Specifically on-topic contributors to the Drew boundary issue only please -

[Anonymous]

Jumping on this late but as much as I would want the Fairlington south of 395 moved to drew it's not the "straight shot" that another PP mentioned.

They would either have to drive past Abingdon or go into Alexandria and 395.


The Columbia forest neighborhood is closer and eaiser in regards to bussing. (Not passing other other schools and it's just as far as their current drive to Abingdon)

If you pull from Claremont you have the same "island" problem there CF is complaining about because nobody actually lives in barcroft park. Plus you would island off CF at Abingdon So they can't really use the island as an excuse if they are ok with the Abingdon island.

It's that new fleet neighborhood that makes the most sense and maybe some CF mixed in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jumping on this late but as much as I would want the Fairlington south of 395 moved to drew it's not the "straight shot" that another PP mentioned.

They would either have to drive past Abingdon or go into Alexandria and 395.


The Columbia forest neighborhood is closer and eaiser in regards to bussing. (Not passing other other schools and it's just as far as their current drive to Abingdon)

If you pull from Claremont you have the same "island" problem there CF is complaining about because nobody actually lives in barcroft park. Plus you would island off CF at Abingdon So they can't really use the island as an excuse if they are ok with the Abingdon island.

It's that new fleet neighborhood that makes the most sense and maybe some CF mixed in.

No, buses don't have to drive past Abingdon or go into Alexandria from that fairlington PU. From the fairlington community center, head west on 34th, cross over 395, hang a right on 31st, which goes down into Shirlington past the bus terminal, it becomes Quincy. Go straight to Arlington Mill, turn right, then immediately left on shirlington road. Cross over 4MR, the weenie Beenie on your left and you're in Nauck. "Problem" solved. It's under 2 miles, takes less than 10 minutes in rush hour.

[Anonymous]

I will never buy the argument that lower income families don't want to go to higher quality schools. I think they don't want to be erased in a school that has a very small minority population. That doesn't mean they wouldn't want a school system that develops schools that are balanced socioeconomically.

But fine. We don't want to bus kid or re-do zones? Than we need to poor more family support resources into these schools with high FARMS rates. Don't force them to rely on the PTA for services. Ensure that these school budgets allow for enrichment equal to that of north Arlington schools (and make those classes free). Make sure that the PTA isn't the one to organize (and raise the money) for the backpack buddy program so kids can get clothes on the weekend. Have the school budget provide coats and warm winter clothes.

Have the school budget provide counseling and job services to parents. Provide helpful parenting or family engagement/empowerment classes in multiple languages. Hire diverse teachers that reflect the student population.

There are ways to raise lower income schools up that don't involve diluting the minority or low income population. But those ways are going to take time and money and when the PTA Is going to be unable to provide that then the county (or society) needs to step in.

But no one wants to do that either.

[Anonymous]

I’d be in favor of that. Make Nauck neighborhood, true neighborhood. Give them the best school and all the resources denied over the years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d be in favor of that. Make Nauck neighborhood, true neighborhood. Give them the best school and all the resources denied over the years.

But then the school's sits half empty while the neighboring ones are overcrowded. They can't do this. Also, who exactly is going to provide these extra resources if not the parents themselves? Is there going to be a special tax levied? APS certainty isn't going to given them more than required by law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d be in favor of that. Make Nauck neighborhood, true neighborhood. Give them the best school and all the resources denied over the years.

But then the school's sits half empty while the neighboring ones are overcrowded. They can't do this. Also, who exactly is going to provide these extra resources if not the parents themselves? Is there going to be a special tax levied? APS certainty isn't going to given them more than required by law.

This is the poster that posted what the school should be. I mean of course APS isn't going to give them more than required by law. I was just pointing out what my dream would be for these schools. Yes, the money would have to come from taxes and theoretically the district would pay for people to come in and handle all of this extra stuff. I realize it will never happen. But it seems stupid crazy to change nothing and just expect different results to magically happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d be in favor of that. Make Nauck neighborhood, true neighborhood. Give them the best school and all the resources denied over the years.

But then the school's sits half empty while the neighboring ones are overcrowded. They can't do this. Also, who exactly is going to provide these extra resources if not the parents themselves? Is there going to be a special tax levied? APS certainty isn't going to given them more than required by law.

This is the poster that posted what the school should be. I mean of course APS isn't going to give them more than required by law. I was just pointing out what my dream would be for these schools. Yes, the money would have to come from taxes and theoretically the district would pay for people to come in and handle all of this extra stuff. I realize it will never happen. But it seems stupid crazy to change nothing and just expect different results to magically happen.

Speaking of PTAs, I've tried unsuccessfully to source budget document for each school online. I do know that the top end is Jamestown and Nottingham, who pull in well over $100k a year. On the other end, Randolph, for instance probably tops out at $20k a year and they have to work a lot harder at it; they can't just ask parents to write a $500 dollar check, they have to get small dollar donations from Harris teeter customers or what not. At the level they are collecting funds, most north Arlington PTAs are required to file and make available IRS form 990 to anyone who requests it. I would LOVE to see ArlNow write this story.

[Anonymous]

Fine let Drew be significantly under enrolled. And give them tons of money. Tax the hell out of 22207 etc.
Let everyone keep crowding into the same few schools. Fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fine let Drew be significantly under enrolled. And give them tons of money. Tax the hell out of 22207 etc.
Let everyone keep crowding into the same few schools. Fine.

