APS: I can't keep up! (ASFS)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SALA feels super sad for families forced to go to Discovery. Life is so hard.

Who needs soup?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SALA feels super sad for families forced to go to Discovery. Life is so hard.

I hope I know you in real life someday.

[Anonymous]

Serious question--why do we cap the choice schools' enrollment? Why don't we just let them become over-enrolled to the same percentage as the average neighborhood school? Spread the pain evenly?

You can be immersed just as well in a trailer as anywhere else.

(I have a toddler, so I'm not a current APS parent).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serious question--why do we cap the choice schools' enrollment? Why don't we just let them become over-enrolled to the same percentage as the average neighborhood school? Spread the pain evenly?

You can be immersed just as well in a trailer as anywhere else.

(I have a toddler, so I'm not a current APS parent).

Some choice schools are not capped and some are capped. It's because of the patchwork policy that is under review. Spanish immersion, for example, due to the current policy guarantees, cannot be capped. This year, Claremont Immersion actually had the highest number of "missing seats" of any elementary school with 165 more students than seats (~128% capacity).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SALA feels super sad for families forced to go to Discovery. Life is so hard.

I hope I know you in real life someday.

I hope it's because you find me funny, and not because you want to punch me in the nose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's always been a "neighborhood" school in that only kids in certain neighborhoods have the privilege of attending. Now, the county wants to make it a neighborhood school and actually allow people in the neighborhood where it resides to attend. Those who will be displaced (and have given the school a lot of money for their lab) are pissed.

Well, you know, think of it as a contribution for the greater good.

PP seems really bent out of shape that they couldn't attend ASFS which was 'in their neighborhood' -- but does realize none of the parents who contributed are being displaced? They are all grandfathered.


Are folks who live by ATS, HB, Key equally bent out of shape about not attending the school in their 'neighborhood'. It's not like ASFS admittance was a surprise unless they bought their house when it was still Page.

A lot of drama would have been avoided if county had simply provided a non-immersion, plain Jane vanilla neighborhood school for Key zone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SALA feels super sad for families forced to go to Discovery. Life is so hard.

I hope I know you in real life someday.

I hope it's because you find me funny, and not because you want to punch me in the nose.

Not the PP, but I share the hope. And it's to thank you for being a ray of right-thinking snarky sunshine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just watched the school board meeting. The ASFS parents really didn't come off well.
I know that it is a hard temptation to resist, but I wish we could collectively resist thinking that the current space capacity issue is someone's 'fault' and that there are other schools less burdened, in a better position to be overcrowded, etc.
The fact of the matter is- all the schools are overcrowded. ASFS really isn't special. ASFS is a relatively small building- with a capacity of 553, and an enrollment of 652. But the site is pretty typical- 6.6 acres
https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/FAC_1300-Analysis_Final_20170214-1.pdf
http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Capacity_Utilization_FallProjections17-26_Final_Web.pdf

It really falls in the middle of the pack in terms of overcrowding.

We need more schools.

You don't understand, at a PTA meeting with a school board member who is just voted out of office.they told us that SFS numbers would double when they convert key to a countywide program. It is only moderately over capacity it now, maybe 130%? That is totally tolerable. It's this policy change that will turn science focus into an 800 students school that is what we want to put the brakes on. Just to give the county and schoolboard time to actually do analysis and projections and plan. They should just do the boundary changes that they are proposing across all north Arlington and then make key countywide program at that point.

This is not correct. If JL said this, he is mistaken. Look at the data. First off, there will no longer be Jamestown and Taylor students in the incoming class as ASFS in 2018, since the team is going away. Then if you look at the additional number of students that *could* attend ASFS from the neighborhood, if there weren't any transfers elsewhere, and you get about 40 total kids. Then figure that there will be transfers out (to option schools) from this pool and we are talking about maybe an additional kindergarten class, give or take. That is what the numbers say.

ASFS is not going to go from 563 to 800. Pure crazy talk.

Certainly adding an additional kindergarten at ASFS is not ideal, but it does not approach the missing seats at McKinley (before addition) or Claremont or Henry or Oakridge. Nor does it create an 820+ elementary school, which is what Oakridge currently is.

