Call for Help: School Board meeting, Thursday May 1, 7:30 PM

The Committee to Rebuild Wakefield will be speaking at the May 1 School Board meeting. We are hoping to bring other speakers and community members to show unified support. Please use “Comments” at the bottom of this post indicate whether you plan to attend or speak. A little organization goes a long way.

• What: School Board meeting
• When: May 1 (Thursday) 7:30 PM
• Where: 1426 N. Quincy St. (1st floor, Education Center)

Topic: Learn about the Superintendent’s conceptual FY 2009-2014 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Staff will present the proposal to the Board. It’s the first opportunity to witness how the school board handles this very important issue to us.

The meeting also provides an opportunity for citizens to speak. Citizens can register to speak. Many of us have discussed how great it would be for a few of us to speak and for the rest of us to cheer them on loudly.

Register to speak: Click Here.

CIP: Proposed Revisions

Wed, April 23: Meeting with SuperIntendent Dr. Smith 

We are grateful and supportive of the Yorktown funding in the 2008 bond. We also believe there is significant risk to passing the unusually large School Bond of $156 million in 2012, which could delay construction well beyond 2013 if derailed.  

We have counter-proposed that bond cycles be adjusted to smooth the $156 million into more reasonable chunks from 2008 through 2012. The goal is to get Wakefield to construction with the 2010 bond. That means construction begins in 2011. What questions and comments do you have? 

First: Where is the budget for Wakefield?

Answer: Stuck in a large bond in 2012. 

Here's how it works: 

1. School Board appoints a Superintendent. 
   
2. Superintendent presents a 6-year Capital Improvement Plan to the School Board (CIP is a budget plan for our facilities). 
   
3. School Board accepts it or modifies it. 
   
4. School Board submits the final plan to the County Board. The County Board has final approval. 
   

We are at Stage 2 right now. We need a School Board (stage 3) who is willing to modify the plan to meet our needs. Let's look at the Superintendent's proposed funding through bond referrals:  

• 2008 - $88 million. This covers Yorktown's construction to completion in 2011 plus other general facilities expenses; no funds for Wakefield
  
• 2010 - $14 million -- $11 million for Wakefield planning in 2011. No funds allocated for work in 2012. 
• 2012 - $156 million meant to fully fund Wakefield construction from 2013 through 2016 

Are we fully funded in 2012? Unlikely. We need community support in the May School Board elections to ensure the 2 seats open remain pro-Wakefield. See election info at right. Please Vote!!! 

Welcome to the Blog

Welcome to our community blog in Arlington, Virginia. We have established this forum to foster community feedback in our ongoing struggles to fund the rebuilding of Wakefield High School. 

Our goal is to accelerate the Wakefield project. We hope to: 

• Communicate concise and timely information to our community
• Build consensus with communities across the County
• Foster action around critical events
• Work constructively with the School and County Boards

This Spring and Summer are critical planning times at the School Board and County Board levels. We need the support of our entire community to impact this challenging situation. 

If you are interested in this project or the process, bookmark this blog. To receive news join the Rebuild Wakefield listserv by e-mailing RebuildWakefield@gmail.com. 

Thanks for reading; we welcome your comments.