Well, isn't it the case that APS essentially built a new school for the Patrick Henry parents who had crowded their old school by avoiding neighborhing ones? There was no change to the Patrick Henry boundary. They simply gave Patrick Henry a brand new, bigger building. How is that equitable? The wraparound services described above to the poorest schools would cost a lot less than building Fleet did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fine let Drew be significantly under enrolled. And give them tons of money. Tax the hell out of 22207 etc.
Let everyone keep crowding into the same few schools. Fine.

Well, isn't it the case that APS essentially built a new school for the Patrick Henry parents who had crowded their old school by avoiding neighborhing ones? There was no change to the Patrick Henry boundary. They simply gave Patrick Henry a brand new, bigger building. How is that equitable? The wraparound services described above to the poorest schools would cost a lot less than building Fleet did.

Sorry, how is buying a house within an established boundary - as you pointed out, it did not change - “crowding” a school and avoiding neighborhood schools? Henry isn’t an option school where anyone is avoiding another school. People like the school and want to live within its boundaries. A lesson for APS to consider when refocusing on Drew and other high FARMs schools.

I mean, I get it, you all despise Henry parents but let’s not be ridiculous here with our commentary. It’s not always about avoiding another school.

[Anonymous]

New poster and Henry agreed to give up building for Montessori. It’s easy to point the finger at Henry and parents in the boundaries but you are missing the mark and rewriting history to create villains.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d be in favor of that. Make Nauck neighborhood, true neighborhood. Give them the best school and all the resources denied over the years.

No one is "denying" resources to Drew, the neighborhood doesn't have resources. I'm an UMC white person and I live in Nauck and I sent both my kids to Drew (youngest now in MS). Most of the people living in the neighborhood who just want to attend a neighborhood school--the ones who don't choice out to the Montessori side of Drew, Claremont, or ATS--don't have the kinds of resources other families do. And I don't just mean money, I mean:

--time
--computer access
--experience planning and executing school events
--knowledge of extracurriculars and enrichment activities to share with other parents
--transportation for playdates and afterschool/weekend activities
--understanding of how to advocate for the school within the local political system
--business connections for donations, field trips, speakers, sponsors

When I started participating in countywide activities, it was a world of difference. At Nauck events, parents talk about their kids and their neighbors. At other schools or countywide events, parents talk about all kinds of opportunities -- things for the kids, things for the schools, things for the community -- things people in south Arlington have no idea about. I had no idea until I started talking to better-informed people. This is why you need more socioeconomic diversity at each school--you don't know what you don't know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jumping on this late but as much as I would want the Fairlington south of 395 moved to drew it's not the "straight shot" that another PP mentioned.

They would either have to drive past Abingdon or go into Alexandria and 395.


The Columbia forest neighborhood is closer and eaiser in regards to bussing. (Not passing other other schools and it's just as far as their current drive to Abingdon)

If you pull from Claremont you have the same "island" problem there CF is complaining about because nobody actually lives in barcroft park. Plus you would island off CF at Abingdon So they can't really use the island as an excuse if they are ok with the Abingdon island.

It's that new fleet neighborhood that makes the most sense and maybe some CF mixed in.

No, buses don't have to drive past Abingdon or go into Alexandria from that fairlington PU. From the fairlington community center, head west on 34th, cross over 395, hang a right on 31st, which goes down into Shirlington past the bus terminal, it becomes Quincy. Go straight to Arlington Mill, turn right, then immediately left on shirlington road. Cross over 4MR, the weenie Beenie on your left and you're in Nauck. "Problem" solved. It's under 2 miles, takes less than 10 minutes in rush hour.

I don't understand why it's a problem to drive by another school on the way to yours. I also don't understand why it matters if a bus route crosses over the County border for 50 yards. It's not like they're travelling through the City of Alexandria in order to get the kids to school; they'd just be outside the county limit for a few minutes, less than half a mile.

More importantly, it's clear that one boundary principle or another needs to be downgraded in order to make sensible boundaries. I vote we downgrade contiguity over demographics for a change. Contiguity in general is just so unimportant in the big picture. Besides, if Barcroft Park is non-residential, for all intents and purposes, it really doesn't factor into contiguity anyway. The point of contiguity is neighbors going to the same school. There aren't any neighbors in Barcroft Park so it's irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

There are literally six public schools closer to Columbia Forest than Drew Model School: Abingdon, Barcroft, Campbell, Carlin Springs, Claremont & Randolph. (For that matter, according to Google Maps, even Henry is closer at 2.2 miles away vice 2.5 miles to Drew Model!) So tell me why Columbia Forest kids should go to Drew, while neighborhood kids 7/10th a mile away will not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are literally six public schools closer to Columbia Forest than Drew Model School: Abingdon, Barcroft, Campbell, Carlin Springs, Claremont & Randolph. (For that matter, according to Google Maps, even Henry is closer at 2.2 miles away vice 2.5 miles to Drew Model!) So tell me why Columbia Forest kids should go to Drew, while neighborhood kids 7/10th a mile away will not?

Campbell and Claremont aren’t neighborhood schools. You could have had a decent argument there but instead you tanked your credibility by including them.