Fall 2022 Over/Under-Enrollment at FCPS High Schools

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I suspect is any parts of WSHS are rezoned, it will be out to South Country or over to Lake Braddock.

I hope not. I'm shocked LB is listed so low. My kids can't get into a bathroom ever so have to get e=pass during class and neither got a locker they requested. I assumed we were way over and hoped they'd stop transfers in.

They had to rip the lockers out of McLean to create more space for students in the hallways. And no idea how they fit over 2900 kids into Chantilly, which has a much smaller footprint than Lake Braddock.

There is no room to expand Chantilly unless they build across the road. A new western HS is needed but that won’t happen ‘cause reasons.

I never realized quite how much I disliked Elaine Tholen until I listened to her pooh-pooh the idea that a new western high school would ever get built during the last brief School Board discussion of a CIP.

The Herndon area (more the part that feeds into Westfield than Herndon) could see an enormous increase in students if the growth associated with the new Silver Line stations materializes. Add to that the existing crowding at Centreville, Chantilly, and Oakton and it's a ticking time bomb.

But she felt duty-bound to toss cold water on the idea of a new high school because the one thing some people in Great Falls care about more than anything else is making sure that they never get moved back from Langley to Herndon, which theoretically could happen if a new school were built in western Fairfax and space opened up at Herndon. So then you end up with rich people at an under-enrolled, renovated school trying to dictate the decisions that affect kids miles away in overcrowded schools. It's obscene, and the likes of Tholen just roll over and play along.

Wouldn’t be underenrolled if they would zone more of McLean to Langley.

Western high school seems unlikely because they are off their planned completion by what? Seven years and nothing in the works yet, after all this time.

That has been raised with Tholen and her response was they’ve done all they can do as between the Langley and McLean pyramids because any further moves would overcrowd Cooper MS, the middle school feeder to Langley.

Perhaps they just need to bite the bullet and build an addition to McLean like they just did at less crowded Madison (outside the renovation queue).

As for the western HS, they ought to have a dedicated web page discussing what, if any, progress is being made towards its eventual construction. It’s not a good look to have it moving up in the CIP yet have School Board members question whether it’s even a real thing.

They should poll the McLean community.

See if they would be willing to go to Langley from Longfellow.

Back in my day our high school had two middle school feeders.

Better yet, they could invest some money in MHS like they do in other schools.

Justice and Madison are less crowded than McLean and they are building permanent additions there, in each case outside the renovation queue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

Hmm. I recall the former student School Board representative who definitely went to Lewis complaining about how students at Lewis felt disrespected and how she couldn’t access a challenging math class because so few sections were offered there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

Hmm. I recall the former student School Board representative who definitely went to Lewis complaining about how students at Lewis felt disrespected and how she couldn’t access a challenging math class because so few sections were offered there.

If they removed IB from Lewis and switched to AP, it would help tremendously.

Or get rid of IB at all the other schools in that area, and make Lewis a magnet for IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

Hmm. I recall the former student School Board representative who definitely went to Lewis complaining about how students at Lewis felt disrespected and how she couldn’t access a challenging math class because so few sections were offered there.

If they removed IB from Lewis and switched to AP, it would help tremendously.

Or get rid of IB at all the other schools in that area, and make Lewis a magnet for IB.

Yes! There was an interesting article in the Post recently by Jay Matthews discussing how math teachers at Justice HS had basically had to work around some of the constraints of the IB math sequences to offer courses that made sense for students at that school.

Dr. Reid is big on the slogan “imagine the possibilities” but when it comes to Lewis it’s mostly been “imagine doing more of the same.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

The design capacity is somewhere around 2135, so it may feel crowded, but it is designed to fit 450 more students than it has now. It is at 78% capacity, so if that is a problem then how on earth are schools operating at 130% of capacity? Or even 105% of capacity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

Hmm. I recall the former student School Board representative who definitely went to Lewis complaining about how students at Lewis felt disrespected and how she couldn’t access a challenging math class because so few sections were offered there.

If they removed IB from Lewis and switched to AP, it would help tremendously.

