Elementary Crowding and Elementary Crowding and Capacity CommitteeCapacity Committee

(ECCC)(ECCC)

Meeting #4Meeting #4

October 16, 2007October 16, 2007

Meeting AgendaMeeting Agenda

7:00 Housekeeping

7:15 Numbers

7:45 Fine Tuning Ideas

8:15 Break Out Conversations

8:45 Wrap-Up and Adjourn

Next Meeting: October 22

• Use Meeting Guidelines in conducting day-to-day work of the committee

• Keep school communities updated and connected with ECCC process

• Propose recommendations that move the fewest students possible

• Improve oversight and management of existing enrollment tools (including but not limited to transfers, program planning, classroom usage, planning factor implementation, and class size to prevent future over/under enrollment)

• Create a standing citizen’s advisory committee, with APS staff support, to routinely monitor enrollment/capacity issues and to make recommendations on a regular and ongoing basis (e.g. ACI, Facilities, Budget, etc…) to avoid major efforts of this type in the future.

GoalsGoals

• Respect – for the Committee process, citizens, APS staff, schools, and the children we are discussing

• Principals and representatives will sit at the meeting tables; separate seating is provided for alternates and observers• Trust but verify – do not assume something you have heard via word-of-mouth is correct• Each school will receive one vote when there is a vote on resolving action items• Committee members should use discretion in talking about meeting discussions and

debates • Only voting members of the committee may submit proposals for committee consideration• Anonymous proposals will not be considered• Sixteen affirmative votes are required to pass a motion on substantive issues• Proposals up for consideration, to the extent possible, should be studied and analyzed by the APS staff to provide the committee information on the following:

-- To what extent will it solve the problem as defined by the committee?-- What impact, if any, will it have on other schools or existing programs at

other schools? -- What are the likely costs, or types of costs, of implementing the proposal?

To the degree that costs are unknown, APS staff should be consulted for potential estimations.

Meeting GuidelinesMeeting Guidelines

Meeting Schedule and Topics -- Revised 10/05/07Meeting Schedule and Topics -- Revised 10/05/07

MeetingMeeting DateDate Agenda/Discussion TopicsAgenda/Discussion Topics

11 9/10/079/10/07 • IntroductionIntroduction• Charge and Proposed TimelineCharge and Proposed Timeline• GoalsGoals• Guiding PrinciplesGuiding Principles• Review SuggestionsReview Suggestions

22 9/24/079/24/07 • Finalize Goals and Guiding PrinciplesFinalize Goals and Guiding Principles• Discussion of OptionsDiscussion of Options• Decision on Change of ScopeDecision on Change of Scope

33 10/9/0710/9/07 • Review September 30 countReview September 30 count• Finalize Goals and GuidelinesFinalize Goals and Guidelines

44 10/16/0710/16/07 • Review Impact of Options from 9/24Review Impact of Options from 9/24• Second Round of OptionsSecond Round of Options• Review Planning Unit DataReview Planning Unit Data

55 10/22/0710/22/07 • Continue Review of OptionsContinue Review of Options•

66 10/29/0710/29/07 • Review ProjectionsReview Projections• Review Impact of Options from 10/16Review Impact of Options from 10/16•

77 11/5/0711/5/07 • Finalize Options DetailsFinalize Options Details•

88 11/26/0711/26/07 • TBDTBD•

99 12/3/0712/3/07 • Review Draft RecommendationsReview Draft Recommendations•

1010 12/10/0712/10/07 • Confirm Final RecommendationsConfirm Final Recommendations

• Assign students to a school who reside in proximity to that Assign students to a school who reside in proximity to that school including those who live in safe walk zones. school including those who live in safe walk zones. • Keep neighborhoods together.Keep neighborhoods together.• Avoid creating elementary school boundaries that do not Avoid creating elementary school boundaries that do not contain the school to which students are assigned.contain the school to which students are assigned.• Minimize transportation times.Minimize transportation times.• Minimize future capital and operating budget costs.Minimize future capital and operating budget costs.• Promote demographic diversity.Promote demographic diversity.• Avoid causing students who have continued to reside in a Avoid causing students who have continued to reside in a particular geographic area to be affected by boundary change particular geographic area to be affected by boundary change more than once at a particular school level, (e.g. elementary, more than once at a particular school level, (e.g. elementary, middle, high).middle, high).• Avoid separating small numbers of students from their Avoid separating small numbers of students from their classmates when they move to a school at the next level.classmates when they move to a school at the next level.

