FCPS HS Boundary

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was concerned about HS boundaries when I was buying my house a year ago. I would have loved to buy in Falls Church City, but I don't have 2 million dollars and prefer AP curriculum, so we closed that topic. Instead, I did second best - bought in Fairfax City. We are guaranteed to go to Fairfax High School come hell or high water, by City ordinance.

While folks who can buy walking distance to Langley and company are also effectively assured their attendance zones, people with modest housing budgets like our family could not afford those subdivisions. We could potentially afford to buy in Oakton HS, but then there would be no guarantees come next redistricting since areas that feed into Falls Church HS actually spread WAAAAY outside the beltway and are separated by two city blocks. I cannot afford to gamble. MCPS across the Potomac is adjusting boundaries on roughly half the schools in the coming year. Depending on how this election goes, Fairfax may be next.

We looked at FFX High School outcomes, trying to see past the overall Great Schools score. We saw a clear bimodal distribution of the student body at FFX HS, with kids who put in the work having every opportunity to grow + having both a community college and GM University nearby, allowing both dual enrollment and research opportunities. I spoke to multiple co-workers who felt that their kids got great preparation to attend top colleges, coming out of FFX High School. Also, having a large part of the student body who is focusing on non-academic pursuits is actually helpful in modern day admissions game.

Honestly, that's my best advice for folks with a modest budget.

I’m sorry that you were limited in your house selection, and glad that it worked out for you. The SB is going to cause this to happen much more if they get their way with sprawling redistricting soon and then every five years thereafter.

Quite the opposite. The current trend will mean we'll eventually have about a quarter of the pyramids who rise at "Langley" level of reputation with old folks sitting on their nest egg as long as possible. Meanwhile homes that are moving and are reasonably priced will only be found in lower pyramids. That's exactly what has led to PP being stuck at Fairfax HS.

Responsible redistricting would mean PP and all of us who can't drop 2 million have access to many more pyramids.

Self-interest at its core. Sounds like you want to bring down property values to the point where you can be one of the haves instead of the have nots. Kinda gross if you stop to think about it.

Or is it more gross that someone who was born 5-10 years earlier had the chance to buy practically anywhere, and is now hoarding resources so that no one else in their same position 5 years later can do the same?

This current housing market is easier to buy in than is was in 2005-2015 time when these current teens were born

Maybe? The ideal house cost to income is 3:1, which was true for the boomers. Today the ration is 5.5:1 meaning most people cannot afford homes.

"I can't afford the house I'd like in your neighborhood, so your kids should be bussed to my neighborhood school so my kids can attend yours."

Not a pitch that stands to resonate with the new School Board, much less parents.

This is played out for now. Best to park it until they actually adopt a new policy or make a specific proposal.

. No. You don’t sit around and wait until a new policy is adopted. Don’t be ridiculous.

Going to the meetings and speaking about property values won't be a good look. Guaranteeing profits for land sales is not within the School Board's purview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was concerned about HS boundaries when I was buying my house a year ago. I would have loved to buy in Falls Church City, but I don't have 2 million dollars and prefer AP curriculum, so we closed that topic. Instead, I did second best - bought in Fairfax City. We are guaranteed to go to Fairfax High School come hell or high water, by City ordinance.

While folks who can buy walking distance to Langley and company are also effectively assured their attendance zones, people with modest housing budgets like our family could not afford those subdivisions. We could potentially afford to buy in Oakton HS, but then there would be no guarantees come next redistricting since areas that feed into Falls Church HS actually spread WAAAAY outside the beltway and are separated by two city blocks. I cannot afford to gamble. MCPS across the Potomac is adjusting boundaries on roughly half the schools in the coming year. Depending on how this election goes, Fairfax may be next.

We looked at FFX High School outcomes, trying to see past the overall Great Schools score. We saw a clear bimodal distribution of the student body at FFX HS, with kids who put in the work having every opportunity to grow + having both a community college and GM University nearby, allowing both dual enrollment and research opportunities. I spoke to multiple co-workers who felt that their kids got great preparation to attend top colleges, coming out of FFX High School. Also, having a large part of the student body who is focusing on non-academic pursuits is actually helpful in modern day admissions game.

Honestly, that's my best advice for folks with a modest budget.

I’m sorry that you were limited in your house selection, and glad that it worked out for you. The SB is going to cause this to happen much more if they get their way with sprawling redistricting soon and then every five years thereafter.

Quite the opposite. The current trend will mean we'll eventually have about a quarter of the pyramids who rise at "Langley" level of reputation with old folks sitting on their nest egg as long as possible. Meanwhile homes that are moving and are reasonably priced will only be found in lower pyramids. That's exactly what has led to PP being stuck at Fairfax HS.

