Fall 2020 Elementary School Boundary Process – Phase 3 of Elementary Planning for 2021

Boundaries Adopted by School Board | Notification to Families and Grandfathering Forms | Updates | Objectives | Community Input Received | Timeline | Community Engagement | Virtual Events Webpage |  Background | FAQs | Information Resources for Families and Groups  | Information Resources

This webpage offers information on the Fall 2020 Elementary School Boundary Adjustment Process and includes a timeline and opportunities for community input throughout this process – please see below for details on virtual information sessions, a community questionnaire, and School Board meetings. This webpage will be updated regularly with additional resources such as maps, data tables, recordings of virtual meetings, frequently asked questions, and more. Information on Elementary Planning phases 1: School Moves and 2: Data Review are available on this webpage under the section entitled Background below. Questions can be sent to engage@apsva.us

Elementary School Boundaries Adopted by the School Board, December 3, 2020

School Board Adopted Boundaries SY 2021-22

On December 3, 2020, the School Board approved elementary school boundary adjustments, effective school year 2021-22.

• News Release: School Board Adopts New Elementary School Boundaries for 2021-22 School Year
• School Board Adopted Motion
• Presentation
• Map: Superintendent’s Recommendation for Elementary School Boundaries with School Board Adjustments
  • Map with Middle School Boundaries Overlay
  • Map with High School Boundaries Overlay
• Data Table | Excel file

Notification to Families and Grandfathering Eligibility Forms – Due Jan. 8, 2021 by 4 p.m.

Letters were sent to families on Dec. 21, 2020 notifying the change of boundary adjustments for the 2021-22 school year and to provide grandfathering eligibility information, including a grandfathering status form, for eligible students, with a deadline of Jan. 8, 2021. Click here for more information on the notification sent to families.

Update: Dec. 3, 2020

The following presentation was presented at the Dec. 3, 2020 School Board Meeting, under the Action Item on the Fall 2020 Elementary School Boundary process. The Dec. 3 School Board meeting can be viewed live online.

• Presentation

Update: Dec. 1, 2020 

The following presentation was presented at the Dec. 1 School Board Public Hearing. The Dec. 1, 2020 School Board Public Hearing can be viewed live online.

• Presentation

Update: Nov. 24, 2020 

The following materials will be discussed at the Dec. 3, 2020 School Board Meeting, under the Action Item on the Fall 2020 Elementary School Boundary process. The Dec. 3 School Board meeting can be viewed live online.

• Presentation
• Map: Superintendent’s Recommendation for Elementary School Boundaries with School Board Adjustments
  • Map with Middle School Boundaries Overlay
  • Map with High School Boundaries Overlay
• Data Table | Excel file

Update: Nov. 12, 2020 School Board Work Session on Elementary School Boundaries

The Nov. 12 School Board Work Session can be viewed online. The following materials will be discussed:

• Presentation
• Map: Superintendent Recommendation for Elementary School Boundaries
• Data Table | Excel file

Update: Nov. 5, 2020 School Board Information Item on Elementary School Boundaries

The Nov. 5 School Board meeting can be viewed online. The following materials will be presented under Information Item: Fall 2020 Elementary School Boundary Process: Superintendent’s Recommendation:

• Presentation (revised 11/5/20, 6 pm))
• Map: Superintendent Recommendation for Elementary School Boundaries
• Map: Superintendent’s Recommendation – with Middle School Boundaries Overlay
• Map: Superintendent’s Recommendation – with High School Boundaries Overlay
• Data Table – Superintendent Recommendation, Nov. 5, 2020 | Excel file
• PU Policy Considerations Data Table – Superintendent Recommendation on Boundaries

Update: October 29, 2020 School Board Work Session on Elementary School Boundaries

The Oct. 29 School Board Virtual Work Session can be viewed online and include the following materials:

• Presentation
• Maps for Discussion Purposes: Draft Option A | Draft Option B
• Data Table

Initial Proposal for New Boundaries (2021-22)

The initial Elementary School Boundary Proposal for SY 2021 creates attendance zones for the new neighborhood school at the Key site and for McKinley in the new facility at the Reed site, both of which will open in Fall 2021, as well as neighborhood boundaries around Arlington Science Focus School (ASFS).

