VIRGINIA BEACH CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMMUNITY DIALOGUE RESULTS REPORT December 7, 2017 Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 1 1
TOC 3 INTRODUCTION 4 RESULTS 177 DEMOGRAPHICS
INTRODUCTION On November 13 and 14, 2017, two Community Meetings were held to discuss and collect feedback from the community regarding an update to the division s facility master plan. Participants were asked to fill out both an individual questionnaire and to participate in groups to fill out a group questionnaire. There were a total of 54 paper questionnaires, and 15 group questionnaires. The questionnaire was also made available for more than 2 weeks online so that community members who could not attend could provide feedback. There were a total of 3,663 online questionnaires completed. Cooperative Strategies would like to thank the students, staff, Board of Education, Facilities Steering Committee, and the community of the Virginia Beach City Public Schools for their commitment and dedication to the planning process. Virginia Beach City Public School Board Mrs. Beverly M. Anderson: Chair, At-Large Mr. Daniel D. Edwards: Vice Chair District 2 - Kempsville Mrs. Sharon R. Felton: District 6 - Beach Mrs. Dorothy M. Holtz: At-Large Mrs. Victoria C. Manning: At-Large Cooperative Strategies Tracy Richter, President/Partner Matt Sachs, GIS Analyst HBA Mike Ross, AIA/REFP, Principal Mr. Joel A. McDonald: District 3 - Rose Hall Mrs. Ashley K. McLeod: At-Large Mrs. Kimberly A. Melnyk: District 7 - Princess Anne Ms. Trenace B. Riggs: District 1 - Centerville Mrs. Carolyn T. Rye: District 5 - Lynnhaven Mrs. Carolyn D. Weems: District 4 - Bayside Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 3 3
RESULTS
Respondents Which meeting did you attend? Paper Group Web Monday, November 14, 2017 @ Kellam High School 30 8 54 Tuesday, November 15, 2017 @ Old Donation School 24 7 36 Total 54 15 90 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Monday, November 14, 2017 @ Kellam High School 30 8 54 Tuesday, November 15, 2017 @ Old Donation School 24 9 36 Paper Group Web Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 5 5
QUESTION 1 When considering the prioritization of capital projects, what do you believe should be the most important factors: Please select your top 3: Question 1 Paper Web Web + Paper Group Cost 29 1,139 1,168 7 Building capacity/student enrollment 24 1,736 1,760 6 Building's ability to accomodate school programming needs 32 2,083 2,115 8 Least disruption to the educational experience during construction (ie. Swing space options to temporarily house 26 1,032 1,058 5 students while work is underway) Age or physical condition of facility 51 2,928 2,979 13 No Consensus n/a n/a n/a 3 Total 162 8,918 9,080 42 Question 1 Paper Web Web + Paper Group Cost 17.9% 12.8% 12.9% 16.7% Building capacity/student enrollment 14.8% 19.5% 19.4% 14.3% Building's ability to accomodate school programming needs 19.8% 23.4% 23.3% 19.0% Least disruption to the educational experience during construction (ie. Swing space options to temporarily house 16.0% 11.6% 11.7% 11.9% students while work is underway) Age or physical condition of facility 31.5% 32.8% 32.8% 31.0% No Consensus n/a n/a n/a 7.1% Total 100% 100% 100% 100% Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 6 6
QUESTION 2 When considering the prioritization of Elementary School capital projects, what do you believe should be the most important factors: Please select your top 3: Question 2 Paper Web Web + Paper Group Cost 16 1,077 1,093 2 Building capacity/student enrollment 32 1,746 1,778 8 Building's ability to accomodate school programming needs 32 1,994 2,026 8 Least disruption to the educational experience during construction (ie. Swing space options to temporarily house 37 1,478 1,515 11 students while work is underway) Age or physical condition of facility 45 2,759 2,804 13 No Consensus n/a n/a n/a 1 Total 162 9,054 9,216 43 Question 2 Paper Web Web + Paper Group Cost 9.9% 11.9% 11.9% 4.7% Building capacity/student enrollment 19.8% 19.3% 19.3% 18.6% Building's ability to accomodate school programming needs 19.8% 22.0% 22.0% 18.6% Least disruption to the educational experience during construction (ie. Swing space options to temporarily house 22.8% 16.3% 16.4% 25.6% students while work is underway) Age or physical condition of facility 27.8% 30.5% 30.4% 30.2% No Consensus n/a n/a n/a 2.3% Total 100% 100% 100% 100% Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 7 7
QUESTION 3 When considering the prioritization of Secondary School (middle/high) capital projects, what do you believe should be the most important factors: Please select your top 3: Question 3 Paper Web Web + Paper Group Cost 26 1,076 1,102 6 Building capacity/student enrollment 24 1,812 1,836 6 Building's ability to accomodate school programming needs 37 2,221 2,258 9 Least disruption to the educational experience during construction (ie. Swing space options to temporarily house 27 1,134 1,161 5 students while work is underway) Age or physical condition of facility 48 2,828 2,876 13 No Consensus n/a n/a n/a 3 Total 162 9,071 9,233 42 Question 3 Paper Web Web + Paper Group Cost 16.0% 11.9% 11.9% 14.3% Building capacity/student enrollment 14.8% 20.0% 19.9% 14.3% Building's ability to accomodate school programming needs 22.8% 24.5% 24.5% 21.4% Least disruption to the educational experience during construction (ie. Swing space options to temporarily house 16.7% 12.5% 12.6% 11.9% students while work is underway) Age or physical condition of facility 29.6% 31.2% 31.1% 31.0% No Consensus n/a n/a n/a 7.1% Total 100% 100% 100% 100% Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 8 8
