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[quote=Anonymous]Interesting to see this thread with a discussion of me and my integrity.

On MacArthur, the expectation had been for a small high school on the site.  The bump to 1000 came out of the blue in the Mayor's budget.  That does not make sense and is bad for other high schools around the city.  It is the case that 90 students a grade go from Hardy to Wilson under today's enrollment levels which is around 60% of Hardy 8th grade classes.  That suggests that if Hardy fed to MacArthur now, Wilson would have 360 fewer kids which would go a long way (but not all of the way over the long term) towards solving crowding issues there.  It is also true that Hardy enrollment levels are increasing.  Four years from now that 90 kids a grade could go to 150 in which case MacArthur could get 600 kids from Hardy. MacArthur will almost certainly be filled one year at a time so it will be SY26-27 at the soonest that it will have four grades.  Renovating MacArthur's existing envelope now which would yield a school of around 700 makes sense, building to 1000 now with a 500 citywide set aside, in my opinion does not.  See https://fruminforward3.com/food-for-thought-new-schools/  I have spent a decade advocating for successful schools in every part of the city.  I suppose if someone wants to think I took the view I did on this out of pandering, they can feel free, but it is not true and in fact my view is consistent with my years of research and advocacy.

On Foxhall, this was an idea that nobody took seriously when proposed. It was a clear fig leaf for the eventual midnight transfer of Old Hardy to Lab. A 550 student school on that site makes no sense.  Indeed, if the city got Old Hardy back a 550 student school on that site would make no sense. Besides the Foxhall community, the Stoddert community does not like the idea.  Not because they are pandering, but because they believe it would break up their community and be bad for the school at the center of it. In the Student Assignment process, I supported moving part of Burlieth out of Stoddert and into Hyde because we saw overcrowding coming and given the fact that Burlieth was on the other side of the park from Stoddert, over the long term it made sense for it to be in Hyde. We did not have it kick in until the Hyde modernization was complete.  It was a pretty unpopular decision at the time, but I am proud of it today and it was motivated by the same logic that motivates the Stoddert community now. It seems clear to me that the better answer for Stoddert is to renovate to add capacity to serve its existing boundary. Meanwhile, since my blog came out, leaders at Hardy testified about why the current proposal for Foxhall does not make sense, that rather than helping the Key, Stoddert and Mann it could hurt them and there should instead be investment at Hardy. I found that testimony compelling, and consistent with my blog.  Again, read my blog carefully and conclude whether you think it is well-reasoned and grounded in ten plus years of advocacy or pandering.  https://fruminforward3.com/food-for-thought-new-schools/

People can have different views and also have integrity. I am used to people disagreeing with me, sometimes with heat. It is part of putting yourself out there to accept that and I do. But for the many readers out there trying to sort it out for themselves, please resist the temptation to think the only reason people can have different views is that one is somehow corrupt and look at what is argued and how.

All the best,
Matthew Frumin

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