Why is the McLean high pyramid over crowded with crappy buildings and teachers but pays high tax

[Anonymous]

Apparently the new FCHS won’t be as nice as they are having to cut back the scale because of rising costs. I really hope they can find a way to stick to the original plan since the facilities have been sub-par for so long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your argument would have a point if McLean was the only one being ostracized. There are plenty of other pyramids that haven't had a renovation recently and are arguably in a worse state overall accounting for other factors like Lewis, Annandale, Westfield, Mt. Vernon. They would like to receive consideration too. Is it the kids' fault they're poor and their parents don't pay as much tax?
This isn't really about the wealthy being punished. Oakton, West Springfield, and Langley have been given the luxury treatment despite their high SES. It's bias by the school board that allows this to happen.

You’ll have to elaborate on what you mean by “worse shape overall accounting for other factors.” Chantilly and McLean are clearly the two most overcrowded schools for which FCPS has not developed any good facilities plan, and Justice and Madison both got additions outside the queue in recent years even though both are newer than McLean and less crowded than both Chantilly and McLean.

Are you suggesting FCPS should not address the facilities needs of certain schools unless their test scores are among the lowest in the county? If so, that’s a guaranteed race to the bottom.

So, you’re ok moving kids from McLean to Justice then? Didn’t think so. My guess is SB added onto Justice because it was overcrowded and they knew it would unpopular to move Justice kids elsewhere, just like it would go over like a lead balloon to move McLean kids to Justice.

My kids don’t go to Justice but I own property in that area and can tell you don’t know what you’re talking about.

They aren’t expanding Justice because other FCPS schools don’t want Justice kids. It’s because the Justice kids who live near other high schools in FCPS mostly live in single family houses. The poverty at Justice is concentrated is the areas closer to Arlington and Alexandria. So if they moved kids Justice kids who live closer to Annandale or Falls Church to those schools, it would drive up the poverty at Justice. They don’t want to do that so it’s getting an addition instead. But that’s not without hiccups because they now stand to lose parking spaces and, if they lose parking, I’m told some teachers and staff have threatened to leave.

No one talks about moving McLean kids to Justice. They are separated by the Falls Church HS district and don’t share a boundary. The only way that would ever happen would be if the county adopted a lottery for school assignments. Good luck with that.

[Anonymous]

It's sad that all the green space in McLean is being taken up by run down modular trailers yuck what a testament to equity ensuring the wealthiest areas experience living like poors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's sad that all the green space in McLean is being taken up by run down modular trailers yuck what a testament to equity ensuring the wealthiest areas experience living like poors

Don’t you have a thread on graduation sites to troll?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apparently the new FCHS won’t be as nice as they are having to cut back the scale because of rising costs. I really hope they can find a way to stick to the original plan since the facilities have been sub-par for so long.

That’s very unfortunate if true. It should at least be on par with Oakton and Langley.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apparently the new FCHS won’t be as nice as they are having to cut back the scale because of rising costs. I really hope they can find a way to stick to the original plan since the facilities have been sub-par for so long.

Costs are escalating, but still...

The Langley renovation that wrapped up in 2018 came in at about $80M. The latest FY 2024-28 CIP, approved just a few months ago, has Falls Church budgeted at $160M. At one point it was closer to $130M.

If they are cutting back at all now, perhaps it's the new interim head of facilities taking a fresh look at how much is getting spent on a small number of projects and concluding they need to have more money available for critical infrastructure upgrades across a wider number of schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apparently the new FCHS won’t be as nice as they are having to cut back the scale because of rising costs. I really hope they can find a way to stick to the original plan since the facilities have been sub-par for so long.

Costs are escalating, but still...

The Langley renovation that wrapped up in 2018 came in at about $80M. The latest FY 2024-28 CIP, approved just a few months ago, has Falls Church budgeted at $160M. At one point it was closer to $130M.

If they are cutting back at all now, perhaps it's the new interim head of facilities taking a fresh look at how much is getting spent on a small number of projects and concluding they need to have more money available for critical infrastructure upgrades across a wider number of schools.

An extra 30 mill due to inflation / cost escalation sounds like a reasonable adjustment.

