Six candidates have announced that they will run for Arlingon School Board this Fall. Two positions will be filled in the election. In early January, I asked candidates to respond to the following query:

"Perspective on Wilson School
Most residents in north Rosslyn are dissatisfied with the current use of Wilson School, and are concerned about its long term disposition. We would like the playfield restored in the near term (it's the only potential location for a playfield in our area), plus we would like to see expanded use of the building for educational and art activities. Our long-term vision is that the property should be retained as a locus for an urban school when that is needed - as it surely will be.
APS senior staff by contrast recommend intense development at the site to pay for school construction at other locations.
What is your position on the use and disposition of the Wilson School?"
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We have received responses from all six candidates. Those responses are presented below in order of their receipt. Please take the time to read them all. (commentary: I found much to like in several of the responses. You may expect further information on this website as we approach the date of the School Board caucus in early May.)


Response from Karla Hagan
The current portable classrooms are not the best use of precious Wilson site green space. Those relocatable classrooms have served an important role in recent years, providing space for, among others, Key, Drew, Nottingham, and now Reed students while their schools have been renovated or rebuilt. The Rosslyn community has graciously welcomed these students during their tenure at Wilson.

But the tenure of relocatables in this space must come to an end. APS must aggressively investigate other options for student relocation during future renovation/rebuild projects. Pursuit of other options should begin with finding alternatives closer to Columbia Pike for the High School Continuation program which faces displacement from it current Arlington Mill location later this year.

Many of the students served by Arlington Mill are young people who live and work near Columbia Pike. These are students for whom accessible public transportation and programs close to home is critical. A move to Wilson does not serve these students well; it does not serve the High School Continuation Program well; it does not serve the Rosslyn community well; and, ultimately, it does not serve Arlington well.

I do not support the sale or long-term lease of the Wilson School site. As our school system faces present overcrowding issues, we should look with deep regret at past decisions to let schools leave APS control. We must not make the same mistake again.

The population of school-aged children in Arlington is increasing. School space needs also continue to increase with APS's continued commitment to preschool classes and the expansion of foreign language in elementary school.

Future improvement of the Wilson site must be done with a commitment to educational space for future generations and a commitment to creating a facility which maximizes the opportunity for joint school-community use. Such improvement might come through partnership with the County to leverage the combined County-Schools assets at Wilson.

The Wilson site offers a wonderful opportunity for an innovative urban school. Such innovation might well include art space which could be shared between the school and arts groups, with the school using art rooms or a theater during the day, and arts groups using the space in the evening. Both the school and the arts community would be enriched by this relationship. Retention of green field space, basketball court, and a tot lot would be an essential part of such a school.

The Wilson School site should stay in APS control. Any benefit to be derived from Wilson should serve both the children of Arlington and the Rosslyn community


Response from Terron Sims
To answer your question, I could not agree with you more with respect to the seemingly mis-use of the Wilson School. Living in Rosslyn, Courthouse to be exact, I understand the great need for the Wilson to function in a more productive manner. With the future population increase that will occur in the Rosslyn-Courthouse area, it is very likely that the Key School is not going to be able to support the additional students. Being that there is a serious issue with overcrowding in all of the north Arlington elementary schools, it makes sense to open the Wilson school as Rosslyn's elementary school.

In the mean time, APS could use the Wilson school in various ways: art programs, as you suggested, as well as after school tutoring programs. Presently, I could see the Wilson school utilized in a manner similar to the Drew and Thomas Jefferson Community Centers, providing various after school and summer programs, thus giving the Wilson school a truly active role in the community.

With respect to the playground, I agree that it should be restored. Now that Walter Tejada is stressing the importance of all Arlingtonians getting in shape, it is imperative that we provide our young people every opportunity to do so. Because Rosslyn is the most urbanized section of Arlington, it is difficult for its children to play outside, in the traditional sense. The restoration of the Wilson school playground would give our children a safe place to play.


Response from Reid Goldstein
I appreciate the North Rosslyn community's concern about scarce playspace. I am advocating that Arlington Public Schools formalize commitments to the community at all levels: in the curriculum, through its facilities and in the budget. Indeed, the robust use of joint facilities is illustrative of a world-class approach to school/County symbiosis.

Clearly, many in the community have been frustrated with a building planning process that often appears obscure and sub-optimal in the use of APS space. For example, although Langston was rebuilt in 2004 to accommodate future numbers, it was apparently no longer necessary in 2007 when the STEM proposal planned to move all Langston students to a new Career Center building.

Use of the Wilson site for educational purposes should be the priority, and that any investment would have to 1) follow an intensive public process specific to the site, and 2) balance the interests of neighbors, recreation and community uses in addition to educational priorities.

