Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do we know if the only options are either a fourth high school or attending high school in shifts. I don't think so. On the W-L PTA survey I supported the 9th grade academy. Is that still in play?

I agree that the county and the school board need to work together on this issue.

9th grade academy sounds like the worst of all possible options to me.

Gosh, I totally disagree. I love the county-wide 9th grade academy idea and think it would be the most politically palatable.

But that's not what they're talking about. They're talking about a 9th grade academy for one HS, W-L.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a current APS family zoned for W-L, and I didn't get one of these surveys. Not sure why not. I hate the idea of a 9th grade academy. Part of the high school experience is meeting and spending time with older kids, seeing their achievements. My kid doesn't need an even bigger pool of kids in the same grade to get lost in.

But, as always, parents should consider this option -- a 9th grade academy -- within the actual decision set available now, instead of comparing it to some ideal situation that doesn't and can't exist. We all want a great experience for our kids. But some of the choices we are actually facing include the following:

--massively overcrowded schools where kids go in shifts (some going from 7-2, some from 8-3, some from 9-4) and spots in sports, band etc. become exceedingly hard to get
--redistricting
--requiring students to spend a semester or a year doing online or offcampus study
--year round school (kids go 3 out of 4 quarters a year, so 3/4 of kids are in school at any given time)
--private school or moving out of Arlington

If those are the choices, doesn't a 9th grade academy seem like one of the better options?

EXACTLY. Let's not let perfect be the enemy of good. Or even the enemy of good enough.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do we know if the only options are either a fourth high school or attending high school in shifts. I don't think so. On the W-L PTA survey I supported the 9th grade academy. Is that still in play?

I agree that the county and the school board need to work together on this issue.

9th grade academy sounds like the worst of all possible options to me.

Gosh, I totally disagree. I love the county-wide 9th grade academy idea and think it would be the most politically palatable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a current APS family zoned for W-L, and I didn't get one of these surveys. Not sure why not. I hate the idea of a 9th grade academy. Part of the high school experience is meeting and spending time with older kids, seeing their achievements. My kid doesn't need an even bigger pool of kids in the same grade to get lost in.

But, as always, parents should consider this option -- a 9th grade academy -- within the actual decision set available now, instead of comparing it to some ideal situation that doesn't and can't exist. We all want a great experience for our kids. But some of the choices we are actually facing include the following:

--massively overcrowded schools where kids go in shifts (some going from 7-2, some from 8-3, some from 9-4) and spots in sports, band etc. become exceedingly hard to get
--redistricting
--requiring students to spend a semester or a year doing online or offcampus study
--year round school (kids go 3 out of 4 quarters a year, so 3/4 of kids are in school at any given time)
--private school or moving out of Arlington

If those are the choices, doesn't a 9th grade academy seem like one of the better options?

Seriously, these options are insane and unacceptable, which is why the county should find us the land for a new high school.

I don't disagree, but here's the other point of view --

There are hardly any large parcels of land left in the county, and lots of potential uses for them including open space, affordable housing, infrastructure support (fire stations, bus maintenance/storage), etc. And we can only borrow so much money a year. So, given that:

a) The vast majority of people in Arlington don't have kids, and since most new housing in Arlington is high density, the proportions are likely to stay that way
b) School enrollment trends, while definitely very high, are likely a bubble and will taper off again in 10 years
c) Building a high school will tie up a huge parcel of land for 50 years and take up $150 million of bond money over 20 years, both of which could be used for MANY other high value, high priority items
d) There are all these other options for dealing with capacity, even if parents don't like them

Why build another high school?

I don't believe these numbers are a bubble. They are reflective not only of a population increase due to the number of Millennials having kids now, but also of the trend for families to move into closer-in suburbs or the city itself, prioritizing proximity to jobs and better commutes to the lure of the suburban experience. Arlington is the place where people of child bearing ages who aren't comfortable living in a true city like DC but who don't like suburban sprawl either are going to chose. We're a quasi-urban community, with decent commutes to both Tysons and DC. There is no chance Arlington become less attractive to young families, unless you decide shift or year-round scheduling is the way to go. So maybe this is the real plan? Reduce demand with terrible schools?

We have to build another HS. Scrap HB if we can't make it bigger and use some of that money towards a new comprehensive HS. Want more open spaces, or land for bus maintenance/storage? And I'm sorry, but if the county uses ANY county-owned land to add housing, without building the schools and fields for the kids who will live in this housing or the kids who already reside here, they are going to have one heck of a pissed off electorate.

Anonymous wrote:I don't disagree, but here's the other point of view --

There are hardly any large parcels of land left in the county, and lots of potential uses for them including open space, affordable housing, infrastructure support (fire stations, bus maintenance/storage), etc. And we can only borrow so much money a year. So, given that:

a) The vast majority of people in Arlington don't have kids, and since most new housing in Arlington is high density, the proportions are likely to stay that way
b) School enrollment trends, while definitely very high, are likely a bubble and will taper off again in 10 years
c) Building a high school will tie up a huge parcel of land for 50 years and take up $150 million of bond money over 20 years, both of which could be used for MANY other high value, high priority items
d) There are all these other options for dealing with capacity, even if parents don't like them

Why build another high school?

