Steve - thanks for your question - I have provided my thoughts on Reed to a number of people in this group but in case it has not been posted I am putting the full statement up below. Im also posting a pdf file of a statement that I put out on the broader question of how do we get to better outcomes on addressing school capacity. Alan Howze I share the concerns of many residents of our community regarding the potential use of the Reed School site as a secondary school location, nor was the Reed School site included in the recently passed Capital Improvement Plan. I would prefer that the Reed School remain an option for addressing school capacity needs by returning to its original use as a neighborhood elementary school. As I have stated on many occasions, school overcrowding is the biggest challenge facing our community today. We must act quickly to meet the needs of today’s students and to put in place a long-term plan. On this, as with so many other issues, there is no bright line between County government and our public schools, and residents expect their elected officials to come together to help craft solutions. This is why I have called for, along with School Board candidates Barbara Kanninen and Nancy Van Doren, a broad based community process to examine options for meeting our school needs. alanhowze/frontpage/howze-van-doren-kanninen-issue-joint-call-on-addressing-school-overcrowding-immediate-action-and-long-term-strategic-plan-built-upon-broad-community-discussion/ The Reed site is another example of why this community process is so critical. It will produce better outcomes while giving neighborhoods and residents confidence that their concerns are being heard and that all reasonable alternatives are being explored transparently and creatively. The end result would be a broader community consensus on how to move forward and allow us to move more quickly to provide the seats our students need. So while I share the concerns of my own neighborhood regarding placement of a secondary school at Reed, I know that all of our neighborhoods must engage constructively to find the best solutions possible. I have great confidence in the people of Arlington to chart a successful path given the opportunity. I look forward to providing leadership to move us towards the community-based solutions that will result. Alan Howze Democratic Candidate Arlington County Board
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 13:02:22 +0000
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