Reply to APS/SA boundary redrawing

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Drew/Randolph folks, I live in NA and am appalled by the stats on this proposal but don’t know what I don’t know. Are there things beyond what I’ve read here already I can address in the questionnaire that will help you? I don’t know how much they’ll credit the opinions of someone in 22207 on something that doesn’t directly affect my school,  but I’d like to do what I can.[/quote]

I am a Drew parent, but I have weighed in on all South Arlington boundary issues at every level for the past several years, many of which haven't directly affected my planning unit. I don't think one needs to be directly affected by a decision in order to have a valid opinion on it. We all pay taxes to the schools here and we all want our entire county to succeed. Indeed, arguably one can be more rational and reasonable if one isn't worried about the direct effect on their own kid.

Points you can make in the questionnaire: This proposal does not honor APS's own criteria for Drew. Alignment: Drew goes from sending to one MS to sending to three. Why are those Abingdon units zoned Kenmore being moved to Drew? Those kids in that small corner will be the only Drew-Kenmore students in the county. Demographics: 'nuff said. Drew will be 83% on a good day. Note, the Drew planning units (like many others) have more fr/l kids as of 2017 than total students that APS is projecting for 2019. In other words, APS is assuming that fewer total students will attend those schools in 2019 even though it knows that more kids are actually attending in 2017, and that every single one of those kids is low-income. So it could be worse than the projected figures. Further, Drew is 51% this year. Yes, that's because of Montessori being there as well -- but don't put Drew in your presentation, APS, and brag on lowering its fr/l rate. Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining. Proximity: Drew has a small walk zone and must draw from outside of the walk zone, but this map is absurd on its face. It looks like it was drawn by the Maryland state legislature. Kids from all the way out to the Pike and Four Mile will be going to Drew. Color me not surprised when it's harder for those families to participate in activities (yes, I know Abingdon is also far for them). Contiguity: Drew's proposed boundary runs through Jennie Dean Park and Barcroft Park, not through neighborhoods. There are *zero* students in one of those planning units. That's an island and APS said no more islands.

No one is asking for a miracle here. Nauck is a generally lower income neighborhood. But for all the importance of school communities, folks are showing a lot of disregard to the future Drew community by proposing to open it under these circumstances. Tell some of your friends who live in other counties that Arlington has elementary schools that are 80+ percent low income and see what they say. You don't have to live down south to think that Arlington should not tolerate this.[/quote]

Claremont needs to become a neighborhood school.  Immersion needs to move to Carlin Springs.  
People need to stop demanding solutions to their own problems that don't result in any changes to their situation.  The School Board needs to start doing what's right.[/quote]

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