I see your point, but essentially what your point of view says is "let's not worry about the thousands of children in the next 20yrs who won't have an optimal school experience". Each child only gets one chance at an education, and without real solutions literally tens of thousands of kids will spend their entire academic careers in trailers with even more limited opportunities for extracurriculers. We can't just abandon today's kids because their own children in 20+yrs won't be as multitudinous.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a current APS family zoned for W-L, and I didn't get one of these surveys. Not sure why not. I hate the idea of a 9th grade academy. Part of the high school experience is meeting and spending time with older kids, seeing their achievements. My kid doesn't need an even bigger pool of kids in the same grade to get lost in.

But, as always, parents should consider this option -- a 9th grade academy -- within the actual decision set available now, instead of comparing it to some ideal situation that doesn't and can't exist. We all want a great experience for our kids. But some of the choices we are actually facing include the following:

--massively overcrowded schools where kids go in shifts (some going from 7-2, some from 8-3, some from 9-4) and spots in sports, band etc. become exceedingly hard to get
--redistricting
--requiring students to spend a semester or a year doing online or offcampus study
--year round school (kids go 3 out of 4 quarters a year, so 3/4 of kids are in school at any given time)
--private school or moving out of Arlington

If those are the choices, doesn't a 9th grade academy seem like one of the better options?

Seriously, these options are insane and unacceptable, which is why the county should find us the land for a new high school.

I don't disagree, but here's the other point of view --

There are hardly any large parcels of land left in the county, and lots of potential uses for them including open space, affordable housing, infrastructure support (fire stations, bus maintenance/storage), etc. And we can only borrow so much money a year. So, given that:

a) The vast majority of people in Arlington don't have kids, and since most new housing in Arlington is high density, the proportions are likely to stay that way
b) School enrollment trends, while definitely very high, are likely a bubble and will taper off again in 10 years
c) Building a high school will tie up a huge parcel of land for 50 years and take up $150 million of bond money over 20 years, both of which could be used for MANY other high value, high priority items
d) There are all these other options for dealing with capacity, even if parents don't like them

Why build another high school?

What basis do you have for saying that the enrollment trends are likely to taper off again in 10 years? Every school district in the region is facing overcrowding and Arlington is no exception. I wish you were right, but you're probably wrong.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a current APS family zoned for W-L, and I didn't get one of these surveys. Not sure why not. I hate the idea of a 9th grade academy. Part of the high school experience is meeting and spending time with older kids, seeing their achievements. My kid doesn't need an even bigger pool of kids in the same grade to get lost in.

But, as always, parents should consider this option -- a 9th grade academy -- within the actual decision set available now, instead of comparing it to some ideal situation that doesn't and can't exist. We all want a great experience for our kids. But some of the choices we are actually facing include the following:

--massively overcrowded schools where kids go in shifts (some going from 7-2, some from 8-3, some from 9-4) and spots in sports, band etc. become exceedingly hard to get
--redistricting
--requiring students to spend a semester or a year doing online or offcampus study
--year round school (kids go 3 out of 4 quarters a year, so 3/4 of kids are in school at any given time)
--private school or moving out of Arlington

If those are the choices, doesn't a 9th grade academy seem like one of the better options?

Seriously, these options are insane and unacceptable, which is why the county should find us the land for a new high school.

I don't disagree, but here's the other point of view --

There are hardly any large parcels of land left in the county, and lots of potential uses for them including open space, affordable housing, infrastructure support (fire stations, bus maintenance/storage), etc. And we can only borrow so much money a year. So, given that:

a) The vast majority of people in Arlington don't have kids, and since most new housing in Arlington is high density, the proportions are likely to stay that way
b) School enrollment trends, while definitely very high, are likely a bubble and will taper off again in 10 years
c) Building a high school will tie up a huge parcel of land for 50 years and take up $150 million of bond money over 20 years, both of which could be used for MANY other high value, high priority items
d) There are all these other options for dealing with capacity, even if parents don't like them

Why build another high school?

Where do you see enrollments tapering off in 10 years? It looks to me (anecdotally) like all the building is adding single family homes with young kids. Those kids aren't even IN the system yet, so 10 years from now they'll just be in elementary or middle school. Just saying.

I hope all the current and future parents of APS students reading this are sending in emails.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a current APS family zoned for W-L, and I didn't get one of these surveys. Not sure why not. I hate the idea of a 9th grade academy. Part of the high school experience is meeting and spending time with older kids, seeing their achievements. My kid doesn't need an even bigger pool of kids in the same grade to get lost in.