QUESTION 4 Which of the following grade level groupings listed below do you think should have a higher priority for renovation or replacement of schools? Please indicate your preference by assigning a TOTAL of 10 points. The higher the number = the more important. Web Question 4 - Web 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Average Elementary Schools 69 425 851 899 490 361 130 67 53 1 63 3.2 Middle Schools 59 279 811 1694 294 133 50 17 14 2 28 2.9 High Schools 14 183 417 633 719 758 291 178 121 6 164 4.4 Total 142 887 2,079 3,226 1,503 1,252 471 262 188 9 255 Question 4 - Web 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Elementary Schools 2.0% 12.5% 25.0% 26.4% 14.4% 10.6% 3.8% 2.0% 1.6% 0.0% 1.8% Middle Schools 1.7% 8.3% 24.0% 50.1% 8.7% 3.9% 1.5% 0.5% 0.4% 0.1% 0.8% High Schools 0.4% 5.3% 12.0% 18.2% 20.6% 21.8% 8.4% 5.1% 3.5% 0.2% 4.7% Paper Question 4 - Paper 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Average Elementary Schools 1 11 15 16 6 0 2 1 0 0 1 2.7 Middle Schools 2 6 20 21 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 2.5 High Schools 2 1 2 5 8 17 9 8 1 0 0 4.8 Total 5 18 37 42 16 17 12 9 1 0 2 Question 4 - Paper 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Elementary Schools 1.9% 20.8% 28.3% 30.2% 11.3% 0.0% 3.8% 1.9% 0.0% 0.0% 1.9% Middle Schools 3.8% 11.3% 37.7% 39.6% 3.8% 0.0% 1.9% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1.9% High Schools 3.8% 1.9% 3.8% 9.4% 15.1% 32.1% 17.0% 15.1% 1.9% 0.0% 0.0% Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 9 9
QUESTION 4 Which of the following grade level groupings listed below do you think should have a higher priority for renovation or replacement of schools? Please indicate your preference by assigning a TOTAL of 10 points. The higher the number = the more important. Web + Paper Question 4 - Web + Paper 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Average Elementary Schools 70 436 866 915 496 361 132 68 53 1 64 3.2 Middle Schools 61 285 831 1715 296 133 51 17 14 2 29 2.8 High Schools 16 184 419 638 727 775 300 186 122 6 164 4.4 Total 147 905 2116 3268 1519 1269 483 271 189 9 257 Question 4 - Web + Paper 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Elementary Schools 2.0% 12.6% 25.0% 26.4% 14.3% 10.4% 3.8% 2.0% 1.5% 0.0% 1.8% Middle Schools 1.8% 8.3% 24.2% 49.9% 8.6% 3.9% 1.5% 0.5% 0.4% 0.1% 0.8% High Schools 0.5% 5.2% 11.8% 18.0% 20.6% 21.9% 8.5% 5.3% 3.4% 0.2% 4.6% Group Question 4 - Group 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Avg Elementary Schools 0 1 6 6 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2.7 Middle Schools 0 1 5 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.6 High Schools 0 0 1 1 4 5 4 0 0 0 0 4.7 Total 0 2 12 15 5 7 4 0 0 0 0 Question 4 - Group 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Elementary Schools 0.0% 6.7% 40.0% 40.0% 0.0% 13.3% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Middle Schools 0.0% 6.7% 33.3% 53.3% 6.7% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% High Schools 0.0% 0.0% 6.7% 6.7% 26.7% 33.3% 26.7% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 10 10
QUESTION 5 Rate your level of satisfaction with the current pace of facility modernization/replacement across the division. Question 5 Paper Web Web + Paper Group Strongly Satisfied 5 172 177 0 Satisfied 12 988 1,000 2 Neutral 14 1,345 1,359 3 Dissatisfied 19 866 885 4 Strongly Dissatisfied 2 266 268 1 No Consensus n/a n/a n/a 4 Total 52 3,637 3,689 14 Question 5 Paper Web Web + Paper Group Strongly Satisfied 9.6% 4.7% 4.8% 0.0% Satisfied 23.1% 27.2% 27.1% 14.3% Neutral 26.9% 37.0% 36.8% 21.4% Dissatisfied 36.5% 23.8% 24.0% 28.6% Strongly Dissatisfied 3.8% 7.3% 7.3% 7.1% No Consensus n/a n/a n/a 28.6% Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 11 Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 11
Individual As a student that has attended John B. Dey, Kemps Landing/Old Donation School, and Princess Anne High, I am well familiar with lesser quality schools. Despite the challenges of a low quality learning environment and having to move to Kellam (Old) for eighth grade. I, along with my peers at the schools, have demonstrated the ability to excel academically and to become better citizens of Virginia Beach. However, I can only imagine what I could have achieved with a better learning environment. As a teacher at Bayside HS, I see the need for a new building everyday. 1:1 devices but no structure for students to charge them. Hallways overly crowded so much I have to stand in my doorway between classes so I don't further congest the halls. Art teachers having to share one classroom space for all art classes and having to be in non-art classes when they cannot get in. A/c units leaking in my class. Besides all the NW planning region has 6 schools currently over capacity while others (NE) have zero. The focus should be where people and students are increasing and causing capacity to overflow. Can health factors such as air quality and rates of illness that may be associated with the workplace be considered? Severe allergies, cancer and a decline in live birth rates seems to be an issue at Princess Anne HS. Many strongly believe we work in a sick building with pest infestation and mold/poor air quality. Looking at the rate of illness, it is alarming. I am an original resident of Virginia Beach. My father served as PTA President of Princess Anne HS. I attended both public and private schools In VA Beach. Now my children are current and former students of VBCPS. While my student will probable never see his high school renovated, my personal property tax dollars need to be spent on renovating a NE high school with the greatest of urgency. Our high school students need to be supported to meet the challenges. I am here as a parent and a volunteer. I work primarily at Providence ES and I personally helped with updating the staff lounge and know that many areas need updating. I do have children who will be attending Kempsville HS. It is desperately in need of updates. Please consider using the Renaissance Academy (which is no where near capacity) to help with relocating students during construction. This will take some figuring out but can be done. I believe that high schools should take a priority in renovation/ replacement. High school environments provide an environment where students make some final decisions about their career options. This is why having a modernized high school provides a healthy environment where students believe that they have the resources they need at various high schools to enter a career that they want and will feel compelled to do so. I don't think high school renovations/replacements need to cost $100 million. Can't we make cheaper schools? I'd rather money go Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 12 12
