Murch Boundary Change

[Anonymous]

But there are families that live in bounds for Murch, that purchased homes 2 blocks from the school but who don't have anyone there yet to get grandfathered in....

Then, they won't be sad about "disruption" in their morning commute, losing friends they've already made at Murch, having half the Boy Scout Troop #342 go to one school and half go to a different school etc.

It'll all be new to them, and the kids they'll conceive someday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But why build another school in upper NW when there is already a very good (and getting better!) school that has additional capacity to serve some additional neighborhood kids.

You may be correct that going forward the population would justify another new elementary school in the neighborhood but why not first fully utilize the schools that are already here?

Just curious, why does PP believe it would "make people less upset" to move Murch kids to Lafayette than to Hearst?

Their perceptions or more likely, misperceptions of Hearst.

The Murch hysteria started out as somewhat comical and is now bordering on sad since--as the cries drone on-- everyone but these Murch posters seems to understand that current Murch students who live within in the areas affected by the boundary changes will be grandfathered in, and that no student will be forced to move to "scary" Hearst and God forbid, have to walk an extra 6 blocks or drive five minutes.

As another poster pointed out, in the vast scheme of the city's boundary changes, Murch's issues are really minor and will only affect incoming families.

But there are families that live in bounds for Murch, that purchased homes 2 blocks from the school but who don't have anyone there yet to get grandfathered in....

Yes, and they will be zoned for a very good neighborhood school with beautiful new facilities and a highly invested principal. Their children will go to the school and their families will become part of the community. It will be a fabulous neighborhood school.

No school is perfect and schools change and evolve.

And no I am not part of the Hearst community, in see Hearts as a Brent or Stoddert or Hyde a few years ago and I know families in those schools as they were on the rise that loved their schools (and still do). Everyone in a very good school (myself included) think theirs is the best but schools are evolving and sharing best practices and many of DC's elementary schools are on the rise. Families with kids not yet at Hearst are perfectly positioned to become part of a wonderful school community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think people are missing the big picture about this boundary shift most of the people who are being moved from Murch to Hearst could walk to Murch but will have to drive to Hearst - that is a huge difference. It has nothing to do with school quality and everything to do with convenience. The idea that you could live two blocks from one school but have to go to a school 15 blocks away in a city that wants to encourage more green transportation is absurd.

Except that is not true. They have a short walk to Murch that is true. And they would have longer walk to Hearst, and that is less desirable. But they still can walk if they want to. The two schools (a farther distance than almost any of folks in the zone would have to walk) are only a mile apart.

If a lot of kids are going to have to cross Reno every morning then it makes sense to put another traffic light or 2. Cars like to zoom on that stretch to avoid Connecticut and it isn't safe just to rely on the crosswalks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If crowding is so serious, and the current proposal won't solve the problem, has anyone considered shifting the southeastern (Forest Hills) part of the Murch district to Hearst as well? Just curious if this is an option or if there is some reason it doesn't make sense. Just glancing at the map it seems like it is another area that could be moved (rather than or in addition to the northern part of Murch being shifted to Lafayette, since Lafayette is already crowded too).

Truly, honestly, no little kids from "southeastern Forest Hills" attend Murch. Maybe a couple do, every few years.

Those single family homes along Albemarle / Audubon Terrace / 28th St are often owned by embassies and sit on enormous pieces of land -- meaning, there aren't many homes there at all since they're so far apart.

(if you meant by "southeastern FH" the apartments at Van Ness, that could be a different calculation WRT to number of children involved. OTOH, that's not really Forest Hills)

Actually, it is. We live in Van Ness East building and while we call it Van Ness, our mortgage documents call it Forest Hills. We are zoned for Hearst and couldn't be happier. That open house on Friday was awesome. New building and a brand new gym. It will be awesome. We couldn't be more thrilled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WOTP parent here.

Make your case for walkability, make your case for how certain areas are part of a community. But do not pretend moving the elementary school assigned to your real estate from 2 blocks to 8 is as serious a problem as what is going on elsewhere in the city. It just isn't and no one is buying that this is all about walkability (especially the parent that states she will have to go from walking her child to school before she drives to work to driving her child to school and then driving to work). The children that move into the house you someday sell wil be just fine and your real estate value will recover.