[Anonymous]

It’s insane that we have 3000 kid factory high schools. Stop building.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apparently the new FCHS won’t be as nice as they are having to cut back the scale because of rising costs. I really hope they can find a way to stick to the original plan since the facilities have been sub-par for so long.

Costs are escalating, but still...

The Langley renovation that wrapped up in 2018 came in at about $80M. The latest FY 2024-28 CIP, approved just a few months ago, has Falls Church budgeted at $160M. At one point it was closer to $130M.

If they are cutting back at all now, perhaps it's the new interim head of facilities taking a fresh look at how much is getting spent on a small number of projects and concluding they need to have more money available for critical infrastructure upgrades across a wider number of schools.

An extra 30 mill due to inflation / cost escalation sounds like a reasonable adjustment.

Just give them modulars, they really need childcare not learning

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apparently the new FCHS won’t be as nice as they are having to cut back the scale because of rising costs. I really hope they can find a way to stick to the original plan since the facilities have been sub-par for so long.

Costs are escalating, but still...

The Langley renovation that wrapped up in 2018 came in at about $80M. The latest FY 2024-28 CIP, approved just a few months ago, has Falls Church budgeted at $160M. At one point it was closer to $130M.

If they are cutting back at all now, perhaps it's the new interim head of facilities taking a fresh look at how much is getting spent on a small number of projects and concluding they need to have more money available for critical infrastructure upgrades across a wider number of schools.

An extra 30 mill due to inflation / cost escalation sounds like a reasonable adjustment.

The point is there's no real evidence of any major cutting back on the scale of the FCHS renovation. Only some suggestion from Fanshaw that he thinks the prior head of facilities was less than competent and that FCPS needs to find a different way of doing things in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Apparently the new FCHS won’t be as nice as they are having to cut back the scale because of rising costs. I really hope they can find a way to stick to the original plan since the facilities have been sub-par for so long.

Costs are escalating, but still...

The Langley renovation that wrapped up in 2018 came in at about $80M. The latest FY 2024-28 CIP, approved just a few months ago, has Falls Church budgeted at $160M. At one point it was closer to $130M.

If they are cutting back at all now, perhaps it's the new interim head of facilities taking a fresh look at how much is getting spent on a small number of projects and concluding they need to have more money available for critical infrastructure upgrades across a wider number of schools.

An extra 30 mill due to inflation / cost escalation sounds like a reasonable adjustment.

Just give them modulars, they really need childcare not learning

Can't quite decide if you're a cranky old man or a troubled young one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your argument would have a point if McLean was the only one being ostracized. There are plenty of other pyramids that haven't had a renovation recently and are arguably in a worse state overall accounting for other factors like Lewis, Annandale, Westfield, Mt. Vernon. They would like to receive consideration too. Is it the kids' fault they're poor and their parents don't pay as much tax?
This isn't really about the wealthy being punished. Oakton, West Springfield, and Langley have been given the luxury treatment despite their high SES. It's bias by the school board that allows this to happen.

You’ll have to elaborate on what you mean by “worse shape overall accounting for other factors.” Chantilly and McLean are clearly the two most overcrowded schools for which FCPS has not developed any good facilities plan, and Justice and Madison both got additions outside the queue in recent years even though both are newer than McLean and less crowded than both Chantilly and McLean.

Are you suggesting FCPS should not address the facilities needs of certain schools unless their test scores are among the lowest in the county? If so, that’s a guaranteed race to the bottom.

So, you’re ok moving kids from McLean to Justice then? Didn’t think so. My guess is SB added onto Justice because it was overcrowded and they knew it would unpopular to move Justice kids elsewhere, just like it would go over like a lead balloon to move McLean kids to Justice.

Wait, so you’re saying they expanded Justice to contain the students there, like it’s some kind of penal colony?

The excuses for poor planning and disparate treatment in FCPS just keep getting weirder.

Whoa. This is a good question.

If McLean is sooooo decrepit, maybe it should be knocked down entirely and rebuilt while it’s feeder students are temporarily accommodated elsewhere. Or … While a new site can sought elsewhere to put a little more separation from Langley (they are very close). Maybe it could go in the heart of Tysons.