Responsible redistricting would mean PP and all of us who can't drop 2 million have access to many more pyramids.

Self-interest at its core. Sounds like you want to bring down property values to the point where you can be one of the haves instead of the have nots. Kinda gross if you stop to think about it.

Or is it more gross that someone who was born 5-10 years earlier had the chance to buy practically anywhere, and is now hoarding resources so that no one else in their same position 5 years later can do the same?

This current housing market is easier to buy in than is was in 2005-2015 time when these current teens were born

Maybe? The ideal house cost to income is 3:1, which was true for the boomers. Today the ration is 5.5:1 meaning most people cannot afford homes.

"I can't afford the house I'd like in your neighborhood, so your kids should be bussed to my neighborhood school so my kids can attend yours."

Not a pitch that stands to resonate with the new School Board, much less parents.

This is played out for now. Best to park it until they actually adopt a new policy or make a specific proposal.

. No. You don’t sit around and wait until a new policy is adopted. Don’t be ridiculous.

Going to the meetings and speaking about property values won't be a good look. Guaranteeing profits for land sales is not within the School Board's purview.

It's clear that many members of the School Board would like to use boundary changes as a way to reallocate housing equity. However, they won't admit it, and there won't be anything in the revised boundary policy that speaks to that. So anyone who shows up at a School Board meeting and complains about their houses losing value will get brushed off.

It may resonate more if people keep driving home the point that over the years FCPS deliberately varied what different schools offer. It's odd to highlight the variety of programs, but then tell parents it really doesn't matter and we can just reassign you, for example, from an AP school to an IB school if we feel like it. The wealthiest will get around it by pupil placing; those with lesser means may have fewer options and won't be able to swing that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was concerned about HS boundaries when I was buying my house a year ago. I would have loved to buy in Falls Church City, but I don't have 2 million dollars and prefer AP curriculum, so we closed that topic. Instead, I did second best - bought in Fairfax City. We are guaranteed to go to Fairfax High School come hell or high water, by City ordinance.

While folks who can buy walking distance to Langley and company are also effectively assured their attendance zones, people with modest housing budgets like our family could not afford those subdivisions. We could potentially afford to buy in Oakton HS, but then there would be no guarantees come next redistricting since areas that feed into Falls Church HS actually spread WAAAAY outside the beltway and are separated by two city blocks. I cannot afford to gamble. MCPS across the Potomac is adjusting boundaries on roughly half the schools in the coming year. Depending on how this election goes, Fairfax may be next.

We looked at FFX High School outcomes, trying to see past the overall Great Schools score. We saw a clear bimodal distribution of the student body at FFX HS, with kids who put in the work having every opportunity to grow + having both a community college and GM University nearby, allowing both dual enrollment and research opportunities. I spoke to multiple co-workers who felt that their kids got great preparation to attend top colleges, coming out of FFX High School. Also, having a large part of the student body who is focusing on non-academic pursuits is actually helpful in modern day admissions game.

Honestly, that's my best advice for folks with a modest budget.

I’m sorry that you were limited in your house selection, and glad that it worked out for you. The SB is going to cause this to happen much more if they get their way with sprawling redistricting soon and then every five years thereafter.

Quite the opposite. The current trend will mean we'll eventually have about a quarter of the pyramids who rise at "Langley" level of reputation with old folks sitting on their nest egg as long as possible. Meanwhile homes that are moving and are reasonably priced will only be found in lower pyramids. That's exactly what has led to PP being stuck at Fairfax HS.

Responsible redistricting would mean PP and all of us who can't drop 2 million have access to many more pyramids.

Self-interest at its core. Sounds like you want to bring down property values to the point where you can be one of the haves instead of the have nots. Kinda gross if you stop to think about it.

Or is it more gross that someone who was born 5-10 years earlier had the chance to buy practically anywhere, and is now hoarding resources so that no one else in their same position 5 years later can do the same?

This current housing market is easier to buy in than is was in 2005-2015 time when these current teens were born

Maybe? The ideal house cost to income is 3:1, which was true for the boomers. Today the ration is 5.5:1 meaning most people cannot afford homes.

"I can't afford the house I'd like in your neighborhood, so your kids should be bussed to my neighborhood school so my kids can attend yours."

Not a pitch that stands to resonate with the new School Board, much less parents.

This is played out for now. Best to park it until they actually adopt a new policy or make a specific proposal.

. No. You don’t sit around and wait until a new policy is adopted. Don’t be ridiculous.

That’s exactly what you’re doing, even if you come on here and kvetch about it.

