Anonymous
Post 11/24/2015 11:55     Subject: Alexandria Redistricting Process Starting
Anonymous wrote:Timeline pushed to "spring 2016" instead of ending in February 2016. From watching the work session, they need to know if they will get an additional school in the west end and 34 preschool classrooms moved out of elementaries.


Right. The practical question I think folks had was implementation, whether it would be 2016-2017 or the next year 2017-2018 (which it now will be given the push back of the time line)
Anonymous
Post 11/24/2015 11:09     Subject: Alexandria Redistricting Process Starting
Timeline pushed to "spring 2016" instead of ending in February 2016. From watching the work session, they need to know if they will get an additional school in the west end and 34 preschool classrooms moved out of elementaries.
Anonymous
Post 11/24/2015 11:01     Subject: Re:Alexandria Redistricting Process Starting
Was it strange that both members from both Tucker and Ramsay resigned off the committee already?
Anonymous
Post 11/23/2015 20:51     Subject: Re:Alexandria Redistricting Process Starting
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The timeline is going to be pushed back for implementation in 2017-2018. This came out of the committee last night and will be voted on by the board at the next meeting. Main reason for pushing back is that the Superintendent just released a new CIP that adds a new elementary school in the west end for the 2017-2018 school year (using leased commercial space.) The redistricting needs to take into account the new elementary. The biggest capacity issues are in the west end, and no amount of redistricting is really going to solve the problem without the addition of more capacity.


What did the school board do in tonight's meeting re: the timeline? I'm looking at the board website and see the agenda but don't see the actual outcome of the various items (though I'm not familiar with the website so maybe I'm doing something wrong?)


http://acpsk12va.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2
Look tomorrow for video. They are pretty good at getting the video up the next day. You can fast forward and even 15 second forward to get to the correct part of the agenda.
Anonymous
Post 11/23/2015 20:25     Subject: Re:Alexandria Redistricting Process Starting
Anonymous wrote:The timeline is going to be pushed back for implementation in 2017-2018. This came out of the committee last night and will be voted on by the board at the next meeting. Main reason for pushing back is that the Superintendent just released a new CIP that adds a new elementary school in the west end for the 2017-2018 school year (using leased commercial space.) The redistricting needs to take into account the new elementary. The biggest capacity issues are in the west end, and no amount of redistricting is really going to solve the problem without the addition of more capacity.


What did the school board do in tonight's meeting re: the timeline? I'm looking at the board website and see the agenda but don't see the actual outcome of the various items (though I'm not familiar with the website so maybe I'm doing something wrong?)
Anonymous
Post 11/23/2015 15:44     Subject: Re:Alexandria Redistricting Process Starting
2015 Washington Boards of Education Stats:

ACPS
FY 2016 Cost Per Pupil $16,561
Average Teacher Salary $74,431

2015 Actually Enrollment:
Total Enrollment 14,212
Percent ESOL Enrollment 28.3%
Percent Free/Reduced Price Meal Eligible 60.4%
Percent Special Education Enrollment 12.5%

Sources of Revenue
Local 80.4%

http://www.fcps.edu/fs/budget/wabe/2016.pdf
Anonymous
Post 11/21/2015 16:26     Subject: Alexandria Redistricting Process Starting
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The confusing thing about pushing this off, is that they can't redistrict kids to a new school that is going in leased space if they don't know where that school is going to be.


They said they were already working with real estate company to find options. I'm assuming they can't finalize lease until the City approves funds (in May?). The most efficient location would be between Ramsay and Tucker (since those are the two schools that have had to transfer hundreds of students to other schools because of capacity.)


Well the TSA isn't moving into the building on Eishenhower so that will be a good property.


That will probably play out in the courts for a while.
Anonymous
Post 11/20/2015 21:55     Subject: Alexandria Redistricting Process Starting
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The confusing thing about pushing this off, is that they can't redistrict kids to a new school that is going in leased space if they don't know where that school is going to be.


They said they were already working with real estate company to find options. I'm assuming they can't finalize lease until the City approves funds (in May?). The most efficient location would be between Ramsay and Tucker (since those are the two schools that have had to transfer hundreds of students to other schools because of capacity.)


Well the TSA isn't moving into the building on Eishenhower so that will be a good property.
Anonymous
Post 11/19/2015 18:20     Subject: Alexandria Redistricting Process Starting
Anonymous wrote:I'm thinking of buying in the JH zone and just saying screw it, we're going there and I'll do whatever I have to do to try and make it better.


OK. I wouldn't.
Anonymous
Post 11/19/2015 17:56     Subject: Alexandria Redistricting Process Starting
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm thinking of buying in the JH zone and just saying screw it, we're going there and I'll do whatever I have to do to try and make it better.


You're not the only one. Just look at the current K class this year. A lot more neighborhood families (other than public housing) compared to the year before.


We know 2 of the current kindergartners and their parents are both very happy with the school. I know it's early, but so far they are very pleased. I also know 3 families whose kids will start next year (all white and affluent) who are zoned there and planning to attend. We're expecting to be redistricting there and will attend as well if that happens.


I have a friend who is quite a demanding parent, who is thrilled will JH this year. Maybe it really is turning around??
Anonymous
Post 11/19/2015 14:38     Subject: Alexandria Redistricting Process Starting
Anonymous wrote:The confusing thing about pushing this off, is that they can't redistrict kids to a new school that is going in leased space if they don't know where that school is going to be.


They said they were already working with real estate company to find options. I'm assuming they can't finalize lease until the City approves funds (in May?). The most efficient location would be between Ramsay and Tucker (since those are the two schools that have had to transfer hundreds of students to other schools because of capacity.)
Anonymous
Post 11/19/2015 14:37     Subject: Alexandria Redistricting Process Starting
Anonymous wrote:The confusing thing about pushing this off, is that they can't redistrict kids to a new school that is going in leased space if they don't know where that school is going to be.


Presumably though they have a sense of generally where - e.g., in one of the commercial areas in the West End, that's a relatively finite area - and assess what general communities they can draw from when drawing the new lines. And who knows the lease negotiations may be further along than has been made public at this point.

I think it makes a ton of sense for them to delay for this reason (and in general the time frame they were trying to do this in was ridiculously short)
Anonymous
Post 11/19/2015 14:13     Subject: Alexandria Redistricting Process Starting
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm thinking of buying in the JH zone and just saying screw it, we're going there and I'll do whatever I have to do to try and make it better.


You're not the only one. Just look at the current K class this year. A lot more neighborhood families (other than public housing) compared to the year before.


We know 2 of the current kindergartners and their parents are both very happy with the school. I know it's early, but so far they are very pleased. I also know 3 families whose kids will start next year (all white and affluent) who are zoned there and planning to attend. We're expecting to be redistricting there and will attend as well if that happens.
Anonymous
Post 11/19/2015 12:51     Subject: Alexandria Redistricting Process Starting
The confusing thing about pushing this off, is that they can't redistrict kids to a new school that is going in leased space if they don't know where that school is going to be.
Anonymous
Post 11/19/2015 12:48     Subject: Alexandria Redistricting Process Starting
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm thinking of buying in the JH zone and just saying screw it, we're going there and I'll do whatever I have to do to try and make it better.


You're not the only one. Just look at the current K class this year. A lot more neighborhood families (other than public housing) compared to the year before.


I hope that this helps to improve the school, which will then encourage more people to send their kids, which will result in more parental involvement, which will improve the school. We know (of, really, friends of friends) people who are sending their kids to JH with that exact hope/commitment.