FCPS Boundary Review Updates

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was out in Loudoun earlier today and just traveled from 193/Route 7 (Dranesville) to Cooper and Langley.

Non-rush hour and perfect driving conditions.

To Cooper: 9 miles and 21 minutes

To Langley: 10 miles and 25 minutes

No doubt that trip is considerably longer during rush hour and when driving conditions are poor.

Whatever else happens with the boundary review, if there is a practical way to send those kids to a closer school, that's what FCPS should do. We are paying a lot just to allow one set of wealthy kids to attend school with other wealthy kids and no poor kids.

Just to push back against tour narrative. I live out there, and have taken to checking travel times from Forestville when the buses go by my house. The delta is 3.4 minutes longer to cooper than HMS on average and 9.8 minutes longer to Langley than HHS.

Not sure what you think it costs to employ an extra bus driver for half an hour a day, but I assure you $12 is the lowest hanging fruit that they could go after.

Get yourself a better argument, or at least admit it’s all an equity play for you.

Dude - there is a group on replying with the same argument; their goal is to get the Dems out. This was brought up before on the other forums. Certain Republicans are using the FCPS forum to foment some anger. There was even a debate to show where equity was the primary goal - it's not anywhere. The goal has been dealing with over populated schools.

Geography cannot be defeated by bussing. This is a physical limitation.

If there is a Republican plan to handle the overcrowding then let's hear it. But so far it's get the Dems out and make some deep cuts to FCPS.

Maybe stop wasting millions of dollars on political fads (e.g., million dollar+ name changes from Woodson to ... Woodson) and DEI crap and FCPS would have more money to actually, ya know, carry out their mission of educating kids. Just a thought.

You didn’t really answer PP’s question. How do we get rid of overcrowding if not boundary changes?

DP.

Well, PP said that two of the three overcrowded schools are chantilly and centreville, and the centreville expansion costing hundreds if millions seems to be on track. So not sure why they couldn’t do something similar for McLean. Problem solved.

Otherwise, move the two McLean islands and call it a day. There is no need for further moves than that.

I don’t hear anyone at McLean clamoring for more boundary changes. The enrollment there has started to come down. They also have a 12-classroom modular now, unlike back in 2019 when there was no modular and 21 trailers.

The whole fetish about eliminating attendance islands is odd, when the two McLean islands are closer to McLean than some of the contiguous areas assigned to Langley, Lake Braddock, Oakton, and Robinson are to those schools.

If they do eliminate the islands, you won’t convince anyone at McLean you’re doing them a big favor. Mostly, it will just be perceived as moving McLean kids to Langley (Tysons island) to justify moving Langley kids to Herndon and moving other McLean kids to Falls Church (Timber Lane island) to justify the ongoing expansion of Falls Church.

Also, moving both islands would over-correct and leave McLean too small and without its current diversity, so they’d probably need to move part of Marshall there to balance things out.

Really, they should just wait until they have a new renovation queue, and then make sure they are addressing the needs of the older high schools like Annandale, McLean, and Lewis (the other two older schools, Justice and Madison, already got additions outside the queue).

You are responding to my post, and I wholeheartedly agree with you. I’d only be for moving attendance islands if those families want it. Otherwise, they are upsetting those kids’ lives for no gain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was out in Loudoun earlier today and just traveled from 193/Route 7 (Dranesville) to Cooper and Langley.

Non-rush hour and perfect driving conditions.

To Cooper: 9 miles and 21 minutes

To Langley: 10 miles and 25 minutes

No doubt that trip is considerably longer during rush hour and when driving conditions are poor.

Whatever else happens with the boundary review, if there is a practical way to send those kids to a closer school, that's what FCPS should do. We are paying a lot just to allow one set of wealthy kids to attend school with other wealthy kids and no poor kids.

Just to push back against tour narrative. I live out there, and have taken to checking travel times from Forestville when the buses go by my house. The delta is 3.4 minutes longer to cooper than HMS on average and 9.8 minutes longer to Langley than HHS.