I don’t have to care for my own family, luckily.
It’s the principle for me.
Reboundary for capacity and efficiency, try to keep neighborhoods and communities together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was concerned about HS boundaries when I was buying my house a year ago. I would have loved to buy in Falls Church City, but I don't have 2 million dollars and prefer AP curriculum, so we closed that topic. Instead, I did second best - bought in Fairfax City. We are guaranteed to go to Fairfax High School come hell or high water, by City ordinance.

While folks who can buy walking distance to Langley and company are also effectively assured their attendance zones, people with modest housing budgets like our family could not afford those subdivisions. We could potentially afford to buy in Oakton HS, but then there would be no guarantees come next redistricting since areas that feed into Falls Church HS actually spread WAAAAY outside the beltway and are separated by two city blocks. I cannot afford to gamble. MCPS across the Potomac is adjusting boundaries on roughly half the schools in the coming year. Depending on how this election goes, Fairfax may be next.

We looked at FFX High School outcomes, trying to see past the overall Great Schools score. We saw a clear bimodal distribution of the student body at FFX HS, with kids who put in the work having every opportunity to grow + having both a community college and GM University nearby, allowing both dual enrollment and research opportunities. I spoke to multiple co-workers who felt that their kids got great preparation to attend top colleges, coming out of FFX High School. Also, having a large part of the student body who is focusing on non-academic pursuits is actually helpful in modern day admissions game.

Honestly, that's my best advice for folks with a modest budget.

I’m sorry that you were limited in your house selection, and glad that it worked out for you. The SB is going to cause this to happen much more if they get their way with sprawling redistricting soon and then every five years thereafter.

Quite the opposite. The current trend will mean we'll eventually have about a quarter of the pyramids who rise at "Langley" level of reputation with old folks sitting on their nest egg as long as possible. Meanwhile homes that are moving and are reasonably priced will only be found in lower pyramids. That's exactly what has led to PP being stuck at Fairfax HS.

Responsible redistricting would mean PP and all of us who can't drop 2 million have access to many more pyramids.

Self-interest at its core. Sounds like you want to bring down property values to the point where you can be one of the haves instead of the have nots. Kinda gross if you stop to think about it.

Or is it more gross that someone who was born 5-10 years earlier had the chance to buy practically anywhere, and is now hoarding resources so that no one else in their same position 5 years later can do the same?

This current housing market is easier to buy in than is was in 2005-2015 time when these current teens were born

Maybe? The ideal house cost to income is 3:1, which was true for the boomers. Today the ration is 5.5:1 meaning most people cannot afford homes.

"I can't afford the house I'd like in your neighborhood, so your kids should be bussed to my neighborhood school so my kids can attend yours."

Not a pitch that stands to resonate with the new School Board, much less parents.

This is played out for now. Best to park it until they actually adopt a new policy or make a specific proposal.

. No. You don’t sit around and wait until a new policy is adopted. Don’t be ridiculous.

That’s exactly what you’re doing, even if you come on here and kvetch about it.

I don’t have to care for my own family, luckily.
It’s the principle for me.
Reboundary for capacity and efficiency, try to keep neighborhoods and communities together.

Better to conduct a truly holistic review so they don’t end up losing tax revenue or degrading strong pyramids simply because someone got redistricting fever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was concerned about HS boundaries when I was buying my house a year ago. I would have loved to buy in Falls Church City, but I don't have 2 million dollars and prefer AP curriculum, so we closed that topic. Instead, I did second best - bought in Fairfax City. We are guaranteed to go to Fairfax High School come hell or high water, by City ordinance.

While folks who can buy walking distance to Langley and company are also effectively assured their attendance zones, people with modest housing budgets like our family could not afford those subdivisions. We could potentially afford to buy in Oakton HS, but then there would be no guarantees come next redistricting since areas that feed into Falls Church HS actually spread WAAAAY outside the beltway and are separated by two city blocks. I cannot afford to gamble. MCPS across the Potomac is adjusting boundaries on roughly half the schools in the coming year. Depending on how this election goes, Fairfax may be next.

We looked at FFX High School outcomes, trying to see past the overall Great Schools score. We saw a clear bimodal distribution of the student body at FFX HS, with kids who put in the work having every opportunity to grow + having both a community college and GM University nearby, allowing both dual enrollment and research opportunities. I spoke to multiple co-workers who felt that their kids got great preparation to attend top colleges, coming out of FFX High School. Also, having a large part of the student body who is focusing on non-academic pursuits is actually helpful in modern day admissions game.

Honestly, that's my best advice for folks with a modest budget.

