Thoughts on McKinley or Discovery?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it matters, McKinley to date has 795 students registered to attend starting in September.

Great job with that redistricting, APS staff and board. Glad to know we have all these schools nearby that are under capacity with plenty of field space.

In two years those capacity numbers are expected to shift so that McKinley, Nottingham, Tuckahoe and Jamestown are all clustered around each other. Discovery will be under capacity, but there's no way to move planning units to balance it better. I'm sure you don't expect APS to move kids between schools every year to make sure each year is as balanced as possible.

I'm not sure what data you are looking at, but the updated projections (which McK fought to correct this spring) demonstrate continued over-enrollment at McKinley. In fall 2019 (two years out), APS projects McK (765), Nottingham (523), Jamestown (617), Discovery (565), and Tuckahoe (562). There are plans to redraw all the ES boundaries again this spring (read the School Board minutes) and the NW boundaries are all on the table again due to over-enrollment at McKinley.

[Anonymous]

Oh, if McK were *only* at 765!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it matters, McKinley to date has 795 students registered to attend starting in September.

Great job with that redistricting, APS staff and board. Glad to know we have all these schools nearby that are under capacity with plenty of field space.

Source for this?

The administration

So over 150 kindergarteners this year? Not sure how that's possible, since they appear to only have five kindergarten classes, and 30 kids per K class isn't even remotely close to being within APS policy.

The 795 number is not rumor. An email went out to all the PTA leads. The class assignments have not gone out yet for 1st-5th because some of the grades are teetering on the edge of needing to add another teacher. There has been a lot of turnover in the housing stock in 22205 this summer, in addition to the new townhomes that went up in Westover. Lots of new families have moved into McKinley.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it matters, McKinley to date has 795 students registered to attend starting in September.

Great job with that redistricting, APS staff and board. Glad to know we have all these schools nearby that are under capacity with plenty of field space.

Source for this?

The administration

So over 150 kindergarteners this year? Not sure how that's possible, since they appear to only have five kindergarten classes, and 30 kids per K class isn't even remotely close to being within APS policy.

The 795 number is not rumor. An email went out to all the PTA leads. The class assignments have not gone out yet for 1st-5th because some of the grades are teetering on the edge of needing to add another teacher. There has been a lot of turnover in the housing stock in 22205 this summer, in addition to the new townhomes that went up in Westover. Lots of new families have moved into McKinley.

AAARRRRGGGHHH!!!!

I wish they would just offer transfers back to Tuckahoe or too Discovery. Certainly some of the Tuckahoe families would move back and new families could choose to go elsewhere. So much for the promise that no one would be in trailers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The 795 number is not rumor. An email went out to all the PTA leads. The class assignments have not gone out yet for 1st-5th because some of the grades are teetering on the edge of needing to add another teacher. There has been a lot of turnover in the housing stock in 22205 this summer, in addition to the new townhomes that went up in Westover. Lots of new families have moved into McKinley.

When did this go out? The Cardinal Notes said the letters were coming this week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The 795 number is not rumor. An email went out to all the PTA leads. The class assignments have not gone out yet for 1st-5th because some of the grades are teetering on the edge of needing to add another teacher. There has been a lot of turnover in the housing stock in 22205 this summer, in addition to the new townhomes that went up in Westover. Lots of new families have moved into McKinley.

When did this go out? The Cardinal Notes said the letters were coming this week.

The 795 number wasn't in the Cardinal Notes. It was an email sent to PTA leaders. But this week's Cardinal Notes did say that the letters have not gone out yet because they are still sorting through class assignments. Colin noted that only K letters have gone out so far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The 795 number is not rumor. An email went out to all the PTA leads. The class assignments have not gone out yet for 1st-5th because some of the grades are teetering on the edge of needing to add another teacher. There has been a lot of turnover in the housing stock in 22205 this summer, in addition to the new townhomes that went up in Westover. Lots of new families have moved into McKinley.

When did this go out? The Cardinal Notes said the letters were coming this week.

The 795 number wasn't in the Cardinal Notes. It was an email sent to PTA leaders. But this week's Cardinal Notes did say that the letters have not gone out yet because they are still sorting through class assignments. Colin noted that only K letters have gone out so far.

It said K went out already and that the rest of the grades are being sent this week. We haven't received anything, though, except for the extended day bill. No bus notification and not even SOL scores from last year (I'm obviously no t the only one).

[Anonymous]

What grades are teetering? Please tell me it's not the ones that already have 6(!!) classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
AAARRRRGGGHHH!!!!

I wish they would just offer transfers back to Tuckahoe or too Discovery. Certainly some of the Tuckahoe families would move back and new families could choose to go elsewhere. So much for the promise that no one would be in trailers.

Families can always apply to transfer, what would have been nice is if that had been heavily advertised since many families including those who are new or incoming K might not be aware of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it matters, McKinley to date has 795 students registered to attend starting in September.

Great job with that redistricting, APS staff and board. Glad to know we have all these schools nearby that are under capacity with plenty of field space.

In two years those capacity numbers are expected to shift so that McKinley, Nottingham, Tuckahoe and Jamestown are all clustered around each other. Discovery will be under capacity, but there's no way to move planning units to balance it better. I'm sure you don't expect APS to move kids between schools every year to make sure each year is as balanced as possible.

Natch.

