FCPS' plans to address concerns at under-enrolled and over-enrolled schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anybody have old studies saved to their computers from the time Langley had its enrollment beefed up, Westfield was built and opened, and from the all contentious 2008 study where South Lakes received several students from Westfield, Oakton, and Madison post renovation?

I would love to see what the maps looked like before today.

Langley's boundaries weren't affected by the 2008 South Lakes boundary study. That study impacted South Lakes, Westfield, Oakton, Chantilly, and Madison. Janie Strauss and Stu Gibson agreed to keep Langley out of that study. Herndon was included in the study but ultimately there were no changes to Herndon's boundaries at the time. Strauss went to Great Falls in 2011 when she was running for re-election and bragged about keeping Langley out of the 2008 boundary study.

In the mid-90s, the Great Falls area west of Springvale Road was moved from Herndon to Langley. In 2021, single-family neighborhoods in Vienna zoned to McLean (at both Colvin Run ES and Spring Hill ES) were moved to Langley. This January the rest of Spring Hill zoned to McLean (apartments/condos in Tysons) was reassigned to Langley.

Older Board presentations typically are no longer be available online. At least one document relating to the 2008 South Lakes study, however, is still available at https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/legacy-content/867E6G251DFC/$FILE/SB%20Presentation%202_28_08%20on%20West%20Cnty%20Boundary%20Study%20PDF.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anybody have old studies saved to their computers from the time Langley had its enrollment beefed up, Westfield was built and opened, and from the all contentious 2008 study where South Lakes received several students from Westfield, Oakton, and Madison post renovation?

I would love to see what the maps looked like before today.

Langley's boundaries weren't affected by the 2008 South Lakes boundary study. That study impacted South Lakes, Westfield, Oakton, Chantilly, and Madison. Janie Strauss and Stu Gibson agreed to keep Langley out of that study. Herndon was included in the study but ultimately there were no changes to Herndon's boundaries at the time. Strauss went to Great Falls in 2011 when she was running for re-election and bragged about keeping Langley out of the 2008 boundary study.

In the mid-90s, the Great Falls area west of Springvale Road was moved from Herndon to Langley. In 2021, single-family neighborhoods in Vienna zoned to McLean (at both Colvin Run ES and Spring Hill ES) were moved to Langley. This January the rest of Spring Hill zoned to McLean (apartments/condos in Tysons) was reassigned to Langley.

Older Board presentations typically are no longer be available online. At least one document relating to the 2008 South Lakes study, however, is still available at https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/legacy-content/867E6G251DFC/$FILE/SB%20Presentation%202_28_08%20on%20West%20Cnty%20Boundary%20Study%20PDF.pdf

Thats weird because when I went to look the study up, I couldn’t access it like it was deleted.

Same for the 2011 Southwest Study

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anybody have old studies saved to their computers from the time Langley had its enrollment beefed up, Westfield was built and opened, and from the all contentious 2008 study where South Lakes received several students from Westfield, Oakton, and Madison post renovation?

I would love to see what the maps looked like before today.

Langley's boundaries weren't affected by the 2008 South Lakes boundary study. That study impacted South Lakes, Westfield, Oakton, Chantilly, and Madison. Janie Strauss and Stu Gibson agreed to keep Langley out of that study. Herndon was included in the study but ultimately there were no changes to Herndon's boundaries at the time. Strauss went to Great Falls in 2011 when she was running for re-election and bragged about keeping Langley out of the 2008 boundary study.

In the mid-90s, the Great Falls area west of Springvale Road was moved from Herndon to Langley. In 2021, single-family neighborhoods in Vienna zoned to McLean (at both Colvin Run ES and Spring Hill ES) were moved to Langley. This January the rest of Spring Hill zoned to McLean (apartments/condos in Tysons) was reassigned to Langley.

Older Board presentations typically are no longer be available online. At least one document relating to the 2008 South Lakes study, however, is still available at https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/legacy-content/867E6G251DFC/$FILE/SB%20Presentation%202_28_08%20on%20West%20Cnty%20Boundary%20Study%20PDF.pdf

Thats weird because when I went to look the study up, I couldn’t access it like it was deleted.

Same for the 2011 Southwest Study

I obviously didn’t pay attention to that last paragraph lol.

Surprised this gem didn’t bite the dust.

[Anonymous]

Along with the previous question, does anyone have the boundaries from before South County was opened? Or what the various proposals were for the boundaries at that time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Along with the previous question, does anyone have the boundaries from before South County was opened? Or what the various proposals were for the boundaries at that time?

I did a bit of digging. It appears the initial decisions around the boundaries for South County Secondary were made in January 2005. Some related materials:

https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/legacy-content/867QC7297B42/$FILE/Adjustment%20to%20School%20Attendance%20Agenda.pdf

https://insys.fcps.edu/schoolboardapps/ArchivedSBMinutes/2000-2009/2005-2009/2004-2005/20050127R.pdf

There were later adjustments but this may provide some information about the boundaries before SoCo first opened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Along with the previous question, does anyone have the boundaries from before South County was opened? Or what the various proposals were for the boundaries at that time?