I’m sorry that you were limited in your house selection, and glad that it worked out for you. The SB is going to cause this to happen much more if they get their way with sprawling redistricting soon and then every five years thereafter.

Quite the opposite. The current trend will mean we'll eventually have about a quarter of the pyramids who rise at "Langley" level of reputation with old folks sitting on their nest egg as long as possible. Meanwhile homes that are moving and are reasonably priced will only be found in lower pyramids. That's exactly what has led to PP being stuck at Fairfax HS.

Responsible redistricting would mean PP and all of us who can't drop 2 million have access to many more pyramids.

Self-interest at its core. Sounds like you want to bring down property values to the point where you can be one of the haves instead of the have nots. Kinda gross if you stop to think about it.

Or is it more gross that someone who was born 5-10 years earlier had the chance to buy practically anywhere, and is now hoarding resources so that no one else in their same position 5 years later can do the same?

This current housing market is easier to buy in than is was in 2005-2015 time when these current teens were born

Maybe? The ideal house cost to income is 3:1, which was true for the boomers. Today the ration is 5.5:1 meaning most people cannot afford homes.

"I can't afford the house I'd like in your neighborhood, so your kids should be bussed to my neighborhood school so my kids can attend yours."

Not a pitch that stands to resonate with the new School Board, much less parents.

This is played out for now. Best to park it until they actually adopt a new policy or make a specific proposal.

. No. You don’t sit around and wait until a new policy is adopted. Don’t be ridiculous.

That’s exactly what you’re doing, even if you come on here and kvetch about it.

I don’t have to care for my own family, luckily.
It’s the principle for me.
Reboundary for capacity and efficiency, try to keep neighborhoods and communities together.

Better to conduct a truly holistic review so they don’t end up losing tax revenue or degrading strong pyramids simply because someone got redistricting fever.

You should have ended with "Better to conduct a truly holistic review." After that they can assess the pros and cons of making changes to pyramids or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was concerned about HS boundaries when I was buying my house a year ago. I would have loved to buy in Falls Church City, but I don't have 2 million dollars and prefer AP curriculum, so we closed that topic. Instead, I did second best - bought in Fairfax City. We are guaranteed to go to Fairfax High School come hell or high water, by City ordinance.

While folks who can buy walking distance to Langley and company are also effectively assured their attendance zones, people with modest housing budgets like our family could not afford those subdivisions. We could potentially afford to buy in Oakton HS, but then there would be no guarantees come next redistricting since areas that feed into Falls Church HS actually spread WAAAAY outside the beltway and are separated by two city blocks. I cannot afford to gamble. MCPS across the Potomac is adjusting boundaries on roughly half the schools in the coming year. Depending on how this election goes, Fairfax may be next.

We looked at FFX High School outcomes, trying to see past the overall Great Schools score. We saw a clear bimodal distribution of the student body at FFX HS, with kids who put in the work having every opportunity to grow + having both a community college and GM University nearby, allowing both dual enrollment and research opportunities. I spoke to multiple co-workers who felt that their kids got great preparation to attend top colleges, coming out of FFX High School. Also, having a large part of the student body who is focusing on non-academic pursuits is actually helpful in modern day admissions game.

Honestly, that's my best advice for folks with a modest budget.

I’m sorry that you were limited in your house selection, and glad that it worked out for you. The SB is going to cause this to happen much more if they get their way with sprawling redistricting soon and then every five years thereafter.

Quite the opposite. The current trend will mean we'll eventually have about a quarter of the pyramids who rise at "Langley" level of reputation with old folks sitting on their nest egg as long as possible. Meanwhile homes that are moving and are reasonably priced will only be found in lower pyramids. That's exactly what has led to PP being stuck at Fairfax HS.

Responsible redistricting would mean PP and all of us who can't drop 2 million have access to many more pyramids.

Self-interest at its core. Sounds like you want to bring down property values to the point where you can be one of the haves instead of the have nots. Kinda gross if you stop to think about it.

Or is it more gross that someone who was born 5-10 years earlier had the chance to buy practically anywhere, and is now hoarding resources so that no one else in their same position 5 years later can do the same?

This current housing market is easier to buy in than is was in 2005-2015 time when these current teens were born

Maybe? The ideal house cost to income is 3:1, which was true for the boomers. Today the ration is 5.5:1 meaning most people cannot afford homes.

"I can't afford the house I'd like in your neighborhood, so your kids should be bussed to my neighborhood school so my kids can attend yours."

Not a pitch that stands to resonate with the new School Board, much less parents.

This is played out for now. Best to park it until they actually adopt a new policy or make a specific proposal.

