APS - Elementary School Boundaries

[Anonymous]

I thought Wiliamsburg wasn't overcrowded b/c they moved Glebe kids to Swanson. Not putting them at Hamm was so shortsighted.


I'm confused about Reed. Are they filling it to 100% capacity based upon this year's numbers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Given the inputs I heard from yesterday's hearing, I have the impression that SB will approve the current recommended map with a slight modification of grandfathering policy. I was surprised that none of the south of Wilson Blvd. spoke up at yesterday's meeting to have their PU included within the Key zone. Some of them are literally just 2 streets away, like 5 mins walking distance.

I thought there was at least one from one of those PU's who complained about the current proposal.

Yeah, there was at least one who sounded hella pissed and maybe another one or two who were calmer. I totally understand why she's angry. Unfortunately there is no way to do the zone around Key that doesn't screw someone over, but they really are getting hosed.

They raised a HUGE fuss during the middle school boundary at how being zoned for TJ was cruel for their children who had to leave friends (even though they had ALWAYS been zoned for TJ before, just ASFS had split resort of kids between SW and WB). Assume staff didn’t want water works taking them from beloved ASFS.

To be fair, it turns out there's plenty of room for them at Hamm.

But Swanson and Williamsburg are still overcrowded...

Williamsburg is overcrowded? They left it at 70% though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought Wiliamsburg wasn't overcrowded b/c they moved Glebe kids to Swanson. Not putting them at Hamm was so shortsighted.


I'm confused about Reed. Are they filling it to 100% capacity based upon this year's numbers?

For middle school using last year info - https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Update-to-Fall-2019-Capacity-Utilization-Tables-v2.pdf

Hamm was way under - 74%
Kenmore was a bit under - 94%
Williamsburg was right under - 97%
Jefferson was right at capacity - 100%
Swanson a little over - 103%
Gunston was way over - 113%

My understanding is that they forgot to factor in the option programs and that's part of why Hamm is so low and Gunston is so high. Swanson could be lower but no one wanted to be zoned out to Hamm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Wiliamsburg wasn't overcrowded b/c they moved Glebe kids to Swanson. Not putting them at Hamm was so shortsighted.


I'm confused about Reed. Are they filling it to 100% capacity based upon this year's numbers?

For middle school using last year info - https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Update-to-Fall-2019-Capacity-Utilization-Tables-v2.pdf

Hamm was way under - 74%
Kenmore was a bit under - 94%
Williamsburg was right under - 97%
Jefferson was right at capacity - 100%
Swanson a little over - 103%
Gunston was way over - 113%

My understanding is that they forgot to factor in the option programs and that's part of why Hamm is so low and Gunston is so high. Swanson could be lower but no one wanted to be zoned out to Hamm.

Also there was significant grandfathering, so there is still shifting from Jefferson and Williamsburg to Hamm and Gunston continues to get hammered by the option program issue. You can see the difference in the size of the 6 and 7th grade classes vs 8th grade here https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Oct-31-Membership-2020-21.pdf

[Anonymous]

What do you think will be the PUs on the chopping block the next time around? It looks like ASFS & Key are going to be overcrowded in just a couple years, but what PUs could they remove from those schools, and where would they go? I mean they're moving a lot of PUs out of Taylor for this round--could those possibly be sent back in the next round? I just don't see how they leave themselves any good options in the future.

[Anonymous]

Williamsburg is not overcrowded. It’s just about capacity. It was refreshing last year to not be at 140%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you think will be the PUs on the chopping block the next time around? It looks like ASFS & Key are going to be overcrowded in just a couple years, but what PUs could they remove from those schools, and where would they go? I mean they're moving a lot of PUs out of Taylor for this round--could those possibly be sent back in the next round? I just don't see how they leave themselves any good options in the future.

My bet is that they make Discovery an option school, either that or Nottingham. If you do that, then there is plenty of kids to fill in Taylor, and you can have Long Branch take about 100 kids from ASFS. They don't have options for filling Taylor other than that, Key will have to stay crowded or they will end up ping ponging some of Lyon Village to Taylor.
They won't have Fleet take anything north of 50, so you kind of run out of options pretty quick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you think will be the PUs on the chopping block the next time around? It looks like ASFS & Key are going to be overcrowded in just a couple years, but what PUs could they remove from those schools, and where would they go? I mean they're moving a lot of PUs out of Taylor for this round--could those possibly be sent back in the next round? I just don't see how they leave themselves any good options in the future.