I am pleased the North Rosslyn Civic Association chooses to engage in the community process surrounding this decision. You will find that I am a responsive and attentive member when I am elected to the School Board. I would be proud to have your votes, your endorsement and your support to help make that happen.


Response from Emma Violand Sánchez
The Wilson school building has a rich history not only as a place of education in Arlington, but also as a landmark in the community. Inside the walls of this building- nearly 100 years ago -- the American dream became a reality for generations of Arlingtonians. Today, it stands as a great resource for the school system and the community, and represents a precious commodity for the surrounding neighborhood.
As stated in my plan:

I strongly believe that the school system must develop both short and long-range plans for its educational facilities, such as the Wilson School, and in doing so include the following:

* create a coordinated system with the County Board on how decisions will be reached regarding joint facilities and in maximizing such resources;
* ensure open and transparent communications during the process of planning and decision-making;
* include representative community members and organizations in the deliberations of developing uses for the buildings; and
* focus on fiscal responsibility and accountability, but also consider the long-term consequences of these decisions.

In the case of the Wilson school building, I support keeping the building for educational and community purposes, preserving the architecture of this historic building, and maintaining the green space associated with the school. My goal is that the Wilson school be a place dedicated to education. This building could provide badly needed space for the school system and space for auxiliary educational and cultural purposes, such as its current use on Saturdays by the Mongolian School of the National Capital Area. The outdoor space associated with the Wilson school building provides recreational space that has almost all but disappeared from the Courthouse-Rosslyn area of Arlington. To allow this green space to be bought by developers to construct more offices represents a loss of far greater consequences to the community than the short-term monetary gain to our government. How would we replace this open space? The answer is, we could not.

I look forward to the input from parents, students and community residents who are concerned about the fate of the Wilson school building.


Response from James Lander
(received January 17)
In regards to your inquiry pertaining to the Wilson School, I am very aware of the overcrowding issue surrounding North Arlington schools and share your concerns. For years the Wilson Building has been used as a temporary location for renovation of other Arlington County schools. While this strategy was sufficient in the past, Arlington County has reached a point where the returns on its investment would be much significantly greater by considering both short term and long term goals that satisfy the local community.

As I've proposed as one aspect of my Stakeholders' Triangle, the Wilson School is yet another example of why we need to emphasize the integration of parents, schools and community. By ensuring a wide range of representation from local community organizations, while simultaneously extending participation by parents on advisory committees and councils, we can satisfy both the North Rosslyn Civic Association and the Arlington County School System.

I look forward to working very closely with the North Arlington Rosslyn Civic Association as an Arlington County School Board member regarding these concerns. Addressing the safety, health, and welfare of all Arlington County School children should be our number one concern as parents, educators and community members.

Respectfully,
James Lander


Response from Libby Garvey
(received January 23)
Dear Mark,
I'm writing to you as Libby Garvey's campaign manager.
Libby wanted me to make sure you were aware of the ASB's position on and discussion of the Wilson School. Here is the agenda item from the last board meeting:

Agenda Item Content
Initiated by: Clarence Stukes
Staff contact: Alison Denton
Explanation of Subject/Issue:
The Board will discuss the priority of criteria for the development of the Wilson School property.

Superintendent's Recommendation:
The Superintendent recommends approval of the following motion:
Authorize the Superintendent to discuss with the County Manager a possible partnership between the School Board and the County Board to improve the Wilson School/Fire Station site and to report to the School Board by the end of March, 2008 on options for such redevelopment. The report should discuss, among other things, a public process to ensure that community views would be carefully considered in reviewing the options presented and the impact of each such option on:
--The future availability of facilities on the site for an elementary school as a first priority, pre-K programs, other educational programs, APS office space, and public safety, recreational, cultural, affordable housing and other community uses;
--Preservation or expansion of green space;
--Preservation of historical resources; and
--The generation of additional revenues for school system uses.

As you can understand, Libby will be unable to respond directly for the next several weeks due to the sudden passing of her husband last weekend. But she will be in contact with you and your group as soon as she resumes her campaign.

Best Regards,
Frank Sietzen

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mark Antell,

School Board Candidate Debate - March 24

A School Board Candidates Forum, sponsored by several South Arlington civic associations and Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, will be held this Monday night, March 24, at 7:30 pm in room 110 (near the library) at Wakefield High School. This will be the first candidate debate, and it is your chance to ask the candidates about the issues most important to you.

This year, six candidates are running for two positions. Their statements on Wilson School are posted on the NRCA website under the Wilson School section.

All announced candidates are seeking endorsement of the Democratic Party to be determined at party caucuses in early May. The Democratic Party endorsement,is, alas, tantamount to election.