Langley and McLean are not as close to each other as Oakton and Madison. Oakton and Langley have both been expanded and renovated and Madison just got an addition. McLean needed an addition more than Madison did. Jeff Platenberg was just a very poor planner.

They do have a site for an urban elementary school in Tysons. It will be great if that school gets built. They’ve identified no such site for a high or secondary school.

The renovated and expanded Oakton HS is beautiful. It has one of those amphitheater style terraced seating areas for informal learning and socializing that FCPS is constructing in the remodeled high schools. The new main entrance is iconic and welcoming. Same with the new Madison entry and library that has lots of glazing to let light in. I can’t wait to see what Falls Church will look like when completed.

I like the present location of McLean HS since it is highly walkable to the surrounding neighborhood. It would be ideal if FCPS renovates it or completely rebuilds it on its current site. Hopefully we don’t have to wait twenty years. Fingers crossed.

Renovation (ie expansion) would be a huge waste of money. Knock it down (temporarily rehouse students in nearby schools) or build a new building elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your argument would have a point if McLean was the only one being ostracized. There are plenty of other pyramids that haven't had a renovation recently and are arguably in a worse state overall accounting for other factors like Lewis, Annandale, Westfield, Mt. Vernon. They would like to receive consideration too. Is it the kids' fault they're poor and their parents don't pay as much tax?
This isn't really about the wealthy being punished. Oakton, West Springfield, and Langley have been given the luxury treatment despite their high SES. It's bias by the school board that allows this to happen.

You’ll have to elaborate on what you mean by “worse shape overall accounting for other factors.” Chantilly and McLean are clearly the two most overcrowded schools for which FCPS has not developed any good facilities plan, and Justice and Madison both got additions outside the queue in recent years even though both are newer than McLean and less crowded than both Chantilly and McLean.

Are you suggesting FCPS should not address the facilities needs of certain schools unless their test scores are among the lowest in the county? If so, that’s a guaranteed race to the bottom.

So, you’re ok moving kids from McLean to Justice then? Didn’t think so. My guess is SB added onto Justice because it was overcrowded and they knew it would unpopular to move Justice kids elsewhere, just like it would go over like a lead balloon to move McLean kids to Justice.

Wait, so you’re saying they expanded Justice to contain the students there, like it’s some kind of penal colony?

The excuses for poor planning and disparate treatment in FCPS just keep getting weirder.

Whoa. This is a good question.

If McLean is sooooo decrepit, maybe it should be knocked down entirely and rebuilt while it’s feeder students are temporarily accommodated elsewhere. Or … While a new site can sought elsewhere to put a little more separation from Langley (they are very close). Maybe it could go in the heart of Tysons.

Langley and McLean are not as close to each other as Oakton and Madison. Oakton and Langley have both been expanded and renovated and Madison just got an addition. McLean needed an addition more than Madison did. Jeff Platenberg was just a very poor planner.

They do have a site for an urban elementary school in Tysons. It will be great if that school gets built. They’ve identified no such site for a high or secondary school.

The renovated and expanded Oakton HS is beautiful. It has one of those amphitheater style terraced seating areas for informal learning and socializing that FCPS is constructing in the remodeled high schools. The new main entrance is iconic and welcoming. Same with the new Madison entry and library that has lots of glazing to let light in. I can’t wait to see what Falls Church will look like when completed.

I like the present location of McLean HS since it is highly walkable to the surrounding neighborhood. It would be ideal if FCPS renovates it or completely rebuilds it on its current site. Hopefully we don’t have to wait twenty years. Fingers crossed.

Renovation (ie expansion) would be a huge waste of money. Knock it down (temporarily rehouse students in nearby schools) or build a new building elsewhere.