to teachers and in-classroom curricular/learning. I would like to see PAHS be remodeled/rebuilt despite the need to move students temporarily while construction occurs. It is the oldest high school and serves not only those zoned but the IB program as well as the west wing. A building upgrade would benefit several programs as a result. Modernization of a building fixes plumbing and heating but not systematic problems with the school system. The plumbing might be fixed but the system is still broken. Please make it a priority to include a Black Box theater in plans for all future high schools - the black box at Old Donation School has been such a valuable learning tool not only to theater classes but other classes as as well (4th grade for moon phases, English doing Shakespeare, art with ability to manipulate quality and direction of light) - has made such a positive difference for students all over the school. Please rebuild PAHS asap. Mold, plumbing, small classrooms, little group space. Princess Anne HS is already being considered so now: 1/. First Colonial, 2. Bayside High, 3. Kempsville High, 4. Bayside Middle, 5. Princess Anne ES, 6. Shelton Park ES. Renovation and upgrading furniture is sometimes a viable option. Schools that are in dire need of renovation should be put into top consideration for the student's benefit of the future. takes entirely too long to decide and initiate a plan. There is tons of land that is city owned that could be used (like Kellam HS project) to replace all of these outdated schools. There is also no reason why money should be a major factor. I pay a ton in taxes and I am sure I am not the only one. The construction of a new Princess Anne High School should be a priority for the school decision. As the city's (and regions) top performing high school, based on national and state rankings, it is long overdue. The cost is questionable but in the end the schools are great and beautiful. The rate of modernization is too slow on the high school level. There is no doubt that Princess Anne High School should be the first school to be replaced. It has the highest FCI and EAF and has already been put off several times. It is also the oldest building in the city. There have been countless times the power has gone out due to a power surge in the building because the teachers want to incorporate technology but the buildings age limits the use. The rebuilding of PA has been put off too long and needs to be taken care of. Try to reduce the cost for each school so funds will go further. VBCPS should recycle Very concerned with the conditions of high schools. The city of Virginia Beach (and you're not alone in Hampton Roads) Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 13 13
Group Dissatisfied because a lot of high schools have not been done. Princess Ann High School needs to be done - out of space. Hard to go through halls. PA or bust! Swing space decisions - how are they made? Why aren't community meetings like this held to flush out the details? And to provide freedom to the communities. Web 1) The demands of technology can not be used at the older schools. 2) The air-conditioning and heating are always having problems at the older schools. 3) Class sizes are increasing and many of the older schools can't support the number of desks needed. 4) Safety concerns. The older buildings have too many entrances and exits. This is a serious concern due to the nature of world. The location of some schools such as Princess Anne High School the issue of safety is more of a concern due to its high visibility. 26 years ago I went to the same Elementary school that my children are attending and the school is still in outstanding form. I cannot comment on any secondary schools, because I have not had the opportunity to visit them. A good foundation of the structure /building, building is very accessible to get out for students and staff in case any disaster, ( it needs to be a high-tech to detect a fire and high tech to detect an intruder ), A room or space for early students that parents drop off " I've noticed that kids/students been outside dealing with the cold and rainy weather and for there safety too. School facility that have tradition and hightech, even though in teaching its need to have a traditional this is one way of balancing the future of the kids. "AS A PARENTS WE WANTS A BETTER FUTURE FOR OUR KIDS WITHOUT A GOOD FACILITY,GOOD ENVIRONMENT,A GOOD TEACHING, KIDS CANNOT MAKE IT'... A look at various schools shows that many have portable classrooms that are quite frankly in disrepair. a lot of high school facility needs to change. A lot of money is spent on ergonomically designed furniture to place in a school that is old & in need of renovation. It's like putting the cart before the horse... A lot of money spent on the one Kalam high school when lots of other schools need updates. Also thery now have way better fields andsuch which is unfair to other schools. It's not an even playing ground for sports A lot of old buildings- VBCPS needs a capital campaign to get Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 14 14
more money to update older buildings and build new schools. Our children's elementary school had a fire/ smoke smell and couldn't let students in one morning until the fire dept checked it and it was all due to it being an old building. I think too much money was spent on Brickell and newer schools instead of spreading out the money. A lot of school are extremely out of date and are desperate for a renovation yes money can hinder the process but we should be able to apply for grants and find other ways to acquire money for our schools A lot of the the high schools are very run down and the classrooms are small and constricting. Something needs to be done A lot of these buildings are in need of rebuilding. Bayside high school is one that really needs to be rebuild. A lot of time and effort and funds were devoted to replace a state of the art building for ODC and Kemps students when truthfully they are the smallest population of VA Beach students. It's time to resource schools that serve larger populations of students unless that elementary school is so decrepit as to not be worth of a school to "charting the course". A new building or renovation only fosters growth marginally. The Virginia Beach School system needs to take a stand and challenge this and future generations to excel and stop pandering to the lowest common denominator by providing students with low expectations a pass. absolutely love the new ODS. it was hard to have my child ride a bus longer than an hour to attend ODC/Kemps Landing at the old Princess Anne middle school. Result was worth it but she only got to enjoy the new school for 3 months. Now she is in the oldest high school and complains daily about how bad the school building is. probably not a fair comparison after the beautiful ODS! Administrative Buildings and Preschool Assessment Center need work. Age and condition of the school should be the top priority. Every parent is going to think that their school is the best candidate but I think that the needs and safety of the students along with the population of the current school should be the highest priority. Age of facility is important due to mold and other toxic substances that may not have been removed. It is hazardous to employees and students. Age of facility, old carpeting, asbestos, allergen related problems, air handlers, equipment are concerns. A welcome Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 15 15