. No. You don’t sit around and wait until a new policy is adopted. Don’t be ridiculous.

That’s exactly what you’re doing, even if you come on here and kvetch about it.

I don’t have to care for my own family, luckily.
It’s the principle for me.
Reboundary for capacity and efficiency, try to keep neighborhoods and communities together.

Better to conduct a truly holistic review so they don’t end up losing tax revenue or degrading strong pyramids simply because someone got redistricting fever.

You should have ended with "Better to conduct a truly holistic review." After that they can assess the pros and cons of making changes to pyramids or not.

Just comparing enrollment to total capacity is short-sighted and anything but “holistic.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was concerned about HS boundaries when I was buying my house a year ago. I would have loved to buy in Falls Church City, but I don't have 2 million dollars and prefer AP curriculum, so we closed that topic. Instead, I did second best - bought in Fairfax City. We are guaranteed to go to Fairfax High School come hell or high water, by City ordinance.

While folks who can buy walking distance to Langley and company are also effectively assured their attendance zones, people with modest housing budgets like our family could not afford those subdivisions. We could potentially afford to buy in Oakton HS, but then there would be no guarantees come next redistricting since areas that feed into Falls Church HS actually spread WAAAAY outside the beltway and are separated by two city blocks. I cannot afford to gamble. MCPS across the Potomac is adjusting boundaries on roughly half the schools in the coming year. Depending on how this election goes, Fairfax may be next.

We looked at FFX High School outcomes, trying to see past the overall Great Schools score. We saw a clear bimodal distribution of the student body at FFX HS, with kids who put in the work having every opportunity to grow + having both a community college and GM University nearby, allowing both dual enrollment and research opportunities. I spoke to multiple co-workers who felt that their kids got great preparation to attend top colleges, coming out of FFX High School. Also, having a large part of the student body who is focusing on non-academic pursuits is actually helpful in modern day admissions game.

Honestly, that's my best advice for folks with a modest budget.

I’m sorry that you were limited in your house selection, and glad that it worked out for you. The SB is going to cause this to happen much more if they get their way with sprawling redistricting soon and then every five years thereafter.

Quite the opposite. The current trend will mean we'll eventually have about a quarter of the pyramids who rise at "Langley" level of reputation with old folks sitting on their nest egg as long as possible. Meanwhile homes that are moving and are reasonably priced will only be found in lower pyramids. That's exactly what has led to PP being stuck at Fairfax HS.

Responsible redistricting would mean PP and all of us who can't drop 2 million have access to many more pyramids.

Self-interest at its core. Sounds like you want to bring down property values to the point where you can be one of the haves instead of the have nots. Kinda gross if you stop to think about it.

Or is it more gross that someone who was born 5-10 years earlier had the chance to buy practically anywhere, and is now hoarding resources so that no one else in their same position 5 years later can do the same?

This current housing market is easier to buy in than is was in 2005-2015 time when these current teens were born

Maybe? The ideal house cost to income is 3:1, which was true for the boomers. Today the ration is 5.5:1 meaning most people cannot afford homes.

"I can't afford the house I'd like in your neighborhood, so your kids should be bussed to my neighborhood school so my kids can attend yours."

Not a pitch that stands to resonate with the new School Board, much less parents.

This is played out for now. Best to park it until they actually adopt a new policy or make a specific proposal.

. No. You don’t sit around and wait until a new policy is adopted. Don’t be ridiculous.

That’s exactly what you’re doing, even if you come on here and kvetch about it.

I don’t have to care for my own family, luckily.
It’s the principle for me.
Reboundary for capacity and efficiency, try to keep neighborhoods and communities together.

Better to conduct a truly holistic review so they don’t end up losing tax revenue or degrading strong pyramids simply because someone got redistricting fever.

You should have ended with "Better to conduct a truly holistic review." After that they can assess the pros and cons of making changes to pyramids or not.

Just comparing enrollment to total capacity is short-sighted and anything but “holistic.”

Then building costly, massive 3000-student expansions as a solution is also short-sighted since those are built to accommodate the current enrollment when total capacity is less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was concerned about HS boundaries when I was buying my house a year ago. I would have loved to buy in Falls Church City, but I don't have 2 million dollars and prefer AP curriculum, so we closed that topic. Instead, I did second best - bought in Fairfax City. We are guaranteed to go to Fairfax High School come hell or high water, by City ordinance.

While folks who can buy walking distance to Langley and company are also effectively assured their attendance zones, people with modest housing budgets like our family could not afford those subdivisions. We could potentially afford to buy in Oakton HS, but then there would be no guarantees come next redistricting since areas that feed into Falls Church HS actually spread WAAAAY outside the beltway and are separated by two city blocks. I cannot afford to gamble. MCPS across the Potomac is adjusting boundaries on roughly half the schools in the coming year. Depending on how this election goes, Fairfax may be next.

