Reply to Does anyone send the children to Jefferson-Houston in Alexandria?

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[quote=Anonymous]This neighborhood has for the most part three categories of residents:

1. People with the high income needed to afford to purchase homes in Old Town, and with that high income also have the ability to go private without too much of a strain on the budget. Other parts of Alexandria have neighborhood schools with a higher number of upper middle class families that prefer to save their money and go with public, so they've become really engaged and active in making the schools succeed. It's just too easy for the higher income families in J-H zone to write a check and go private.

2. Section 8 voucher families. These are slightly different from the lower income families elsewhere in Alexandria. Whereas in other parts you often have recent immigrants (a large Ethiopian community on the West End, for example) that are eager to realize the American dream and place a high value on their child's education. In contrast, there is a high concentration of Section 8 housing in the neighborhood zoned for J-H. Here you have children from families that have experience multiple generations of poverty, and all of the problems that go with it.

3. Childless young singles/couples that are moving into the new condos. They have more $ and education, but they aren't sending any kids to the schools, because they don't have any (yet)!

So, while there are challenging demographics at many of Alexandria schools, J-H has some of the most challenging. Two things will fix this, and both of them are happening.

1. Gradually closing down the concentrated Section 8 housing in the part of Old Town zoned for J-H and dispersing it more widely throughout the city. Alexandria has pledged to maintain the % of designated affordable housing, but the new plan has small clusters set aside in new condo/townhouse developments, so you won't have whole building/blocks set aside.

2. Redistricting. If the proposed timeline holds, the new zones will be established in time for the start of school in the fall of 2016. Population explosion on the west end of town is the primary driver of this redistricting, and all of the schools will see some shifts, but J-H will definitely get some schools from nearby neighborhood, most likely some currently zoned for Maury and other nearby schools. That should lead to a different demographic mix.

To be clear, I have zero problem sending my children to a school where they are the racial minority and there is a FARMS rate above 50%. My kids have been going to such a school in ACPS for years, and have been doing just fine. There are just some unique circumstances related to the neighborhood of J-H, coupled with massive principal turnover, that have led to the current state.

I have heard good things about both the new principal and the experience of people who have opted for the smaller middle school experience.

I think with the combination of new school + new principal + rezoning, I'd be willing to try J-H. I have to admit, however, that while I'm sure I would be accused of being a crazed ACPS "booster" by some on this board, even I would not have sent my children to J-H in recent years. I'm hopeful it's turned a corner, but yeah, it has had problems.

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