Fall 2021 Boundary Process: Abingdon-Drew

Status Update

Dec 2 – School Board Action Item on Superintendent’s Proposal for Boundary Adjustments and Elementary Immersion Feeder for the 2022-23 School Year
- Presentation
- Meeting Recording (Presentation begins at 1:32:17)
November 16 – School Board Information Item – Superintendent’s Proposal for Boundary Adjustments and Elementary Immersion Feeder Schools for the 2022-23 School Year
- Presentation
- Meeting Recording (Presentation begins at 3:19:18)
November 3 – School Board Work Session- Superintendent Durán Recommends Pausing the Abingdon to Drew Boundary Changes
- Recording | Presentation
October 20 – Virtual Community Meeting (SPANISH Only,No English)
- Recording | Presentation
October 19- Virtual Community Meeting
- Recording | Presentation (See Oct. 16 presentation- same presentation)
October 16- Virtual Community Meeting
- Recording | Presentation
October 15-
- School Talk notification message to families in planning units (36060, 36061, 36090, 37070, 37100, 37101, 37102) proposed for reassignment from Abingdon to Dr. Charles R. Drew
  - PreK to Gr. 3 Notification- English | Spanish | Amharic | Arabic | Mongolian
  - Gr. 4 Notification – English | Spanish | Amharic | Arabic | Mongolian

- Intent form – emailed to families in affected planning units from (apsboundaries@apsva.us). Please complete online through email link by October 31.
  - PreK to Gr. 3 Form- English | Spanish | Amharic | Arabic | Mongolian
  - Gr. 4 Form – English | Spanish | Amharic | Arabic | Mongolian

NOTE:

- - If unable to complete the intent form online through the email link that was sent, other ways to complete include:
    - Download or obtain a paper copy of the form from the Bilingual Family Liaison or Abingdon main office and then return completed form back to the Abingdon main office OR
    - Send completed form OR photo of the completed form via email to apsboundaries@apsva.us
    - If you need assistance completing this form, please email apsboundaries@apsva.us or contact the Abingdon main office and ask to speak with the bilingual family liaison.

Context

Abingdon Enrollment

2017	June – Options & Transfer policy revision removed neighborhood preference for options schools, Abingdon students no longer guaranteed admission to Claremont Immersion Sept. – Abingdon expansion add 136 more seats, expands building capacity to 725, school opens with 662 students (91% capacity utilization)
2018	Sept. – Abingdon opened with 685 students, 94% capacity utilization Fall – Elementary Boundary Process proposed moving some planning units from Abingdon to Dr. Charles R. Drew Abingdon families expressed desire to wait, see if other options would become available; One planning unit assigned out of Abingdon to Drew
2019	Sept. – New boundaries took effect, Abingdon opened with 751 students, 104% capacity utilization
2020	Sept. – Abingdon opened with 727 students, 100% capacity utilization
2021	Spring – Targeted transfer pilot from Abingdon to Drew offered – 7 students moved Aug. – Abingdon enrollment 688 students, 95% capacity utilization, 98% with 19 VLP students

Dr. Charles R. Drew Enrollment

2017	Sept. – Drew Model School opens with 697 students, building capacity 674 students, 103% capacity utilization
2018	Sept. – Drew Model School opened with 679 students, 101% capacity utilization
2019	Summer – Montessori moved out of Drew and into the Henry building, Sept. – New boundaries took effect – 9 planning units assigned to Drew (6 from Henry and 3 from Hoffman-Boston) Dr. Charles R. Drew opened with 442 students, 66% capacity utilization
2020	Sept. – Dr. Charles R. Drew opened with 428 students, 64% capacity utilization
2021	Aug. – Dr. Charles R. Drew enrollment 433 students, 64% capacity utilization, 67% with 18 VLP students

Abingdon to Dr. Charles R. Drew Boundary Adjustment Proposal

Objective: Move some planning units from Abingdon to Dr. Charles R. Drew to provide enrollment relief to Abingdon and utilize the available capacity at Dr. Charles R. Drew

Proposal:

- Reassign 7 Planning Units (36060, 36061, 36090, 37070, 37100, 37101, 37102) from Abingdon to Dr. Charles R. Drew (effective 2022-23)
- Includes most planning units in the “Getting Started” scenario from the 2018 boundary process
- Does not turn any walkers into bus riders
- Communities Impacted: ● Columbia Forest ● Shirlington ● Douglas Park
- Applies to current pre-K – Gr. 3 students and all new students beginning in 2022-23
- Current Gr. 4 students in affected planning units will have option to remain at Abingdon for Gr. 5 in 2022-23 through a grandfathering provision.

