Projected Overcrowding in High School APSVA

[Anonymous]

For years we've had all this drama about the overcrowding within APS, with Washington-Liberty projected to rise to 3000 or more, with lunch in shifts and talk about remote schooling or night school for some classes.

APS is building the Career Center high school to help reduce over crowding, but its not a full high school with pools and football field -- so will it be only a special program high school or also a neighborhood school.

With so many people moving away for pandemic and overall frustration, will trends turn on enrollment growth, and we wont see the supersize W-L? Have they planned enough capacity (but I know that they are expanding W-L right now under construction, so the plan still may be seats at W-L).

https://www.arlnow.com/2020/10/08/aps-loses-students-over-distance-learning-new-enrollment-figures-show/

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

No one knows. APS is hoping that some of these people whose kids are thriving and living their best lives in virtual choose that as a full time option and free up building space.

Also, I thought the Career Center plan was scrapped? Or am I not understanding that situation correctly.

[Anonymous]

I hope some who left for private don't come back. My kid is entering HS next year and was in an overcrowded ES and MS. The opening of Hamm still left the MS overcrowded b/c they didn't put enough kids in Hamm. Now, with HS on the horizon, the plans for more space won't impact my kid until almost the end. We are even contemplating not taking the IB spot b/c of the overcrowding at WL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope some who left for private don't come back. My kid is entering HS next year and was in an overcrowded ES and MS. The opening of Hamm still left the MS overcrowded b/c they didn't put enough kids in Hamm. Now, with HS on the horizon, the plans for more space won't impact my kid until almost the end. We are even contemplating not taking the IB spot b/c of the overcrowding at WL.

Are you at Yorktown? Is that less crowded?

What do you mean career center was scrapped?? What is the plan for addressing the super overcrowding? Attrition?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope some who left for private don't come back. My kid is entering HS next year and was in an overcrowded ES and MS. The opening of Hamm still left the MS overcrowded b/c they didn't put enough kids in Hamm. Now, with HS on the horizon, the plans for more space won't impact my kid until almost the end. We are even contemplating not taking the IB spot b/c of the overcrowding at WL.

This is not a plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one knows. APS is hoping that some of these people whose kids are thriving and living their best lives in virtual choose that as a full time option and free up building space.

Also, I thought the Career Center plan was scrapped? Or am I not understanding that situation correctly.

I thought it was scrapped too— they are keeping Arlington tech their but not necessarily growing it or putting in all the amenities originally proposed.

[Anonymous]

Meanwhile HB Woodlawn has seen zero growth since moving to the new building. They still plan for just around 80 kids per MS grade and around 115 per HS grade. The lottery only accepted 75 6th graders and 26 9th graders (bringing the total 9th grade class next year to just 107 since they currently have 81 8th graders and I’m sure at least one or two will decide to move to another school). They really need to increase their enrollment to 100 per MS grade as promised when plans for them to move to the new building were being discussed. HS grades should each be at 125 at a minimum. They would still be a small program with these numbers.

[Anonymous]

Here's the Career Center info:

https://www.apsva.us/design-and-construction/arlington-career-center/

So they are building more Arlington Tech seats through interior renovations and relocatables but there is no plan for the rest of the site. Basically they punted on the whole thing because they didn't want to commit to a real high school and the neighborhood didn't want to accept less than that.

"The approved FY 2021 CIP does not include a specific project for major expansion at the Career Center site. As directed by the School Board, the site will be subject to study for possibly accommodating high school seat need, in preparation for, and during development of the FY 2022 CIP. Any major capital project at the Career Center campus will be included in the FY 2022 CIP, which the School Board is anticipated to adopt in June 2021. Career Center renovations are ongoing to support the planned enrollment growth of Arlington Tech. To prepare for the 2020-21 School Year, summer 2020 activities include renovations within a portion of the second floor and installation of additional relocatable classrooms. To prepare for further planned growth, renovations are planned to consolidate the Columbia Pike Branch Library on the first floor in order to provide shared APS/County classrooms on the second floor. The consolidation is expected to be complete in November 2020."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile HB Woodlawn has seen zero growth since moving to the new building. They still plan for just around 80 kids per MS grade and around 115 per HS grade. The lottery only accepted 75 6th graders and 26 9th graders (bringing the total 9th grade class next year to just 107 since they currently have 81 8th graders and I’m sure at least one or two will decide to move to another school). They really need to increase their enrollment to 100 per MS grade as promised when plans for them to move to the new building were being discussed. HS grades should each be at 125 at a minimum. They would still be a small program with these numbers.

We should max out all lottery schools, even using trailers (for ES) or abolish them and maximize the space use.

I KNOW we can't take over the community centers but if I ruled the world, that's what I would do. The building would clear out by 5pm so it could be used by the community after that.

[Anonymous]

There is no plan, and there's no money even if there were a plan. Right now they're having to threaten to cut middle school sports just to make the budget work for next year.

I know this has been overshadowed by the pandemic, but it hasn't gone away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile HB Woodlawn has seen zero growth since moving to the new building. They still plan for just around 80 kids per MS grade and around 115 per HS grade. The lottery only accepted 75 6th graders and 26 9th graders (bringing the total 9th grade class next year to just 107 since they currently have 81 8th graders and I’m sure at least one or two will decide to move to another school). They really need to increase their enrollment to 100 per MS grade as promised when plans for them to move to the new building were being discussed. HS grades should each be at 125 at a minimum. They would still be a small program with these numbers.

We should max out all lottery schools, even using trailers (for ES) or abolish them and maximize the space use.

I KNOW we can't take over the community centers but if I ruled the world, that's what I would do. The building would clear out by 5pm so it could be used by the community after that.

I would love that. A great use of space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile HB Woodlawn has seen zero growth since moving to the new building. They still plan for just around 80 kids per MS grade and around 115 per HS grade. The lottery only accepted 75 6th graders and 26 9th graders (bringing the total 9th grade class next year to just 107 since they currently have 81 8th graders and I’m sure at least one or two will decide to move to another school). They really need to increase their enrollment to 100 per MS grade as promised when plans for them to move to the new building were being discussed. HS grades should each be at 125 at a minimum. They would still be a small program with these numbers.

We should max out all lottery schools, even using trailers (for ES) or abolish them and maximize the space use.

I KNOW we can't take over the community centers but if I ruled the world, that's what I would do. The building would clear out by 5pm so it could be used by the community after that.

I would love that. A great use of space.

I would add that if we could move any day programs for elders and kids to unused office space. They don't need large parcel of land with a playground to do chair aerobics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope some who left for private don't come back. My kid is entering HS next year and was in an overcrowded ES and MS. The opening of Hamm still left the MS overcrowded b/c they didn't put enough kids in Hamm. Now, with HS on the horizon, the plans for more space won't impact my kid until almost the end. We are even contemplating not taking the IB spot b/c of the overcrowding at WL.

Don’t worry. We left for good last year, decided pre-pandemic. No way in hell are we coming back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile HB Woodlawn has seen zero growth since moving to the new building. They still plan for just around 80 kids per MS grade and around 115 per HS grade. The lottery only accepted 75 6th graders and 26 9th graders (bringing the total 9th grade class next year to just 107 since they currently have 81 8th graders and I’m sure at least one or two will decide to move to another school). They really need to increase their enrollment to 100 per MS grade as promised when plans for them to move to the new building were being discussed. HS grades should each be at 125 at a minimum. They would still be a small program with these numbers.

HB is a perfect example of APS's fraud, waste and abuse of tax payer dollars.