Or get rid of IB at all the other schools in that area, and make Lewis a magnet for IB.

do you think any SB candidates would run on getting rid of IB in most schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

Hmm. I recall the former student School Board representative who definitely went to Lewis complaining about how students at Lewis felt disrespected and how she couldn’t access a challenging math class because so few sections were offered there.

If they removed IB from Lewis and switched to AP, it would help tremendously.

Or get rid of IB at all the other schools in that area, and make Lewis a magnet for IB.

do you think any SB candidates would run on getting rid of IB in most schools?

If AP were offered instead, why not? Unless you think the main appeal of IB is to give people the ability to buy or rent in cheaper areas and then pupil place their kids at AP schools.

[Anonymous]

Lewis feels crowded because the design is old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

Hmm. I recall the former student School Board representative who definitely went to Lewis complaining about how students at Lewis felt disrespected and how she couldn’t access a challenging math class because so few sections were offered there.

That may be but it doesn’t mean existing sections aren’t maxed out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

Hmm. I recall the former student School Board representative who definitely went to Lewis complaining about how students at Lewis felt disrespected and how she couldn’t access a challenging math class because so few sections were offered there.

If they removed IB from Lewis and switched to AP, it would help tremendously.

Or get rid of IB at all the other schools in that area, and make Lewis a magnet for IB.

do you think any SB candidates would run on getting rid of IB in most schools?

At large candidates could use budget numbers even down to the per pupil cost for IB v AP. Cost per school plus the extra costs for IB at ES and MS. Translate the extra costs to more $ for schools with similar demographics and no IB. Compare Hutchison detail budget to a similar school like Bailey's [wad of extra for magnet also at Hunters Woods.

Then do comps on extra teachers for programs like immersion on actual used versus whatever junk is manipulated in the program budget.

On a magisterial district level some have zero IB. So if you look at Hutchison to Herndon MD and HS there is a vast wad of more cash flowing to some schools with comparable demographics based on program money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

What's an obscure elective? FCPS needs to list classes and pupil counts in order to justify such a ridiculous discrepancy between program capacity and enrollment. On transfers it reverts to 1 if less than 10 but given the mega million $ scope of this BS it's time to come clean. Incliding actual per pupil on that IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

The sports speak for the under-enrollment. I understand demographics play a role, but even Justice, Annandale, Herndon, and Mount Vernon have some relatively strong sports programs despite their similar demographics. On the other hand, Lewis struggles to have enough players for many of their teams.

The fact that some sports only have JV with no other option, and even the lone JV teams have bare minimum players is just plain depressing. Those kids deserve a full and rich high school experience both academically and with activities.

[Anonymous]

Looking at the McLean/Langley problem.
1. these schools were redistricted in 1984 and nothing has changed since that time, despite huge numbers of houses being built in the Tysons area that are all districted to Longfellow/McLean.
2. there are multiple neighborhoods in McLean that are much closer (even walkable) to Langley that continue to be sent to McLean - send those back to Langley
3. Great Falls needs its own high school. The vast majority of kids at Langley live in GF (many drive more than 30 minutes to school). Rather than expanding other schools there needs to be a 7-12 school that serves Great Falls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looking at the McLean/Langley problem.
1. these schools were redistricted in 1984 and nothing has changed since that time, despite huge numbers of houses being built in the Tysons area that are all districted to Longfellow/McLean.
2. there are multiple neighborhoods in McLean that are much closer (even walkable) to Langley that continue to be sent to McLean - send those back to Langley
3. Great Falls needs its own high school. The vast majority of kids at Langley live in GF (many drive more than 30 minutes to school). Rather than expanding other schools there needs to be a 7-12 school that serves Great Falls.

Why should great falls get its own high school when that is one of the least crowded areas in the entire county?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking at the McLean/Langley problem.
1. these schools were redistricted in 1984 and nothing has changed since that time, despite huge numbers of houses being built in the Tysons area that are all districted to Longfellow/McLean.
2. there are multiple neighborhoods in McLean that are much closer (even walkable) to Langley that continue to be sent to McLean - send those back to Langley
3. Great Falls needs its own high school. The vast majority of kids at Langley live in GF (many drive more than 30 minutes to school). Rather than expanding other schools there needs to be a 7-12 school that serves Great Falls.

Why should great falls get its own high school when that is one of the least crowded areas in the entire county?

Because rich people want their own school.