Thoughts on Wakefield?

It has some of the lowest test scores in NoVa.

Op seems to be aware that wf is currently not do good if you look only at scores. She's asking about future change.

Op, I think the increase in home values in SA indicate there's a shift in demographics. I don't think it is likely that most of the young families moving into our SA neighborhood will leave because of the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Housing prices are rising in the area and there is an influx of young middle class families. Wouldn't that make a difference?

Yes. Soon lower SES families will have a really hard time affording housing even in South Arlington. The school will be perceived as being better as that more and more becomes the case.

[Anonymous]

Much can change.

Two years ago we were told that West Springfield HS was over crowded and would be till 2019. They just announced it is only at 91% capacity and they had to lay-off 12 teachers.

My favorite NOVA story is my cousins all lived in the same house and each are 3-4 years apart. Each went to a different high school due to redistricting. My SIL and cousin both went to Irving - my cousin each time she sees my DS says how much she hated Irving. My SIL has stories to tell.

The areas in Nova will have to change. I've got original owner on both sides of me. One has cancer and the other is on dialises. There is only one other family with kids in our cul-de-sak. I know FCPS isn't APS, but like folks say - buy the house 2030 is along time away. what I planned for my kids when I bought nearly 17 years ago (BC) is not what we are looking at now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So... What do we think Wakefield is going to be like 15 years from now? I have a friend who grew up zoned Washington- Lee in the 90's. She said is was terrible and not an option. I believe her parents sent her to Bishop O'Connell. I'm not really interested in debated people's experiences with W-L 20 years ago. If you graduated at that time, I'm sure you turned out fine. However, the reputation of the school has changed.
Thoughts on Wakefield?

It has some of the lowest test scores in NoVa.

Op seems to be aware that wf is currently not do good if you look only at scores. She's asking about future change.

Op, I think the increase in home values in SA indicate there's a shift in demographics. I don't think it is likely that most of the young families moving into our SA neighborhood will leave because of the schools.

Thanks - we are zoned for it and looking to start a family. Also considering renovating our house. Of course we would only do that if we stayed. My suspicion is that most of the middle class moving in will stay put, but was wondering what others were perceiving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Housing prices are rising in the area and there is an influx of young middle class families. Wouldn't that make a difference?

Yes. Soon lower SES families will have a really hard time affording housing even in South Arlington. The school will be perceived as being better as that more and more becomes the case.

The lower-income housing is sticky. It tends to hangs around even when new single-family housing gets more expensive.

Wasn't it just a month or two ago that there was a thread about the "crisis" in South Arlington schools supposedly due to the low-income demographics in some of the Wakefield feeders?

[Anonymous]

I thought they were building a new elementary school to relieve the over crowding? Isn't that what's happening? I guess not helpful for people with kids in school right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Much can change.

Two years ago we were told that West Springfield HS was over crowded and would be till 2019. They just announced it is only at 91% capacity and they had to lay-off 12 teachers.

My favorite NOVA story is my cousins all lived in the same house and each are 3-4 years apart. Each went to a different high school due to redistricting. My SIL and cousin both went to Irving - my cousin each time she sees my DS says how much she hated Irving. My SIL has stories to tell.

The areas in Nova will have to change. I've got original owner on both sides of me. One has cancer and the other is on dialises. There is only one other family with kids in our cul-de-sak. I know FCPS isn't APS, but like folks say - buy the house 2030 is along time away. what I planned for my kids when I bought nearly 17 years ago (BC) is not what we are looking at now.

Wow I didn't know that about west Springfield. You're right 2030 is a long time away. There has been a ton of turn over on my street in south Arlington. It's definitely getting younger. No telling what the area will be like in 15 years. Certainly I too have many older neighbors. Things will look different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought they were building a new elementary school to relieve the over crowding? Isn't that what's happening? I guess not helpful for people with kids in school right now.

This was the prior thread: http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/471711.page

Just shows how some people think a school pyramid is trending up and others claim it's in crisis mode.