APS boundary process this fall?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A couple of the schools hovering around 100 percent capacity, which feels crowded day to day, while one sits way under capacity is not a solution.

No one wants to give up walking or commit to a long bus ride.

At capacity changes year to year.

They should colocate HBW middle school students at WMS, and expand the HBW high school enrollment at the Heights.

Does it though? A couple of the middle schools hover around over stuffed while Williamsburg is pretty empty and just getting more empty. We can all kick the can down the road so the Hamm people don't freak out again, but it doesn't seem like strategic decision making or good use of facilities at all.

Hamm isn't overcrowded and the zone isn't situated between the overcapacity schools and Williamsburg. It doesn't actually need to be involved in a meaningful way.

https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2024/08/MS_Boundaries_SY24_25_V2.pdf

This is what it boils down to. The Hamm people are blocking what is best for the greater good. There aren't enough contiguous PUs to fill Williamsburg appropriately without affecting Hamm, but we get it you don't care about anyone else and want to walk.

Move HMW MS students first before adding dozens of new bus routes.

This is a fake news solution. A whole bunch of people will object to this and they are just as loud and obnoxious as the Hamm people.

What pisses me off about APS is they just ignore this stuff and do what's easiest in the moment. Seen it over and over.

It’s a real solution that also provides additional high school capacity. But the HBW mafia will strangle it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A couple of the schools hovering around 100 percent capacity, which feels crowded day to day, while one sits way under capacity is not a solution.

No one wants to give up walking or commit to a long bus ride.

At capacity changes year to year.

They should colocate HBW middle school students at WMS, and expand the HBW high school enrollment at the Heights.

I like that last suggestion.

Personally, I would rather my kids be at a school that's not packed to the seams and take a bus. We are walkers for Swanson. Walking has value but these kids are packed into that school all day every day and that has a much bigger impact on them. I don't think I'm the only person who feels that way? Maybe I am. And yes, I understand I could choose a transfer.

Isn't it better to have the option to transfer than to be forced to switch in a boundary shift? I know lots of kids who transferred out of Swanson and they were very happy to have that option.

Maybe but people want their neighbors to be zoned with them, and since most don’t want to give up walking you generally are alone in this choice.

Nearly every rising 6th grader I know who was zoned for Swanson tried to transfer this year. It was a large cohort and, if anyone felt alone, it was the kids who didn't get picked to transfer.

That's really ironic because during the last boundary process, my recollection is APS wanted to move Swanson kids out, but Swanson parents lobbied for them to stay. Of course APS caved, and that's why Swanson is overcrowded now and Hamm and WMS are under enrolled.

And of course the kids of the loud parents who just HAD to stay at Swanson are now past middle school....

Raises hand. Yes, I was around for this one. They tried to give some of the Swanson kids in Maidson Manor to Kenmore and those people flipped out.

Listening to the loud people never looks great in the rear view mirror.

Are you kidding? The Swanson kids are transferring to WMS not Kenmore.

And btw the loudest voices for Hamm are all elementary parents, because it’s OUR future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's do the math everyone.

Hamm and Williamsburg are comfy so there is no issue? Amirite?

Piss off everyone else.

Please notice the sections of the County where it's no big deal at all to have capacity at near 100 percent or over.

So move Immersion to Williamsburg so the seats open up at Gunston and then balance. They'll say that kids won't stay with the program, but they said that about the Key move too. Problem solved, walkers (mostly) stay walkers.

Totally forgot about Immersion solution. That is quite elegant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A couple of the schools hovering around 100 percent capacity, which feels crowded day to day, while one sits way under capacity is not a solution.

No one wants to give up walking or commit to a long bus ride.

At capacity changes year to year.

They should colocate HBW middle school students at WMS, and expand the HBW high school enrollment at the Heights.

I like that last suggestion.

Personally, I would rather my kids be at a school that's not packed to the seams and take a bus. We are walkers for Swanson. Walking has value but these kids are packed into that school all day every day and that has a much bigger impact on them. I don't think I'm the only person who feels that way? Maybe I am. And yes, I understand I could choose a transfer.

Isn't it better to have the option to transfer than to be forced to switch in a boundary shift? I know lots of kids who transferred out of Swanson and they were very happy to have that option.

Maybe but people want their neighbors to be zoned with them, and since most don’t want to give up walking you generally are alone in this choice.

Nearly every rising 6th grader I know who was zoned for Swanson tried to transfer this year. It was a large cohort and, if anyone felt alone, it was the kids who didn't get picked to transfer.

That's really ironic because during the last boundary process, my recollection is APS wanted to move Swanson kids out, but Swanson parents lobbied for them to stay. Of course APS caved, and that's why Swanson is overcrowded now and Hamm and WMS are under enrolled.

And of course the kids of the loud parents who just HAD to stay at Swanson are now past middle school....

Raises hand. Yes, I was around for this one. They tried to give some of the Swanson kids in Maidson Manor to Kenmore and those people flipped out.

Listening to the loud people never looks great in the rear view mirror.

Are you kidding? The Swanson kids are transferring to WMS not Kenmore.

