APS - "Instructional Focus" for new high school?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It would be a bit crazy to put another comprehensive HS north of 50 b/c that will make for crazy boundaries again. I really hope they consider the Kenmore site b/c it's centrally located and can help relieve crowding in the middle of the county. Also, it can end up pulling from N & S, like WL does right now.

As far as the ES sites, I can see them moving ATS to Reed, but it wouldn't make sense to displace kids from the schools listed above unless the SB tossed out ALL ES boundaries and started from scratch. They aren't going to do that.

That Kenmore site is hugely inconvenient. It may be in the middle, but it's at the western edge of the county. OTOH Wakefield is even more inconvenient, and people deal with that.

However, the Kenmore site is the biggest (32 acres), is flat, and has fewer issues than just about any other property on the table. Sure, it'd be great to have it further east, but we have to work with what we have. Even if Kenmore isn't selected this time around for a new school, it's going to happen there eventually. It's just too good to turn down.

PP here, and I'm also the one who posted about using the elementary sites. I'm coming around to the idea of Kenmore as the best option. It also seems sensible from a framing perspective. Plan to make it an "option" high school now, but preserve flexibility to move the middle school to the VHC parcel if in fact a comprehensive high school is needed.

Just trying to wrap my head around the logistics. So, we build a 1300 seat "choice" school say, over the parking lot and underground the parking now, leaving the MS intact? Then, in a future CIP, we convert the 1300 seat HS to a comprehensive one, possibly by connecting the new building to the old MS, and build a new MS on the VHC site? Am I on the right track? I like this. I wonder what the boundary will look like, though, given the location so far to the west. It would have to go pretty far north and east.

I guess so? I'm the PP but do not appear to be the most knowledgeable on this thread, so I'm sure others weigh in. As to boundaries, Kenmore is attractive because it could pull students from north and south, all along the western part of the county as you say. Seems like that could be a nice demographic balance. I'm not sure what it would do to Wakefield though. Presumably it would take SW located students from Wakefield and Wakefield would then have the SE students and potentially also gain some students to the north of 50 to round out its numbers. So it seems like it could be good for the demographics of both schools, though I don't have much of an idea how it would actually shake out with real numbers. I also shudder to think of the boundary fights to send students currently zoned for Yorktown to a new school south of 50.

Would it actually be that bad? It seems that a Kenmore HS location would have demographics similar to WL, and in the latest boundary process it seems that it was the most desired high school.

[Anonymous]

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I guess so? I'm the PP but do not appear to be the most knowledgeable on this thread, so I'm sure others weigh in. As to boundaries, Kenmore is attractive because it could pull students from north and south, all along the western part of the county as you say. Seems like that could be a nice demographic balance. I'm not sure what it would do to Wakefield though. Presumably it would take SW located students from Wakefield and Wakefield would then have the SE students and potentially also gain some students to the north of 50 to round out its numbers. So it seems like it could be good for the demographics of both schools, though I don't have much of an idea how it would actually shake out with real numbers. I also shudder to think of the boundary fights to send students currently zoned for Yorktown to a new school south of 50.

Would it actually be that bad? It seems that a Kenmore HS location would have demographics similar to WL, and in the latest boundary process it seems that it was the most desired high school.

WL is an established school with a great reputation, whereas the new school would be an unknown. Plus, I didn't view the latest process as featuring a lot clamor to get INTO WL, more like WL folks didn't want to be put over to Wakefield or Yorktown, depending on their location. Who knows what would have happened if it was Yorktown that was overcrowded and the adjustments had to be made to send kids elsewhere. I could be wrong though, I'm relatively new to observations of APS.

[Anonymous]

I think a Kenmore comprehensive HS would look a lot like WL. It would cross Rt 50 and could draw from 22205 (Swanson/Westover area), plus the kids already zoned to Kenmore for MS. Some of those 22205 neighborhoods got moved from WL to Yorktown in the recent boundary change, and I don't think anyone was thrilled with that move. In the meantime though, whatever smaller 1300 seat program they put at Kenmore in the interim will be another choice program. For that to work, they have to pick an instructional focus that will appeal to a lot more kids than Arlington Tech does right now. You can't fill 1300 seats with a program that only attracts 140 applicants (current #s for the incoming Arlington Tech class).

