A group of Alexandria residents protested a proposal to move Douglas MacArthur students to the old Patrick Henry Elementary School ahead of Monday night's community workshop on the future of the two schools.
Their signs said things like “Swing sets not swing space!” and “Vote No!”
However, at the end of the evening, ACPS Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings said he would recommend that the school board move forward with creating a 1,500-student campus in Alexandria's West End to facilitate quicker reconstruction of Douglas MacArthur.
The Alexandria City Public Schools Board will vote Thursday on whether to relocate the 700 students currently at Douglas MacArthur Elementary School to the old Patrick Henry Elementary School while a new Douglas MacArthur Elementary School is constructed.
Douglas MacArthur is located on Janney's Lane just east of Quaker Lane. Patrick Henry is located in the Seminary Valley area just west of Foxchase.
The old Patrick Henry Elementary School was slated for demolition this year, but school officials need “swing space” for Douglas MacArthur students while their new school is built. Moving Douglas MacArthur students to the old Patrick Henry, which is next door to the just-opened new Patrick Henry K-8 school, would create a temporary 1,500-student campus (see the plan below).
ACPS
At least three ACPS School Board members were in attendance at Monday night’s community meeting, as well as Hutchings, Mayor Justin Wilson, and ACPS staff members, City of Alexandria staff members more than 100 residents.
The Alexandria City Public School Board will be meeting and taking a final vote on the swing space issue at its meeting on April 4 at 7 p.m. in the School Board Meeting Room at 1340 Braddock Place.
(Download the FAQs and other information provided to meeting attendees here.)
On the Timeline
If using the old Patrick Henry Elementary School as swing space is approved, Douglas MacArthur students would start to attend school there in the fall of 2021, after the old school (which was to be demolished this fall) is repaired to allow for safe occupancy.
The new, larger Douglas MacArthur elementary school would be completed by January 2023 and students would start school there after their winter holiday break.
The following is a timeline supplied by ACPS:
Alexandria City Public Schools
The proposed construction timeline for Patrick Henry and Douglas MacArthur.
Regarding whether the “swing space” will be used for more than four years, Superintendent Hutchings said, “That is not the expectation. That is not the intent. … It is not intended to be used as any other swing space in the City of Alexandria.”
What about Plan A?
Residents have been referring to using the old Patrick Henry Elementary School as “Plan B.” What was Plan A?
Alexandria City Public Schools’ Plan A was to find swing space for the Douglas MacArthur project, but officials haven’t been able to find anything workable. The 1 million square foot Victory Center isn’t suitable because it’s too large and simply isn’t designed to be a school. Retrofitting it would be very expensive and difficult, Hutchings said.
The conversion of Ferdinand T. Day from an office building to a school was possible, but students cannot be on the fifth and sixth floors of the building. ACPS will eventually use those floors as office space.
Land is expensive in Alexandria, Hutchings said, and building a new school as swing space would further delay other needed capital improvements.
Traffic and Parking Concerns
Many community members have raised concerns about traffic on the streets around the site. In addressing those concerns, Hutchings said the crossing guard currently working at Douglas MacArthur would move to the old Patrick Henry School. In addition, the school system will be working with Douglas MacArthur families to encourage bus ridership.
In addition, Hutchings said:
- There will be studies to consider adjusting the signals at Taney Avenue and Jordan Street for better traffic flow, and to assess whether a 3-way stop at the intersection of Polk Avenue and Latham Street would help.
- Traffic cones could also be placed to control traffic flow.
- Hutchings said he would recommend that trash pick-up occur later in the day to avoid the morning rush so trash trucks and buses and cars aren’t crowding the area.
- Pick-up and drop-off for students at the old Patrick Henry school may be adjusted later so both schools are not dropping off or picking up students simultaneously.
- A new parking lot will be built on the southwest corner of the property for teacher and staff parking.
Dr. Hutchings said ACPS is working with the City and the Police Department to address concerns about traffic in the area, and some of those concerns will be addressed regardless of the outcome of the Douglas MacArthur decision later this week.
Play Spaces for Students
Some new playgrounds and renovations to an old playground will be completed on the original schedule, while others will be delayed. The play spaces may not be in the same location as originally planned due to the need to keep the old Patrick Henry Elementary School building in place.
A new rec playground and an intermediate playground, as well as a basketball court, are slated to be completed this fall.
By the fall of 2020, the existing old Patrick Henry school playground will be upgraded.
The pre-K and Kindergarten-1st grade playground will be delayed; it will be completed in the fall of 2023. The turf fields will be delayed until then, as well.
After school programs will continue for students at both schools and will not be combined.
Additional Financial Concerns
Despite the reassurances by City and school system officials, residents at feedback meetings in the past month have repeatedly brought up that the proposal to change plans and not demolish the old Patrick Henry for now has created a trust issue. Several have said they believe the decision to use the old Patrick Henry School as swing space was pre-determined and there's little residents can do to truly change minds within ACPS.
In addition, parents are concerned that using Patrick Henry as temporary swing space "punts" on the longer-term issue of school capacity, and the proposal trades off saving money now for spending more later.
Feasibility studies have not been finished to ensure that swing space will definitely not be needed for other elementary schools that are on the list to be rebuilt in the next decade. Patrick Henry-area residents are concerned that the old school will turn into "permanent" swing space in years to come.
A tipsheet from West End resident and parent Joel Finkelstein, which was sent out to media outlets and concerned resident ahead of Monday evenings meeting, said: "This rush to undertake a major expenditure violates every tenant of responsible planning, fiscal management and good government, community members say. Though most accept that the school district is sincere in trying to find innovative options, this sort of process makes possible the worst sort of government waste, fraud and abuse."