I do not support the rezoning but I am sick of the crisis about a few block shift of families not even in the schools yet to a, wait for it, very good school.

You cannot accept that it makes sense and anybody looking at a map thinking that recrowding was going to force zone changes could easily have identified the general areas that were identified in the proposal as the most likely to be rezoned. I am sorry, but when I looked at my house I thought "hey there is no other school anywhere near us so pretty safe in the event of rezoning" and I bought over a decade ago.

We'll I am glad that was not a problem for you... But you don't get to dismiss my concerns but these will have a big impact on my life. Nowhere have I ever said that I don't care about what is happening elsewhere in the city, nor that I think it is on the same level as changes elsewhere. You have just assumed that about me and it is just plain wrong. I am also rallying against many of the other changes and if you knew what my day job is you would seem very foolish for accusing me of not caring about the children of this city. I can look out for myself too!

All of these changes are taking up so much energy and causing some much anxiety. The changes have put parent against parent and are distracting from the reality that one of these proposals are not likely to do anything to improve school quality in weaker schools or alleviate overcrowding in schools with so called high quality seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think people are missing the big picture about this boundary shift most of the people who are being moved from Murch to Hearst could walk to Murch but will have to drive to Hearst - that is a huge difference. It has nothing to do with school quality and everything to do with convenience. The idea that you could live two blocks from one school but have to go to a school 15 blocks away in a city that wants to encourage more green transportation is absurd.

Except that is not true. They have a short walk to Murch that is true. And they would have longer walk to Hearst, and that is less desirable. But they still can walk if they want to. The two schools (a farther distance than almost any of folks in the zone would have to walk) are only a mile apart.

But right now I would walk to the school, walk back to my house and get in my car to drive to work. I won' t have time in the mornings to walk to Hearst and back again, I would have to drive... So it rally is the distinct from the house time 2 that determines walkability. So yes I most certainly would have to drive.

You will not have to, current students will not be moved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

But there are families that live in bounds for Murch, that purchased homes 2 blocks from the school but who don't have anyone there yet to get grandfathered in....

Then, they won't be sad about "disruption" in their morning commute, losing friends they've already made at Murch, having half the Boy Scout Troop #342 go to one school and half go to a different school etc.

It'll all be new to them, and the kids they'll conceive someday.

Actually you'll have kids who know each other in the same apartment building being sent to different schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

But there are families that live in bounds for Murch, that purchased homes 2 blocks from the school but who don't have anyone there yet to get grandfathered in....

Then, they won't be sad about "disruption" in their morning commute, losing friends they've already made at Murch, having half the Boy Scout Troop #342 go to one school and half go to a different school etc.

It'll all be new to them, and the kids they'll conceive someday.

Actually you'll have kids who know each other in the same apartment building being sent to different schools.

School boundaries do change and communities continue to thrive. I really don't understand people continuing to give these rationalizations. Your above scenario will involve kids of different ages who will have new friends at their new school. They will be fine.

Should the boundaries be laid in a yellow brick road to never be moved? Or, after 40 years, should there be some minor adjustments? There really are bigger issues to be concerned about. I just wish all the DC parents could come together to focus on the big, important issues like the threat of a city-wide lottery. That is a real problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

But there are families that live in bounds for Murch, that purchased homes 2 blocks from the school but who don't have anyone there yet to get grandfathered in....

Then, they won't be sad about "disruption" in their morning commute, losing friends they've already made at Murch, having half the Boy Scout Troop #342 go to one school and half go to a different school etc.

It'll all be new to them, and the kids they'll conceive someday.

Actually you'll have kids who know each other in the same apartment building being sent to different schools.

School boundaries do change and communities continue to thrive. I really don't understand people continuing to give these rationalizations. Your above scenario will involve kids of different ages who will have new friends at their new school. They will be fine.

Should the boundaries be laid in a yellow brick road to never be moved? Or, after 40 years, should there be some minor adjustments? There really are bigger issues to be concerned about. I just wish all the DC parents could come together to focus on the big, important issues like the threat of a city-wide lottery. That is a real problem.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If crowding is so serious, and the current proposal won't solve the problem, has anyone considered shifting the southeastern (Forest Hills) part of the Murch district to Hearst as well? Just curious if this is an option or if there is some reason it doesn't make sense. Just glancing at the map it seems like it is another area that could be moved (rather than or in addition to the northern part of Murch being shifted to Lafayette, since Lafayette is already crowded too).

