Author: hpokadmin

Our next general meeting will feature a guest speaker. Bill Adams

Is More Health Care Better Care? Until recently, most people were concerned about getting too little health care. This is still a concern for many.

But a new problem has crept upon us in recent decades: too much health care. This means too many tests, procedures, and services that don’t help and can harm. We are overdosing on health care.

Overuse and overspending in health care affect our personal well-being and the larger economy. They deprive our country of resources for other priorities like education, transportation, research, community safety, and human services.

Bill Adams from Baby Boomers for Balanced Health Care will lead us through a community conversation. 

Come share your perspective and experiences. Thursday, November 17 at 7 p.m. at Resurrection Lutheran Church, Parish Hall, 6201 Washington Blvd.

A recent story in the Washington Post on our neighborhood

ICE CREAM SOCIAL FOR HP-OK ON SEPTEMBER 11 – Join friends and neighbors from Highland Park-Overlee Knolls for an ice cream social on September 11 at the Parkhurst Park gazebo from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Meet the newly elected president of HP-OK association, Mike O’Malley, and hear about upcoming events and priorities for the neighborhood.

Ice cream treats will be provided.

Please spread the word to friends and neighbors!

This is the clearinghouse for news about the HPOK Civic Association. You can find explanations of what Civic Associations are all about, listings of upcoming events, pay annual dues, contact the CA officers, and read items of news and interest.

The Reed School: A brief history explains why it’s such a point of contention.

The Reed School was built in 1938, added onto in the 1960s, and served as an elementary school until 1984, when it was deemed unsafe and unnecessary and closed. At the time, Arlington was experiencing declines in elementary enrollment. Like other former elementary schools (for example, the Lee Center at Lee Highway and Lexington street) the site became a mixed use facility: part community center and part devoted to the Children’s School, a pre-K facility primarily for the children of employees of Arlington Public Schools. Between 1984 and today, enrollment in Arlington County schools began to increase at much more rapid rates than expected. Pressure for elementary school seats began to increase as well.

In 2008, the old building was effectively demolished, with the the exception of the original facade, and a new building combining the Westover branch library,  The Children’s School, and several other APS smaller programs was opened. That extensive renovation included a foundation capable of bearing a second floor. As remodeled, the Children’s school has first floor classroom space for approximately 400 students, with additional space on the second floor, though it lacks a full size gym, cafeteria, and library

Since that time enrollments have continued to grow much faster than projected. APS has built a new elementary school in North Arlington (Discovery) and made very substantial additions to others. However, overcrowding remains a severe problem. There have been a number of proposals for the Reed site, which is among the largest Elementary school sites in the County.

HPOK, along with the three neighboring Civic Associations (tara-leeway; Leeway-Overlee; Westover Village), believes that Reed should be returned to use as a walkable neighborhood elementary school. APS has announced that it will soon return to use as an elementary school and also that it will soon be expanded to house 720 students. However, they have not said what kind of school it will be, a walkable neighborhood Elementary school or a countywide “choice” school with enrollment by lottery.