I did a bit of digging. It appears the initial decisions around the boundaries for South County Secondary were made in January 2005. Some related materials:

https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/legacy-content/867QC7297B42/$FILE/Adjustment%20to%20School%20Attendance%20Agenda.pdf

https://insys.fcps.edu/schoolboardapps/ArchivedSBMinutes/2000-2009/2005-2009/2004-2005/20050127R.pdf

There were later adjustments but this may provide some information about the boundaries before SoCo first opened.

I don’t want to sound like a complainer or like I have low comprehension, but these older studies are way harder to interpret than the ones now, which are easier to interpret.

Now, does anybody have the Westfield study or is that long lost?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Along with the previous question, does anyone have the boundaries from before South County was opened? Or what the various proposals were for the boundaries at that time?

I did a bit of digging. It appears the initial decisions around the boundaries for South County Secondary were made in January 2005. Some related materials:

https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/legacy-content/867QC7297B42/$FILE/Adjustment%20to%20School%20Attendance%20Agenda.pdf

https://insys.fcps.edu/schoolboardapps/ArchivedSBMinutes/2000-2009/2005-2009/2004-2005/20050127R.pdf

There were later adjustments but this may provide some information about the boundaries before SoCo first opened.

Interesting - I don’t think I realized that Laurel Hill ES wasn’t even around when they were figuring out South County’s boundaries. I guess all those kids were at Lorton Station. But now Lorton Station isn’t at South County. It looked like they were also trying to move the Hunt Valley split feeder south of the Parkway (at Lee at the time) to Lake Braddock.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Along with the previous question, does anyone have the boundaries from before South County was opened? Or what the various proposals were for the boundaries at that time?

I did a bit of digging. It appears the initial decisions around the boundaries for South County Secondary were made in January 2005. Some related materials:

https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/legacy-content/867QC7297B42/$FILE/Adjustment%20to%20School%20Attendance%20Agenda.pdf

https://insys.fcps.edu/schoolboardapps/ArchivedSBMinutes/2000-2009/2005-2009/2004-2005/20050127R.pdf

There were later adjustments but this may provide some information about the boundaries before SoCo first opened.

I don’t want to sound like a complainer or like I have low comprehension, but these older studies are way harder to interpret than the ones now, which are easier to interpret.

Now, does anybody have the Westfield study or is that long lost?

I did some more digging. It appears the Westfield boundaries were established at a March 9, 2000 School Board meeting. From some other minutes it appears about 30% of Westfield's students came from Oakton and the remaining 70% from Centreville and Chantilly, but that the boundaries of a few other schools (Fairfax and Robinson) were changed at the same time.

There's a discussion in the minutes for the 3/9/00 meeting: https://insys.fcps.edu/schoolboardapps/ArchivedSBMinutes/1990-1999/1995-1999/1999-2000/20000309RM.pdf

Beyond that, couldn't find an actual study or any maps; Board Docs only dates back to 2004 and Westfield opened in the fall of 2000.

As an aside, during the planning stages, Westfield was referred to as the "West County high school" and it opened around the same time as a "West County middle school" opened. The "West County middle school" ended up being named Rachel Carson MS, and the other finalist for that school's name was "Carl Sagan MS."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Along with the previous question, does anyone have the boundaries from before South County was opened? Or what the various proposals were for the boundaries at that time?

I did a bit of digging. It appears the initial decisions around the boundaries for South County Secondary were made in January 2005. Some related materials:

https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/legacy-content/867QC7297B42/$FILE/Adjustment%20to%20School%20Attendance%20Agenda.pdf

https://insys.fcps.edu/schoolboardapps/ArchivedSBMinutes/2000-2009/2005-2009/2004-2005/20050127R.pdf

There were later adjustments but this may provide some information about the boundaries before SoCo first opened.

I don’t want to sound like a complainer or like I have low comprehension, but these older studies are way harder to interpret than the ones now, which are easier to interpret.

Now, does anybody have the Westfield study or is that long lost?

I did some more digging. It appears the Westfield boundaries were established at a March 9, 2000 School Board meeting. From some other minutes it appears about 30% of Westfield's students came from Oakton and the remaining 70% from Centreville and Chantilly, but that the boundaries of a few other schools (Fairfax and Robinson) were changed at the same time.

There's a discussion in the minutes for the 3/9/00 meeting: https://insys.fcps.edu/schoolboardapps/ArchivedSBMinutes/1990-1999/1995-1999/1999-2000/20000309RM.pdf

Beyond that, couldn't find an actual study or any maps; Board Docs only dates back to 2004 and Westfield opened in the fall of 2000.

