APS School Bd Mtg

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dear South Arlington,

#GROWSOMEBALLS

Unless you live in Glen Carlyn. Then you should STFU, because you were never going to get your peaceful bird watching sanctuary. Enjoy that bus depot! It'll be great for both traffic and pollution, and certainly better than a school would've been for your property values and mine. You are SO SMART!!

I have no idea what this response is supposed to mean.

It means that the neighborhood cut off their nose to spite their face. They should have organized and fought for a school, because the VHC site was going to be developed anyway and the Kenmore site will likely see more intensified use in the future even if it's not built out now. A school, or even two more schools, would have been better for the neighborhood than the bus depot/materials staging area that they're going to get instead. Lots of houses listed or coming soon all of a sudden in the neighborhood. Guess some are trying to get out while they still can.

[Anonymous]

And I told one of the ringleaders that. They didn't listen.

[Anonymous]

We live further east but are moving out of the area. I don't have faith, and can't gamble with my kids education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live further east but are moving out of the area. I don't have faith, and can't gamble with my kids education.

If you're further east, you'll probably be pulled into whatever it is that they build at the Career Center. I'd be fine with that if they could show that they have a plan for equitable facilities and a way to execute it before my kids are already there. Im going to sit tight and hope for the best and save some $$ for private school just in case.

BTW, has anyone from the Montessori community weighed in on this talk of moving their program? Seems like if it's so inappropriate for a HS to be located adjacent to an ES at Kenmore, it will be an issue at the Career Center, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live further east but are moving out of the area. I don't have faith, and can't gamble with my kids education.

If you're further east, you'll probably be pulled into whatever it is that they build at the Career Center. I'd be fine with that if they could show that they have a plan for equitable facilities and a way to execute it before my kids are already there. Im going to sit tight and hope for the best and save some $$ for private school just in case.

BTW, has anyone from the Montessori community weighed in on this talk of moving their program? Seems like if it's so inappropriate for a HS to be located adjacent to an ES at Kenmore, it will be an issue at the Career Center, too.

I'm a Montessori parent (and a NP) and I have no idea why it would be inappropriate to have a HS adjacent to an ES. I actually thought the concern with Kenmore/Carlin Springs was the traffic and the unsafe crossing of Carlin Springs Road. Since it's Arlington, though, I'm sure there's some NIMBY concern I haven't thought of yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of vacant office space in Ballston/Rosslyn corridor. The Career Center can move there.

So can the library.

Have you been to the Career Center? I don't think so, or you wouldn't be suggesting that they put in a woodshop, automotive repair bays, barn (with horses), daycare, and commercial kitchen in the middle of some random office building in Rosslyn.

What exactly do you think technical education is?

Yes, I've seen this "oh, just move it to an office building" suggestion a few times. People really have no idea how extensive the facility is. I was surprised when my DD first took an animal care class there. I highly recommend signing your kids up for one of the enrichment classes they offer. They have classes on Saturdays for, I think, 3rd grade and up during the school year and longer classes in the summer -- https://careercenter.apsva.us/summer-enrichment-2017/

They have miniature horses and goats?! Do they let them outside? I live in the general vicinity and had no idea! These classes look awesome, will definitely look into them when my daughter is old enough.

[Anonymous]

Another Montessori parent (and NP). I haven't heard APS talking about moving the Montessori elementary from the Henry site, and I'm not sure the people advocating for the Career Center as a 4th High School should count on that. APS has already forecasted that it's going to need something like 4 new elementary schools. I doubt they want to add another one to the list.

The current Patrick Henry elementary school is already adjacent to a high school. This isn't anything new on this site.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another Montessori parent (and NP). I haven't heard APS talking about moving the Montessori elementary from the Henry site, and I'm not sure the people advocating for the Career Center as a 4th High School should count on that. APS has already forecasted that it's going to need something like 4 new elementary schools. I doubt they want to add another one to the list.

The current Patrick Henry elementary school is already adjacent to a high school. This isn't anything new on this site.

This is why I don't get the hand-wringing from some parents about a HS at Kenmore because it already has an ES. I can understand the traffic objections but opposing it because of having a HS near an ES is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of vacant office space in Ballston/Rosslyn corridor. The Career Center can move there.

So can the library.

Have you been to the Career Center? I don't think so, or you wouldn't be suggesting that they put in a woodshop, automotive repair bays, barn (with horses), daycare, and commercial kitchen in the middle of some random office building in Rosslyn.

What exactly do you think technical education is?

Yes, I've seen this "oh, just move it to an office building" suggestion a few times. People really have no idea how extensive the facility is. I was surprised when my DD first took an animal care class there. I highly recommend signing your kids up for one of the enrichment classes they offer. They have classes on Saturdays for, I think, 3rd grade and up during the school year and longer classes in the summer -- https://careercenter.apsva.us/summer-enrichment-2017/

They have miniature horses and goats?! Do they let them outside? I live in the general vicinity and had no idea! These classes look awesome, will definitely look into them when my daughter is old enough.