There was a numbers staff member at the meeting. ASFS is currently 652, with about 150 Jamestown /Taylor. The staff member said about have the neighborhood attends ASFS, half key -- so the ASFS zone has about 1000 students between key and ASFS. Let's take away all those OOB students, and drop to 500, but if the countywide lottery (which is 12 schools -- so if key is 600, it's like ASFS zone will get 8% of that so, about 50 kids will continue to go to key.) so 1000 in-bound ASFS, 50 go to key, maybe another 15 ATS? You get to a 900 student school in a couple of years -- and you know that new boundary process will be BRUTAL and delayed). Plus we have 150 students grandfathered with siblings.

There are 23 kids from Jamestown, 105 from Taylor and 15 from other schools. Kids will be grandfathered in so you won't have 1,000 kids flooding your school. The key kids will stay at Key because they are grandfathered. You might have a larger kindergarten in the first year, but there will have to be a redistricting - countywide. Science Focus hasn't been a team or Choice school in years. Stop being selfish. Kids at Oakridge and McKinley have crowding. You do not. 70-80% of kids at Randolph and Carlin Springs struggle with food instability. Science Focus is vast majority affluent.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Families near other actual choice schools are bent out of shape. That's part of why HB is moving. No one wants to send their kid to an overcrowded school outside their neighborhood when there is a school with more space across the street. All choice schools should have a walk zone of guaranteed admittance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just watched the school board meeting. The ASFS parents really didn't come off well.
I know that it is a hard temptation to resist, but I wish we could collectively resist thinking that the current space capacity issue is someone's 'fault' and that there are other schools less burdened, in a better position to be overcrowded, etc.
The fact of the matter is- all the schools are overcrowded. ASFS really isn't special. ASFS is a relatively small building- with a capacity of 553, and an enrollment of 652. But the site is pretty typical- 6.6 acres
https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/FAC_1300-Analysis_Final_20170214-1.pdf
http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Capacity_Utilization_FallProjections17-26_Final_Web.pdf

It really falls in the middle of the pack in terms of overcrowding.

We need more schools.

You don't understand, at a PTA meeting with a school board member who is just voted out of office.they told us that SFS numbers would double when they convert key to a countywide program. It is only moderately over capacity it now, maybe 130%? That is totally tolerable. It's this policy change that will turn science focus into an 800 students school that is what we want to put the brakes on. Just to give the county and schoolboard time to actually do analysis and projections and plan. They should just do the boundary changes that they are proposing across all north Arlington and then make key countywide program at that point.

This is not correct. If JL said this, he is mistaken. Look at the data. First off, there will no longer be Jamestown and Taylor students in the incoming class as ASFS in 2018, since the team is going away. Then if you look at the additional number of students that *could* attend ASFS from the neighborhood, if there weren't any transfers elsewhere, and you get about 40 total kids. Then figure that there will be transfers out (to option schools) from this pool and we are talking about maybe an additional kindergarten class, give or take. That is what the numbers say.

ASFS is not going to go from 563 to 800. Pure crazy talk.

Certainly adding an additional kindergarten at ASFS is not ideal, but it does not approach the missing seats at McKinley (before addition) or Claremont or Henry or Oakridge. Nor does it create an 820+ elementary school, which is what Oakridge currently is.

There was a numbers staff member at the meeting. ASFS is currently 652, with about 150 Jamestown /Taylor. The staff member said about have the neighborhood attends ASFS, half key -- so the ASFS zone has about 1000 students between key and ASFS. Let's take away all those OOB students, and drop to 500, but if the countywide lottery (which is 12 schools -- so if key is 600, it's like ASFS zone will get 8% of that so, about 50 kids will continue to go to key.) so 1000 in-bound ASFS, 50 go to key, maybe another 15 ATS? You get to a 900 student school in a couple of years -- and you know that new boundary process will be BRUTAL and delayed). Plus we have 150 students grandfathered with siblings.

There are 23 kids from Jamestown, 105 from Taylor and 15 from other schools. Kids will be grandfathered in so you won't have 1,000 kids flooding your school. The key kids will stay at Key because they are grandfathered. You might have a larger kindergarten in the first year, but there will have to be a redistricting - countywide. Science Focus hasn't been a team or Choice school in years. Stop being selfish. Kids at Oakridge and McKinley have crowding. You do not. 70-80% of kids at Randolph and Carlin Springs struggle with food instability. Science Focus is vast majority affluent.

