Thursday, September 24, 2015

Luxury Schools are a Charade. Relocatables Will Stay.


Hi Yupette,

County Board approved the plans for Abingdon School on Monday. A dozen new classrooms will be added, and capacity will be increased by 136 seats. Huge amounts will be spent on infrastructure not related to education on the school campus. The school won't even be certified LEED Silver. Indoor environmental quality will be mediocre at best. Cost for the school's renovation and expansion will be at least $30 million.

But the biggest surprise of the County Board's approval process was when APS's architect admitted, when questioned by John Vihstadt, that relocatables will be back on the Abingdon campus by 2019.

Based on the County's population growth it's likely the relocatables won't ever leave the Abingdon campus. Same for other schools being renovated and expanded. But parents want expensive country day schools and that's what the school architects like to build. No modular construction allowed.

Susan - 22206

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do the math --- 66,000 added to the County's population by 2040 translates into at least 10 big schools that will have to be constructed.

Anonymous said...

Math gets worse...assume 1/3 of the 66,000 total population increase over the next 25 years attend Arlington Public Schools pre-K through 12.

Anonymous said...

"More Seats for Students" is a huge charade by the New Urbanists.

Anonymous said...

"More Seats in Relocatables" LOL

Anonymous said...

Phase II of New Urbanism - Pack as many and as much of everything into one tiny county. Then retire and move 100 miles from the nearest "Smart Growth".

Anonymous said...

APS is 'Free Range', just like everything else in Arlington.

Anonymous said...

"Country Day School" Architects are laughing all the way to the bank.

Anonymous said...

I'm 60 and have seen Arlington drastically change for the worse to benefit the developers. I'm outta here in 2 years.

Anonymous said...

Prediction - residential real estate taxes will rise 6% to 7% per year for the next decade to pay for New Urbanism Phase II.

Anonymous said...

New Urbanism is another religion. Like Catholicism. Adherents can only make minor concessions to the irrationality inherent in what they believe and impose on others, e.g., oppose both abortion and contraception, endorse affordability but make everything more expensive.

Anonymous said...

Notice the community leaders aka neighborhood nannies aka ACDC ward heelers who imposed Smart Growth dogma on everyone for years are showing up at County Board meetings to be recognized before they take off to retire in Dumb Growth County North Carolina.

Anonymous said...

Not only will a new elementary school be constructed on the campus of Thomas Jefferson Middle School but nearby elementary schools will be significantly expanded. ALL will have relocatables on campus in 15 years - 2030.

Anonymous said...

Pathetic that the County Board is a herd of deer in the headlights of special interests and developers.

Anonymous said...

Audrey Clement for County Board.

Anonymous said...

APS's Facilities and Operations Team is a bunch of liars and BSers. They also appear to be incompetent.

Anonymous said...

Anyone else notice that the September 21st Recessed County Board Meeting experienced 'technical difficulties' at the point when the neighbors who live on teh slope below Abingdon School started describing their problems with stormwater and groundwater damage?

Anonymous said...

County Board and APS have the 'local media' in their pockets. That's Why.

Anonymous said...

Duh. Recessed September 24th County Board meeting isn't yet on-line because of 'technical problems'.

Anonymous said...

Abingdon SUV PTA Soccer Parents are yet another special interest the County Board can't say NO to.

Anonymous said...

It's all about the County Board buying special interest votes to keep on inflicting more "Smart Growth" aka "Massive Urbanism" on this tiny county.