Approximately 1,400 students—13% of Grade K-5 neighborhood school students—would be reassigned from seven schools: Ashlawn, ASFS, Glebe, Long Branch, McKinley, Taylor and Tuckahoe. The School Board is scheduled to adopt new boundaries on December 3, 2020.

• Nearly half of the 1,400 students reassigned in this proposal are current ASFS students who would attend the new neighborhood elementary school at the Key site, which is in closer proximity to where they live than their current building.
• In addition to these 1,400 students, about 500 McKinley students will move with their school administration and staff to the new building at the Reed site, putting nearly 60% of its students in the school’s walk zone as compared to 28% at the current McKinley site.

Initial Boundary Proposal Map – Oct. 5, 2020 (PDF) 

Initial Boundary Proposal- Data Table – 10.5.2020

Summary of Initial Boundary Proposal – Draft 1- 10.5.2020

Next Map – On Nov. 5, 2020: Supt’s Recommendation for Boundaries

Final Map – On Dec. 3, School Board’s Adopted Boundaries

Objectives 

In preparation for the 2021-22 school year, APS will conduct the Fall 2020 Elementary School Boundary Adjustment Process to:

• Create a new neighborhood school attendance zone for the new neighborhood schools at the current Key site and for the majority of McKinley students at the new building at the Reed site.
• Develop adjusted neighborhood attendance zones for Arlington Science Focus School and for most, if not all of the remaining neighborhood elementary schools to relieve overcapacity at some schools.

The School Board will adopt new boundaries on December 3, 2020, that will apply to all students at neighborhood elementary schools starting in the 2021-22 school year. 

Community Input Received

Virtual Community Events

Emails sent to Engage

Community Questionnaire, Oct. 5-20 | Community Questionnaire Responses by Planning Unit, Oct. 5-20

CCPTA Letter, Aug. 2020 | APS Response to CCPTA Letter

McKinley PTA Letter  (Added Oct. 28)

CCPTA Boundary Process Questions 11-2-20 (Added Nov. 3)

Madison Manor Civic Association Letter to_APS_Board_20_Oct_20 (Added Nov. 3)

Highland Park-OverLee Knolls     (Added Nov. 4)

Letter_to_APS_from_Leeway_Overlee_CA_Final (Added Nov.19)

Dominion Hills Civic Association – School Boundary Letter – 2020.10.26 (Added Nov. 19)

Letter from the Bluemont Civic Association (Added Nov. 23)

CCCA_Letter_Re_School_Boundaries (Added Nov. 30)

Key PTA Letter Nov10  (Added Dec. 2)

Timeline

Community Engagement Activities and Opportunities to Learn More

This section will be updated regularly with links to presentations and videos. To view School Board meetings, Public Hearings and Work Sessions, either live or recorded, visit the School Board webpage.

In addition to the activities listed above, staff will work during this timeframe with community leaders to share information and gather input from elementary school families throughout the county who may be impacted by boundary changes and not able to participate may not typically participate in a boundary process.

Background on Elementary School Planning for 2021 

As APS grows to an estimated 30,000 students in 2021, we are using a countywide approach to the Fall 2020 boundary process that takes the needs of all students into account.

Elementary Planning for 2021 has four phases, with all changes taking effect in August 2021:

Phase 1: School Moves, Fall 2019

On Feb. 6, 2020, the Arlington School Board adopted the Superintendent’s recommendation to move three schools, effective for the 2021-22 school year. The adoption includes moving:

• the majority of McKinley students to the new school at the Reed site,
• the Arlington Traditional School (ATS) program to the current McKinley building, and
• the Key Immersion program to the current ATS building.

This recommendation will repurpose the current Key building into a new neighborhood school in a rapidly growing part of the county where APS needs more neighborhood seat capacity for elementary school students.

One objective during the school moves process was to consider where APS had elementary school seats available and where our students live so that it would keep as many students together as possible in each school community during the Fall 2020 Elementary School Boundary Adjustment process.