Board Criteria on Boundary ChangesBoard Criteria on Boundary Changesadopted by the School Board as policy in June 2002adopted by the School Board as policy in June 2002

Planning UnitsPlanning UnitsTUCKAHOE PLANNING UNITS - SCHOOLS ATTENDING

PLANNING_UNIT TOTAL # ASF ATS ASHL BARRETT CLARE DREW GLEBE JAMES KEY LONG B MCKIN NOTTING TAYLOR TUCKA OTHER

1601 27 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 24 01602 128 0 3 0 0 1 0 1 1 3 0 1 0 0 117 11603 44 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 37 01604 33 1 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 26 11605 58 0 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 51 01606 98 0 3 2 1 2 0 3 0 0 0 2 1 1 82 11607 79 0 10 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 61 21608 61 0 3 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 50 31609 37 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 4 0 0 29 11610 23 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 19 01611 23 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 11612 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 21613 40 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 34 21614 5 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0

TUCKAHOE PLANNING UNITS - DEMOGRAPHICSPLANNING_UNIT TOTAL # PREK K 1 2 3 4 5 WHITE BLACK HISP ASIAN ENGLISH SPANISH OTHER

1601 27 2 3 4 6 4 4 4 24 0 2 0 25 1 01602 128 5 22 30 14 21 17 19 111 1 2 12 120 0 01603 44 4 7 6 7 8 6 6 38 2 0 3 44 0 01604 33 1 2 9 5 3 8 5 30 0 0 3 32 0 01605 58 2 12 8 9 11 8 8 48 1 2 5 58 0 01606 98 4 10 22 10 20 10 22 81 1 5 10 97 0 01607 79 8 16 12 11 8 13 11 55 3 8 11 70 8 01608 61 2 11 10 10 8 9 11 55 0 2 3 56 1 01609 37 0 3 5 8 6 4 11 28 3 2 4 33 2 01610 23 1 4 8 3 1 2 4 16 0 1 5 19 0 01611 23 2 2 6 1 2 7 3 20 0 1 2 22 1 01612 11 2 2 0 3 1 3 0 9 0 0 1 10 0 01613 40 3 4 11 4 11 3 4 34 0 0 5 37 0 01614 5 1 0 2 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 2 5 0 0

• LangstonLangston– Shared facility with the CountyShared facility with the County– APS has 10 “large” classrooms, 6 are 700 sf, on 2APS has 10 “large” classrooms, 6 are 700 sf, on 2ndnd

and 3and 3rdrd floors floors– High School Continuation enrollment as of 9/30: High School Continuation enrollment as of 9/30:

9494– County program includes 4 PreK Head Start County program includes 4 PreK Head Start

Rooms, Multi Purpose Room, Senior Program, Rooms, Multi Purpose Room, Senior Program, Teen Center, Community CenterTeen Center, Community Center

Langston BuildingLangston Building

Reed BuildingReed Building

• Construction schedule: January 2008 – Summer 2009Construction schedule: January 2008 – Summer 2009• The Children’s School/Integration StationThe Children’s School/Integration Station

– 13 classrooms for 0-5 year olds13 classrooms for 0-5 year olds– No cafeteria, art, music, specialsNo cafeteria, art, music, specials– Relocating program would require 13 classrooms Relocating program would require 13 classrooms

(290 student capacity in another APS facility)(290 student capacity in another APS facility)• Teen ParentingTeen Parenting

– 10 classrooms, 6 are 720 sf or smaller10 classrooms, 6 are 720 sf or smaller– Majority of classrooms on 2Majority of classrooms on 2ndnd floor floor– 2 infant care rooms2 infant care rooms– 60 students, 18 infants60 students, 18 infants