We looked at FFX High School outcomes, trying to see past the overall Great Schools score. We saw a clear bimodal distribution of the student body at FFX HS, with kids who put in the work having every opportunity to grow + having both a community college and GM University nearby, allowing both dual enrollment and research opportunities. I spoke to multiple co-workers who felt that their kids got great preparation to attend top colleges, coming out of FFX High School. Also, having a large part of the student body who is focusing on non-academic pursuits is actually helpful in modern day admissions game.

Honestly, that's my best advice for folks with a modest budget.

I’m sorry that you were limited in your house selection, and glad that it worked out for you. The SB is going to cause this to happen much more if they get their way with sprawling redistricting soon and then every five years thereafter.

Quite the opposite. The current trend will mean we'll eventually have about a quarter of the pyramids who rise at "Langley" level of reputation with old folks sitting on their nest egg as long as possible. Meanwhile homes that are moving and are reasonably priced will only be found in lower pyramids. That's exactly what has led to PP being stuck at Fairfax HS.

Responsible redistricting would mean PP and all of us who can't drop 2 million have access to many more pyramids.

Self-interest at its core. Sounds like you want to bring down property values to the point where you can be one of the haves instead of the have nots. Kinda gross if you stop to think about it.

Or is it more gross that someone who was born 5-10 years earlier had the chance to buy practically anywhere, and is now hoarding resources so that no one else in their same position 5 years later can do the same?

This current housing market is easier to buy in than is was in 2005-2015 time when these current teens were born

Maybe? The ideal house cost to income is 3:1, which was true for the boomers. Today the ration is 5.5:1 meaning most people cannot afford homes.

"I can't afford the house I'd like in your neighborhood, so your kids should be bussed to my neighborhood school so my kids can attend yours."

Not a pitch that stands to resonate with the new School Board, much less parents.

This is played out for now. Best to park it until they actually adopt a new policy or make a specific proposal.

. No. You don’t sit around and wait until a new policy is adopted. Don’t be ridiculous.

That’s exactly what you’re doing, even if you come on here and kvetch about it.

I don’t have to care for my own family, luckily.
It’s the principle for me.
Reboundary for capacity and efficiency, try to keep neighborhoods and communities together.

Better to conduct a truly holistic review so they don’t end up losing tax revenue or degrading strong pyramids simply because someone got redistricting fever.

You should have ended with "Better to conduct a truly holistic review." After that they can assess the pros and cons of making changes to pyramids or not.

Just comparing enrollment to total capacity is short-sighted and anything but “holistic.”

Then building costly, massive 3000-student expansions as a solution is also short-sighted since those are built to accommodate the current enrollment when total capacity is less.

Total capacity means county-wide but nice try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was concerned about HS boundaries when I was buying my house a year ago. I would have loved to buy in Falls Church City, but I don't have 2 million dollars and prefer AP curriculum, so we closed that topic. Instead, I did second best - bought in Fairfax City. We are guaranteed to go to Fairfax High School come hell or high water, by City ordinance.

While folks who can buy walking distance to Langley and company are also effectively assured their attendance zones, people with modest housing budgets like our family could not afford those subdivisions. We could potentially afford to buy in Oakton HS, but then there would be no guarantees come next redistricting since areas that feed into Falls Church HS actually spread WAAAAY outside the beltway and are separated by two city blocks. I cannot afford to gamble. MCPS across the Potomac is adjusting boundaries on roughly half the schools in the coming year. Depending on how this election goes, Fairfax may be next.

We looked at FFX High School outcomes, trying to see past the overall Great Schools score. We saw a clear bimodal distribution of the student body at FFX HS, with kids who put in the work having every opportunity to grow + having both a community college and GM University nearby, allowing both dual enrollment and research opportunities. I spoke to multiple co-workers who felt that their kids got great preparation to attend top colleges, coming out of FFX High School. Also, having a large part of the student body who is focusing on non-academic pursuits is actually helpful in modern day admissions game.

Honestly, that's my best advice for folks with a modest budget.

I’m sorry that you were limited in your house selection, and glad that it worked out for you. The SB is going to cause this to happen much more if they get their way with sprawling redistricting soon and then every five years thereafter.

Quite the opposite. The current trend will mean we'll eventually have about a quarter of the pyramids who rise at "Langley" level of reputation with old folks sitting on their nest egg as long as possible. Meanwhile homes that are moving and are reasonably priced will only be found in lower pyramids. That's exactly what has led to PP being stuck at Fairfax HS.