Complete rebuilds save a lot of money over a complex, phased renovation. But where would the McLean kids all go in the interim? There are no more vacant, abandoned high schools to use. FCPS demolished the decrepit, abandoned Falls Church HS (on cherry street) to sell to a developer of luxury town homes twenty years ago. I suppose they could build a brand new new school on McLean’s football field while classes continue in the old one. The school could then share the field at Langley during construction. Or maybe pay Arlington Parks Dept to use the Greenbrier Stadium adjacent to nearby Yorktown HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your argument would have a point if McLean was the only one being ostracized. There are plenty of other pyramids that haven't had a renovation recently and are arguably in a worse state overall accounting for other factors like Lewis, Annandale, Westfield, Mt. Vernon. They would like to receive consideration too. Is it the kids' fault they're poor and their parents don't pay as much tax?
This isn't really about the wealthy being punished. Oakton, West Springfield, and Langley have been given the luxury treatment despite their high SES. It's bias by the school board that allows this to happen.

You’ll have to elaborate on what you mean by “worse shape overall accounting for other factors.” Chantilly and McLean are clearly the two most overcrowded schools for which FCPS has not developed any good facilities plan, and Justice and Madison both got additions outside the queue in recent years even though both are newer than McLean and less crowded than both Chantilly and McLean.

Are you suggesting FCPS should not address the facilities needs of certain schools unless their test scores are among the lowest in the county? If so, that’s a guaranteed race to the bottom.

So, you’re ok moving kids from McLean to Justice then? Didn’t think so. My guess is SB added onto Justice because it was overcrowded and they knew it would unpopular to move Justice kids elsewhere, just like it would go over like a lead balloon to move McLean kids to Justice.

Wait, so you’re saying they expanded Justice to contain the students there, like it’s some kind of penal colony?

The excuses for poor planning and disparate treatment in FCPS just keep getting weirder.

Whoa. This is a good question.

If McLean is sooooo decrepit, maybe it should be knocked down entirely and rebuilt while it’s feeder students are temporarily accommodated elsewhere. Or … While a new site can sought elsewhere to put a little more separation from Langley (they are very close). Maybe it could go in the heart of Tysons.

Langley and McLean are not as close to each other as Oakton and Madison. Oakton and Langley have both been expanded and renovated and Madison just got an addition. McLean needed an addition more than Madison did. Jeff Platenberg was just a very poor planner.

They do have a site for an urban elementary school in Tysons. It will be great if that school gets built. They’ve identified no such site for a high or secondary school.

The renovated and expanded Oakton HS is beautiful. It has one of those amphitheater style terraced seating areas for informal learning and socializing that FCPS is constructing in the remodeled high schools. The new main entrance is iconic and welcoming. Same with the new Madison entry and library that has lots of glazing to let light in. I can’t wait to see what Falls Church will look like when completed.

I like the present location of McLean HS since it is highly walkable to the surrounding neighborhood. It would be ideal if FCPS renovates it or completely rebuilds it on its current site. Hopefully we don’t have to wait twenty years. Fingers crossed.

Renovation (ie expansion) would be a huge waste of money. Knock it down (temporarily rehouse students in nearby schools) or build a new building elsewhere.

Complete rebuilds save a lot of money over a complex, phased renovation. But where would the McLean kids all go in the interim? There are no more vacant, abandoned high schools to use. FCPS demolished the decrepit, abandoned Falls Church HS (on cherry street) to sell to a developer of luxury town homes twenty years ago. I suppose they could build a brand new new school on McLean’s football field while classes continue in the old one. The school could then share the field at Langley during construction. Or maybe pay Arlington Parks Dept to use the Greenbrier Stadium adjacent to nearby Yorktown HS.

These or split them up at different HS temporarily.

Or build the western high school and (gasp!) redistrict.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Complete rebuilds save a lot of money over a complex, phased renovation. But where would the McLean kids all go in the interim? There are no more vacant, abandoned high schools to use. FCPS demolished the decrepit, abandoned Falls Church HS (on cherry street) to sell to a developer of luxury town homes twenty years ago. I suppose they could build a brand new new school on McLean’s football field while classes continue in the old one. The school could then share the field at Langley during construction. Or maybe pay Arlington Parks Dept to use the Greenbrier Stadium adjacent to nearby Yorktown HS.

I completely agree that FCPS has done terribly with stewarding their land resources. Having extra land would allow them the chance to raze and rebuild, but they seem to have frittered away all those opportunities by continuing to close down schools and then sell them off. The county does own the land across from the track, they will need to use that. So much for green space.