[Anonymous]

It would be wildly irresponsible to fund a fourth high school when we don't really know what the resources available will be. It would be another boondoggle just like the Columbia Pike streetcar that 22207 was supposed to fund.

Better choice is to establish means testing for high school. If your family kicks in a lot of property tax, you have skin in the game and get first dibs on where you go and at what time. The APAHs go to Wakefield in the middle of the night.

The poors and SJWs who don't like that can leave. We get the #'s down, and we get better reps as people like Christian don't have to give lip service to the crazies. Win-win-win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would be wildly irresponsible to fund a fourth high school when we don't really know what the resources available will be. It would be another boondoggle just like the Columbia Pike streetcar that 22207 was supposed to fund.

Better choice is to establish means testing for high school. If your family kicks in a lot of property tax, you have skin in the game and get first dibs on where you go and at what time. The APAHs go to Wakefield in the middle of the night.

The poors and SJWs who don't like that can leave. We get the #'s down, and we get better reps as people like Christian don't have to give lip service to the crazies. Win-win-win.

Somebody's bored at the office today, eh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a Kenmore comprehensive HS would look a lot like WL. It would cross Rt 50 and could draw from 22205 (Swanson/Westover area), plus the kids already zoned to Kenmore for MS. Some of those 22205 neighborhoods got moved from WL to Yorktown in the recent boundary change, and I don't think anyone was thrilled with that move. In the meantime though, whatever smaller 1300 seat program they put at Kenmore in the interim will be another choice program. For that to work, they have to pick an instructional focus that will appeal to a lot more kids than Arlington Tech does right now. You can't fill 1300 seats with a program that only attracts 140 applicants (current #s for the incoming Arlington Tech class).

The switchover isn't from Westover. It's from the area behind Dominion Hills Pool. Is that Boulevard Manor? Westover is all McKinley and that school only feeds into Swanson. On the N side, the Kenmore HS it would pull from Ashlawn & Barrett. Maybe some McKinley, but it wouldn't cross over Wash. Blvd. If you look at the current map, Kenmore is in the darker blue section just below 50 on the western side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think a Kenmore comprehensive HS would look a lot like WL. It would cross Rt 50 and could draw from 22205 (Swanson/Westover area), plus the kids already zoned to Kenmore for MS. Some of those 22205 neighborhoods got moved from WL to Yorktown in the recent boundary change, and I don't think anyone was thrilled with that move. In the meantime though, whatever smaller 1300 seat program they put at Kenmore in the interim will be another choice program. For that to work, they have to pick an instructional focus that will appeal to a lot more kids than Arlington Tech does right now. You can't fill 1300 seats with a program that only attracts 140 applicants (current #s for the incoming Arlington Tech class).

The switchover isn't from Westover. It's from the area behind Dominion Hills Pool. Is that Boulevard Manor? Westover is all McKinley and that school only feeds into Swanson. On the N side, the Kenmore HS it would pull from Ashlawn & Barrett. Maybe some McKinley, but it wouldn't cross over Wash. Blvd. If you look at the current map, Kenmore is in the darker blue section just below 50 on the western side.

Ah, nevermind. I didn't read that correctly. The Kenmore areas, of course, would go to that HS. I still maintain that crossing Wash would be unlikely, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think a Kenmore comprehensive HS would look a lot like WL. It would cross Rt 50 and could draw from 22205 (Swanson/Westover area), plus the kids already zoned to Kenmore for MS. Some of those 22205 neighborhoods got moved from WL to Yorktown in the recent boundary change, and I don't think anyone was thrilled with that move. In the meantime though, whatever smaller 1300 seat program they put at Kenmore in the interim will be another choice program. For that to work, they have to pick an instructional focus that will appeal to a lot more kids than Arlington Tech does right now. You can't fill 1300 seats with a program that only attracts 140 applicants (current #s for the incoming Arlington Tech class).