Responsible redistricting would mean PP and all of us who can't drop 2 million have access to many more pyramids.

Self-interest at its core. Sounds like you want to bring down property values to the point where you can be one of the haves instead of the have nots. Kinda gross if you stop to think about it.

Or is it more gross that someone who was born 5-10 years earlier had the chance to buy practically anywhere, and is now hoarding resources so that no one else in their same position 5 years later can do the same?

This current housing market is easier to buy in than is was in 2005-2015 time when these current teens were born

Maybe? The ideal house cost to income is 3:1, which was true for the boomers. Today the ration is 5.5:1 meaning most people cannot afford homes.

"I can't afford the house I'd like in your neighborhood, so your kids should be bussed to my neighborhood school so my kids can attend yours."

Not a pitch that stands to resonate with the new School Board, much less parents.

This is played out for now. Best to park it until they actually adopt a new policy or make a specific proposal.

. No. You don’t sit around and wait until a new policy is adopted. Don’t be ridiculous.

Going to the meetings and speaking about property values won't be a good look. Guaranteeing profits for land sales is not within the School Board's purview.

It's clear that many members of the School Board would like to use boundary changes as a way to reallocate housing equity. However, they won't admit it, and there won't be anything in the revised boundary policy that speaks to that. So anyone who shows up at a School Board meeting and complains about their houses losing value will get brushed off.

It may resonate more if people keep driving home the point that over the years FCPS deliberately varied what different schools offer. It's odd to highlight the variety of programs, but then tell parents it really doesn't matter and we can just reassign you, for example, from an AP school to an IB school if we feel like it. The wealthiest will get around it by pupil placing; those with lesser means may have fewer options and won't be able to swing that.

Equity also includes proximity, so I don’t see the School Board bussing students from 7 Corners (adjacent to Justice) to McLean HS in the name of equity, for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was concerned about HS boundaries when I was buying my house a year ago. I would have loved to buy in Falls Church City, but I don't have 2 million dollars and prefer AP curriculum, so we closed that topic. Instead, I did second best - bought in Fairfax City. We are guaranteed to go to Fairfax High School come hell or high water, by City ordinance.

While folks who can buy walking distance to Langley and company are also effectively assured their attendance zones, people with modest housing budgets like our family could not afford those subdivisions. We could potentially afford to buy in Oakton HS, but then there would be no guarantees come next redistricting since areas that feed into Falls Church HS actually spread WAAAAY outside the beltway and are separated by two city blocks. I cannot afford to gamble. MCPS across the Potomac is adjusting boundaries on roughly half the schools in the coming year. Depending on how this election goes, Fairfax may be next.

We looked at FFX High School outcomes, trying to see past the overall Great Schools score. We saw a clear bimodal distribution of the student body at FFX HS, with kids who put in the work having every opportunity to grow + having both a community college and GM University nearby, allowing both dual enrollment and research opportunities. I spoke to multiple co-workers who felt that their kids got great preparation to attend top colleges, coming out of FFX High School. Also, having a large part of the student body who is focusing on non-academic pursuits is actually helpful in modern day admissions game.

Honestly, that's my best advice for folks with a modest budget.

I’m sorry that you were limited in your house selection, and glad that it worked out for you. The SB is going to cause this to happen much more if they get their way with sprawling redistricting soon and then every five years thereafter.

Quite the opposite. The current trend will mean we'll eventually have about a quarter of the pyramids who rise at "Langley" level of reputation with old folks sitting on their nest egg as long as possible. Meanwhile homes that are moving and are reasonably priced will only be found in lower pyramids. That's exactly what has led to PP being stuck at Fairfax HS.

Responsible redistricting would mean PP and all of us who can't drop 2 million have access to many more pyramids.

Self-interest at its core. Sounds like you want to bring down property values to the point where you can be one of the haves instead of the have nots. Kinda gross if you stop to think about it.

Or is it more gross that someone who was born 5-10 years earlier had the chance to buy practically anywhere, and is now hoarding resources so that no one else in their same position 5 years later can do the same?

This current housing market is easier to buy in than is was in 2005-2015 time when these current teens were born

Maybe? The ideal house cost to income is 3:1, which was true for the boomers. Today the ration is 5.5:1 meaning most people cannot afford homes.

That is because of Biden's interest rates.

Ours was higher under Bush and you don’t want to know what my parent’s were under Reagan.