There are no good options even if you start with a clean slate. Even with Key back to neighborhood there’s still a fundamental mismatch between building locations and where students live. Arlington County has been upzoning and adding density along the metro lines for decades and there’s been no corresponding addition of schools there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you think will be the PUs on the chopping block the next time around? It looks like ASFS & Key are going to be overcrowded in just a couple years, but what PUs could they remove from those schools, and where would they go? I mean they're moving a lot of PUs out of Taylor for this round--could those possibly be sent back in the next round? I just don't see how they leave themselves any good options in the future.

There are no good options even if you start with a clean slate. Even with Key back to neighborhood there’s still a fundamental mismatch between building locations and where students live. Arlington County has been upzoning and adding density along the metro lines for decades and there’s been no corresponding addition of schools there.

NVD has mentioned building an addition to either Key or ASFS. That might help things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you think will be the PUs on the chopping block the next time around? It looks like ASFS & Key are going to be overcrowded in just a couple years, but what PUs could they remove from those schools, and where would they go? I mean they're moving a lot of PUs out of Taylor for this round--could those possibly be sent back in the next round? I just don't see how they leave themselves any good options in the future.

There are no good options even if you start with a clean slate. Even with Key back to neighborhood there’s still a fundamental mismatch between building locations and where students live. Arlington County has been upzoning and adding density along the metro lines for decades and there’s been no corresponding addition of schools there.

I don’t understand this lady’s latest map for 2022. It’s straight crazy. It also moves a LOT more PUs into Fleet, makes multiple islands, looks like for ASFS and Abingdon, dips into Abingdon’s walk zone to bus some of Shirlington to Drew, and moves more high poverty PUs into Barcroft while taking out all the SFHs of Alcova Heights and putting them at Fleet, sure to make Fleet overcrowded even faster. All so that Lyon Village doesn’t “get” Key? Makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you think will be the PUs on the chopping block the next time around? It looks like ASFS & Key are going to be overcrowded in just a couple years, but what PUs could they remove from those schools, and where would they go? I mean they're moving a lot of PUs out of Taylor for this round--could those possibly be sent back in the next round? I just don't see how they leave themselves any good options in the future.

There are no good options even if you start with a clean slate. Even with Key back to neighborhood there’s still a fundamental mismatch between building locations and where students live. Arlington County has been upzoning and adding density along the metro lines for decades and there’s been no corresponding addition of schools there.

I don’t understand this lady’s latest map for 2022. It’s straight crazy. It also moves a LOT more PUs into Fleet, makes multiple islands, looks like for ASFS and Abingdon, dips into Abingdon’s walk zone to bus some of Shirlington to Drew, and moves more high poverty PUs into Barcroft while taking out all the SFHs of Alcova Heights and putting them at Fleet, sure to make Fleet overcrowded even faster. All so that Lyon Village doesn’t “get” Key? Makes no sense.

You can't believe anything she says unless she's telling you the best bicycle route from point a to point b. Everything else is extremely suspect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you think will be the PUs on the chopping block the next time around? It looks like ASFS & Key are going to be overcrowded in just a couple years, but what PUs could they remove from those schools, and where would they go? I mean they're moving a lot of PUs out of Taylor for this round--could those possibly be sent back in the next round? I just don't see how they leave themselves any good options in the future.

There are no good options even if you start with a clean slate. Even with Key back to neighborhood there’s still a fundamental mismatch between building locations and where students live. Arlington County has been upzoning and adding density along the metro lines for decades and there’s been no corresponding addition of schools there.

I don’t understand this lady’s latest map for 2022. It’s straight crazy. It also moves a LOT more PUs into Fleet, makes multiple islands, looks like for ASFS and Abingdon, dips into Abingdon’s walk zone to bus some of Shirlington to Drew, and moves more high poverty PUs into Barcroft while taking out all the SFHs of Alcova Heights and putting them at Fleet, sure to make Fleet overcrowded even faster. All so that Lyon Village doesn’t “get” Key? Makes no sense.

You can't believe anything she says unless she's telling you the best bicycle route from point a to point b. Everything else is extremely suspect.

Sorry, but what are you guys referencing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you think will be the PUs on the chopping block the next time around? It looks like ASFS & Key are going to be overcrowded in just a couple years, but what PUs could they remove from those schools, and where would they go? I mean they're moving a lot of PUs out of Taylor for this round--could those possibly be sent back in the next round? I just don't see how they leave themselves any good options in the future.