environment, with modern technology and programming capacity/equipment are considerations. Elementary age are more susceptible to the allergens and sickness as their immune systems are building. High Schools need to accommodate more people and provide the technological/ facility advancements to manage learning and programming for 21st Century skills for work world and/or college track. Additionally, Va. Beach is growing in population. First Colonial High School definitely needs updating! The elementary schools that feed into Lynnhaven Middle need updating, particularly Kingston, Alanton, and LynnhavenES. Aging institutions such as First Colonial High, seem to be at a technological disadvantage. Aging structures in our high schools provide a limited competitive footing with newer, more modern structures across the Commonwealth as we prepare our emerging professionals for their futures. Alanton Elementary School is an original building built in the 1960's. It's about time this school was slated to be modernized. Students going to Alanton will never enjoy being in a new school building as they feed into Lynnhaven Middle School and the extremely old First Colonial High School. It should also be noted that all of these schools are also not one to one in technology. Wondering why these schools have been looked over for years... All new facilities that have already been fielded are phenomenal!! If the same contractor was used for all VB Schools new construction projects - recommend continuation to award then contracts. Having coached basketball and visited numerous schools for my daughter's athletic and other extra-curricular events, ALL of the older Elementary School Male Bathrooms wreak of urine. While waiting for new construction, recommend doing something about this - it's absolutely disgusting and most likely a health issue. All of the newest building are impressive. All of the schools that my children have attended in Virginia Beach (elementary, middle, and high) have been more than 40 years old. The school I teach in is also over 40 years old. The windows are drafty, the ceilings are water stained, the HVAC systems are LOUD, and many of the spaces are not wellsuited for 21st century learners. All schools are overcrowded and falling apart. The city needs to take care of these young people and their education and safety rather than throwing money at absurd tourist attractions, venues and condos. All the factors listed in questions 2-4 are important and each Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 16 16
one should be weighed and taken into consideration appropriately. All the high schools needed to be brought up to date as soon as possible especially schools such as First Colonial, Green Run and Princess Anne HS All three of Kempsville area schools need to be remodeled. They are out of date and with the schools moving to a technology based education then the buildings do not support that move effectively. All the Kempsville area schools do not compare to Landstown's elementary, middle, and High School. They also can't compare to the new Kellam High school either. If we want an opportunity for our student's to compete in a technology centered world then we need to improve the way our schools look, the access to the internet, and the accessability to technolgy for all students not just focus on the the schools that contain Academies. Although Bayside High has been expanded, it is one of the oldest in the city and has poor capacity to house current and future programming needs. Although equity in the classroom has been emphasized, there doesn't seem to be equity when schools are getting new programs, materials and/or building renovations/new buildings. I would like to see more equity applied as the division determines which schools need renovations and/or replacing. Although many schools look old, or have poor technology, some are actually causing repository issues for students and staff. Health should truly be a main driving point as to which schools should be updated. Any school past 40 years old should be replaced as soon as possible. Very good chance of asbestos material were used during construction. Consolidation of one school into 3 or more facilities where feasible. Any school that was built with asbestos materials should be re built ASAP. I did not rate the level groupings because some schools may not be as ill as others. Aquatics could potentially be a big asset and money maker for schools. They could hold practices and meets... water polo is a sport offered at most Ivy League Colleges that offer scholarships. VB is a coastal town, yet water sports are not promoted in the schools... swimming, water polo, diving. Make VB schools progressive with this accomodation along with stellar academic options. architectural plans that can be used over several structures to reduce cost and speed building so more students are able to have updated buildings Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 17 17
