APS: Elementary Walk Zone surveys out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the APS walk zone map-- this shows the kids who actually live in the 1 mile walk zone for each building, not where kids are actually zoned today. The elementary walk zone project is trying to determine the maximum number of kids who can realistically walk to each building.

https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/WZ_Buffer_StuCount_PP.jpg

ATS is actually in a pretty "unwalkable" location unless they add a crossing guard to Wilson and/or George Mason. However, APS really needs more neighborhood seats around the ASF/Key locations. There is no way that you could put the immersion program in the Tuckahoe and Nottingham buildings and attract a sufficient # of native Spanish speakers. But you could move the Key program to the ATS building and then move the ATS program to the Tuckahoe or Nottingham building.

Bottom line is that once Reed opens, they will have too many seats in those overlapping Tuckahoe-Nottingham-Discovery zones--- and they still haven't done anything to solve the neighborhood seat shortages in the Taylor-ASF-Key area. That's the main problem this effort needs to solve.

Why they didn't do this analysis before they built Discovery is beyond my comprehension...

And that's why I think they should make Tuckahoe a NEW option rather than shuffling two existing programs. That's ridiculous: expensive, disruptive, detrimental to the diversity of ATS, that was pretty hard won to begin with since that idiotic lawsuit. Swap Key and ASFS and make a new option at Tuckahoe that grandfathers current Tuckahoe students and then pulls new students in by choice. Make this the least disruptive process for current students. FFS, with all the recent and future boundary changes, they should try to preserve some stability for the current students.

That does nothing to increase seats in the eastern part of the county, unfortunately. There doesn't appear to be much of an appetite for a new choice school. All of the communication has been to maintain the current number and just decide where to put them. Choice schools simply can't be the priority when there are not enough seats for kids to begin with. Any changes would only impact current K and 1st graders, incoming students would go in knowing the score.

But the shortage in the eastern part is going to be caused, in part, because Key lost its neighborhood guarantee, right? That has yet to materialize, since the change hasn't happened yet. Are kids in the current Key zone not going to get into Immersion and instead go to the neighborhood school? It's unclear. Are there are enough students in this area to warrant two neighborhood schools within a mile of each other? I'm not sure. I seem to remember there not being all that many within the hypothetical ASFS effective walk zone. I think boundary changes around the new schools that are already in the works will provide cascading relief for the east. Fleet will provide relief for Long Branch. Glebe will get relief from Reed. Jamestown is under capacity and could take some of Taylor PU's to balance enrollment between those two adjacent schools.

I think there may not be an appetite among staff for a new option school, but if I were a neighborhood about to lose my zoned school that's in walking distance from my house, I think I would rather become a stakeholder in a new school on that same site rather than be bused out to a different school so that other kids could be bused in. But that's just me and maybe it's not a perspective shared by current Tuckahoe families. Maybe they don't care one way or the other, or maybe they are sure that none of this is going to happen.

Yes, but look at the link above. If the "walkable" kids in the overlapping Tuckahoe-Nottingham area go to Nottingham, then Tuckahoe is only left with 78 walkable kids-- that isn't enough walkers to fill a grade-level. And if you give those kids priority admissions to a new choice school at Tuckahoe, then you would need to change that policy for all the choice schools. APS isn't going to change their entire choice school admissions policy for 78 kids, especially when they just revised it last year.

I am aware of the policy, but I think we have to be less rigid in our decisions, when it makes sense. They could make an exception just in the case of opening a new option school within a building that was very recently a full neighborhood school. This would mean currently enrolled students (and their concurrently enrolled younger siblings) would get priority in a lottery. It's how they opened all the other option programs. The problem was that they never went back and revised the policy for decades, even after the programs had taken off and had waitlists and were leaving certain areas completely shut out of the lottery. It would be a (very temporary) thing. If you live near Tuckahoe but haven't entered school yet, you're probably not tied to the neighborhood school community and could make the transition to Nottingham or McKinley or Reed without feeling like you "lost" something. Because it never belonged to you. And if you felt really strongly about attending that school, you'd still have the chance (in theory, as part of the lottery).