Phase 2: Data Review, Spring 2020 

In Spring 2020, the community reviewed the initial data for use in the Fall 2020 Elementary School Boundary Adjustment process. This review of data by Planning Unit helps ensure that the final data table reflects what the community knows about their neighborhoods, and is accurate, complete, and ready for use in adjusting boundaries across neighborhood elementary schools in the fall. Community members also expressed their preferences on two methodology approaches that APS could use for the Planning Unit projections methodology.

This new phase was introduced in response to feedback from the CCPTA from the 2018 elementary school boundary process and their recommendation that APS allow more time for data review by the community, separate from a boundary adjustment process.

Elementary Capacity Planning, Spring 2020  Planning and Evaluation has been working with the Departments of Teaching and Learning and Facilities and Operations to review and discuss a draft plan to adjust the locations of some PreK programs and Countywide Special Education programs, in order to:​​

• Determine capacity for Grades K-5 before the Fall 2020 elementary school boundary process
• Reevaluate the location of early childhood programs, making them accessible for eligible families throughout the county​​
• Maximize use of programs by locating them closer to where eligible students live

Each elementary school principal worked with ​​Facilities and Operations to update information on permanent school capacity. For each school, staff identified the following:

• The total number of classrooms to facilitate a typical class for Grades K-5
• Four classes that were reserved for Art and Music
• The number of classrooms reserved for PreK and Special Education classes

• The remaining classrooms used to determine the K-5 capacity for the boundary process

Discussions with Instructional Leaders, Summer 2020

The Department of Planning and Evaluation, in collaboration with the Departments of Teaching & Learning, Facilities & Operations, the Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, and Administrative Services held discussions this summer with elementary school principals to review and discuss initial draft scenarios for the Fall 2020 boundary adjustment process.

These discussions focused on the following:

• Information about the data review process (phase 2) and how stakeholder input is being used​
• Considerations and priorities for adjusting school boundaries​
• Principals’ guidance and approach on boundary processes
• Their input on initial draft boundary scenarios ​for the upcoming boundary adjustment process
• Their instructional input to inform the process of adjusting boundaries
• The timeline for this process leading to School Board adoption on December 3, 2020

Information Resources for Families, PTAs and Advisory Groups:

• Core Presentation for PTAs and Advisory Groups: This presentation provides information about the Fall 2020 Elementary School Boundary Process and the Initial Boundary Proposal. It includes information resources and guiding questions if PTAs and advisory groups would like to share collective input with staff.
• School-specific Presentation for PTAs and Advisory Groups–Schools Involved in Initial Boundary Proposal: This presentation only provides school-by-school information for the new neighborhood school at the Key site and each of the seven schools that are included in the Initial Boundary Proposal: Ashlawn, ASFS, Glebe, Long Branch, McKinley, Taylor and Tuckahoe. It is recommended that these schools.review both presentations.
• Boundaries Handout English | Amharic | Arabic | Mongolian | Spanish: This handout shares the community engagement opportunities and timeline, including multiple ways for families to provide input in multiple languages. (Coming soon in Amharic, Arabic, Mongolian and Spanish)

Resources 

• Boundaries Handouts: English | Amharic | Arabic | Mongolian | Spanish
• Summary of Initial Boundary Proposal – Draft 1- 10.5.2020
• Initial Boundary Proposal- Data Table – 10.5.2020
• August 12, 2020- Meeting with Instructional Leaders
• July 20, 2020 – Meeting with Instructional Leaders
• School Board’s Adopted FY 2021 Capital Improvement Plan 
• Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for FY 2021 and Future CIPs
• April 2019 CCPTA Comments and Recommendations on APS School Boundary Process
• Data Sources and Planning Unit Projections Assumptions and Methodology
• Planning Unit Reference Map
• Elementary School Boundary Locator
• Elementary Planning Phase 1: School Moves
• Elementary Planning Phase 2: Data Review
  • Planning Unit Data Table
  • Table 2 and 3. Housing Unit Forecast and Site Plan Approvals since Sept. 30, 2019 (Update 10.02.2020)
• School Board Policy B-2.1 Boundaries