And btw the loudest voices for Hamm are all elementary parents, because it’s OUR future.

Exactly. And the N Arlington Kenmore kids were supposed to be rezoned to Swanson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A couple of the schools hovering around 100 percent capacity, which feels crowded day to day, while one sits way under capacity is not a solution.

No one wants to give up walking or commit to a long bus ride.

At capacity changes year to year.

They should colocate HBW middle school students at WMS, and expand the HBW high school enrollment at the Heights.

I like that last suggestion.

Personally, I would rather my kids be at a school that's not packed to the seams and take a bus. We are walkers for Swanson. Walking has value but these kids are packed into that school all day every day and that has a much bigger impact on them. I don't think I'm the only person who feels that way? Maybe I am. And yes, I understand I could choose a transfer.

Isn't it better to have the option to transfer than to be forced to switch in a boundary shift? I know lots of kids who transferred out of Swanson and they were very happy to have that option.

Maybe but people want their neighbors to be zoned with them, and since most don’t want to give up walking you generally are alone in this choice.

Nearly every rising 6th grader I know who was zoned for Swanson tried to transfer this year. It was a large cohort and, if anyone felt alone, it was the kids who didn't get picked to transfer.

That's really ironic because during the last boundary process, my recollection is APS wanted to move Swanson kids out, but Swanson parents lobbied for them to stay. Of course APS caved, and that's why Swanson is overcrowded now and Hamm and WMS are under enrolled.

And of course the kids of the loud parents who just HAD to stay at Swanson are now past middle school....

Raises hand. Yes, I was around for this one. They tried to give some of the Swanson kids in Maidson Manor to Kenmore and those people flipped out.

Listening to the loud people never looks great in the rear view mirror.

Are you kidding? The Swanson kids are transferring to WMS not Kenmore.

And btw the loudest voices for Hamm are all elementary parents, because it’s OUR future.

People are talking about boundary changes from years ago. Some Swanson kids were at one point suggested to go to Kenmore when Hamm was opened.

Yes it’s all of our futures. We get it. You really really don’t want your kids on a bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about making ATS a feeder into WMS? That way friend groups could stay together post-elementary.

DC schools do this where option programs have their own feeder path.

Yes. Campbell, both immersion schools, Montessori, and ATS could all feed into Williamsburg then Yorktown. That would solve the underenrolled North Arlington schools once and for all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about making ATS a feeder into WMS? That way friend groups could stay together post-elementary.

DC schools do this where option programs have their own feeder path.

Yes. Campbell, both immersion schools, Montessori, and ATS could all feed into Williamsburg then Yorktown. That would solve the underenrolled North Arlington schools once and for all.

That makes no sense, considering that the “programs” for ATS & Campbell don’t continue at the MS & HS level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about making ATS a feeder into WMS? That way friend groups could stay together post-elementary.

DC schools do this where option programs have their own feeder path.

Yes. Campbell, both immersion schools, Montessori, and ATS could all feed into Williamsburg then Yorktown. That would solve the underenrolled North Arlington schools once and for all.

Huh? I don't know that those numbers add up at all and it's a super weird grouping. Immersion needs to be considered separately because it has specific needs and is intended to benefit and support English learners.

I do think it would work well to give ATS students the option to continue at WMS so they can stay with friends, even if the program doesn't continue into middle school.

I know less about the Campbell program and whether those families would be interested in continuing at WMS given commutes and whether most of those kids end up at the same middle school(s) already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's do the math everyone.

Hamm and Williamsburg are comfy so there is no issue? Amirite?

Piss off everyone else.

Please notice the sections of the County where it's no big deal at all to have capacity at near 100 percent or over.

So move Immersion to Williamsburg so the seats open up at Gunston and then balance. They'll say that kids won't stay with the program, but they said that about the Key move too. Problem solved, walkers (mostly) stay walkers.

Totally forgot about Immersion solution. That is quite elegant.

Nice try, Taylor parent. Appreciate the persistence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A couple of the schools hovering around 100 percent capacity, which feels crowded day to day, while one sits way under capacity is not a solution.

No one wants to give up walking or commit to a long bus ride.

At capacity changes year to year.

They should colocate HBW middle school students at WMS, and expand the HBW high school enrollment at the Heights.

I like that last suggestion.

Personally, I would rather my kids be at a school that's not packed to the seams and take a bus. We are walkers for Swanson. Walking has value but these kids are packed into that school all day every day and that has a much bigger impact on them. I don't think I'm the only person who feels that way? Maybe I am. And yes, I understand I could choose a transfer.

Isn't it better to have the option to transfer than to be forced to switch in a boundary shift? I know lots of kids who transferred out of Swanson and they were very happy to have that option.

Maybe but people want their neighbors to be zoned with them, and since most don’t want to give up walking you generally are alone in this choice.

Nearly every rising 6th grader I know who was zoned for Swanson tried to transfer this year. It was a large cohort and, if anyone felt alone, it was the kids who didn't get picked to transfer.

That's really ironic because during the last boundary process, my recollection is APS wanted to move Swanson kids out, but Swanson parents lobbied for them to stay. Of course APS caved, and that's why Swanson is overcrowded now and Hamm and WMS are under enrolled.