I don't know, this is complicated. Like I said, maybe Tuckahoe parents don't really care about it if they're moved to other nearby schools. I'm just thinking how I would feel and what I'd want to do is be proactive and figure out a way that opens seats at my school without displacing the current students. And open transfers are maybe not enough?

DP, but why is this needed? What is so unique about the Tuckahoe community that it would need this kind of accommodation while all of the other students whose planning units change schools will have to change right away?

I think the PPP was one of the families who wants to take over Tuckahoe and turn it into their favorite choice school or use Tuckahoe as a pawn to move another choice program so that the PPP can get another building so they can get their own neighborhood school (like AtS or Key.) Tuckahoe families don’t want their neighborhood school turned choice. And I am not a Tuckahoe family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's the APS walk zone map-- this shows the kids who actually live in the 1 mile walk zone for each building, not where kids are actually zoned today. The elementary walk zone project is trying to determine the maximum number of kids who can realistically walk to each building.

https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/WZ_Buffer_StuCount_PP.jpg

ATS is actually in a pretty "unwalkable" location unless they add a crossing guard to Wilson and/or George Mason. However, APS really needs more neighborhood seats around the ASF/Key locations. There is no way that you could put the immersion program in the Tuckahoe and Nottingham buildings and attract a sufficient # of native Spanish speakers. But you could move the Key program to the ATS building and then move the ATS program to the Tuckahoe or Nottingham building.

Bottom line is that once Reed opens, they will have too many seats in those overlapping Tuckahoe-Nottingham-Discovery zones--- and they still haven't done anything to solve the neighborhood seat shortages in the Taylor-ASF-Key area. That's the main problem this effort needs to solve.

Why they didn't do this analysis before they built Discovery is beyond my comprehension...

And that's why I think they should make Tuckahoe a NEW option rather than shuffling two existing programs. That's ridiculous: expensive, disruptive, detrimental to the diversity of ATS, that was pretty hard won to begin with since that idiotic lawsuit. Swap Key and ASFS and make a new option at Tuckahoe that grandfathers current Tuckahoe students and then pulls new students in by choice. Make this the least disruptive process for current students. FFS, with all the recent and future boundary changes, they should try to preserve some stability for the current students.

That does nothing to increase seats in the eastern part of the county, unfortunately. There doesn't appear to be much of an appetite for a new choice school. All of the communication has been to maintain the current number and just decide where to put them. Choice schools simply can't be the priority when there are not enough seats for kids to begin with. Any changes would only impact current K and 1st graders, incoming students would go in knowing the score.

But the shortage in the eastern part is going to be caused, in part, because Key lost its neighborhood guarantee, right? That has yet to materialize, since the change hasn't happened yet. Are kids in the current Key zone not going to get into Immersion and instead go to the neighborhood school? It's unclear. Are there are enough students in this area to warrant two neighborhood schools within a mile of each other? I'm not sure. I seem to remember there not being all that many within the hypothetical ASFS effective walk zone. I think boundary changes around the new schools that are already in the works will provide cascading relief for the east. Fleet will provide relief for Long Branch. Glebe will get relief from Reed. Jamestown is under capacity and could take some of Taylor PU's to balance enrollment between those two adjacent schools.

I think there may not be an appetite among staff for a new option school, but if I were a neighborhood about to lose my zoned school that's in walking distance from my house, I think I would rather become a stakeholder in a new school on that same site rather than be bused out to a different school so that other kids could be bused in. But that's just me and maybe it's not a perspective shared by current Tuckahoe families. Maybe they don't care one way or the other, or maybe they are sure that none of this is going to happen.