My DD loved the animal care classes and wants to take the animal science classes there when she's in HS. She'll consider Arlington Tech for that too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of vacant office space in Ballston/Rosslyn corridor. The Career Center can move there.

So can the library.

Overcrowding is worst in north/central Arlington. If they need to move high school kids into office space, it should be W-L kids, not Career Center kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of vacant office space in Ballston/Rosslyn corridor. The Career Center can move there.

So can the library.

Overcrowding is worst in north/central Arlington. If they need to move high school kids into office space, it should be W-L kids, not Career Center kids.

Like that will ever happen. Number one, it will never be the kids who have the most influential parents moved into less than ideal spaces. Look at how the hybrid option magically appeared when the W-L parents pushed back about having to "shoulder all the burden." Number two, there is no office space that is usable for a school. APS won't lease space for students, and office space is too expensive to purchase and retrofit for school use. Number three, Southside is pretty crowded these days, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of vacant office space in Ballston/Rosslyn corridor. The Career Center can move there.

So can the library.

Overcrowding is worst in north/central Arlington. If they need to move high school kids into office space, it should be W-L kids, not Career Center kids.

Like that will ever happen. Number one, it will never be the kids who have the most influential parents moved into less than ideal spaces. Look at how the hybrid option magically appeared when the W-L parents pushed back about having to "shoulder all the burden." Number two, there is no office space that is usable for a school. APS won't lease space for students, and office space is too expensive to purchase and retrofit for school use. Number three, Southside is pretty crowded these days, too.

This was my point up thread. WL should have to shoulder this burden. They all wanted that school. Well here it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought the Arlington Heights folks made a really good point about being afraid that if we blew this $150M on two short-term high schools, we likely wouldn't have enough money left afterwards to start building the comprehensive high school that we really need, and that we should use the money now to do that.

I had been in favor of a 4th comprehensive at Kenmore, but the Arlington Heights folks have convinced me that they are right and we should try to build it there. Their more central location should be better for the project, anyway. The only thing is that they don't really have open fields or a pool and I agree with them that they would need (expensive) underground parking -- I want a TRUE, equal 4th comprehensive high school so spend all the money there and do it right.

Maybe Arlington Tech could be moved to the Ed Center?

Right, space is the issue with the site. I don't see how it wouldn't be a "less than" school based on size of the site alone. I personally went to a HS without its own pool or football field (we didn't even have a team) and am no worse off for it, but it does seem a bit unfair. But, as compared to the hybrid option, I'd get on board. I was supportive of Kenmore as the best option as well, but seems like that's just not going to happen.

Same here I went to a magnet Science HS in NYC. It was a trade off. We still had a swim team even without a pool. If people know what they are opting into I don't think it is an issue. Perhaps the 4th HS has a program that parents and kids want more than a pool or football team. Maybe it has an amazing auditorium and stage and kids who prefer performing arts could opt to go there. Not everyone wants swimming or sports fields. I am sure we could fill a HS with student who don't care for either if we give them what they do care for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought the Arlington Heights folks made a really good point about being afraid that if we blew this $150M on two short-term high schools, we likely wouldn't have enough money left afterwards to start building the comprehensive high school that we really need, and that we should use the money now to do that.

I had been in favor of a 4th comprehensive at Kenmore, but the Arlington Heights folks have convinced me that they are right and we should try to build it there. Their more central location should be better for the project, anyway. The only thing is that they don't really have open fields or a pool and I agree with them that they would need (expensive) underground parking -- I want a TRUE, equal 4th comprehensive high school so spend all the money there and do it right.

Maybe Arlington Tech could be moved to the Ed Center?

Right, space is the issue with the site. I don't see how it wouldn't be a "less than" school based on size of the site alone. I personally went to a HS without its own pool or football field (we didn't even have a team) and am no worse off for it, but it does seem a bit unfair. But, as compared to the hybrid option, I'd get on board. I was supportive of Kenmore as the best option as well, but seems like that's just not going to happen.

Same here I went to a magnet Science HS in NYC. It was a trade off. We still had a swim team even without a pool. If people know what they are opting into I don't think it is an issue. Perhaps the 4th HS has a program that parents and kids want more than a pool or football team. Maybe it has an amazing auditorium and stage and kids who prefer performing arts could opt to go there. Not everyone wants swimming or sports fields. I am sure we could fill a HS with student who don't care for either if we give them what they do care for.

I'd never seen a school with a pool until I moved here (and I spent my high school years in Montgomery County). We had a swim team, it was all fine. I agree there's a sense of "they have it, we want it". But I think the overriding sense should be, "We have to do what's best for the county". That's what we were told when they redistricted our house to an overcrowded school (McK) and everyone else here went along with it.

[Anonymous]

Come on guys. Fairfax doesn't have HS pools either- that's because swim happens at the rec centers. That's not how Arlington set it up.
So you want this area to be underserved for the good of the county?
Awesome.
What exactly is WL doing for the good of the county? Or Yorktown?