ACPS - George Mason Elementary becoming middle school?

[Anonymous]

They’re doing a complete rebuild in the back but also keeping the original building? What for? I don’t understand.

Bus loop makes a lot of sense! Cameron Mills is a mess when the buses all line up along the curb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They’re doing a complete rebuild in the back but also keeping the original building? What for? I don’t understand.

Bus loop makes a lot of sense! Cameron Mills is a mess when the buses all line up along the curb.

To placate the neighborhood even though they don't need to do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GM was on a performance plan and it looks like the school failed it.

Is this public information? How do you know that?

[Anonymous]

I'm sad that this appears to be the last spring season for the playing fields at George Mason ( hello turf!) but excited to see the process start for it to hopefully become a K-8 school to alleviate the crowding at GW.

With the numbers at GW dropping and the numbers at GM dropping - ACPS could put almost a third of GW there. Very exciting to see some movement to create more space for students at the middle school level and fall of 2026 move in isn't that far away.

[Anonymous]

The GM principal is trying to spin that other ACPS elementary schools are losing similar numbers of kids. But they aren't. She admitted enrollment is dropping again and they are losing two classrooms next school year. The GM population needs to be redistricted to Macarthur/Brooks/Cora Kelly.

Instead of the k-8 that the School Board is talking about for GM - ACPS needs to make the entire school a new middle school.

Apparently, with every new school, ACPS will redistrict. Hopefully, they'll be smart about this. GM is the only school where enrollment isn't rebounding- it's still falling. It's a waste of resources not to redistrict GM.

[Anonymous]

Even the Mayor is talking about the mass exodus at George Mason ES.

Wilson said the drop in enrollment seems at odds with some of ACPS’ modernization plans.

“Our next priority is George Mason, which is seeing the largest drop,” Wilson said, and noted that George Mason has little by way of major developments planned nearby. “That means that most of those kids are coming out of a school like that… I’m not saying not to do Mason, but I want to make sure we’re looking at the big picture.”

Hopefully, the big picture includes what the school board is discussing re: George Mason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even the Mayor is talking about the mass exodus at George Mason ES.

Wilson said the drop in enrollment seems at odds with some of ACPS’ modernization plans.

“Our next priority is George Mason, which is seeing the largest drop,” Wilson said, and noted that George Mason has little by way of major developments planned nearby. “That means that most of those kids are coming out of a school like that… I’m not saying not to do Mason, but I want to make sure we’re looking at the big picture.”

Hopefully, the big picture includes what the school board is discussing re: George Mason.

Houses in the area skyrocketed in priced over the past 5 years - no one is moving and the kids that were there are getting older. No housing turnover, no new families.

A larger school in that neighborhood - such a mess I can't even imagine. The issue with that school is the way it is situated in the neighborhood and how it is sandwiched in on all sides.

One strategy ACPS could consider is following Fairfax county and start extending elementary schools enrollment to grade 6; then jr. high school would by 7 and 8th and then high school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even the Mayor is talking about the mass exodus at George Mason ES.

Wilson said the drop in enrollment seems at odds with some of ACPS’ modernization plans.

“Our next priority is George Mason, which is seeing the largest drop,” Wilson said, and noted that George Mason has little by way of major developments planned nearby. “That means that most of those kids are coming out of a school like that… I’m not saying not to do Mason, but I want to make sure we’re looking at the big picture.”

Hopefully, the big picture includes what the school board is discussing re: George Mason.

Houses in the area skyrocketed in priced over the past 5 years - no one is moving and the kids that were there are getting older. No housing turnover, no new families.

A larger school in that neighborhood - such a mess I can't even imagine. The issue with that school is the way it is situated in the neighborhood and how it is sandwiched in on all sides.

One strategy ACPS could consider is following Fairfax county and start extending elementary schools enrollment to grade 6; then jr. high school would by 7 and 8th and then high school

It's not from people moving. People are leaving because the school is in a downward spiral and has been for years. It's losing more kids and classrooms than any other school.