Yes, but look at the link above. If the "walkable" kids in the overlapping Tuckahoe-Nottingham area go to Nottingham, then Tuckahoe is only left with 78 walkable kids-- that isn't enough walkers to fill a grade-level. And if you give those kids priority admissions to a new choice school at Tuckahoe, then you would need to change that policy for all the choice schools. APS isn't going to change their entire choice school admissions policy for 78 kids, especially when they just revised it last year.

I am aware of the policy, but I think we have to be less rigid in our decisions, when it makes sense. They could make an exception just in the case of opening a new option school within a building that was very recently a full neighborhood school. This would mean currently enrolled students (and their concurrently enrolled younger siblings) would get priority in a lottery. It's how they opened all the other option programs. The problem was that they never went back and revised the policy for decades, even after the programs had taken off and had waitlists and were leaving certain areas completely shut out of the lottery. It would be a (very temporary) thing. If you live near Tuckahoe but haven't entered school yet, you're probably not tied to the neighborhood school community and could make the transition to Nottingham or McKinley or Reed without feeling like you "lost" something. Because it never belonged to you. And if you felt really strongly about attending that school, you'd still have the chance (in theory, as part of the lottery).

I don't know, this is complicated. Like I said, maybe Tuckahoe parents don't really care about it if they're moved to other nearby schools. I'm just thinking how I would feel and what I'd want to do is be proactive and figure out a way that opens seats at my school without displacing the current students. And open transfers are maybe not enough?

DP, but why is this needed? What is so unique about the Tuckahoe community that it would need this kind of accommodation while all of the other students whose planning units change schools will have to change right away?

I think the PPP was one of the families who wants to take over Tuckahoe and turn it into their favorite choice school or use Tuckahoe as a pawn to move another choice program so that the PPP can get another building so they can get their own neighborhood school (like AtS or Key.) Tuckahoe families don’t want their neighborhood school turned choice. And I am not a Tuckahoe family.

I think you're referring to me, and no I have no interest in "taking over" anyone's school. I do think a school in this area will be made an option, just from the information they have provided and from Lisa Stengle's comments on that podcast, it seems like that's what they are thinking. I don't want our option program moved there. I bet most other option programs do not want to move, either, which is why I suggest if they are going to make it an option school, it should be a new one that has buy-in from the Tuckahoe community, rather than displacing them. Maybe Montessori does want that school so that they can build their stand alone K-12 program they're gunning for? And then Henry can be demolished and the people living near the Career Center can turn that site into their new neighborhood HS?

[Anonymous]

Let's get back to the actual walk zone surveys: I have some questions.

I noted that some roads are red in one section and blue (nothing) in another; for example Glebe: It is marked red up north and blue=nothing further south - does anyone know why?
Also I noticed other things like cemeteries being a planning unit. Are these mistakes?

[Anonymous]

What is the "half mile walk shed" - and why is it a squiggly pink line - can't make sense of it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let's get back to the actual walk zone surveys: I have some questions.

I noted that some roads are red in one section and blue (nothing) in another; for example Glebe: It is marked red up north and blue=nothing further south - does anyone know why?
Also I noticed other things like cemeteries being a planning unit. Are these mistakes?

The red/blue/none issue is part of what they are looking at. There are some roads that are labeled as "do not cross" for some schools, but dine for others (yes, I'm looking at Glebe). If no one could cross it, it would really impact the walk zone of schools that are on roads like that. Of course kids across Glebe cross it and they have a crossing guard. Other roads like Wash. Blvd. are currently do not cross for Reed, but that's not consistent and should change with this survey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the "half mile walk shed" - and why is it a squiggly pink line - can't make sense of it?

Those are areas 1/2 mile form school. They may or may not be considered within the walkzone b/c of major road crossings.

[Anonymous]

Do not understand this choice school drama. If we have too many seats in the NW quadrant why don't we move ATS to the new Reed school. It would (1) free up great neighborhood seats further east in the county where we need them (2) help ease the move for ATS to get a new school (3) keep the choice school more centrally located than Nottingham or Tuckahoe--no need to cross Lee Hwy or Sycamore or Metro area and (4) would not disrupt existing school communities.
IF we need an option school move, it should be to a NEW SCHOOL LOCATION. Much easier in terms of boundary changes too! NOT an existing location. Done.

