Inside Peter Balas’ Principal’s Chat
Lauren Larsen
“There shouldn’t be one culinary arts kitchen for 5,000 students,” said Principal Peter Balas during his December Principal’s Chat. Every month, Balas hosts a breakfast discussion for parents to come and learn about upcoming plans for T.C. and offer their input on various matters.
The High School Project, an initiative to relieve the overcrowding at T.C., has not yet developed a solution to the population problem. However, in the January Principal’s Chat, Balas addressed the possibility of partnerships with local colleges or multiple distributed campuses. Enrollment growth is losing speed and ACPS has lowered its projections, but overcrowding is still a major issue.
“By the next five to ten years, we’ll be over five thousand [students],” said Balas. Despite the estimated decreased projection, Balas said that the arrival of Amazon Headquarters might alter these projections.
One idea to ease the overcrowding issue is to partner with NOVA (Northern Virginia Community College) and/or Virginia Tech. “Students would be able to have their high school experience at a college,” said Balas, by receiving their diploma in conjunction with their Associate’s Degree.
By 2021, Balas aims to have these partnerships instituted. From then on, 100 students would be enrolled in these colleges every year.
However, one parent said, “Pulling out 100 students at a time isn’t going to solve the problem.”
Another parent was also worried that partnership programs would deprive students of the classic high school experience of football games, club events, and school dances.
Despite concerns, Balas said that this idea requires more time and development before it becomes official, “we’re still in the visioning phase.”
Another solution is to create a connected high school network through a multicampus approach. One such campus could be on the property where Minnie Howard is located because Alexandria City already owns it.
Balas stressed that the institution of multiple campuses should not imply an inferiority to the King Street campus. His goal is to provide an appealing and strongly academic atmosphere with the same opportunities as the current campus. Balas stressed connection, not isolation, from the current building.
The King Street campus may become a 9-12 grade building, just with fewer students as other campuses are established.
These other campuses would be specialized to an academic area of student interest. Campuses based on career pathways will develop student passions now, which, could translate to their future. Each campus would offer more electives specific to the subject matter they center around, making specialized pathways possible.
Balas understands the struggle of commuting to class through a crowded hallway. He jokingly compared the school’s congestion to Union Station. Balas and the School Board have made it their top priority to manage the population problem at T.C.
