Reply to HB Woodlawn -- High School Only

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I have a middle schooler and HB and this sounds like a good plan to me.

But I have always wondered why we can’t use more office space for schools? Is it the lack of grass? I get we like our green space, but lots of kids in cities have to deal with a lack of green space, and it seems like not having green space is a small price to pay for not having overcrowded schools. [/quote]

How do you decide which kids get to go to schools with green space and who has to sit in an office building and do recess in a parking lot?  That was why HB ended up at the Heights, because people in the surrounding neighborhoods didn’t want their kids to be forced to go to school there, and since HB is an option program no one is forced to attend.  [/quote]

Well, this is high school discussion, so recess is not a thing, but same priciple applies.  Who doesn't get a pool, football field, full gymansium, etc.[/quote]

The problem isn't not getting a pool or field.  It's people insisting that all of the amenities have to be on-site.
An office building can easily accommodate a gymnasium and auditorium.  
[/quote]

Original “green space” poster here. I seem to recall that a big obstacle to building an extra elementary schools is that there is some requirement that the site have green space. Which seemed so odd to me because isn’t it better to just reduce the green space requirement than to have overcrowded schools?

[b]I think the focus is more on secondary levels of education when thinking about office space.  In the very beginning, elementary may have been a focus; but APS made it clear there are other concerns like ensuring preK and K are on the ground level - which is required by law(?) or by APS policy(?).  There was never any interest or intent on APS' part to deal with office buildings or any real estate they didn't already own.  They "branched out" in considering APS or COUNTY-owned land.

My comment about on-site facilities stems from the whole Career Center fiasco.  The initial work came to an extremely divisive point about "equity" and whether that means every comprehensive high school has to have the same amenities, especially a pool because the other three existing ones have pools.  Some refused to accept traveling to Long Bridge for a few weeks of swim instruction or for extracurricular team practices an egregious violation of equity.  Same with not having a full sized stadium AND other ball fields on site.  Funny, nobody seemed to care about on-site tennis courts.  I guess equity only applies to certain activities.[/b]

I wonder if there is an analogous requirement for middle and high schools? Obviously budget is a big issue but if there is some requirement, like having a field or a gymnasium in a certain spot, that is stopping APs from building more schools, could we re-think that requirement? [/quote][/quote]

Sorry, this got out of order when I responded.  Should go here:
I think the focus is more on secondary levels of education when thinking about office space.  In the very beginning, elementary may have been a focus; but APS made it clear there are other concerns like ensuring preK and K are on the ground level - which is required by law(?) or by APS policy(?).  There was never any interest or intent on APS' part to deal with office buildings or any real estate they didn't already own.  They "branched out" in considering APS or COUNTY-owned land.

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