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[quote=Anonymous]&quot;On Monday, ACPS announced it would address the problem over the next year with an initiative called The High School Project: Inspiring a Future for Alexandria. Rather than tackling the capacity crisis head on, however, the initiative involves working backward to find a solution. The school division, instead of looking at buildings and other physical solutions right away, will begin by determining programming for future high school students.

“We have a capacity issue here, obviously, a big capacity issue, but instead of looking at it as a capacity issue, we want to make sure it has long-term impact,” Lloyd said, “So, we’re starting with the end goal for it, what we want to achieve for our students at that end goal.”

[i]To determine what kind of programming the city’s new high school system will offer, the school division will go through an outreach process beginning with those most impacted by the change: the students. Three focus groups, totaling 68 students, started meeting on Tuesday to share their thoughts on the future of high school in Alexandria.

“We [asked] them not about numbers and overcrowding, [but] what they want from a high school,” Lloyd said. “What is their vision for a high school for the future? What do they think future students will need? What would they have liked?”[/i]
https://alextimes.com/2018/08/acps-plans-to-address-high-school-capacity-crunch/

[b]Wow and $$$ must grow on trees, ACPS! What about we tax-paying residents' (~70% real estate/30% business is breakdown of taxes in Alexandria City) need for plain old academics (reading, writing and arithmetic, government, history etc) which is what DOE requires of taxpayers? We have schools not even meeting that low bar even in 2018! Check out VDOE, ACPS. [/b] Our Residential Property Tax Rate of $1.13 per $100 for the tax year beginning January 1, 2017 (Council-voting-year in 2018, so no increase in 2018 so as to re-elect them),[u] PLUS do not forget you will finance the new exorbitant, decades put off Alexandria City Sewer Fees $356 million and $534 million until 2025 folks. Alexandria taxpayers are already seeing higher sewer bills to cover the cost of the project, and more increases are coming. By 2025, monthly bills will rise an additional $25 to $35 per month:[/u] https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/virginia-regulators-approve-alexandria-sewer-repair-plan/2018/07/02/8647c680-7e23-11e8-b0ef-fffcabeff946_story.html?utm_term=.ae7c10efb410).

Since when do high school students who are our City Youth and who don't pay real estate taxes to Alexandria City have a (per Floyd) starting say? Does Arlington and Fairfax County plan their new school buildings based on what their &lt;17 year old youths say? Of course not, and for good reasons!

We City residential tax payers (70% RE taxes/30% commercial) DO have a say but since the 1993 City change to an elected ACPS School Board as opposed to Alexandria City Council appointed (designed to maximize integration with Alexandria City overall budget) we have seen further deterioration in ACPS academic status. Lets change this now Alexandria. Clearly what works for Arlington and Fairfax County doesn't work with OUR City demographics. Do we majorly hard-working adult tax payers who finance 70% of the City operational budget count less than City 17 year olds? You gotta be kidding! This is absurd (I can hear ACPS now, &quot;wait wait you get to talk too but WE (ACPS) decide on this issue, not you taxpayers&quot;) NOT TRUE ACPS. How about starting with the required DOE public school mandate (laws) on academic education and publicize it, ACPS.

Most Alexandria City residents are sick of the decades low academic ACPS ratings! It impacts our City ability to attract Class A Businesses (or any at this point) to generate commercial real estate income/taxes, as well as Alexandria City residential real estate sales. Year after year of no ACPS academic resolution and improvement drags us all in Alexandria City down.You think it doesn't come up when buying/selling your home? Guess again folks: ACPS isn't a strong point. Yet (and because of the above) our Alexandria residential property taxes are as high as Fairfax, Arlington, FC and our ACPS public schools at the bottom. This MUST change as this course is unsustainable.

We all encourage students opinion in ACPS, but we City taxpayers bear the ultimate burden and it's a huge burden given our persistent low ranking over the last decades. Would you move here home buyers? Just look at DCUM Real Estate entries for an answer to the question. ACPS and Alexandria City should focus on educational fundamentals not feel goods for students which will only make ACPS fall father behind academically. And if ACPS doesn't grasp it yet, let's first get all schools in ACPS accredited, as well as get ACPS way up stream from the decades old bottom of Virginia state VDOE rankings as our 1st and primary goal, just like our City sewers. This will only help ACPS, Alexandria City and we taxpaying residents.
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