And the size of the new school isn't up for debate. It's going to be 130,000 square feet if not more. The playing fields will be gone. It's going to be built on the little grove of trees and the tennis court and the playing fields. Design plans are coming in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even the Mayor is talking about the mass exodus at George Mason ES.

Wilson said the drop in enrollment seems at odds with some of ACPS’ modernization plans.

“Our next priority is George Mason, which is seeing the largest drop,” Wilson said, and noted that George Mason has little by way of major developments planned nearby. “That means that most of those kids are coming out of a school like that… I’m not saying not to do Mason, but I want to make sure we’re looking at the big picture.”

Hopefully, the big picture includes what the school board is discussing re: George Mason.

Houses in the area skyrocketed in priced over the past 5 years - no one is moving and the kids that were there are getting older. No housing turnover, no new families.

A larger school in that neighborhood - such a mess I can't even imagine. The issue with that school is the way it is situated in the neighborhood and how it is sandwiched in on all sides.

One strategy ACPS could consider is following Fairfax county and start extending elementary schools enrollment to grade 6; then jr. high school would by 7 and 8th and then high school

It's not from people moving. People are leaving because the school is in a downward spiral and has been for years. It's losing more kids and classrooms than any other school.

And the size of the new school isn't up for debate. It's going to be 130,000 square feet if not more. The playing fields will be gone. It's going to be built on the little grove of trees and the tennis court and the playing fields. Design plans are coming in the fall.

Will the old historic section of the school that will be preserved for posterity become a community house for the neighborhood? Or some other rec space?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even the Mayor is talking about the mass exodus at George Mason ES.

Wilson said the drop in enrollment seems at odds with some of ACPS’ modernization plans.

“Our next priority is George Mason, which is seeing the largest drop,” Wilson said, and noted that George Mason has little by way of major developments planned nearby. “That means that most of those kids are coming out of a school like that… I’m not saying not to do Mason, but I want to make sure we’re looking at the big picture.”

Hopefully, the big picture includes what the school board is discussing re: George Mason.

Houses in the area skyrocketed in priced over the past 5 years - no one is moving and the kids that were there are getting older. No housing turnover, no new families.

A larger school in that neighborhood - such a mess I can't even imagine. The issue with that school is the way it is situated in the neighborhood and how it is sandwiched in on all sides.

One strategy ACPS could consider is following Fairfax county and start extending elementary schools enrollment to grade 6; then jr. high school would by 7 and 8th and then high school

It's not from people moving. People are leaving because the school is in a downward spiral and has been for years. It's losing more kids and classrooms than any other school.

And the size of the new school isn't up for debate. It's going to be 130,000 square feet if not more. The playing fields will be gone. It's going to be built on the little grove of trees and the tennis court and the playing fields. Design plans are coming in the fall.

Will the old historic section of the school that will be preserved for posterity become a community house for the neighborhood? Or some other rec space?

They've claimed that every plan will keep the core of the old school (it's falling apart) at the front of the lot but I don't see how they can have the required bus loop and keep it. ACPS and the City have a long history of going back on promises to various communities and neighborhoods. I doubt the old school stays.

[Anonymous]

The concepts are out:

https://www.alxnow.com/2024/09/17/these-three-concepts-for-george-mason-elementary-school-going-to-alexandria-school-board/#disqus_thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The concepts are out:

https://www.alxnow.com/2024/09/17/these-three-concepts-for-george-mason-elementary-school-going-to-alexandria-school-board/#disqus_thread

The Pavilions concept reminds me of GWMS. Getting from one end of the horseshoe to the other takes forever. I could barely do it on back to school night. I don't know how kids do it on a daily basis. Presumably that's less of an issue in an elementary school, but that design seems the least flexible if they wanted to move it away from being an elementary school in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Way to small to be a middle school. They won’t do co-location either, they floated that balloon and apologized.

They will rename the school.

What? The plans show a school BIGGER than the existing GW middle school. Of course they are planning on making it a K-8. And if they aren't, then it is through sheer ignorance or gross negligence.

Would you really be surprised by sheer ignorance or gross negligence by ACPS!????