The Arlington Public School Board will meet on 9/6 at the Education Center just north of Washington and Lee HS on Quincy. Around 8:15 they will talk about Wilson School. I understand that one board member (Ed Fendley) is likely to propose a positive resolution on Wilson School.* That resolution will direct the APS Superintendent to talk with Arlington County about Wilson from the perspective that the site should be used for community service (rather than quick bucks). I think that our involvement in the meeting would be quite helpful in seeing this resolution through to adoption. I encourage civic activists to participate in the meeting via the one of the following actions:

1. Attend the meeting on 9/6. I know that it's a burden, but attendance makes a real difference. Proponents of the ˜quick buck' schemes for Wilson look silly and embarrassed when they notice that citizens are watching them. We are particularly indebted to the Arlington Artist Alliance for their turning out repeatedly at APS meetings in support of preserving Wilson School as a place for the arts.
2. Speak. One useful perspective would be to call on the APS board to exercise its primary function to oversee APS staff, and to redirect staff when they focus on system needs to the detriment of community service. Sign up to speak at the following address:
http://www.arlington.k12.va.us/schoolboard/speak
3. If you cannot attend, take a minute right now and send a note about Wilson School to any of the APS board members: schoolbd@arlington.k12.va.us.
I'd appreciate your copying me (mantell@northrosslyn.org).

This is a fairly important meeting. Please participate via attendance or a written note.

Mark

* The draft resolution I saw from Ed contained the following key phrases:
"The School Board welcomes initial County views on such a potential partnership, including on a public process to ensure that community views would be carefully considered. The primary APS goal for such a partnership would be to preserve, create and enhance educational and other public value at the site."
Things have a way of mutating between concept and vote, so I can't guarantee what the resolution will look like by Thursday.

PS. I've put off talking to the APS board about the trailers for a couple of months in order to maintain a focus on the long term plan for Wilson. I promise to talk about the trailers at the following APS board meeting. My appeal of the ˜forever temporary' building permit for the trailers has been formally filed with the Arlington Board of Zoning Appeals. Thanks to the half dozen of you who have joined as co-appellants.

We gain a ˜draw' at the APS Board meeting of 9/6

The meeting included an agenda item to set goals for discussions between the APS and the County on uses for the Wilson site.

APS Board member Ed Fendley, seconded by Sally Baird, proposed that APS prioritize community service over quick bucks for those discussions. Wonderful.

But the Fendley/Baird proposal was defeated 3-2.

Dave Foster (APS Board Chair) then moved that the School Superintendent be authorized to discuss better use of the Wilson Site without any pre-direction. But Mr. Foster's motion was flawed. Outstanding parliamentary action by Ms. Baird modified the motion to remove a predisposition toward development for bucks. Excitingly, a third board member, Mr. Frank Wilson, spoke out about the priority of community service over dollars. The motion (as modified to neutrality on development) passed 4-1 with Mr. Fendley in opposition because he wants to explicitly prioritize community service.

Rosslyn was well representative by speakers Maggie Whitman, Stan Karson, Stu Stein, and Patricia Darneille all providing support for the Fendley/Baird proposal. Additionally John Seidel, Evy Chervenik, and others sent letters of support. Plus several Rosslyn residents including Wayne Greenspan, Ane Speisman and Dennis Gerrity came out to show support for our community position. We are also tremendously grateful for the continued outspoken support from the arts community including Bud Meyer and Wendy Rahm.

The meeting was very long and it included an intensely boring technical presentation on compliance with No Child Left Behind. But we walk out of it with a draw. We still have an even chance of saving Wilson as a site for our future school needs. And this means we have an even chance at restoring the athletic field, and having an arts program (even if largely in the evenings). The focus of our lobbying shifts from the APS Board to the County Board. Community involvement will continue to be critical.

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