Interlude ProgramInterlude Program

• Countywide programCountywide program• 2 classrooms and quiet space, capacity of 20 2 classrooms and quiet space, capacity of 20

studentsstudents• Integrated into elementary program at NottinghamIntegrated into elementary program at Nottingham• Must be located in an elementary schoolMust be located in an elementary school

Mock Analysis – Move 3 Planning Units Mock Analysis – Move 3 Planning Units from Tuckahoe to Glebefrom Tuckahoe to Glebe

Feasibility Analysis of Mock ScenarioFeasibility Analysis of Mock Scenario

Feasibility Analysis of Mock ScenarioFeasibility Analysis of Mock Scenario

Submitted by Lee Morales, Nottingham

1. Spread the Hoffman-Boston population across adjacent neighborhood schools. Then, move the ATS Program, with no changes as it exists today, into the Hoffman-Boston facility, thereby freeing up and using the current ATS Program Facility on George Mason Drive as a new neighborhood school. The existing staff from H-B would be the staff at

the newly created neighborhood school at the George Mason Drive facility.

2. Reconsider the admission (boundary) policies for Immersion Schools (i.e., Claremont and Key) so as to allow students from the Northwest part of APS to apply for admittance to Key. By allowing students from

the overcrowded Northwest schools to attend Key, you create opportunities for families to take advantage of the Immersion Program from these schools who otherwise would not have gone to Immersion because of the long commute from the Northwest to Claremont.

3. Reconsider the planned space usage at the Reed Center to house multiple Preschool programs from overcrowded schools in the area and move

the planned employee childcare facility to a facility or space not needed by overcrowded APS students.

Submitted by Lee Morales, Nottingham

4. Relocate the County-wide Interlude Program from Nottingham to the Langston-Brown Center or any other location that is currently or projected to be under capacity.

5. Explore year-round calendar options across overcrowded schools or the County.

Submitted by Dave Hawkins, Campbell

Expand bus transportation to the entire county for students electing to attend Campbell Elementary to help alleviate overcrowding in Arlington County Schools by ensuring that Campbell is a realistic choice option for families needing transportation services.

Submitted by Kate Mesches, McKinley

Idea: New Choice School Option/Expanding Traditional Choice

• Work with this Committee and APS staff to identify the most advantageous location for the implementation of a 2nd “traditional learning” PreK-5 program and creating 2 traditional “area choice schools” with attendance zones based on the immersion schools model

of Key/Claremont.

Idea: Reed School

• Move the Children’s School to Langston or another under-enrolled APS facility.

• Move Teen Parenting program to Langston or another under-enrolled APS facility.

• Ask the Reed School design to include plans to implement a new neighborhood school program at the site as instructed by the School Board.

Submitted by Kate Mesches, McKinley

Idea: A Collection of Solutions Implemented Together to Ease Over-Enrollment

Tuckahoe• Help Tuckahoe ensure all class sizes are up to Countywide levels

combining classes where possible to maximize use of classroom space • Work with Tuckahoe to identify planning units (possibly a combination

of 1609, 1608, 1607) to Glebe.• Temporarily move Tuckahoe’s Special Ed Pre-K (with the goal of

returning it or another Pre-K program to Tuckahoe within 5 years) to an under-enrolled school.

Glebe• Work with Glebe to identify programs to be moved (possibly Life

Skills program, Pre-K Special Ed* or Montessori*) to an under-enrolled facility to allow room for new Tuckahoe planning units.

*Any Pre-K program(s) would be only be moved with the intention of returning at least one program to Glebe within 5 years).

Submitted by Kate Mesches, McKinley

Idea: A Collection of Solutions Implemented Together to Ease Over-Enrollment

McKinley• Create a walk zone for ATS from planning units 1410, 1411 and

possibly 1408 from within the McKinley boundary. APS students in these units could chose between McKinley (their neighborhood school) or ATS.

Nottingham• Analyze Nottingham’s use of 5 newly constructed classroom spaces

(ESOL/HILT, Special Ed, OT/PT, Gifted and Speech) to determine if they can be combined/shared to allow for K-5 space

• Move Nottingham’s Interlude program to an under-enrolled APS facility.