Truly, honestly, no little kids from "southeastern Forest Hills" attend Murch. Maybe a couple do, every few years.

Those single family homes along Albemarle / Audubon Terrace / 28th St are often owned by embassies and sit on enormous pieces of land -- meaning, there aren't many homes there at all since they're so far apart.

(if you meant by "southeastern FH" the apartments at Van Ness, that could be a different calculation WRT to number of children involved. OTOH, that's not really Forest Hills)

Looking at this map:
http://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Affected%20Kids%20Map_Labels%20FINAL%204-25-14.pdf

there is a significant cluster of blue dots east of Conn Ave between Albemarle and Chesapeake. There must be some reason why no one has suggested moving this area?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If crowding is so serious, and the current proposal won't solve the problem, has anyone considered shifting the southeastern (Forest Hills) part of the Murch district to Hearst as well? Just curious if this is an option or if there is some reason it doesn't make sense. Just glancing at the map it seems like it is another area that could be moved (rather than or in addition to the northern part of Murch being shifted to Lafayette, since Lafayette is already crowded too).

Truly, honestly, no little kids from "southeastern Forest Hills" attend Murch. Maybe a couple do, every few years.

Those single family homes along Albemarle / Audubon Terrace / 28th St are often owned by embassies and sit on enormous pieces of land -- meaning, there aren't many homes there at all since they're so far apart.

(if you meant by "southeastern FH" the apartments at Van Ness, that could be a different calculation WRT to number of children involved. OTOH, that's not really Forest Hills)

Looking at this map:
http://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/Affected%20Kids%20Map_Labels%20FINAL%204-25-14.pdf

there is a significant cluster of blue dots east of Conn Ave between Albemarle and Chesapeake. There must be some reason why no one has suggested moving this area?

According to the map, the dots are randomly placed within the census zone, so you can't infer anything from the location of the blue dots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

But there are families that live in bounds for Murch, that purchased homes 2 blocks from the school but who don't have anyone there yet to get grandfathered in....

Then, they won't be sad about "disruption" in their morning commute, losing friends they've already made at Murch, having half the Boy Scout Troop #342 go to one school and half go to a different school etc.

It'll all be new to them, and the kids they'll conceive someday.

Actually you'll have kids who know each other in the same apartment building being sent to different schools.

You know what, I think that is actually great for kids. While we all hope our kids end up in a school that is idyllic and wonderful in every way where they have friends they would choose to be with 24/7 but reality is different - not even Murch is the perfect place for every kid all the time and even best school friends go through rough patches. How fortunate these kids would be to have friends that close by that are outside of their day to day school environment. We are fortunate to have this now with neighbors within 2 blocks that go to 5 different schools (3 publics and 2 parochial) and guess what - it's terrific and the kids all have a great time in the neighborhood. I for one am glad that even my kindergartner has a real awareness that there is a lot more to her neoghborhood and city than just the kids she goes to school with.

[Anonymous]

for what it's worth, van ness is under a mile away from Hearst...about a 15 minute walk. so, it might be just as fast for folks to walk to van ness as it would be to walk back home.

i know this isn't what you want, but i did think it might be helpful information for you if the changes go through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:for what it's worth, van ness is under a mile away from Hearst...about a 15 minute walk. so, it might be just as fast for folks to walk to van ness as it would be to walk back home.

i know this isn't what you want, but i did think it might be helpful information for you if the changes go through.

We are currently in Hearst zone and it will take us more than 15 minutes to walk to school and it will be uphill and we are super excited to attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

But there are families that live in bounds for Murch, that purchased homes 2 blocks from the school but who don't have anyone there yet to get grandfathered in....

Then, they won't be sad about "disruption" in their morning commute, losing friends they've already made at Murch, having half the Boy Scout Troop #342 go to one school and half go to a different school etc.

It'll all be new to them, and the kids they'll conceive someday.

Actually you'll have kids who know each other in the same apartment building being sent to different schools.

Men. I live on 41st NW and our side of the street goes to Murch. My kids' playmates across the street are zoned for and go to Janney. It's not the Middle East. Or north and South Korea.