ARLINGTON HEIGHTS CIVIC ASSOCIATION
RESOLUTION
Passed April 10, 2018
WHEREAS, Arlington Public Schools (APS) is planning for the expected growth in high school enrollment and approved the planning for 700-800+ additional high school seats to be added at the Career Center, and the Arlington Tech program is expected to grow to 800 students by 2022;
WHEREAS, the Career Center Working Group (CCWG) is charged with developing a plan that defines how APS can open 700-800+ additional seats to the Career Center site by 2022, within funding already approved by the School Board, and the CCWG will provide options for optimizing future development of public facilities within the study area through a phased development plan;
WHEREAS, Arlington's three existing comprehensive high schools have already been internally maximized, and their academic and extracurricular programs cannot support significant additional growth;
WHEREAS, schools are public facilities, jointly funded by all taxpayers, and therefore all of Arlingtons comprehensive high schools should offer equitable academic and extracurricular opportunities;
WHEREAS, the 22204 ZIP code (in which the Career Center is located) has a higher concentration of low-income residents and families than many other areas of Arlington, and these families already face many resource challenges, such as: (a) childcare affordability, (b) affordable enrichment/tutoring opportunities, (b) scheduling conflicts due to working multiple jobs, (c) dependence on public transportation, and reliance on public facilities, like libraries and community centers;
WHEREAS, studies have shown that low-income and/or minority children have higher instances of drowning, but busing to offsite pools would cut into required academic instructional time;
WHEREAS, the Career Center/Patrick Henry site offers the rare combination of: (a) a physically large parcel of land, (b) a central-Arlington location, and (c) high-accessibility to public transportation; joint-use amenities would provide much-needed recreation, meeting, and performance spaces for ALL of Arlington; and an improved connection to Columbia Pike would draw new and strengthen existing local businesses;
WHEREAS, inequality of funding and/or facilities by 2022 could ultimately result in substandard educational opportunities for 22204 students, which could, in turn, lead to a decline in business, community, and residential support for both this school and the 22204 ZIP code.
NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that:
- Arlington Heights Civic Association (AHCA) favors and supports a comprehensive neighborhood high school at the Career Center;
- AHCA opposes adding comprehensive high school seats to the Career Center without facilities equivalent to or exceeding those of the three existing comprehensive high schools, including but not limited to: an aquatics facility, art/music/performing arts/auditorium, library/media center, full-size gymnasium and auxiliary gymnasium, outdoor field space and commons, and structured (underground) parking;
- AHCA favors and supports the acquisition of properties south of the Career Center along Columbia Pike, that would (a) provide a needed connection between the Career Center and Columbia Pike, (b) provide additional space that could be used to house programs now located at the Career Center, and (c) free up space on the Career Center site for other uses;
- AHCA favors and supports the relocation of the Columbia Pike library to a new building to be built at or about Columbia Pike and South Highland Street;
- AHCA favors and supports postponing the addition of additional high school seats to the Career Center by two (2) years to 2024 in order to obtain additional funding during the CIP; and
- AHCA requests that any proposal to add high school seats at the Career Center should include a detailed plan, both physical and financial, for construction and for the educational and extracurricular opportunities that will be offered to students attending school there.