There are no good options even if you start with a clean slate. Even with Key back to neighborhood there’s still a fundamental mismatch between building locations and where students live. Arlington County has been upzoning and adding density along the metro lines for decades and there’s been no corresponding addition of schools there.

I don’t understand this lady’s latest map for 2022. It’s straight crazy. It also moves a LOT more PUs into Fleet, makes multiple islands, looks like for ASFS and Abingdon, dips into Abingdon’s walk zone to bus some of Shirlington to Drew, and moves more high poverty PUs into Barcroft while taking out all the SFHs of Alcova Heights and putting them at Fleet, sure to make Fleet overcrowded even faster. All so that Lyon Village doesn’t “get” Key? Makes no sense.

You can't believe anything she says unless she's telling you the best bicycle route from point a to point b. Everything else is extremely suspect.

Sorry, but what are you guys referencing?

There's a lady and her Key Krew (tm) on a crusade to convince APS to not approve the boundaries tonight allegedly because we need to a more comprehensive analysis. Her real motivation is to try to get the boundaries delayed a year and get the new board to overturn the school moves decision. She is throwing up all kind of crazy ideas and maps to support her cause on the Arlington Education Matters Facebook group and also helped source an article on Arlnow.com (and is also commenting on said article in support of her ideas). The anonymous sidebar conversation happens here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you think will be the PUs on the chopping block the next time around? It looks like ASFS & Key are going to be overcrowded in just a couple years, but what PUs could they remove from those schools, and where would they go? I mean they're moving a lot of PUs out of Taylor for this round--could those possibly be sent back in the next round? I just don't see how they leave themselves any good options in the future.

There are no good options even if you start with a clean slate. Even with Key back to neighborhood there’s still a fundamental mismatch between building locations and where students live. Arlington County has been upzoning and adding density along the metro lines for decades and there’s been no corresponding addition of schools there.

I don’t understand this lady’s latest map for 2022. It’s straight crazy. It also moves a LOT more PUs into Fleet, makes multiple islands, looks like for ASFS and Abingdon, dips into Abingdon’s walk zone to bus some of Shirlington to Drew, and moves more high poverty PUs into Barcroft while taking out all the SFHs of Alcova Heights and putting them at Fleet, sure to make Fleet overcrowded even faster. All so that Lyon Village doesn’t “get” Key? Makes no sense.

You can't believe anything she says unless she's telling you the best bicycle route from point a to point b. Everything else is extremely suspect.

Sorry, but what are you guys referencing?

There's a lady and her Key Krew (tm) on a crusade to convince APS to not approve the boundaries tonight allegedly because we need to a more comprehensive analysis. Her real motivation is to try to get the boundaries delayed a year and get the new board to overturn the school moves decision. She is throwing up all kind of crazy ideas and maps to support her cause on the Arlington Education Matters Facebook group and also helped source an article on Arlnow.com (and is also commenting on said article in support of her ideas). The anonymous sidebar conversation happens here.

Ah, thanks. I guessed it was something on AEM (I'm not on FB).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Given the inputs I heard from yesterday's hearing, I have the impression that SB will approve the current recommended map with a slight modification of grandfathering policy. I was surprised that none of the south of Wilson Blvd. spoke up at yesterday's meeting to have their PU included within the Key zone. Some of them are literally just 2 streets away, like 5 mins walking distance.

I thought there was at least one from one of those PU's who complained about the current proposal.

Yeah, there was at least one who sounded hella pissed and maybe another one or two who were calmer. I totally understand why she's angry. Unfortunately there is no way to do the zone around Key that doesn't screw someone over, but they really are getting hosed.

They raised a HUGE fuss during the middle school boundary at how being zoned for TJ was cruel for their children who had to leave friends (even though they had ALWAYS been zoned for TJ before, just ASFS had split resort of kids between SW and WB). Assume staff didn’t want water works taking them from beloved ASFS.

She’s been all over the map about what she wants and why— ultimately always wanted to be at Key but as ASFS (huge proponent of the Swap). Really pushed the upper/lower idea to keep all of ASFS together. She absolutely has a point that it’s ridiculous to start ASFS off as overcapacity while Key (and Taylor) are under-capacity but I think APS is going to do the ultimate screw over and send them to Long Branch in a few years. Have to wonder if it’s not payback for how pushy they were during the middle school boundary process (and this process).