are the LEED projects returning the savings that you were expecting. As a alumni of the vbcps I am proud of our school system and more importantly the teachers and staff. New facilities are indeed important but we need the roots of the tree which are our teachers to be nurtured and supported as well As a child that has special needs I am very concerned about him being in the trailers at hermitage next year. (He is currently in K at thortoughgood.) having such a big change like that is very stressful and hard on kids with Autism. I am worried it will hinder his learning. As a city, we need to be careful as we update buildings that those new schools are are exceedingly better than the schools that are no Where near to being placed on the renovation list. Right now Brickell Academy is excessively better than other schools and has limited access for all students, Kellam exceeds all high schools and 2 schools that are being constructed, Dey and PAMS serve a majority of high income, less diverse neighborhoods. Although, my youngest attends Kellam, I teach at a Title 1 school where my students don t have access to those types of buildings. I realize that the city tries to be equitable but it is unfortunate for those students who may never access to these buildings or even opportunity to have input in designing their school building. As a current high school student at Bayside High, I think that high school should be the most prioritized project because this is the final step of a student's journey before they attend college, and therefore, the most important. Elementary school comes second because this is the first step of their journey, and it affects what path they will choose to take in terms of the quality and prioritization of their education As a current staff member in an elementary school, I am concerned about the mold levels within our school. Additionally, there is an ongoing rodent problem that has not been addressed after several years. I believe these are issues relating to the age of the building. As a former student of Princess Anne High School, I would strongly advocate for it to be placed at the top of the list for the next school to be renovated. Although part of the building is fairly recent due to the fire in the 1990s, the majority of PAHS is undeniably an aging building. With growing class sizes, it is unfair for students to be crammed together in small classrooms. Almost every student has at least one class in the infamous "Portable City." There were often rat traps or dripping ceilings when I was a student, and teachers have confirmed to me that these conditions have not improved. Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 18 18
There are parts of PAHS that are filthy no matter how hard they are scrubbed and cleaned, and many aspects of the school are unsafe, such as the caulking electrical outlets. Princess Anne is an amazing school with amazing teachers who teach amazing students, and it is only fair that it has an amazing facility in which to operate. As a high school student, i see the arts are being put on the back burner. The space to do my work in drama is minuscule at best. we are forced to use power tools in the hallways endangering not only us but other students too.i plead with you to add more space for the drama department at Bayside high school. As a military family we have been in many different schools in many different school districts. The overall appearance and quality of the facilities at Green Run High School is subpar and disturbing. It is clear that the school is in dire need of upgrades. As a parent of a Glenwood Elementary student, the capacity of this school concerns me. Due to the current number of students, the school is currently utilizing all the space that they have for classrooms. There are 2 housing developments under construction now that will eventually add to the number of students at Glenwood. Where will these future students go? This school is already so large compared to neighboring schools. Smaller elementary schools are able to do activities & experiences for the students that just aren't feasible with the number of students that Glenwood has. Glenwood does a fantastic job with the education of their students. With new houses being added to their district, however, I believe it is time for VBCPS to consider an addition to Glenwood, or the re-drawing of their district lines, in order to divide the students up more evenly amongst elementary schools in that area. As a parent to a child with profound disabilities, I would like to see more technology, resources, and staffing available for children who are blind, unable to walk/talk, and more recreational equipment for children with limited mobility (electric swings, eye gaze software, etc.) As a student at First colonial high school I Believe that our school should be the next to be rebuilt because their is only a certain amount that can be done to make a disfunctional building work. I would like to say that our administration has done a wonderful job in making our disfunctional building work and keeping it in the best condition possible. How ever know is the time to rebuild, fist colonial cramped, dark and full of roaches. Our building dose not have enough Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 19 19
classrooms for all the teachers and students, a their are at least 5 teachers that are on carts and have to move between classes or have a class in their room during their planing time. Along with teachers having to move rooms making it harder for students to find their teacher, the entire health department, special ed, NJROTC, and a handful of history classes are in trailers in the parking lot, exposed to the elements, like rain an cold. Also we are in need of new athletic facilities,like locker rooms, gym, athletic training room, and weight room. As a student that participates in after school activities I have visited many schools other VB High schools i can say that Fc is one of if not the most in terms of athletic facilities and classrooms. To solve this problem Fc should be rebuilt on the current Lynhaven campas or behind FC in the park and athletic fields. The new Fc should be a multi story campus with different departments on different floors and sections with top athletic facilities to rival Kellem for this side of the city As a student at PAHS, and a former student of TES, HES, and KLMS/ODC, I have had first hand looks at what modern and more run down schools look like and the impact they can have, both positive and negative, on the educational process. As a student my take is slightly biased, but I truly hope that PAHS is the next high school to be renovated. As the oldest high school in the city, going back to the time when Princess Anne County and VB were separate, the building is in dire need of a rebuild. As a student