As an aside, during the planning stages, Westfield was referred to as the "West County high school" and it opened around the same time as a "West County middle school" opened. The "West County middle school" ended up being named Rachel Carson MS, and the other finalist for that school's name was "Carl Sagan MS."

Wow, very cool.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Older School Board information is available here: https://insys.fcps.edu/schoolboardapps/searchmenu.cfm

But it is clunky as you have to search keywords in different decade groups.

[Anonymous]

There is currently a 2 alarm structure fire at Bren Mar Park elementary school (one of the elementary schools being targeted for a move in 2027).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is currently a 2 alarm structure fire at Bren Mar Park elementary school (one of the elementary schools being targeted for a move in 2027).

That's scary.

Hope nobody was injured.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Great Falls Elementary School enrollment is down as well patents are opting for private schools

Most of the students at GFES who get into AAP switch to the center school at Colvin Run and take their younger siblings. A lot of parents also choose private school because the school isn’t all that great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great Falls Elementary School enrollment is down as well patents are opting for private schools

Is it that or is it that millennial parents with elementary age kids don’t want to live in Great Falls? It’s a little more isolated than many areas of the county and that doesn’t appeal to everyone.

Agree, most people with young children don't find aging mcmansions out in the middle of nowhere appealing.

It's great to be handy and/or have the money for contractors. Contractors STAY busy around here. It's also lovely to live in a part of the county with lots of open space for the kids, a central community gathering location and abundant plant and wildlife.

The great thing about this county is that you can live stacked on top of people if you like that or step out into your back yard and see nothing but trees and foxes if that's your thing.

This may be true but if you’re talking about Great Falls they’ve had to shore up Langley’s enrollment by reassigning kids there repeatedly, first from Herndon and then from McLean.

If Langley had the same boundaries it had in the early 90s it would probably have an enrollment somewhere between Lewis and Mount Vernon.

Well, either a worsening economy forces families back into public (ALOT of GF and I'll bet McLean sends their children to private) or the accelerating decline in enrollment will cause the school board to reboundary a part of GF closest to Herndon to that pyramid. A percent of GF parents still in FCPS will switch to private, some will go to Herndon pyramid elementary, middle and high.

In that scenario Great Falls elementary will close for lack of enrollment and then some entity will buy it and re-open it as a private K-5 school.

All that would take another decade or so.

Alot do not send their children to private schools and exactly where do you think hot privates are located? Over 30 years there has been no new Potomac or Flint Hill type privates opened. Great Falls Elementary lost a major chunk of it's in boundary when Colvin Run opened. Post Colvin Run it had more students than currently - lots of real estate occupied by empty nesters, K-12 age out, DINKS etc.

Next go on projected over capacity Cooper/Langley will have increased or open capacity at Dranesville Elementary, Herndon HS, Armstrong, Forest Edge/South Lakes. Remember the Madison to Sunrise Valley/South Lakes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great Falls Elementary School enrollment is down as well patents are opting for private schools

Is it that or is it that millennial parents with elementary age kids don’t want to live in Great Falls? It’s a little more isolated than many areas of the county and that doesn’t appeal to everyone.

Agree, most people with young children don't find aging mcmansions out in the middle of nowhere appealing.

It's great to be handy and/or have the money for contractors. Contractors STAY busy around here. It's also lovely to live in a part of the county with lots of open space for the kids, a central community gathering location and abundant plant and wildlife.

The great thing about this county is that you can live stacked on top of people if you like that or step out into your back yard and see nothing but trees and foxes if that's your thing.

This may be true but if you’re talking about Great Falls they’ve had to shore up Langley’s enrollment by reassigning kids there repeatedly, first from Herndon and then from McLean.

If Langley had the same boundaries it had in the early 90s it would probably have an enrollment somewhere between Lewis and Mount Vernon.

Well, either a worsening economy forces families back into public (ALOT of GF and I'll bet McLean sends their children to private) or the accelerating decline in enrollment will cause the school board to reboundary a part of GF closest to Herndon to that pyramid. A percent of GF parents still in FCPS will switch to private, some will go to Herndon pyramid elementary, middle and high.

In that scenario Great Falls elementary will close for lack of enrollment and then some entity will buy it and re-open it as a private K-5 school.

All that would take another decade or so.

Alot do not send their children to private schools and exactly where do you think hot privates are located? Over 30 years there has been no new Potomac or Flint Hill type privates opened. Great Falls Elementary lost a major chunk of it's in boundary when Colvin Run opened. Post Colvin Run it had more students than currently - lots of real estate occupied by empty nesters, K-12 age out, DINKS etc.

Next go on projected over capacity Cooper/Langley will have increased or open capacity at Dranesville Elementary, Herndon HS, Armstrong, Forest Edge/South Lakes. Remember the Madison to Sunrise Valley/South Lakes?

Try to write an actual post next time. This stream of consciousness is totally confusing.