And of course the kids of the loud parents who just HAD to stay at Swanson are now past middle school....

Raises hand. Yes, I was around for this one. They tried to give some of the Swanson kids in Maidson Manor to Kenmore and those people flipped out.

Listening to the loud people never looks great in the rear view mirror.

Are you kidding? The Swanson kids are transferring to WMS not Kenmore.

And btw the loudest voices for Hamm are all elementary parents, because it’s OUR future.

Exactly. And the N Arlington Kenmore kids were supposed to be rezoned to Swanson.

My recollection is that they proposed moving the top part of the Swanson boundary to WMS, but that left either Kenmore or Swanson with a lot more low income/lower test score students. There was a fight about which school got to keep the higher income neighborhoods in bounds. So in the end the top of the Swanson boundary wasn't moved to avoid upsetting the demographic split between Kenmore and Swanson. Neither school wants their test scores to drop with a boundary move because it will impact home values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about making ATS a feeder into WMS? That way friend groups could stay together post-elementary.

DC schools do this where option programs have their own feeder path.

Yes. Campbell, both immersion schools, Montessori, and ATS could all feed into Williamsburg then Yorktown. That would solve the underenrolled North Arlington schools once and for all.

That makes no sense, considering that the “programs” for ATS & Campbell don’t continue at the MS & HS level.

Fine, but the parents would be happy to continue with their cohort so it’s a bonus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's do the math everyone.

Hamm and Williamsburg are comfy so there is no issue? Amirite?

Piss off everyone else.

Please notice the sections of the County where it's no big deal at all to have capacity at near 100 percent or over.

So move Immersion to Williamsburg so the seats open up at Gunston and then balance. They'll say that kids won't stay with the program, but they said that about the Key move too. Problem solved, walkers (mostly) stay walkers.

Totally forgot about Immersion solution. That is quite elegant.

Nice try, Taylor parent. Appreciate the persistence.

Don’t worry. We are not alone and we are not giving up protecting the best interest of our kids and neighborhood

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's do the math everyone.

Hamm and Williamsburg are comfy so there is no issue? Amirite?

Piss off everyone else.

Please notice the sections of the County where it's no big deal at all to have capacity at near 100 percent or over.

So move Immersion to Williamsburg so the seats open up at Gunston and then balance. They'll say that kids won't stay with the program, but they said that about the Key move too. Problem solved, walkers (mostly) stay walkers.

Totally forgot about Immersion solution. That is quite elegant.

Nice try, Taylor parent. Appreciate the persistence.

Don’t worry. We are not alone and we are not giving up protecting the best interest of our kids and neighborhood

It's such a weird thing to latch onto, as it is so unlikely to be adopted by APS because of the negative consequences to immersion. If you want to keep Hamm walkable, you're way better off pushing for units to be moved from Swanson to WMS or the ATS feeder option.

--another Hamm parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about making ATS a feeder into WMS? That way friend groups could stay together post-elementary.

DC schools do this where option programs have their own feeder path.

Yes. Campbell, both immersion schools, Montessori, and ATS could all feed into Williamsburg then Yorktown. That would solve the underenrolled North Arlington schools once and for all.

Huh? I don't know that those numbers add up at all and it's a super weird grouping. Immersion needs to be considered separately because it has specific needs and is intended to benefit and support English learners.

I do think it would work well to give ATS students the option to continue at WMS so they can stay with friends, even if the program doesn't continue into middle school.

I know less about the Campbell program and whether those families would be interested in continuing at WMS given commutes and whether most of those kids end up at the same middle school(s) already.

And yet somehow Claremont has a lower FARMS rate and percentage of English learners than the surrounding neighborhood schools. I bet those parents would be happy to opt out of Gunston.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about making ATS a feeder into WMS? That way friend groups could stay together post-elementary.

DC schools do this where option programs have their own feeder path.

Yes. Campbell, both immersion schools, Montessori, and ATS could all feed into Williamsburg then Yorktown. That would solve the underenrolled North Arlington schools once and for all.

Huh? I don't know that those numbers add up at all and it's a super weird grouping. Immersion needs to be considered separately because it has specific needs and is intended to benefit and support English learners.

I do think it would work well to give ATS students the option to continue at WMS so they can stay with friends, even if the program doesn't continue into middle school.

I know less about the Campbell program and whether those families would be interested in continuing at WMS given commutes and whether most of those kids end up at the same middle school(s) already.

And yet somehow Claremont has a lower FARMS rate and percentage of English learners than the surrounding neighborhood schools. I bet those parents would be happy to opt out of Gunston.

Huh? The ratio of English learners in immersion is set to 50/50 by definition. And immersion feeds into Gunston so signing up for immersion isn't opting out of Gunston. And Escuela Key parents are opting into Gunston and out of WMS/Hamm/Swanson by choosing immersion.

Voluntary transfers last year prioritized TJ and Swanson as the most overcrowded APS middle schools. If Gunston becomes the most crowded, presumably Gunston parents will be prioritized for a voluntary transfer to an underenrolled middle school.