of First Colonial, I am not satisfied with the prioritization of citywide school projects. My school has a roach problem, and we have rats and mice in the ceiling, and black widows have been reported in some rooms across the building. Yet, Kellam got a new school, when some people who attended there said it was still in good condition. There are probably other problems in similar buildings such as Bayside and Kempsville. Kellam didn't need such an extravagant building, as that money could have been spread out across the buildings that need it so renovations could be done. As a Thoroughgood parent, it has been frustrating over the years to watch our old, hazard filled space get bumped from rebuilding timelines for other, seemingly more notable schools to be done first. The hazards within some of these old schools should be taken into account. I realize it is a complicated process, but feel more communication should be out there as to why projects get moved to or from the front of the line and as to what constitutes the priorities. Thank you Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 20 20
for putting out this survey and for trying to reach the amazing families of our district. As my children played and still play high school sports, I have been to all the high schools in the area. The older schools (Bayside, Kempsville, PA) are in serious need of updates. This is both the school and the support areas. Kempsville's stadium and bleachers should be at least a minor embarrassment to the city. Not to mention how the kids from these schools feel when the travel to Kellam. I know there is demand in the southeast section of the city as the population there continues to grow, but the overall plan must include recapitalization in the areas which are not going to grow (already full) to ensure all VA Beach children have the same opportunities moving forward. One item which may be considered in the long term capital plan may be the reduction in the number of elementary schools in the city. In the long run in may be more cost effective to increase the capacity of some schools and then combine so to decrease the overall cost of ownership. As new enrollees enter our district we are definitely in need of more modernized, high tech large facilities like Kellam HS an Ocean Lakes HS so that class sizes don't become increasingly large and unruly. As schools go 1:1 the need for better servers and wifi is crucial. As the school division goes to the technology way of learning our schools or their ability to use the technology are way behind. In certain parts of older schools the internet connection is slow and weak. As we move further into the 21st century will advanced technology being brought into the class the schools need to reflect these changes. All schools need to be modernized with new classroom technologies, new building technology, and a modern look. When planning the size of a school in an every changing and growing city, plans need to be made in order to accommodate future student numbers. No student should have to leave the school building and walk to a portable classroom. There should be more than enough space inside the school itself to easily handle all classes. School design should also incorporate as much green technology as possible to limit our carbon foot print and set the trend for city developments. The use of green garden roofs, solar panels, geothermal pumps, natural light to illuminate the class room and halls, etc. The schools in the city should be a beacon of joy and advancement to the public and not seen as a run down, dilapidated building that hasn't been touched in over Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 21 21
40 years. At Lynnhaven middle there is already little space and cramped rooms. Why are we allowing the achievable dream academy to be housed at this school? At the Elementary school level most of gymnasiums are not big enough to house entire grade levels. There can be from 60 to 120 students in the gym at a time. In Virginia Beach the whole grade attends PE at once. If it rains their is only one place to go. The Elementary school gyms also have out dated hard brick floors which are unsafe for so many students in the gym at one time. I love that Virginia Beach has physical education everyday, but facilities need to be improved so quality physical education can be taught. Two or larger gymnasiums at each Elementary school, outdoor spaces that stay dry after it rains, and health classrooms should be provided to safely and effectively teach students the skills the need to take care of their bodies Attendance in our school system is growing quicker than we can keep up - whether it be facilities or personnel. One of my son s middle school cluster classes had over 30 students in it because there simply wasn t physical space for another class. And now in high school as a freshman, he has been placed in two regular ed classes because there wasn t room in the cluster classes for him. (They are advanced classes, but most of his classmates are seniors.) I don t know if that s due to a personnel or building space shortage. But, it sure does make it difficult for a socially challenged teen to make connections when he s not in classes with his peers. We need to address overcrowding of our schools in order to adequately service our growing population. B F Williams please help that school please they have a very bad roach problem Bayside 6th is in great need of a new facility. Bayside High needs immediate attention Bayside High needs to be torn down and rebuilt. Bayside High School has been open for years and no noticeable renovations in last 20 years. Bayside High school is a school with entirely too many students for the space given. Teachers have to result in sharing classrooms with 1-2 other teachers. The hallways are too small to walk through, so kids are always late to class because of the traffic in the hallways. The hallways are especially bad if a fight ever occurs, because everyone crowds around causing a blockage. Kids will be late to class and teachers would mark the kids absent for being stuck behind the crowd, then kids have to go to the tardy window and get a Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 22 22
