Schools | ARLnow.com

School Board Considers Scrapping 600-Seat Glencarlyn Elementary School

Published January 17, 2014 at 10:00AM | Updated January 17, 2014 at 1:13PM

Despite voters approving $4.5 million in design costs for the school in a 2012 referendum, the Board is looking at diverting that investment to prepare for middle school overcrowding in the coming years, which is projected to be more serious than the capacity issues in elementary schools.

School Board Chair Abby Raphael, in a letter sent to parents and community members who have inquired about the issue, says its updated projections call for elementary schools in Arlington to be 3 percent over capacity in FY 2019, while middle schools are projected to be 16 percent over capacity in the same time period.

School Board Approves $46.5 Million Williamsburg School

By Ethan Rothstein

Published January 10, 2014 at 2:00PM

The Arlington School Board approved the final design and budget for the $46.5 million elementary school adjacent to Williamsburg Middle School on Thursday.

The 28-classroom building, at the corner of N. Harrison Street and 36th Street, will have a 630-student capacity and is being built to help alleviate elementary school overcrowding in North Arlington.

APS Announces Plan for Make-Up Days

By Katie Pyzyk

Published January 8, 2014 at 9:45AM | Updated January 8, 2014 at 10:11AM

Although technically there were three days off due to inclement weather — December 9 and 10 and January 3 — only January 3 needs to be made up. December 9 and 10 do not have to be made up because additional instructional hours were already built into the calendar.

The altered schedule only applies to elementary schools with Early Release, which includes Arlington Science Focus, Arlington Traditional, Long Branch, Nottingham, Oakridge, Taylor and Tuckahoe. Because additional instructional hours had already been built in for middle schools, high schools and elementary schools with Limited Early Release, those schools do not have to make up the time. Limited Early Release elementary schools include Abingdon, Ashlawn, Barcroft, Barrett, Campbell, Carlin Springs, Claremont, Drew, Glebe, Henry, Hoffman-Boston, Jamestown, Key, McKinley and Randolph.

Greeley Would Be First Openly Gay Man on Arlington School Board

By Ethan Rothstein

Published January 7, 2014 at 4:05PM | Updated January 7, 2014 at 10:30PM

Greg Greeley is not your typical suburban School Board candidate. A single gay man, a father of two adopted boys, and an Air Force veteran, Greeley breaks the mold in more ways than one.

This might be big news elsewhere in the country. In Arlington, however, Greeley is just running to succeed another mold-breaker.

APS to Open Two Hours Late Tuesday

By ARLnow.com

Published January 6, 2014 at 6:55PM

Arlington Public Schools will open on a two hour delay Tuesday morning due to the extreme cold.

APS sent the following email to families Monday evening.

Kanninen, Van Doren Announce School Board Candidacy

By ARLnow.com

Published January 6, 2014 at 5:45PM

Barbara Kanninen, Nancy Van Doren and Greg Greeley are running for the Democratic endorsement for school board, hoping to replace the retiring Sally Baird. The endorsement caucus will be held on May 15 and 17. Kanninen and Van Doren announced their candidacies over the weekend.

Van Doren, a mother of four and an Arlington Public Schools volunteer, says her experience “is deep and broad and it is exactly what the school board needs at this time.”

School Board Raises Proposed Gift Limit to $100

By Ethan Rothstein

Published December 13, 2013 at 4:30PM

Arlington Public Schools staff has been working to develop a more detailed gift policy, and initially the proposal called for limiting gifts from a single donor to $50 over the course of a school year.

After meeting with community groups like the PTA, the Arlington Employee Association, the Budget Advisory Council and school principals, the School Board decided to double the proposed gifts cap.

Schools, Feds Close as Flakes Start Falling

By ARLnow.com

Published December 10, 2013 at 7:30AM | Updated December 10, 2013 at 8:25AM

APS announced the decision just after 5:00 this morning. Classes are canceled but school offices are to remain open, with essential employees still expected to report to work.

The federal government, meanwhile, is closed this morning, as are Arlington County courts. But Arlington County government will be open, with an unscheduled leave and telework policy for employees. ART buses will operate on a limited schedule.

UPDATED: Schools Closed, Federal Gov’t Delayed

By ARLnow.com

Published December 9, 2013 at 7:15AM | Updated December 9, 2013 at 10:09AM

Update at 9:30 a.m. — Glebe Road is shut down between Military Road and Chain Bridge Road due to a downed tree.

Update at 9:15 a.m. — The number of Dominion customers without power in Arlington has climbed to nearly 1,700. Meanwhile, Washington Boulevard is closed at Powhatan Street due to a downed tree and live power lines.

Yorktown Ice Hockey Ready to Emerge

By Ethan Rothstein

Published November 19, 2013 at 3:30PM | Updated November 19, 2013 at 9:04PM

Yorktown is a club team, not affiliated with the high school. All other high school ice hockey teams in Northern Virginia are affiliated with schools and play in the Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League. Last year, Ferrara and his athletes decided they would make the leap from junior varsity to the varsity division, playing against the best teams in the area.

“I told the team, we can play JV and finish 9-1 or 10-0, or we can play varsity,” Ferrara said. “You can’t be an elite team without playing the best competition.”

FLES Group Calls for Add’l School Funding

By ARLnow.com

Published November 18, 2013 at 3:30PM

The Sun Gazette reports that “several dozen” supporters of the Foreign Language in Elementary School (FLES) program showed up for the public comment period of Saturday’s Board meeting. They asked the Board to find a way to work with Arlington Public Schools and the School Board to expand FLES to the 9 schools that currently don’t have the program.

Meanwhile, a group called FLES For All released an open letter to county and school leaders over the weekend. The group, which claims 25-30 active members “who work weekly to educate and advocate on this issue,” blasted “educational inequity” in Arlington and called on the County Board to provide a greater share of tax revenue.

Yorktown Advances, W-L Falls in Football Playoffs

By Ethan Rothstein

Published November 18, 2013 at 9:30AM

Washington-Lee, coming off its first district championship in decades, was Conference 6A North’s fourth seed out of 16, but lost to 13th-seeded Stonewall Jackson at home, 42-34.

Yorktown was without star running back/defensive back M.J. Stewart against Fairfax after the North Carolina-bound senior re-injured his ankle late against the Generals. Fullback Da-Jhaun Short filled in admirably, however, rushing 28 times for 164 yards and a touchdown.