[Anonymous]

Also, it would allow for expansion of ATS. 725 seats instead of whatever it is right now. ATS has a long waitlist already. This would be great for everyone!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:9:17 - to piggyback, the option schools that exist don't want to move into the upper northwest corner of Arlington because that would move them further away from the kids in South Arlington who really benefit from these programs. I'm an ATS parent and PTA board member, and a fair amount of discussion recently has revolved around resisting proposals to move us (further North) because it would be an additional barrier to lower-income kids' parents. (yes, we bus, but many/most working parents need to pick up from extended day.)

Tuckahoe really is that far North...why is it always about the South Arlington families having choices? If you decided to live in SA you might end up at a neighborhood school. Deal with it, the North should have options as well.

Whatever. Look at the transfer reports. North Arlington has choices and they choose to send their kids to their neighborhood schools.

Ats is mostly north Arlington families.

Thanks for pointing it out. Since it's north Arlington parents complaining they don't get as many choices as south Arlington, in sure they won't mind a little more equity at ATS, which is 2/3rds north Arlington students, 1/3 south.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let's get back to the actual walk zone surveys: I have some questions.

I noted that some roads are red in one section and blue (nothing) in another; for example Glebe: It is marked red up north and blue=nothing further south - does anyone know why?
Also I noticed other things like cemeteries being a planning unit. Are these mistakes?

It may be because the speed limit is a lot higher further north. It may also be blue if there are crossing guards or other safety measures.

Don’t get me started on the units with no people. The demographers apparently don’t want blank space on their maps.

[Anonymous]

I just cannot believe any of this is even happening. We have the most inept school board and staff. We have a shortage of seats in this county and they built a school, made it a neighborhood school when I know choice was on the table, and now have TOO MANY seats in one small area of the county. Dumb Dumb Dumb, all of the staff should be fired for such an expensive mistake. And, SB voted out. I don't care if Westover wanted their "own" neighborhood school, they didn't have one when they bought their homes so there should be no expectation. And shame on the school board for cow towing to one neighborhood at the expense of all the other kids who are either going to get further moved around and the expense of switching up schools.

You failed SB and staff, all of you.

[Anonymous]

The SB chose neighborhood for Reed bc the kids are there. I don’t live there, but I think it’s idiotic to put a choice school where kids live. If ATS isn’t walkable, choice school makes sense.

[Anonymous]

All NW quadrant schools are majority walkable save Jamestown. Why does the one that doesn’t even exist yet get sue oak treatment. Put it on the table with everyone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All NW quadrant schools are majority walkable save Jamestown. Why does the one that doesn’t even exist yet get sue oak treatment. Put it on the table with everyone else.

Because it has 2-3 times the number of walkers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:9:17 - to piggyback, the option schools that exist don't want to move into the upper northwest corner of Arlington because that would move them further away from the kids in South Arlington who really benefit from these programs. I'm an ATS parent and PTA board member, and a fair amount of discussion recently has revolved around resisting proposals to move us (further North) because it would be an additional barrier to lower-income kids' parents. (yes, we bus, but many/most working parents need to pick up from extended day.)

Tuckahoe really is that far North...why is it always about the South Arlington families having choices? If you decided to live in SA you might end up at a neighborhood school. Deal with it, the North should have options as well.

Whatever. Look at the transfer reports. North Arlington has choices and they choose to send their kids to their neighborhood schools.

Ats is mostly north Arlington families.

Thanks for pointing it out. Since it's north Arlington parents complaining they don't get as many choices as south Arlington, in sure they won't mind a little more equity at ATS, which is 2/3rds north Arlington students, 1/3 south.

That's not true for the grades coming up. I would say it's very even. Or even tilting the other way.