pass which affects their time in the classroom which effects their education. The cafeteria is too small to house all the kids per lunch block, causing some kids to stand, sit on each other, or share a chair, and then the kids get yelled at for standing because we should be sitting. The bathrooms situations are horrible. The 900 hall girls bathroom has 2 doors that dont even close so you have to push against it while you pee. Also, those stalls are about 5 foot tall, so anyone taller than that has no privacy without someone looking over. The other bathrooms have poor sinks who were made for a 3 year old, even the 5 foot girls have to bend over to reach the sink to wash their hands. The soap dispensers rarely have soap in them because there is not enough soap and sinks ratio with the amout of people going to the bathroom. The is no place in the whole school to come together and have a pep rally. Other schools like tallwood, pa, salem can fit all the kids in their one gym. We have to have pep rallys outside on the bleachers and if the weather is bad we have to cancel the rallies and they never get rescheduled. Bayside High school is an incredibly old looking building that feels gross to walk around in everyday. Bayside high school is highly outdated, hallways are packed like sardines and in very bad condition. New school is highly recommended Bayside High School is in desire need of rebuilding. The hallways are constantly jammed due to the lack of space. Hallway jams often lead to tardies & arguments that sometimes escalate to physical altercations. We have problems with over rowing in the cafeteria. You simply cannot get from one class to the next within the five allotted minuets to do so. Our school also does not look inviting. There is still original tiles from 1964. The bathroom facilities are not appropriate either. The girls restroom in the 900 hall is out of date. The doors probably aren t much higher than 5 feet tall. The are not enough sinks or soap dispensers for the amount of people s using the bathrooms. There is no place within the school that the entire student body can come together at one time for assemblies, pep rallies, or the like. Our school was not built for the amount of students it holds. There is simply not enough room for the amount of students in attendance. The gym is too small to hold enough spectators that attend basketball games. Our gym is too small. There are not enough classrooms. Teachers have to share rooms & leave during classes because there are not enough rooms. Our school needs to be rebuilt. Bayside High school is in need of a renovation as soon as Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 23 23
possible. Its dirty, to small and falling apart. The class rooms have to be shared and some classes don't have the things they need for the class. Bayside High School is in need of deep renovation or better yet start from scratch and have an entirely new building. Bayside High school is literally falling apart as the flooring on the 600 hall is pealing up with only a mat to cover it. There are dead rats that stink up the school and my freshman year we had a team building exercise in orchestra where we had to remove everything from the cabinets because they were infested with termites. I cant walk down the halls without seeing at least 3 cockroaches and 2 spiders. It is just repulsive! Bayside High School is not the school it once was, we can no longer accommodate to the needs of our students. The students in the program do not have the resources for their studies, and the zoned kids are ignorant and do not have respect for the building. The building is overpopulated and crowded, not only with students but with pests too. Bayside High School is old and run down. It is in a lower income area and it looks like the money goes to the higher income school areas and the lower income areas suffer. I feel that Bayside should be a priority for replacement! Bayside high school is very crowded in halls and it is very hard and frustrated to get to class in the 5 minutes that we have to get to class. All of students in the small halls leads to fights and pushing in the halls which takes away from learning and makes it hard to go to school every day. Bayside High school has too many students for the lack of hall space that the building has. It is also lacking in lunch room space due to the fact that most of the school buys lunch and it will take up to 15 minutes to get your lunch if you are buying it and that only leaves 10 minutes to eat. The other thing at Bayside that need help is the football/soccer field. It is by far the worst field in the 757 of all of the high schools. It is not flat and it has more dirt then grass. All in all Bayside needs new every thing because the school is too small for the amount of kids that go here. Bayside High School is very unsatisfactory. There are too many students for the small hallways, the school frequently has rats and cockroaches, and the quality of the building is very old and falling apart. The teachers and students both agree that Bayside High School needs to be rebuilt to a modern building that is big enough to hold the amount of students that walk through the halls. Bayside High School needs a new building to help the current students. The Health Sciences Academy doesn't have the kind Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 24 24
of facility it needs to give its students the best opportunities bro built for all of these schools at the same time, emergency for learning. space utilization plans should be enacted. In the past, old Bayside High School needs some serious renovations...and and ugly portables helped to minimize the over crowded any other high school from that era. conditions. These were, for the most part, removed. I don't Bayside High School needs to be replaced. know how other schools have managed this problem of Bayside high school should be first on the list! bulldog BFS that were constructed with a much smaller enrollment in mind, but immediate solutions need to be put Bayside High School should be given a higher priority for into place. replacement. Bayside High School, Kempsville High School, and First Bayside high school should be redone, almost every other Colonial are all based on similar designs that are not high school has been and it is frustrating not getting to conductive for charting a course for the 21st Century. How experience those same pleasures. can you say we offer equality and equity when parents and Bayside High School should have been replaced way before students step into Landstown High School, Tallwood, and the Renaissance Academy for the truant and failing kids. Kellam High Schools and then visit the older high schools in Bayside High School is old. I moved here in Virginia Beach in the beach. The staff at BHS, KHS, and FCHS due wonders to January 1983 because of military orders, I was on active duty over come the shortfalls of buldings built when the slide rules at the time, Bayside High School was already there at its and computers that took up entire rooms where high present location. 