[Anonymous]

This just came in from Robin Lady:

Yesterday, I visited Langley HS and attended their PTSA meeting. There were great questions: expanding MS sports, SR&R including vaping and cell phone usage, budget, and staffing. One parent asked what my top three priorities were, and I shared on the academic side literacy/numeracy and pre-K for all students. My third was to save money/address spending. One way forward on this is the holistic view of the county wide Boundary Policy which has not been altered in 38 years. By looking at the policy, we can look at capacity issues both over and under, long commutes, fewer buses, more sleep for students, and find ways to save taxpayers money. Based on the February Forum, the Governance Committee has been reviewing Policy 8130. The latest draft can be found here. The next Governance meeting is scheduled for May 20th and is open to the public. Once the policy has been approved by the Board, the next step is operationalizing this new policy.

Note the lie: the policy has been continuously modified since 1983, most recently in 2013, which she would have known if she had read the draft policy as the revision history is clearly called out. But of course she's not writing her own communications, unelected PR people are. And not to mention that "saving money" and "pre-k for all" are mutually exclusive.

They're absolutely setting out to give the bureaucracy carte blanche to change boundaries around to meet their equity agenda, as long as they can claim it will save money. School board will rubber stamp and boom.... everybody gets a mediocre learning environment with lots of distractions.

[Anonymous]

From Robyn Lady’s newsletter - looks like she’s is on the McDaniel burn-it-all-down bandwagon. Note she says “Once” not “If” below:

“One way forward on this is the holistic view of the county wide Boundary Policy which has not been altered in 38 years. By looking at the policy, we can look at capacity issues both over and under, long commutes, fewer buses, more sleep for students, and find ways to save taxpayers money. Based on the February Forum, the Governance Committee has been reviewing Policy 8130. The latest draft can be found here. The next Governance meeting is scheduled for May 20th and is open to the public. Once the policy has been approved by the Board, the next step is operationalizing this new policy.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This just came in from Robin Lady:

Yesterday, I visited Langley HS and attended their PTSA meeting. There were great questions: expanding MS sports, SR&R including vaping and cell phone usage, budget, and staffing. One parent asked what my top three priorities were, and I shared on the academic side literacy/numeracy and pre-K for all students. My third was to save money/address spending. One way forward on this is the holistic view of the county wide Boundary Policy which has not been altered in 38 years. By looking at the policy, we can look at capacity issues both over and under, long commutes, fewer buses, more sleep for students, and find ways to save taxpayers money. Based on the February Forum, the Governance Committee has been reviewing Policy 8130. The latest draft can be found here. The next Governance meeting is scheduled for May 20th and is open to the public. Once the policy has been approved by the Board, the next step is operationalizing this new policy.

Note the lie: the policy has been continuously modified since 1983, most recently in 2013, which she would have known if she had read the draft policy as the revision history is clearly called out. But of course she's not writing her own communications, unelected PR people are. And not to mention that "saving money" and "pre-k for all" are mutually exclusive.

They're absolutely setting out to give the bureaucracy carte blanche to change boundaries around to meet their equity agenda, as long as they can claim it will save money. School board will rubber stamp and boom.... everybody gets a mediocre learning environment with lots of distractions.

+1

It’s a self-interest play to try to increase her Herndon property values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This just came in from Robin Lady:

Yesterday, I visited Langley HS and attended their PTSA meeting. There were great questions: expanding MS sports, SR&R including vaping and cell phone usage, budget, and staffing. One parent asked what my top three priorities were, and I shared on the academic side literacy/numeracy and pre-K for all students. My third was to save money/address spending. One way forward on this is the holistic view of the county wide Boundary Policy which has not been altered in 38 years. By looking at the policy, we can look at capacity issues both over and under, long commutes, fewer buses, more sleep for students, and find ways to save taxpayers money. Based on the February Forum, the Governance Committee has been reviewing Policy 8130. The latest draft can be found here. The next Governance meeting is scheduled for May 20th and is open to the public. Once the policy has been approved by the Board, the next step is operationalizing this new policy.

Note the lie: the policy has been continuously modified since 1983, most recently in 2013, which she would have known if she had read the draft policy as the revision history is clearly called out. But of course she's not writing her own communications, unelected PR people are. And not to mention that "saving money" and "pre-k for all" are mutually exclusive.

They're absolutely setting out to give the bureaucracy carte blanche to change boundaries around to meet their equity agenda, as long as they can claim it will save money. School board will rubber stamp and boom.... everybody gets a mediocre learning environment with lots of distractions.

Bingo. The only question now is how much of Langley will get moved to Herndon to ensure students in Great Falls can get “more sleep.”

[Anonymous]

I’m excited for the for this new boundary policy to go live. So much academic and social change for the better.