Anonymous wrote:We are looking at a home in that has Ashlawn ES (good school), Kenmore, and W&L.

I hear mixed reviews of how bad Kenmore really is....we are leaving Clarendon as ES is not good, but concerned in 3 years we will move again to avoid Kenmore.

Anyone know the current status and vector for Kenmore? We are 4 years out from having to go there if we buy this home.

Thanks!

Also, surprised that nobody has mentioned this, but you are certainly looking at a home that has Ashlawn, Kenmore and Yorktown. The only neighborhood that feeds to Ashlawn and Kenmore is Boulevard Manor, which was rezoned to Yorktown HS last year. The real estate web sites are showing you outdated school information.

High school boundary map:

https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/HSZones_Letter_2017.pdf

We are zoned for Williamsburg and chose Kenmore instead. DD really likes math and the STEAM classes. So far, so good. (just finished 6th grade). Not much girl drama (that she reported) and she made a number of new friends - she knew a bunch of girls from ATS and some others through various sports activities, but has found some new friends that seem to all be really nice girls as well. She also volunteers once a week to tutor Carlin Springs kids in reading.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

They didn't cave to Swanson families who didn't want to move to Williamsburg. They caved to Williamsburg families who want to move TO Swanson. That is a significant part of why the W/S numbers are so unequal. There were Glebe families that didn't want to go to Williamsburg anymore and wanted to fo to Swanson. There was actually room for them at Williamsburg or Stratford. The only decision that was really stupid is what the SB chose.

Why would families districted to Williamsburg want to go to Swanson instead?

Because they were split from their friends from Glebe in the name of “diversity”. That area of High View Park is traditionally African American, and they were sent to Williamsburg for years rather than going with the rest of Glebe to Swanson.

All of Glebe went to Stratford until it was closed in the late 70s. Glebe then went to Williamsburg and Swanson as part of a court mandated desegregation plan. All of Glebe should have been zoned back to Stratford.

We are in a neighborhood zoned for Kenmore and have a child who just finished there. She had a good experience and so did we. Not perfect, but nothing is. The school can be a bit disorganized and a few classes suffered from sub-par teachers and disruptive students but pretty sure that could be anywhere. Most teachers were nice, engaging, and my child had a nice cohort of friends from elementary and also made plenty of new ones.

Arts classes are excellent - art teacher, dance PE instructor, also plays/musicals if your child is interested are all top notch. We also had good social studies/geography teachers and good English teachers. Science was a disaster one year but fine the next. Math was fine one year but not great he next. No reported bullying that affected my child or her friends, although we heard of some boys bullied on the bus. That said, the atmosphere for special needs kids is very positive.

Sports teams were disappointing - we had very mixed experiences which seemed to vary by sport. Good news is she became interested in a new sport because she liked that coach and team better than a sport she had played for years.

Most of our neighbors sent kids to Kenmore willingly. A few got in to HB but only one that we knew chose Jefferson as a transfer to avoid Kenmore. My advice is talk to as many current or recent former parents and kids as you can and give it a try. I’ve always said if a school didn’t work for my child I would make a change but as yet with Title I elementary and then Kenmore, haven’t needed to.

They caved to both. Swanson families who didn't want Williamsburg (areas around Glebe) and Williamsburg famlies from Glebe who wanted to get out of Williamsburg. The only families they didn't cave to were EFC families who had to be switched to Williamsburg. Board didn't want to hear it from them. Glebe won that round for sure.

We've been very happy with Kenmore and zoned for Williamsburg. The classes have been small (smaller than our elementary school), teachers responsive and my child is in advanced classes. Plus the art and music programs are fantastic.

Stratford became a Glebe MS and there was room there. The Swanson decision was idiotic.

Anonymous wrote:

They didn't cave to Swanson families who didn't want to move to Williamsburg. They caved to Williamsburg families who want to move TO Swanson. That is a significant part of why the W/S numbers are so unequal. There were Glebe families that didn't want to go to Williamsburg anymore and wanted to fo to Swanson. There was actually room for them at Williamsburg or Stratford. The only decision that was really stupid is what the SB chose.

Why would families districted to Williamsburg want to go to Swanson instead?

Because they were split from their friends from Glebe in the name of “diversity”. That area of High View Park is traditionally African American, and they were sent to Williamsburg for years rather than going with the rest of Glebe to Swanson.

They didn't cave to Swanson families who didn't want to move to Williamsburg. They caved to Williamsburg families who want to move TO Swanson. That is a significant part of why the W/S numbers are so unequal. There were Glebe families that didn't want to go to Williamsburg anymore and wanted to fo to Swanson. There was actually room for them at Williamsburg or Stratford. The only decision that was really stupid is what the SB chose.

Why would families districted to Williamsburg want to go to Swanson instead?

They didn't cave to Swanson families who didn't want to move to Williamsburg. They caved to Williamsburg families who want to move TO Swanson. That is a significant part of why the W/S numbers are so unequal. There were Glebe families that didn't want to go to Williamsburg anymore and wanted to fo to Swanson. There was actually room for them at Williamsburg or Stratford. The only decision that was really stupid is what the SB chose.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Which ES is not good?

Curious about this too. ASFS or Key? Please share. Others are trying to make informed decisions too. Thanks.