This makes no sense to me. Why did they build a school here if they couldn't fill it to capacity? They can send any planning units to any school they decide--they don't have to be immediately adjacent PU's. But they won't. I can't wait for the upcoming MS and South Arlington ES boundary decisions. That's gonna be a show for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it matters, McKinley to date has 795 students registered to attend starting in September.

Great job with that redistricting, APS staff and board. Glad to know we have all these schools nearby that are under capacity with plenty of field space.

In two years those capacity numbers are expected to shift so that McKinley, Nottingham, Tuckahoe and Jamestown are all clustered around each other. Discovery will be under capacity, but there's no way to move planning units to balance it better. I'm sure you don't expect APS to move kids between schools every year to make sure each year is as balanced as possible.

Natch.

This makes no sense to me. Why did they build a school here if they couldn't fill it to capacity? They can send any planning units to any school they decide--they don't have to be immediately adjacent PU's. But they won't. I can't wait for the upcoming MS and South Arlington ES boundary decisions. That's gonna be a show for sure.

Except that its not just a "South Arlington ES" boundary decision now. North Arlington boundaries are getting reopened too. In addition to fixing the McKinley mess, the SB also voted last spring to make ASF a neighborhood school so that will need boundaries drawn too and will cause shifting in other areas of North Arlington. Unless you are in a walk zone for your ES, you might move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it matters, McKinley to date has 795 students registered to attend starting in September.

Great job with that redistricting, APS staff and board. Glad to know we have all these schools nearby that are under capacity with plenty of field space.

In two years those capacity numbers are expected to shift so that McKinley, Nottingham, Tuckahoe and Jamestown are all clustered around each other. Discovery will be under capacity, but there's no way to move planning units to balance it better. I'm sure you don't expect APS to move kids between schools every year to make sure each year is as balanced as possible.

Natch.

This makes no sense to me. Why did they build a school here if they couldn't fill it to capacity? They can send any planning units to any school they decide--they don't have to be immediately adjacent PU's. But they won't. I can't wait for the upcoming MS and South Arlington ES boundary decisions. That's gonna be a show for sure.

Except that its not just a "South Arlington ES" boundary decision now. North Arlington boundaries are getting reopened too. In addition to fixing the McKinley mess, the SB also voted last spring to make ASF a neighborhood school so that will need boundaries drawn too and will cause shifting in other areas of North Arlington. Unless you are in a walk zone for your ES, you might move.

I haven't followed over the summer, but didn't they punt on changing any NA ES boundaries until a new school opens at Reed? Isn't that why all the ASFS parents were upset--because they were sure their school would become overcrowded immediately by kids who couldn't get into Key in 2018? Did the SB reconsider?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it matters, McKinley to date has 795 students registered to attend starting in September.

Great job with that redistricting, APS staff and board. Glad to know we have all these schools nearby that are under capacity with plenty of field space.

In two years those capacity numbers are expected to shift so that McKinley, Nottingham, Tuckahoe and Jamestown are all clustered around each other. Discovery will be under capacity, but there's no way to move planning units to balance it better. I'm sure you don't expect APS to move kids between schools every year to make sure each year is as balanced as possible.

Natch.

This makes no sense to me. Why did they build a school here if they couldn't fill it to capacity? They can send any planning units to any school they decide--they don't have to be immediately adjacent PU's. But they won't. I can't wait for the upcoming MS and South Arlington ES boundary decisions. That's gonna be a show for sure.

Except that its not just a "South Arlington ES" boundary decision now. North Arlington boundaries are getting reopened too. In addition to fixing the McKinley mess, the SB also voted last spring to make ASF a neighborhood school so that will need boundaries drawn too and will cause shifting in other areas of North Arlington. Unless you are in a walk zone for your ES, you might move.

I haven't followed over the summer, but didn't they punt on changing any NA ES boundaries until a new school opens at Reed? Isn't that why all the ASFS parents were upset--because they were sure their school would become overcrowded immediately by kids who couldn't get into Key in 2018? Did the SB reconsider?

This was my impression as well, can anyone point to a source that they're planning to do NA ES boundary rezoning this fall?

[Anonymous]

They are doing ES boundaries this spring, not this fall. It was in one of the presentations at a SB meeting this summer. You would have to pick through the website, but I think it was one of the meetings in June.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it matters, McKinley to date has 795 students registered to attend starting in September.

Great job with that redistricting, APS staff and board. Glad to know we have all these schools nearby that are under capacity with plenty of field space.

In two years those capacity numbers are expected to shift so that McKinley, Nottingham, Tuckahoe and Jamestown are all clustered around each other. Discovery will be under capacity, but there's no way to move planning units to balance it better. I'm sure you don't expect APS to move kids between schools every year to make sure each year is as balanced as possible.

Natch.

This makes no sense to me. Why did they build a school here if they couldn't fill it to capacity? They can send any planning units to any school they decide--they don't have to be immediately adjacent PU's. But they won't. I can't wait for the upcoming MS and South Arlington ES boundary decisions. That's gonna be a show for sure.

Before Discovery opened, Tuckahoe and Nottingham were the most over-capacity elementary schools in APS, and not by a small margin. A new elementary school was needed over there to relieve that overcrowding, and it has done that. I believe the school was built larger than it strictly needed to be today in order to accommodate future growth, which is what the school board should be doing, not building schools that are at or over capacity the day they open. But because of the layout of the current planning units, there's no way to add more students to Discovery that both relieves overcrowding at further-away schools like McKinley and doesn't meaningfully increase transportation costs.