Grandfathering

Siblings

APS is collecting information from families to determine if siblings of current 4th graders can be offered the option to remain at Abingdon for 2022-23.
Note that siblings would need to attend Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School at the start of the 2023-24 school year.

Transportation

APS transportation will be provided via hub stops to students who are eligible for grandfathering and choose to remain at Abingdon for the 2022-23 school year.

Impact of boundary proposal on future processes

Dr. Charles R. Drew is not filled to its capacity, the school may be able to accept additional student if needed in future boundary processes

Summary of Student Data

The data tables show currently enrolled (Sept. 30, 2021) PreK to Gr. 3 students who reside in a planning unit (36060, 36061, 36090, 37070, 37100, 37101, 37102) proposed for reassignment from Abingdon to Dr. Charles R. Drew
- No students reside in PU 36090
- Excludes students in PU attending option schools, other elementary schools
The boundary proposal applies to all current pre-K to Gr. 3 students
Current Gr. 4 Abingdon students in affected planning units will have option to remain at Abingdon for 5th grade or may attend Dr. Charles R. Drew (newly assigned neighborhood school) beginning in 2022-23

Data sheet will be posted on Wednesday, October 20

Policy Considerations in Boundary Proposal

Policy Considerations in Boundary Proposal	Proposal
Alignment – Reassigned planning units or clusters of planning units that had: 24 or more students, or if less than 24 students, when they were in closer proximity or aligned with middle/high school cohorts	✓ reassigns 65 students
Stability Not moving Planning Units that were reassigned while current students were enrolled in that school level	✓ students not impacted by 2018 boundary process
Demographics Moving F/RL rate for schools towards the countywide average	TBD
Proximity & Efficiency Providing enrollment relief to schools when enrollment currently exceeds capacity and/or enrollment was at or exceeded capacity for the prior two school years, and a nearby school has capacity to accommodate additional students	✓ provides relief to Abingdon using available capacity at Drew
Contiguity Maintaining attendance zones that are contiguous The school is located within its boundary	✓ attendance zone contiguous and school located in its boundary

Boundary Process Timeline

Sept. 30	APS announce boundary process through multiple communication channels
Oct. 14	School Board Meeting – Announcement and boundary proposal posted on Engage
Oct. 15-31	Community Engagement – series of opportunities for families to learn more about the proposed boundary adjustments and engage in a Q&A with APS staff
Nov. 3	School Board Work Session – Boundary Adjustments for the 2022-23 School YearStaff will update the proposal to address grandfathering of siblings, update information that has changed
Nov. 16	School Board hears the Superintendent’s Proposal for Boundary Adjustments for the 2022-23 School Year
Nov. 30	School Board holds a Public Hearing on the Proposed Boundary Adjustments for the 2022-23 School Year
Dec. 2	School Board votes on Boundary Adjustments for the 2022-23 School Year

Community Engagement

Public Participation Goal – Consult*

Obtain feedback on analysis, alternatives and/or decision

Support Transitions

Staff will connect with families whose students will be reassigned to a different school in the proposals to ensure they understand the proposed changes and respond to have questions and concerns they have.
Work with affected families to support them in transitions

*Source: sustainingcommunity.wordpress.com/2017/02/14/spectrum-of-public-participation

Virtual Community Meeting – Short presentation of proposal followed by Q&A

The same information will be presented at each session
Simultaneous interpretation available in Spanish, Arabic, Amharic, and Mongolian
English not available at the Spanish Only sessions
Meetings will be recorded and posted on the Fall 2021 Boundary Process Engage page

Date	Time
Sat., Oct 16	11:45-12:30 pm
Tue., Oct 19	12:45-1:30 pm
Wed., Oct 20	7:45-8:30 pm (Spanish Only)
Thu., Oct 21	7:45-8:30 pm

Virtual Open Office Hours – Q&A session only

Simultaneous interpretation will be available in Spanish
Meetings will be recorded and posted on the Fall 2021 Boundary Process Engage page

Date	Time
Tue., Oct 26	7:30-8:00 pm
Thu., Oct 28	12:30-1:00 pm

Outreach

The community engagement schedule and links to the virtual community meetings and open office hours was communicated to families through multiple channels beginning on Sept. 30.
Families will be notified of the proposal on Oct. 15 and those in affected planning units who would be impacted in school year 2022-23 will receive additional communication
In addition, P&E will be working collaboratively with Bilingual Family Liaisons to conduct targeted outreach to the families in affected planning units