34 years later this year, Bayside High School technology. is still there and screaming for retirement. Bayside HS is one of the oldest HS that is in need of a Bayside High School, First Colonial HS, Princess Anne High complete overhaul School, Kempsville High School are all extremely Bayside HS must be next. overcrowded. At Bayside hallways are dangerously clogged frequently. Tempted flair daily. If a fight breaks out, it is Bayside is in Desperate need of modernization difficult for security personnel to act. If new facilities cannot Bayside is in need of new facilities Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 25 25
Bayside middle needs a complete tear down and rebuild. BAYSIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL IS A DUMP AND OUTDATED. THE SCHOOL SHOULD BE UPDATED ASAP! HE LUNCH ROOM IS TOO SMALL FOR THE AMOUNT OF KIDS AT THE SCHOOL. WITH THE WEATHER GETTING COLD THE ROOMS WINDOWS ARE LEAKING COLD AIR INTO THE CLASSROOMS. Bayside Middle School needs a completely new facility. When it rains outside it rains inside the school and students, faculty, and staff risk serious safety problems. The custodians go into over time when it rains and has to do even more work during their work day. Also, classrooms need to be updated along with the building furniture in most classes. We need to address this problem ASAP. BAYSIDE NEEDS A NEW SCHOOL! WE HAVE ROACHES AND IT IS NASTY! Bayside needs to be rebuilt. Stop focusing on the places that haven't been doing so poorly, but on the lower income schools. You should want everyone to have a nice education and part of that should be to help students environment. I remember going to Ocean Lakes High School and being astonished to the services provided to students, and I hadn't even walked in. I was facing them in a soccer match. While I am not saying give us what they have, I am saying Bayside kids feel like their school is broke, and I would like to see that change. Bayside needs to be renovated. Our school is old and accomidates the health science academy which is one of the biggest academies. Our school does not set extremely high repetation and the health science academy deserves better so please, make bayside high's facility better Bayside, Kempsville, First Colonial should be replaced before PA. All three schools should have the same plan. Perhaps if a contract was agreed upon for three schools at the same time a less expensive price could be the result. Beautiful new and needed construction of ODS. For cost, suboptimal planning for parking/traffic flow and use of facilities (unable to darken theater for artistic glass), etc. When plan new building projects, consideration for function/city planning as well as aesthetics need more attention. Kempsville High and Middle definitely need attention to facility renovation. Because, most of the high school in Virginia Beach were built in the 60's. Before building another state of the art school, consider updating/equalizing older schools with the modernization Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 26 26
tools provided to the newest schools. Believe that geography and also the relation of feeder schools To upper schools should have a role as well. Some kids will spend their entire school experience in substandard schools. i have one child at beautiful Old Donation school and her twin at Lynnhaven. Hard to explain why one gets something so wonderful and another gets mediocre with nothing to look forward to even in HS, since the next step is FC. Bettie F Williams needs to be replaced. That building is in deplorable condition and I am surprised parents have not complained. We, as a city should be embarrassed by the condition of that school Bettie F. Williams E.S. is in dire need of renovation. As a Reading Specialist here in the building, I see this need daily. These children deserve to have a building that is as modernized as the other two buildings in the Tri-Campus. The overall building is run down and the surrounding grounds are minimally maintained. Parents dropping their children off in the morning must drive through a parking lot with potholes and a shed near the gym with busted windows. At the beginning of the school year, a sofa sat in the parking lot by the dumpster for at least a month before being removed. The building is frequently cold in certain rooms and wet paper towels are often placed on thermostats by teachers to get their heat to turn on. Windows leak when it rains and paint is needed in many areas of the building. The teachers and administrators are working hard to provide the very best instruction for these children in sub-par and depressing surroundings. As a digital anchor school, we have several issues with connectivity that impede on the educational process. VBCPS could do, and should do so much better for this Title I school, its deserving students and their families. Bettie F. Williams is a Title I school with deserving students and their families. Our students attend two new buildings (Diamond Springs and Newtown) before arriving in our building. In arriving at our building, our grounds are only minimally maintained. Parents participating in drop-off or pick-up have to drive through a parking lot full of potholes and maneuver through an area that was never meant to be used for these purposes, making it difficult for teachers (even when arriving on time) to park and parents to drop off. Even the lines in that section of the parking lot aren't measured quite right, because some are twice the width of a vehicle and others are only half. Last spring, a sofa sat in the middle of the parking lot for almost a month before someone finally came and removed it. A shed in the back near the gym has Virginia Beach City Public Schools - Community Dialogue #1 Results 27 27