Safety Concerns re ASFS Renovation Project Plans
The PTA has serious safety concerns about new construction plans that APS Design & Construction submitted to Arlington County on July 10th for county approval.
As part of the ASFS kitchen renovation project, Arlington Public Schools (APS) is planning to relocate parking to our front traffic circle. The front circle is the only point of entry and exit for school buses and family vehicles and frames our amphitheater and front steps, which we use regularly for school and PTA events.
After input from our community at the May 13th PTA meeting, APS proposed a safer design that kept all parking in the existing lot rather than in the traffic circle. We were glad to see that proposal.
On July 10th, APS reversed course with virtually no notice to the ASFS administration and submitted new plans that place parking back in the traffic circle.
After delving into this issue further independently, the ASFS PTA has found a simple and cost-effective solution to relocate parking to an existing parking lot (off N. Kirkwood) that is partially on School Board and partially on County Board property. This solution will allow the kitchen renovation plans to move forward as APS planned, but with no impact to the front traffic circle.
This possible solution requires quick and urgent coordination with Arlington County. If you have a personal or professional connection to a member of the Arlington County Board, we would very much appreciate your help. Please reach out at president@asfspta.org so we can coordinate.
More background on the safety concerns and what we've done so far is below, if you'd like further details.
Why this matters
The traffic circle is not a typical parking area — it is an active zone that every student, family, and staff member passes through every school day, and it serves several functions at once:
It's our only bus loop. Unlike some other Arlington schools, ASFS has a single point of entry and exit for buses, meaning there is no separate, lower-traffic access route where a parking space could be added more safely.
It's our primary drop-off and pick-up zone. Adding a parking space means cars backing into and pulling out of that spot would do so with no barrier or separation from the regular traffic flowing around the circle.
It's tight, shared space. The maneuvering required to park in that location, alongside buses, pedestrians, and moving traffic, creates real risk of collision — not just with vehicles, but with children and families on foot.
It's the site of our amphitheater and front steps. A parking space here permanently changes how that space can be used for school and PTA events, well beyond the construction period itself.
Taken together, this isn't a minor design tradeoff — it introduces a daily safety risk at the single busiest, most congested point on our campus, and does so in a way that would be difficult or costly to reverse once built.
What we've done so far
Since learning of this reversal, the PTA has:
Raised the issue directly with APS Facilities and Operations, Design & Construction staff, and APS leadership, including the Superintendent's office
Contacted Arlington County permitting staff to understand the technical requirements driving this decision
Reached out to our Arlington School Board liaison
Requested meetings with members of the Arlington County Board
Despite several rounds of correspondence, we have not received a clear explanation for why the safer, previously agreed-upon design was abandoned, and construction is moving forward on a compressed timeline.
How you can help
We believe this decision should be made with student and family safety as the top priority — not project schedule pressure that is unlikely to be met regardless.
If you have a personal or professional connection to a member of the Arlington County Board, we would very much appreciate your help getting our concerns heard directly. Please reach out to us at president@asfspta.org so we can coordinate.
We'll continue to keep the community updated as this develops. Thank you for your support and advocacy on behalf of our kids.