All Currently Over-Enrolled Schools• Freeze all transfers (instructional, professional, etc…) until each school

reaches 90-95% capacity or under.*Move all pre-K programs from currently overcrowded schools temporarily to maximize classroom space with the goal of returning one to each within 5 years.

Submitted by Shirley Jones, Barcroft

1. Under-utilized elementary schools could implement Montessori pre-school programs.

2. Under-utilized elementary schools could implement county-wide enrollment with transportation (like the immersion schools currently offer).

3. APS could create another "academic excellence" program like ATS at an under-utilized school.

4. APS could consider re-working boundaries from an East-West perspective vs. North-South.

Submitted by Todd McCracken, Tuckahoe

1. Far-reaching boundary changes should be considered, to help ensure that any solution is long-lasting and not merely a "band-aid" or

temporary.

2. Move the ATS program to an appropriate site in an under-enrolled part of the county, moving the planning units from that school to the surrounding neighborhood schools. Utilizing the current ATS building,

create a new school attendance area out of the:

-- current eastern end of the Tuckahoe attendance area (1606, 1607,1608, and 1609 should be considered),

-- southern and western parts of Glebe (1501 1502, and/or 1512)eastern McKinley (1408, 1409, and 1411, and perhaps 1407

and/or 1410), and -- appropriate units of Ashlawn, if the numbers warrant.

3. Move the eastern part of Nottingham (1706, 1707, and 1708 could be considered) to Glebe. Depending upon projections, one or all those units could also be moved to Jamestown and/or Taylor. If projections warrant, Tuckahoe's 1603 could be moved to Nottingham.

Submitted by Rebecca Krafft, Randolph

We would like to see the current policy on academic transfers changed to allow transfers to be based on the available space in the school – essentially that academic transfers would be allowed until a school reaches 95% of its capacity.

Submitted by Wally Hays, Long Branch

Hybrid Option for Alleviating Crowding at Tuckahoe and McKinley

Long Branch believes that a hybrid method employing a combination of the tools available can move our most crowded schools well below 100% capacity within the timeframe prescribed by the charge and create tools to maintain appropriate enrollment levels thereafter. To do this, we propose to:

• Discount all dual enrollees as we did with the Board’s agreement in 2004.• Move the Special Ed preschool from Tuckahoe at least temporarily.• Freeze ALL incoming transfers except for the “Special and Administrative” transfers for Tuckahoe, McKinley and Glebe and let the current 86 transfers attrition out. (17, 15, 54).• Set aside a small number of seats (15 total) 5 each at Key, ASF, ATS – schools with sufficient demand – for transfers from overcrowded schools. • Move planning unit 1609 (30 kids) to Glebe.• Designate Long Branch as the alternative to Key for all of Woodbury Park to help offset the impact of kids coming into ASF.

Submitted by Karla Hagan, Montessori

An APS Montessori school as an attractive option for Arlington families that would provide a key component to the solution of overcrowding.  

Montessori is popular countywide; there are over 500 kids in Montessori classrooms in 10 different schools; the program at Drew has quadrupled in the last decade; there are hundreds of kids on Montessori preschool wait lists.  The creation of an APS Montessori school would relieve overcrowding at Drew as well as draw kids from all over the county and would provide a safety valve on overcrowding, no matter where the overcrowding exists.  

Submitted by Doug Levin, ATS

• Ensure all classes at the five impacted schools are at or are increased to their official planning factor;• Review space utilization at each of the five impacted schools to ensure that classroom space is maximized; • Ensure that the APS transfer policy is being fully and correctly applied at each of the five impacted schools;• Verify the status of dual enrollees at the five impacted schools and their impact on crowding and capacity issues;• Consider shifting PreK programs out of the five impacted schools to under-capacity schools;• Allow students in each of the five impacted schools to take advantage of increased enrollment options such as those being voluntarily offered by Campbell and Randolph Elementary Schools;• Revise the boundary lines in the northern portion of the County to take advantage of the 220 excess positions at schools in the north (e.g., Jamestown, Key, and Taylor Elementary Schools) to alleviate any remaining excess demand at the five impacted schools; and,• If possible, implement grandfathering for current attendees and siblings at

the five impacted schools.