Not sure what you think it costs to employ an extra bus driver for half an hour a day, but I assure you $12 is the lowest hanging fruit that they could go after.

Get yourself a better argument, or at least admit it’s all an equity play for you.

Dude - there is a group on replying with the same argument; their goal is to get the Dems out. This was brought up before on the other forums. Certain Republicans are using the FCPS forum to foment some anger. There was even a debate to show where equity was the primary goal - it's not anywhere. The goal has been dealing with over populated schools.

Geography cannot be defeated by bussing. This is a physical limitation.

If there is a Republican plan to handle the overcrowding then let's hear it. But so far it's get the Dems out and make some deep cuts to FCPS.

Maybe stop wasting millions of dollars on political fads (e.g., million dollar+ name changes from Woodson to ... Woodson) and DEI crap and FCPS would have more money to actually, ya know, carry out their mission of educating kids. Just a thought.

You didn’t really answer PP’s question. How do we get rid of overcrowding if not boundary changes?

Residency checks.

Get rid of IB to close the IB transfer loophole.

Put AAP in every middle school so no kids go out of zone for middle school.

If a school is "closed" to transfers, actually close it. Don't double the number of transfers into the school over 2 years.

Eliminate attendance islands.

Start there.

See how 100s of high performing upper middle class students with involved parents and AAP students returning to their neighborhood schools affects test scores for a couple of years.

Then reassess if rezoning is needed.

You don’t always have to reassign an attendance island to eliminate it. In some cases they can be bridged to a school’s main attendance area.

For example, it would be very easy to bridge the Tysons island at McLean by reassigning a small area zoned to Marshall that’s bordered by 123, 495, and the Dulles Toll Road to McLean.

Frankly, eliminating attendance islands is really unnecessary. Who cares that there is a gap in between attendance zones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree on mclean - leave it as is and invest in update as has been the case with other high schools.

McLean parent here and I disagree. The common spaces and hallways are way too crowded in addition to the state of disrepair. Waiting until another renovation queue is designed and all the years until construction would even start is too long. MHS needs relief now.

Another McLean parent and I agree with the prior poster. Technically may be enough classroom space with the modulars but everything else is horrifically overcrowded. FCPS should drop McLean HS enrollment by several hundred students until there is a renovation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree on mclean - leave it as is and invest in update as has been the case with other high schools.

McLean parent here and I disagree. The common spaces and hallways are way too crowded in addition to the state of disrepair. Waiting until another renovation queue is designed and all the years until construction would even start is too long. MHS needs relief now.

Yeah, they can reassign a bunch of kids and then you know what will happen? They will just postpone any MHS renovations further on the grounds the school now has adequate capacity.

They are playing you. The MHS kids aren’t asking for their peers to get redistricted. The only value of McLean kids to this School Board is as a source of transfers to Langley they can then use to justify moving part of Great Falls to Herndon.

This is false. McLean HS students overwhelming complain about the facilities and overcrowding every time they are surveyed. The student body and its representatives have lobbied the school board on numerous occasions (letter writing campaigns, petitions, etc.) for renovations and facility improvements. The Highlander (student paper) regularly features articles about the the schools crumbling facilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree on mclean - leave it as is and invest in update as has been the case with other high schools.

McLean parent here and I disagree. The common spaces and hallways are way too crowded in addition to the state of disrepair. Waiting until another renovation queue is designed and all the years until construction would even start is too long. MHS needs relief now.

Another McLean parent and I agree with the prior poster. Technically may be enough classroom space with the modulars but everything else is horrifically overcrowded. FCPS should drop McLean HS enrollment by several hundred students until there is a renovation.

It seems like you’re pushing to have other kids moved to help your own. Would you be willing to move your kids to Langley or FCHS to relieve the McLean overcrowding?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree on mclean - leave it as is and invest in update as has been the case with other high schools.

