Reply to Question about re zoning elementary schools in S. Arlington

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Wow. So they put the maps up and this thread just died.
Really interesting. So... I’m guessing most posters aren’t actually living or know much first hand about south Arlington.
The asfs thread is ridiculous, but you can’t say they aren’t engaged.[/quote]

Guess we really are more chill than NA parents after all. On the other hand, I'll bet a lot of parents who are zoned to Henry or Oakridge now, or want to be, are furiously lobbying the school board about it as we speak. There's some shameful sh1t on the table. Sending Alcova to Fleet? The Berkeley Apts 
to Drew? Those kids can see Oakridge out their window. It's literally across the street.[/quote]

Part of Alcova can see Fleet, too.  But you think it's shit to send them to Fleet?
Conversely, part of Alcova can walk to Patrick Henry in 5 minutes but gets a bus to Barcroft.  Same as Berkeley would get to Drew.
I disagree with your premise; but I agree that taking a more affluent PU from Barcroft to Fleet and a very large low-income development away from Oakridge to Drew are bad ideas.  However, keep in mind that Alcova will have 172 units of affordable housing opening the year Fleet opens.  That, along with the fact that a lot of current Alcova kids opt out and don't attend Barcroft now anyway, moving them to Fleet won't have a very negative impact demographically - especially the first several years while current kids finish at their current option schools.[/quote]

What's my premise with which you disagree? Sounds like we are on the same page. The part of alcova that isn't connected to the rest and is nearest Fleet? Ok. Send them to Fleet. It's what, 20 students. Gilliam Place? You make a good point, there. My underlying premise is that I find UMC neighborhoods efforts to dump their AH into a select few school zones completely reprehensible. [/quote]

The premise that the Berkeley apartment kids can see Oakridge out their window and therefore they shouldn't be sent to Drew.  And, following, that sending Alcova kids to a school they can see from across the street is part of the "shit" you indicate is going on.  The part of Alcova closest to Fleet is not the wealthiest part of Alcova.  And you've taken my point about Gilliam place.  But the eastern part of Alcova, not just the disconnected part north of the fire station, is walkable to Henry now and Fleet.  Alcova currently walks to Jefferson for middle school.  The western side of Alcova is a closer walk to Barcroft/Randolph.  And it isn't just UMC neighborhoods doing the dumping - the SB ultimately makes the decisions.  And you have SB members fighting hard to preserver the segregation.

Yes, we are on the same page regarding socioeconomic diversity.  Alcova is in the crossfire and it's ironic that it also is a rather mixed neighborhood.  But overall, I think the # of low-income families Alcova will contribute to Barcroft is more harmful to the goal than sending it to Henry.  Fewer MC families will likely opt out if Alcova is sent to Fleet; but those kids will be pretty well balanced by the kids in Gilliam and the lower-income kids already attending Barcroft.  Many of Alcova's MC kids opt out of Barcroft now; so how much "affluence" does Alcova actually bring to Barcroft currently?  Not enough to compensate for the addition of 172 committed affordable units.

Henry can use some more low-income students -- they've lost a lot with east-Pike gentrification.  Whether they come from Alcova or somewhere else, doesn't really matter.[/quote]

Seems pretty clear to me that Gilliam should go to Fleet and Berkeley should go to Oakridge. without those buildings, neither will have a farms rate of even 20 percent. In the last ten years, the CB has allowed those school zones to gentrify while preserving a d building ever more AH in The other SA school zones. Their farms rates have dropped by over 40 points and their boundaries shouldn't be redrawn to lower it even more. We don't need a "Little NA" in SA, especially not one with its own high school on the career center site.[/quote]

Wholeheartedly agree!  But I sincerely doubt Alcova Heights will favor splitting the neighborhood, especially based on income.  [/quote]

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