That only works if redistricting happens before the tidal way of former key students arrives -- the SB only realized that it needs to be done now, and I bet they delay it until Reed is ready to prevent serial redistricting. If they just wait to turn key into county wide lottery until they have balanced the schools it would be more prudent.

I agree McKinely over crowding is a lesson on what not to do, they totally screwed that up -- and what they are about to do ASFS will be far worse b/c of the shear number 800 students on a smaller school -- AND by choice b/c there is no need for the lottery chance. ASFS Is already crowded with trailers, not sure why you think not.

The 'food instability' is a red herring -- how does changing school lotteries address that?? As for affluence, ASFS is already quite economically diverse, far more so than Discovery, Taylor, Jamestown, or even McKinely. And many families can't afford to just buy a new home in discovery zone or go private -- instead they will be at school with trailers over the entire field and lunch running from 9:20 -3:20 b/c the facility is way over capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Families near other actual choice schools are bent out of shape. That's part of why HB is moving. No one wants to send their kid to an overcrowded school outside their neighborhood when there is a school with more space across the street. All choice schools should have a walk zone of guaranteed admittance.

No, choice schools should just be allowed to go over capacity like other schools -- there must be some fair way to manage that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's always been a "neighborhood" school in that only kids in certain neighborhoods have the privilege of attending. Now, the county wants to make it a neighborhood school and actually allow people in the neighborhood where it resides to attend. Those who will be displaced (and have given the school a lot of money for their lab) are pissed.

Well, you know, think of it as a contribution for the greater good.

PP seems really bent out of shape that they couldn't attend ASFS which was 'in their neighborhood' -- but does realize none of the parents who contributed are being displaced? They are all grandfathered.


Are folks who live by ATS, HB, Key equally bent out of shape about not attending the school in their 'neighborhood'. It's not like ASFS admittance was a surprise unless they bought their house when it was still Page.

A lot of drama would have been avoided if county had simply provided a non-immersion, plain Jane vanilla neighborhood school for Key zone.

Simply not true. ASFS was Page 20+ years ago. When many people in the Taylor and Jamestown boundaries bought their homes, winning the lottery for ASFS was, while not guaranteed, certainly a very real possibility. And considering ASFS is located in the Taylor boundaries and is actually closer for many families than Taylor, completely fair for those Taylor families to have hoped their kids would attend ASFS. The same cannot be said for ATS or HB whose admissions process has always been county wide lottery.

[Anonymous]

Yes, families near choice schools are bitter. Unless extremely lucky, they cannot attend the nearest and usually most convenient school to them. Any negatives of living close to a school are not counterbalanced with any positives. Its all downside. Arlington County overwhelming supports (according to the most recent survey results) neighborhood schools for elementary, and supports it, but less so, for middle school. Yet, I am not sure the Board cares.

[Anonymous]

^^With O'Grady winning the SB slot, the SB will care less about neighborhood schools or about what Arlington County residence support. It's sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just watched the school board meeting. The ASFS parents really didn't come off well.
I know that it is a hard temptation to resist, but I wish we could collectively resist thinking that the current space capacity issue is someone's 'fault' and that there are other schools less burdened, in a better position to be overcrowded, etc.
The fact of the matter is- all the schools are overcrowded. ASFS really isn't special. ASFS is a relatively small building- with a capacity of 553, and an enrollment of 652. But the site is pretty typical- 6.6 acres
https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/FAC_1300-Analysis_Final_20170214-1.pdf
http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Capacity_Utilization_FallProjections17-26_Final_Web.pdf

It really falls in the middle of the pack in terms of overcrowding.

We need more schools.

You don't understand, at a PTA meeting with a school board member who is just voted out of office.they told us that SFS numbers would double when they convert key to a countywide program. It is only moderately over capacity it now, maybe 130%? That is totally tolerable. It's this policy change that will turn science focus into an 800 students school that is what we want to put the brakes on. Just to give the county and schoolboard time to actually do analysis and projections and plan. They should just do the boundary changes that they are proposing across all north Arlington and then make key countywide program at that point.