McLean parent here and I disagree. The common spaces and hallways are way too crowded in addition to the state of disrepair. Waiting until another renovation queue is designed and all the years until construction would even start is too long. MHS needs relief now.

Yeah, they can reassign a bunch of kids and then you know what will happen? They will just postpone any MHS renovations further on the grounds the school now has adequate capacity.

They are playing you. The MHS kids aren’t asking for their peers to get redistricted. The only value of McLean kids to this School Board is as a source of transfers to Langley they can then use to justify moving part of Great Falls to Herndon.

This is false. McLean HS students overwhelming complain about the facilities and overcrowding every time they are surveyed. The student body and its representatives have lobbied the school board on numerous occasions (letter writing campaigns, petitions, etc.) for renovations and facility improvements. The Highlander (student paper) regularly features articles about the the schools crumbling facilities.

One of the option presented was to move McLean to Langley - the free space in Langley balances out the over in McLean. This plan has no relocation of Langley to Herndon. The numbers work-out with both schools at capacity. This change makes sense since both schools are off 123 and 2 miles from each other. They share the same facilities like Spring Hill Rec for Swim/Dive, shopping centers, post offices, etc.

There is some guy that keeps bringing up; Langley to Herndon and if you disagree then you are a racist. This is fear mongering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree on mclean - leave it as is and invest in update as has been the case with other high schools.

McLean parent here and I disagree. The common spaces and hallways are way too crowded in addition to the state of disrepair. Waiting until another renovation queue is designed and all the years until construction would even start is too long. MHS needs relief now.

Yeah, they can reassign a bunch of kids and then you know what will happen? They will just postpone any MHS renovations further on the grounds the school now has adequate capacity.

They are playing you. The MHS kids aren’t asking for their peers to get redistricted. The only value of McLean kids to this School Board is as a source of transfers to Langley they can then use to justify moving part of Great Falls to Herndon.

This is false. McLean HS students overwhelming complain about the facilities and overcrowding every time they are surveyed. The student body and its representatives have lobbied the school board on numerous occasions (letter writing campaigns, petitions, etc.) for renovations and facility improvements. The Highlander (student paper) regularly features articles about the the schools crumbling facilities.

I have read the materials and the students address the need for renovations and facility improvements, as you say. They never ask for further boundary changes to reduce the enrollment, perhaps because they are smart enough to realize that any further investment in facilities likely will be deferred even further if the enrollment is reduced. There will then be just one more excuse for overlooking the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree on mclean - leave it as is and invest in update as has been the case with other high schools.

McLean parent here and I disagree. The common spaces and hallways are way too crowded in addition to the state of disrepair. Waiting until another renovation queue is designed and all the years until construction would even start is too long. MHS needs relief now.

Another McLean parent and I agree with the prior poster. Technically may be enough classroom space with the modulars but everything else is horrifically overcrowded. FCPS should drop McLean HS enrollment by several hundred students until there is a renovation.

With the new policy mandating a review every 5 years, this is possible. They could move a few hundred kids, renovate/expand and then move them back a few years later. It would be disruptive, but no more than any other moves that could come from doing a comprehensive review that often.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree on mclean - leave it as is and invest in update as has been the case with other high schools.

McLean parent here and I disagree. The common spaces and hallways are way too crowded in addition to the state of disrepair. Waiting until another renovation queue is designed and all the years until construction would even start is too long. MHS needs relief now.

Yeah, they can reassign a bunch of kids and then you know what will happen? They will just postpone any MHS renovations further on the grounds the school now has adequate capacity.

They are playing you. The MHS kids aren’t asking for their peers to get redistricted. The only value of McLean kids to this School Board is as a source of transfers to Langley they can then use to justify moving part of Great Falls to Herndon.

This is false. McLean HS students overwhelming complain about the facilities and overcrowding every time they are surveyed. The student body and its representatives have lobbied the school board on numerous occasions (letter writing campaigns, petitions, etc.) for renovations and facility improvements. The Highlander (student paper) regularly features articles about the the schools crumbling facilities.

