Nottingham Elementary School PTA Resolution

Regarding APS Elementary Seats Boundary Refinement Process and
APS Capital Improvement Plan for Secondary Seats

WHEREAS, Arlington Public Schools ("APS") has experienced dramatic growth—19 percent over the past five years—and expects that trend will likely continue;

WHEREAS, Nottingham Elementary School has experienced the highest growth rate within APS -- 33 percent -- over the same five year period;

WHEREAS, Nottingham’s actual enrollment numbers have routinely exceeded APS projections over the past several years;

WHEREAS, Nottingham has consistently been over capacity for several years, necessitating the use of trailers since the renovated building opened in 2006; and is now 141.7% over capacity for the current 2014-15 school year, with ten trailers housing our entire fourth and fifth grades;

WHEREAS, on May 17, 2013, in an effort to relieve overcrowding and balance enrollment , the APS School Board approved new neighborhood boundaries for eight North Arlington elementary schools, which included the transfer of planning units 1607 and 1608 to Nottingham;

WHEREAS, at that time, APS projected that Nottingham would have 105.1% capacity utilization in 2016;

WHEREAS, APS now projects that, by including planning units 1607 and 1608 within its neighborhood boundaries, Nottingham will have 119.49% capacity utilization in 2016, which is expected to increase to 137.0% by 2024-2025;

WHEREAS, APS projections show that other North Arlington elementary schools will be under capacity in coming years, including Jamestown (86.1% projected utilization in 2016), McKinley (78.36% projected utilization in 2016) and Discovery (91.59% projected utilization in 2016);

WHEREAS, the Nottingham PTA is concerned that continued overcrowding at Nottingham will adversely impact the ability of the school’s administration and staff to effectively educate students and provide for their safety;

THEREFORE, IT IS RESOLVED that the Nottingham PTA strongly opposes any plan for elementary boundaries that leaves Nottingham more overcrowded than nearby elementary schools with a history of slower growth, and strongly opposes any plan that puts Nottingham over capacity while there is existing capacity at other elementary schools;

AND IT IS FURTHE RESOLVED that the Nottingham PTA respectfully requests that APS fully relieve overcrowding at Nottingham by transferring planning units 1607 and 1608 to schools other than Nottingham;

AND IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the Nottingham PTA believes that APS should acknowledge in the boundary refinement process that Nottingham’s historic growth repeatedly has exceeded both APS projections and the growth experienced at other schools over the past five years;

AND IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the Nottingham PTA opposes the continued reliance on trailers to address chronic, long-term overcrowding;

AND IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the Nottingham PTA asks that APS fully utilize the capacity available at other North Arlington elementary schools;

AND IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the Nottingham PTA requests that APS build new secondary buildings to their maximum capacity by: building a 1300 seat middle school at the Stratford site,

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Bob Adamson, President

Nottingham Elementary School PTA

www.nespta.org