I’m working on a fic rn and it takes place right after the barrier being taken down, in my mind because thousands of student enroll at aurodon prep in a matter of months they’re forced to do co ed dorms and have as many as 4 people in one dorm. What do you think abt this.
Hi, so I thought I'd made a post about this but apparently I can't see it so here goes:
After the barrier comes down, Ben commissions a whole new school just for kids from the Isle. They put up temporary housing over the summer and then term starts the next year. He repurposes an old college building into a new school just for VKs after learning about their lack of formal schooling and need for extra support.
Students are sorted not by grade or age but tested and taught based on their ability level, as some of the older Isle kids cannot even read. There are extra support lessons for those who are very far behind where they should be.
There is also a food programme put into place, designed to bring all of the VKs up to a healthy weight and also to adjust their stomachs to the richer Auradonian food.
Living conditions can be quite cramped, with dorms of as many as 8 of the younger kids and then up to four for the older ones, though they aim for four/two as the goal. but the rooms are large enough to accommodate that, they are furnished to a high standard and they're clean, warm and dry. Each dorm has its own bathroom and the older kids aren't co-ed but I couldn't say for the younger ones. Siblings are usually placed together if they're of similar ages, or at least close by if they are not.
the curriculum is designed for Isle kids and though attendance isn't mandatory, completion does give points for getting into colleges. Ben would also probably ask some of the older VKs who have technically 'aged out' of the system (the core four/uma/anyone in that year and above) to attend as well, to try and influence the younger VKs who look up to them to attend the school.
so that's where i sit with that, that's my own personal sort of storyline as i believe they wouldn't want to clog up auradon prep (famously a school for royals and others of note) with all the kids from the Isle as there will, as you noted, be thousands of them.
(my unofficial, official count from my population post being: at the time the barrier comes down there are approximately 2,700 children under the age of five, 2,850 children of elementary school level (5-10), 1,350 children of middle school level (11-13), 1,600 children of high school age (14-18) and 1,300 adults who are over the age of 18 but still fall into the ‘villain kid’ category because they were born on the isle of the lost.)
also noting this does not take into account anything we currently know about rise of red.
thanks for the question, i hope this helps!