BARCROFT FAMILIES SUPPORT REVIEW OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND SAFETYAHEAD OF SCHOOL EXPANSION VOTE

On November 6, 2014, the Arlington School Board is scheduled to vote on a proposal providing that two schools (Barcroft Elementary School and Randolph Elementary School) would be expanded if the Thomas Jefferson Working Group rejects plans to site a new elementary school on the Thomas Jefferson site.

· The proposal developed by the Arlington Schools staff to expand Barcroft and Randolph was based on limited criteria that did not include student achievement or student safety;

· Barcroft and Randolph were the only schools that met the limited criteria, providing the Arlington Schools staff and Arlington School Board with no alternatives to consider;

· There was no meaningful process for community engagement in either setting the criteria or selecting Barcroft and Randolph for expansion;

· The Arlington School Board’s own criteria for selection of Capital Improvement Plan options calls for “Eliminating Achievement Gaps” and the Arlington School Board’s FY 2014 Priorities include Student Achievement;

· Student achievement at Barcroft consistently rank below the county average; and,

· The Arlington School Board’s FY 2014 Priorities include Student Safety,

Therefore, the signators to this petition, in the interests of the welfare of Arlington County students, respectfully request that the Arlington School Board:

1) Direct Arlington Schools staff to conduct a meaningful assessment of the impact of expanding Barcroft on student achievement and student safety;

2) Direct the Arlington Schools staff that to the extent it lacks the expertise and/or capacity to undertake a meaningful assessment of student achievement and/or student safety, it should engage such qualified resources as necessary to assist in, or to conduct, such review;

3) Direct the Arlington Schools staff to report the findings of such assessment to the Arlington School Board and the public and to make available all underlying information and documentation related to the assessment; and,

4) Consider such findings in the context of a process that includes community input prior to any vote to expand Barcroft, whether as an alternative to a new school on the Thomas Jefferson site, or otherwise.

Respectfully submitted,