Thread by @RVAdirt

Literally the one time I assume it’s South Side Community Center on Old Warwick.... the meeting is at the community center Southside Plaza. 😂🤷🏻‍♀️

Anyway, at the right place. Rezoning information session thread starts here. 🧜🏻‍♀️

https://twitter.com/RVAdirt/status/1133805145836445698

We are about to get started at the public information session. Dr. Shadae Harris, Chief Engagement Officer, is kicking things off.

“We are doing this with you, not to you.”

Additionally says the Office of Community Engagement is open to feedback on engaging the community.

First dude 🗣: Matt Cropper of Cropper GIS Consulting who did the rezoning study.

They have worked with RPS since 2011. He noted that he has walked through the school facilities twice: in 2011 and again this year. Says he almost knows Richmond better than his own community. 🧜🏻‍♀️

This is why they are here. New schools opening. But also there are additional considerations:
- demographic and population changes
- consolidating building facilities (schools, admin/office staff, etc)

#RPSBoard 🧜🏻‍♀️

These are the elementary, middle, and high school building utilization maps. The darker the pink means the more crowd the school for that zone is. #RPSBoard 🧜🏻‍♀️

#RPSBoard Chair Dawn Page is here and has a few comments. She notes that this is a comprehensive rezoning. That means rezoning all levels of schools. Elementary, middle, and high school. She says this is the first time since the 70s. 🧜🏻‍♀️

Back to Matt. He is on this slide about project objectives. He reassures the public that they focus on data driven decisions, not emotional decisions. Says the guiding principles will be the guide, not public discontent. 🧜🏻‍♀️

This is a slide about what Cropper GIS was contracted to do. #RPSBoard 🧜🏻‍♀️

These are the guiding principle categories (deets in pics) that the rezoning committee will use to determine which data driven plan is best option for RPS.

#1: community engagement
#2: improving student experience

#RPSBoard 🧜🏻‍♀️

Let me pause and highlight that last bullet.

Yes. School closures are a topic of discussion here. It is CRITICAL to get engaged in this process. #RPSBoard 🧜🏻‍♀️

The final guiding principle the rezoning committee will consider is what the plan is to do with the empty buildings. #RPSBoard 🧜🏻‍♀️

We are currently in PHASE 4. Of what GIS was contracted to do.

OPTIONS WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE COMMITEE AT THE MEETING IN LATE JUNE!!!!! #RPSBoard 🧜🏻‍♀️

Here’s some info on the first phase... Data collection.

And second phase.... data analysis. Each diff color is a “planning block.” He says planning blocks are what they used to analyze data and it helps them to know what planning block you live in to localize your feedback. 🧜🏻‍♀️

At the rezoning committee meeting TOMORROW they will have the background report that has planning blocks and data and fun stuff.

It’ll be online either the same day or day after. #RPSBoard 🧜🏻‍♀️

Ooooh boy.... there is an online map that they will update with information. Here is the link. #RPSBoard 🧜🏻‍♀️

croppermap.com/richmondrezoni…

“Is it bringing us closer to achieving guiding principles” - Cooper explains that in options development any changes to the options should meet that threshold. These options will be presented at the June 27th meeting. #RPSBoard 🧜🏻‍♀️

Phase 4 public and committee engagement information. Including who is on the committee. #RPSBoard 🧜🏻‍♀️

Says public draft of options is targeted for tentative August 13th and 14th meeting presentation dates. #RPSBoard 🧜🏻‍♀️

HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE??????

There’s an online form!

rvaschools.net/Page/5403

Alright and now we are to audience questions.

Q1: did you account for schools with exceptional Ed and pre-K classes in class size when calculating utilization?

Yes. They reduced classroom capacity for schools with those programs.

Note that Pre-K programs aren’t in the scope of this rezoning. It is assumed that they will keep those programs in place at the same buildings.

Q: Is this new data or same data from 2011?

A: new data.

Q: What about Teacher and PTA input?

They want input from everyone. Answer was pretty weak but Dr. Harris jumped up with the office of Community engagement’s specific strategy of engagement. Chairwoman Page adds to that engagement pitch w/ diversity of rezoning committee. 🧜🏻‍♀️

Q: How close are your current numbers from the previous rezoning numbers? How close are those numbers compared to these numbers?

A: Hard to say because #RPSBoard then only took some of the recommendations and stuff. 🧜🏻‍♀️

As far as projections... Says Southside growth was unanticipated but they try to stay within +/- 2% and they are pretty close to that. Assures accuracy. 🧜🏻‍♀️

Q: how will the situation from last time be avoided where people were not about it and nothing got done.

A: community engagement.

Dr. Harris stands and adds that this will be an emotional process and we will acknowledge the emotion, honor it, recognize it’s hard....

... but don’t let emotion be what makes the decisions. She acknowledged history of race and tough conversations that need to be had.

Cooper adjusts his statement on emotion to say that that’s what he meant. Don’t drive the convo with emotion. 🧜🏻‍♀️

Out here.... getting informed. #RPSBoard 🧜🏻‍♀️

Q: How are you factoring in open enrollment and future goal of specialty high schools.

A: they have a way to calculate that in and out flow. They can factor in students that go to their school in district vs students that don’t. 🧜🏻‍♀️

Q: do you factor in space for new school build? in Richmond there isn’t a lot of land but we need new schools.

A: we can’t really do that because it would be hypothetical and guess work unless they know where the schools are going to be

⚠️random thought I don’t want to forget: isn’t the third guiding principle what to do with the vacant buildings?

wouldn’t that include demolition? couldn’t that in theory also include the recommendation to build a new school on that site?

And then... from there... wouldn’t they be able to factor in new school build with their options? Because they would then know where they would be built?

Obviously it isn’t going to be +/-2% but like.... yo.... we have a LOT of buildings to figure out what to do with. Idk. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Q: is the current Elkhart Thompson going to be demolished? Or what?

A: that decision will be made as part of the rezoning.

Concerns voiced about how do we stop the scenario where the last board didn’t follow through with what the community wanted. Also concerns voiced about engagement in the process.

Dr. Harris says they will schedule meetings and plan them to be in communities so they are accessible and build a strategy to engage people to show up but they also need community help in driving attendance to meetings.

Dr. Harris also says they may need to consider what feedback looks like. Cites door knocking as an example with surveys.

Specific concerns raised about how under-advertised this meeting was.

Wow. I seriously thought it was just me being busy that missed this meeting but I only happened to see it by chance at 2PM. 😳

Well that’s the end of this meeting..... next one is tomorrow. That’s the first rezoning committee meeting. That’s where they will go over that background report. That will be made public online.

Here is the link to the rezoning input survey:

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAI…

And one more time.... here’s the link for more information about the @RPS_Schools rezoning process. #RPSBoard 🧜🏻‍♀️

rvaschools.net/Page/5403

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