But, as always, parents should consider this option -- a 9th grade academy -- within the actual decision set available now, instead of comparing it to some ideal situation that doesn't and can't exist. We all want a great experience for our kids. But some of the choices we are actually facing include the following:

--massively overcrowded schools where kids go in shifts (some going from 7-2, some from 8-3, some from 9-4) and spots in sports, band etc. become exceedingly hard to get
--redistricting
--requiring students to spend a semester or a year doing online or offcampus study
--year round school (kids go 3 out of 4 quarters a year, so 3/4 of kids are in school at any given time)
--private school or moving out of Arlington

If those are the choices, doesn't a 9th grade academy seem like one of the better options?

Seriously, these options are insane and unacceptable, which is why the county should find us the land for a new high school.

I don't disagree, but here's the other point of view --

There are hardly any large parcels of land left in the county, and lots of potential uses for them including open space, affordable housing, infrastructure support (fire stations, bus maintenance/storage), etc. And we can only borrow so much money a year. So, given that:

a) The vast majority of people in Arlington don't have kids, and since most new housing in Arlington is high density, the proportions are likely to stay that way
b) School enrollment trends, while definitely very high, are likely a bubble and will taper off again in 10 years
c) Building a high school will tie up a huge parcel of land for 50 years and take up $150 million of bond money over 20 years, both of which could be used for MANY other high value, high priority items
d) There are all these other options for dealing with capacity, even if parents don't like them

Why build another high school?

The HS issue is where the majority of the bond money should be going. Those kids are in school right now and APS knows they are coming. While I'm sympatheric to projected ES needs, predicted past 6 years is for kids who haven't even been born. The projections are notoriously bad. I say scrap the ES for this cycle and put the money into the HS situation.

Also, I am 100% in agreement that the VHC parcel needs to come into play here. The CB can't keep adding people, but not providing space to educate their offspring.

Except redistricting. That's not insane, but it doesn't solve the seat shortage problem, just makes the burden more equal across schools. But otherwise these options suck n

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a current APS family zoned for W-L, and I didn't get one of these surveys. Not sure why not. I hate the idea of a 9th grade academy. Part of the high school experience is meeting and spending time with older kids, seeing their achievements. My kid doesn't need an even bigger pool of kids in the same grade to get lost in.

But, as always, parents should consider this option -- a 9th grade academy -- within the actual decision set available now, instead of comparing it to some ideal situation that doesn't and can't exist. We all want a great experience for our kids. But some of the choices we are actually facing include the following:

--massively overcrowded schools where kids go in shifts (some going from 7-2, some from 8-3, some from 9-4) and spots in sports, band etc. become exceedingly hard to get
--redistricting
--requiring students to spend a semester or a year doing online or offcampus study
--year round school (kids go 3 out of 4 quarters a year, so 3/4 of kids are in school at any given time)
--private school or moving out of Arlington

If those are the choices, doesn't a 9th grade academy seem like one of the better options?

Seriously, these options are insane and unacceptable, which is why the county should find us the land for a new high school.

Anonymous wrote:I am a current APS family zoned for W-L, and I didn't get one of these surveys. Not sure why not. I hate the idea of a 9th grade academy. Part of the high school experience is meeting and spending time with older kids, seeing their achievements. My kid doesn't need an even bigger pool of kids in the same grade to get lost in.

But, as always, parents should consider this option -- a 9th grade academy -- within the actual decision set available now, instead of comparing it to some ideal situation that doesn't and can't exist. We all want a great experience for our kids. But some of the choices we are actually facing include the following:

--massively overcrowded schools where kids go in shifts (some going from 7-2, some from 8-3, some from 9-4) and spots in sports, band etc. become exceedingly hard to get
--redistricting
--requiring students to spend a semester or a year doing online or offcampus study
--year round school (kids go 3 out of 4 quarters a year, so 3/4 of kids are in school at any given time)
--private school or moving out of Arlington

If those are the choices, doesn't a 9th grade academy seem like one of the better options?

I am a current APS family zoned for W-L, and I didn't get one of these surveys. Not sure why not. I hate the idea of a 9th grade academy. Part of the high school experience is meeting and spending time with older kids, seeing their achievements. My kid doesn't need an even bigger pool of kids in the same grade to get lost in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone with kids at WL when it was almost 3000 students tell us what that is like? Isn't harder to make sports teams, etc? When do kids eat lunch?

Just ask any parent with kids in the large Fairfax County high schools.

No high schools in FCPS have 3000 kids in 9-12, or as many freshmen as W-L has this year. Nice try to deflect from APS's overcrowding issues, though.

NP here. I taught at Lake Braddock in FCPS when the high school portion was just shy of 3,000 students a few years ago. And currently, there are schools in FCPS that are larger than W-L that are also growing. APS just needs to build additions or new schools. As a teacher, I value class size over the type or size of the school.