The switchover isn't from Westover. It's from the area behind Dominion Hills Pool. Is that Boulevard Manor? Westover is all McKinley and that school only feeds into Swanson. On the N side, the Kenmore HS it would pull from Ashlawn & Barrett. Maybe some McKinley, but it wouldn't cross over Wash. Blvd. If you look at the current map, Kenmore is in the darker blue section just below 50 on the western side.

Np- I'm confused. Are you talking about the current middle school boundary?

[Anonymous]

I think we have two county wide problems.
We don't have space for all of the kids and we have imbalanced demographics. The second issue effects the first. Families shoehorn into WL to avoid Wakefield, and we have more overcrowding...
It's not even enough to have a fourth comprehensive high school.
We need three schools similar to WL. Wakefield being considered undesirable by so many people is causing problems.
Kenmore as a comprehensive high school seems to possibly address that. I'm not sure the career center would do the same. I'd be interested to see some data comparing the two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Np- I'm confused. Are you talking about the current middle school boundary?

The current MS boundary can help you get an idea of the HS boundary if Kenmore were switched over. If that didn't draw enough, then APS would have to adjust the boundaries in other directions.

[Anonymous]

Sorry- I am one of the PPs and I think my post may not have been clear. I think the scenario being discussed with Kenmore is that the current MS program would eventually move across the street/down the road to the VHC Carlin Springs site if the County acquires it in the land swap. Then the current Kenmore building would be turned into a 4th comprehensive high school. I suspect that if the Kenmore site was used as a 4th comprehensive high school, then it would draw kids from the VHC Carlin Springs MS (to be named) and Swanson MS. The likely Swanson kids would come from Dominion Hills, Madison Manor, Bluemont, and Boulevard Manor (and some of the Bluemont and Boulevard Manor kids already go to Kenmore MS, not Swanson). I agree that the boundaries would probably break somewhere along Washington Blvd-- not sure whether Westover itself would be in or out. Demographically, it would probably end up pretty close to WL if it was drawn that way though. I am in one of those neighborhoods and have heard support for the Kenmore idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would be wildly irresponsible to fund a fourth high school when we don't really know what the resources available will be. It would be another boondoggle just like the Columbia Pike streetcar that 22207 was supposed to fund.

Better choice is to establish means testing for high school. If your family kicks in a lot of property tax, you have skin in the game and get first dibs on where you go and at what time. The APAHs go to Wakefield in the middle of the night.

The poors and SJWs who don't like that can leave. We get the #'s down, and we get better reps as people like Christian don't have to give lip service to the crazies. Win-win-win.

Thanks for your input!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It would be wildly irresponsible to fund a fourth high school when we don't really know what the resources available will be. It would be another boondoggle just like the Columbia Pike streetcar that 22207 was supposed to fund.

Better choice is to establish means testing for high school. If your family kicks in a lot of property tax, you have skin in the game and get first dibs on where you go and at what time. The APAHs go to Wakefield in the middle of the night.

The poors and SJWs who don't like that can leave. We get the #'s down, and we get better reps as people like Christian don't have to give lip service to the crazies. Win-win-win.

Thanks for your input!

What a wonderful idea! We got so much more for our money in south Arlington. This way I get closets and good schools. Brilliant pp!

[Anonymous]

We currently attend Kenmore and I'd be thrilled to have a high school there if it could be comprehensive - if it's anything less I think it might be hard to convince families north of 50 that it would be comparable to W-L where most of the Kenmore families (north of 50 and Glencarlyn) will send their kids.

It's clearly the largest available site and most central (north -south) despite its location in the western part of the county. Still easily more accessible than Wakefield or Yorktown which are at extreme ends of the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We currently attend Kenmore and I'd be thrilled to have a high school there if it could be comprehensive - if it's anything less I think it might be hard to convince families north of 50 that it would be comparable to W-L where most of the Kenmore families (north of 50 and Glencarlyn) will send their kids.

It's clearly the largest available site and most central (north -south) despite its location in the western part of the county. Still easily more accessible than Wakefield or Yorktown which are at extreme ends of the county.

It would really need to cut into some of 22207 and pull in some of the west Pike. So it would need to also pull from Yorktown and Wakefield.