I'm a DP but I live in Clarendon too. I'm going to assume that OP is at ASFS because most people would switch out of Key to ASFS before moving if they don't like Key. Though maybe they were looking for a bigger place anyways.
Many of my neighbors have moved because they don't like ASFS. The school is great on paper but its a lot of homework/stress for some kids. There's bullying and the field sucks. A lot of people don't like the principal or the approach to discipline.
This year especially, the environment has gotten toxic with the school boundary changes and the administration having a very vocal opinion about who belongs at the school and who doesn't. For parents who don't live in the "chosen" neighborhoods that the administration thinks should be zoned for the school, its not that welcoming an environment anymore. I'm sure its great if you live in LV or the walk zone around the school though.

But if, as you say, that is the environment there, why would it be great if you live in a particular neighborhood?

Not either of the PPs but someone with kids at Science Focus. The principal has indicated repeatedly that she wants a walk zone created around the school and that she wants specific neighborhoods to stay zoned for the school and other ones zoned out. She wants to keep Lyon Village and Cherrydale and get rid of Rosslyn and to a lesser extent Courthouse/Clarendon.
She shows clear favoritism to children from those neighborhoods. Those kids get the most respected teachers, they get the solos in music concerts, they get to be part of the robotics club and tech crew, you get the idea. It's always been this way in the 7+ years I've had kids at the school, but its gotten kind of ridiculous this year. There is a very vocal group of parents from the walk zone who have bullied other parents at the school. You can't make this stuff up.

I don’t know about any of this, but I thought Key was eventually possibly being rezoned as a regular, non immersion school which would encompass much of Rosslyn and Courthouse. Maybe it would get a slice of Lyon Village too.

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Anonymous wrote:Kenmore is going to be quite over crowded soon based on the new boundaries. I hear it is a nice facility though, and I have some friends with kids who have special needs and the school has been very responsive to the kids' needs. We are zoned for Kenmore and I am on the fence.

All MS, except Williamsburg, will be overcrowded with the new boundaries thanks to the school board.

Kenmore facility is extremely nice. The school does have higher low income population than others, which I think can (unfairly) deter people. Our neighborhood feeds into Kenmore, and the experience of many families has ranged from the "ok" above to "good." We also have close friends at Jefferson and Swanson with similar reports (ok to good), though I hear more facilities complaints from those folks.

APS Staff are working on a program/option at Williamburg that will help fill it to capacity and provide relief to the other Middle Schools

Any clue as to what that program will be?

We are still waiting but it will probably teach honors micro aggression, virtue signaling and how to grow up to be a SAHM.

You bitter?

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kenmore is going to be quite over crowded soon based on the new boundaries. I hear it is a nice facility though, and I have some friends with kids who have special needs and the school has been very responsive to the kids' needs. We are zoned for Kenmore and I am on the fence.

All MS, except Williamsburg, will be overcrowded with the new boundaries thanks to the school board.

Kenmore facility is extremely nice. The school does have higher low income population than others, which I think can (unfairly) deter people. Our neighborhood feeds into Kenmore, and the experience of many families has ranged from the "ok" above to "good." We also have close friends at Jefferson and Swanson with similar reports (ok to good), though I hear more facilities complaints from those folks.

APS Staff are working on a program/option at Williamburg that will help fill it to capacity and provide relief to the other Middle Schools

It's ridiculous to be coming up with an option program to fill those seats. The seats should have been filled with the middle school boundary changes. THAT would have provided relief to the other middle schools.

Yes! Pulling planning units out of Williamsburg and moving them to Swanson was a huge mistake. They never correct their mistakes, however.

Definitely. It was ridiculous that they caved to the families who wanted to stay at Swanson, just like the caved in to the Arlington Forest families who didn't want to get moved to Wakefield. But, does show that not all the angst about school boundaries is about avoiding poor kids. Some is about avoiding rich kids. They certainly couldn't make the "property value" complaint for getting moved to Williamsburg.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kenmore is going to be quite over crowded soon based on the new boundaries. I hear it is a nice facility though, and I have some friends with kids who have special needs and the school has been very responsive to the kids' needs. We are zoned for Kenmore and I am on the fence.

All MS, except Williamsburg, will be overcrowded with the new boundaries thanks to the school board.

Kenmore facility is extremely nice. The school does have higher low income population than others, which I think can (unfairly) deter people. Our neighborhood feeds into Kenmore, and the experience of many families has ranged from the "ok" above to "good." We also have close friends at Jefferson and Swanson with similar reports (ok to good), though I hear more facilities complaints from those folks.

APS Staff are working on a program/option at Williamburg that will help fill it to capacity and provide relief to the other Middle Schools

It's ridiculous to be coming up with an option program to fill those seats. The seats should have been filled with the middle school boundary changes. THAT would have provided relief to the other middle schools.

Yes! Pulling planning units out of Williamsburg and moving them to Swanson was a huge mistake. They never correct their mistakes, however.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kenmore is going to be quite over crowded soon based on the new boundaries. I hear it is a nice facility though, and I have some friends with kids who have special needs and the school has been very responsive to the kids' needs. We are zoned for Kenmore and I am on the fence.

All MS, except Williamsburg, will be overcrowded with the new boundaries thanks to the school board.

Kenmore facility is extremely nice. The school does have higher low income population than others, which I think can (unfairly) deter people. Our neighborhood feeds into Kenmore, and the experience of many families has ranged from the "ok" above to "good." We also have close friends at Jefferson and Swanson with similar reports (ok to good), though I hear more facilities complaints from those folks.

APS Staff are working on a program/option at Williamburg that will help fill it to capacity and provide relief to the other Middle Schools

It's ridiculous to be coming up with an option program to fill those seats. The seats should have been filled with the middle school boundary changes. THAT would have provided relief to the other middle schools.