Schools | ARLnow.com

Abingdon Elementary to Be Expanded, Renovated

Published September 22, 2015 at 3:45PM

The addition includes 12 classrooms, as well as a new gymnasium, entrance plaza and outdoor instructional area. With this, the total building capacity will be brought from 589 to 725 students. The school’s enrollment is currently 630 students, with some of the excess student population served by four classroom trailers, according to a press release.

There will be a new bus loop and changes to the site’s existing parking configuration. The Board approved also approved a use permit that will allow school staff to park at the nearby Farlington Villages Community Center.

APS Student Population Continues to Rise As School Addition Attracts Some Opposition

By ARLnow.com

Published September 14, 2015 at 11:30AM

APS’ PreK-12 student enrollment was 25,307 at the beginning of the school year, up from 23,179 at the time last year, according to figures cited by Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy at a School Board meeting last week.

The official fall enrollment numbers, however, are not counted until Sept. 30. APS is projecting 25,678 students as of Sept. 30, up 4.7 percent from the 24,529 enrolled on Sept. 30, 2014.

Wakefield High School Football Player Dies

By ARLnow.com

Published September 12, 2015 at 7:35AM

The boy, a junior, was found dead on the roof of his home Friday afternoon, suffering an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

He was a running back on the Warriors football team. Friends and acquaintances are remembering the boy on Twitter, offering prayers and memories of a classmate with an infectious smile.

ACPD Launches Back to School Safety Campaign

By ARLnow.com

Published September 8, 2015 at 10:00AM

The department’s 2015 back to school safety campaign includes both enforcement and outreach to drivers, students and parents.

In addition to the traffic enforcement by police and by by the new stop arm cameras on Arlington school buses, ACPD has placed electronic roadside message boards around the county “reminding citizens of the start of school and to drive safely,” according to a press release.

Arlington SAT and ACT Scores Rise, Bucking National Trend

By ARLnow.com

Published September 4, 2015 at 11:40AM

APS reported Thursday that its average SAT score in 2015 rose 27 points, to 1,680. The average score on the ACT, another standardized test, also rose.

“I am extremely proud of these results and appreciate the team effort and close collaboration by everyone to support our students,” Superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy said in a press release. “In recent years, we have focused on academic planning through our Aspire2Excellence efforts, and it is clear that our students are stretching themselves in their academic choices as they move toward future college and career pursuits.”

Registration Open for After School Girls Running Program

By Heather Mongilio

Published August 26, 2015 at 11:00AM

Arlington students can now sign up for an after-school running program that helps build character.

Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia aims to help girls in third through eighth grades become more confident while also preparing them for a 5K run.

School Board Approves Salary Bump for Superintendent

By ARLnow.com

Published August 24, 2015 at 3:55PM

The Arlington School Board quietly and unanimously approved the raise at its Aug. 13 meeting. Labeled “Superintendent Salary Adjustment,” with no associated report online, the item was approved without further discussion as part of the Board’s consent agenda.

Murphy’s annual salary will increase by two percent, from $223,242.50 to $227,707.35, as a result of the vote. Murphy oversees a school system with more than 25,000 students and a $556 million annual budget.

Ashlawn Elementary to Face Parking Shortage for School Year

By Heather Mongilio

Published August 24, 2015 at 11:35AM | Updated August 24, 2015 at 5:57PM

(Updated at 5:55 p.m.) Ashlawn Elementary School is facing a lack of faculty parking after its parking contract with the Dominion Hills Area Recreation Association was not renewed this year.

The contract between Dominion Hills and Ashlawn allowed the school to lease parking spaces in the pool’s parking lot.

Preliminary Renderings of New H-B Woodlawn Building Released

By Heather Mongilio

Published August 17, 2015 at 12:35PM

Wilson Blvd entrance rendering (Via APS)

The new Wilson School, future home of the H-B Woodlawn and Stratford programs, will be a multi-story building with fanning terraces and more shared spaces.

The idea behind the new building was to use space as effectively as possible, and the project team and architects behind the new school kept the needs of both programs in mind with the new design, said Sean Franklin, a designer with BIG, one of the architecture firms behind the project.

More Challenges for Drew Elementary Following Principal’s Resignation

By Heather Mongilio

Published July 16, 2015 at 4:55PM

Drew Model Elementary School Principal Darryl Evans has resigned, citing family reasons and a desire to seek a job closer to home.

Evans led Drew Model for one year after coming to the school in the summer of 2014 after former principal Jacqueline Smith retired following a driving-under-the-influence arrest.

Barrett Elementary Starts Program to Promote Summer Reading

By Mariah Joyce

Published July 8, 2015 at 4:45PM

During the checkout hour, volunteers read stories to the children (courtesy photo)

Parents and teachers at Barrett Elementary have started a weekly outdoor library to encourage kids to keep reading during their vacation.

The program, Barret Book Blast, was created by the Family and Community Engagement committee at Barrett Elementary as a way to combat the seemingly inevitable “summer slide” in reading comprehension.

APS Mobile App May Be Saved from Budget Cuts

By Heather Mongilio

Published July 8, 2015 at 3:45PM

Despite budget cuts, Arlington Public Schools may get to keep its mobile app after all.

The school system originally planned to cut the app on July 1, in order to shrink its budget. The app cost about $12,000 a year to maintain, said Linda Erdos, APS assistant superintendent.