This is not correct. If JL said this, he is mistaken. Look at the data. First off, there will no longer be Jamestown and Taylor students in the incoming class as ASFS in 2018, since the team is going away. Then if you look at the additional number of students that *could* attend ASFS from the neighborhood, if there weren't any transfers elsewhere, and you get about 40 total kids. Then figure that there will be transfers out (to option schools) from this pool and we are talking about maybe an additional kindergarten class, give or take. That is what the numbers say.

ASFS is not going to go from 563 to 800. Pure crazy talk.

Certainly adding an additional kindergarten at ASFS is not ideal, but it does not approach the missing seats at McKinley (before addition) or Claremont or Henry or Oakridge. Nor does it create an 820+ elementary school, which is what Oakridge currently is.

There was a numbers staff member at the meeting. ASFS is currently 652, with about 150 Jamestown /Taylor. The staff member said about have the neighborhood attends ASFS, half key -- so the ASFS zone has about 1000 students between key and ASFS. Let's take away all those OOB students, and drop to 500, but if the countywide lottery (which is 12 schools -- so if key is 600, it's like ASFS zone will get 8% of that so, about 50 kids will continue to go to key.) so 1000 in-bound ASFS, 50 go to key, maybe another 15 ATS? You get to a 900 student school in a couple of years -- and you know that new boundary process will be BRUTAL and delayed). Plus we have 150 students grandfathered with siblings.

There are 23 kids from Jamestown, 105 from Taylor and 15 from other schools. Kids will be grandfathered in so you won't have 1,000 kids flooding your school. The key kids will stay at Key because they are grandfathered. You might have a larger kindergarten in the first year, but there will have to be a redistricting - countywide. Science Focus hasn't been a team or Choice school in years. Stop being selfish. Kids at Oakridge and McKinley have crowding. You do not. 70-80% of kids at Randolph and Carlin Springs struggle with food instability. Science Focus is vast majority affluent.

That only works if redistricting happens before the tidal way of former key students arrives -- the SB only realized that it needs to be done now, and I bet they delay it until Reed is ready to prevent serial redistricting. If they just wait to turn key into county wide lottery until they have balanced the schools it would be more prudent.

I agree McKinely over crowding is a lesson on what not to do, they totally screwed that up -- and what they are about to do ASFS will be far worse b/c of the shear number 800 students on a smaller school -- AND by choice b/c there is no need for the lottery chance. ASFS Is already crowded with trailers, not sure why you think not.

The 'food instability' is a red herring -- how does changing school lotteries address that?? As for affluence, ASFS is already quite economically diverse, far more so than Discovery, Taylor, Jamestown, or even McKinely. And many families can't afford to just buy a new home in discovery zone or go private -- instead they will be at school with trailers over the entire field and lunch running from 9:20 -3:20 b/c the facility is way over capacity.

Please tell me that you don't believe that. The key metric that APS uses to assess economic status is Free and Reduced Meals. The APS average is 30.12%. Below is a chart of the 23 elementary schools in APS. ASFS is well below the average at 20.48%. You are correct that ASFS is more economically diverse than the schools you mentioned. But realize that this is a very false narrative. Look at the chart. Be kind. Think about more than just the kids you know and love.

Also, food instability is not a red herring if we care about all students. These kids are the most at risk and are least able to adapt to changes that APS makes.

JAMESTOWN 2.20%
TUCKAHOE 2.41%
DISCOVERY 3.34%
NOTTINGHAM 3.59%
TAYLOR 4.17%
MCKINLEY 7.54%
GLEBE 17.93%
ARLINGTON SCIENCE FOCUS 20.48%
ASHLAWN 20.59%
ARLINGTON TRADITIONAL 21.08%
OAKRIDGE 25.52%
HENRY 33.23%
LONG BRANCH 34.57%
CLAREMONT 38.18%
KEY 44.26%
ABINGDON 47.43%
DREW 53.07%
HOFFMAN BOSTON 54.70%
CAMPBELL 55.79%
BARRETT 56.04%
BARCROFT 59.22%
RANDOLPH 73.16%
CARLIN SPRINGS 79.35%