One of the option presented was to move McLean to Langley - the free space in Langley balances out the over in McLean. This plan has no relocation of Langley to Herndon. The numbers work-out with both schools at capacity. This change makes sense since both schools are off 123 and 2 miles from each other. They share the same facilities like Spring Hill Rec for Swim/Dive, shopping centers, post offices, etc.

There is some guy that keeps bringing up; Langley to Herndon and if you disagree then you are a racist. This is fear mongering.

FairFACTS Matters and then the GFCA organized two Q&A sessions with Robyn Lady last year because they were concerned about the Policy 8130 revisions and the possibility of part of Langley getting moved to Herndon. Were they the ones “fear mongering”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree on mclean - leave it as is and invest in update as has been the case with other high schools.

McLean parent here and I disagree. The common spaces and hallways are way too crowded in addition to the state of disrepair. Waiting until another renovation queue is designed and all the years until construction would even start is too long. MHS needs relief now.

Yeah, they can reassign a bunch of kids and then you know what will happen? They will just postpone any MHS renovations further on the grounds the school now has adequate capacity.

They are playing you. The MHS kids aren’t asking for their peers to get redistricted. The only value of McLean kids to this School Board is as a source of transfers to Langley they can then use to justify moving part of Great Falls to Herndon.

This is false. McLean HS students overwhelming complain about the facilities and overcrowding every time they are surveyed. The student body and its representatives have lobbied the school board on numerous occasions (letter writing campaigns, petitions, etc.) for renovations and facility improvements. The Highlander (student paper) regularly features articles about the the schools crumbling facilities.

One of the option presented was to move McLean to Langley - the free space in Langley balances out the over in McLean. This plan has no relocation of Langley to Herndon. The numbers work-out with both schools at capacity. This change makes sense since both schools are off 123 and 2 miles from each other. They share the same facilities like Spring Hill Rec for Swim/Dive, shopping centers, post offices, etc.

There is some guy that keeps bringing up; Langley to Herndon and if you disagree then you are a racist. This is fear mongering.

FairFACTS Matters and then the GFCA organized two Q&A sessions with Robyn Lady last year because they were concerned about the Policy 8130 revisions and the possibility of part of Langley getting moved to Herndon. Were they the ones “fear mongering”?

DP. No they were being good parents who care about their kids and don’t want them to be pawns in your equity game. No one wants their kids moved. No one.

Wait sorry, one guy I’ve heard wants his kids moved. He bought a cheaper house in a poor performing school pyramid and pushes to have his kids reassigned out of the district- basically looking for a handout at the expense of his neighbors. Otherwise, no one wants their kids moved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree on mclean - leave it as is and invest in update as has been the case with other high schools.

McLean parent here and I disagree. The common spaces and hallways are way too crowded in addition to the state of disrepair. Waiting until another renovation queue is designed and all the years until construction would even start is too long. MHS needs relief now.

Another McLean parent and I agree with the prior poster. Technically may be enough classroom space with the modulars but everything else is horrifically overcrowded. FCPS should drop McLean HS enrollment by several hundred students until there is a renovation.

It seems like you’re pushing to have other kids moved to help your own. Would you be willing to move your kids to Langley or FCHS to relieve the McLean overcrowding?

I am not a fan of moving students who already attend a HS if it can be avoided. However, I am in favor of FCPS reducing McLean HS enrollment starting with the incoming freshman class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree on mclean - leave it as is and invest in update as has been the case with other high schools.

McLean parent here and I disagree. The common spaces and hallways are way too crowded in addition to the state of disrepair. Waiting until another renovation queue is designed and all the years until construction would even start is too long. MHS needs relief now.

Another McLean parent and I agree with the prior poster. Technically may be enough classroom space with the modulars but everything else is horrifically overcrowded. FCPS should drop McLean HS enrollment by several hundred students until there is a renovation.

It seems like you’re pushing to have other kids moved to help your own. Would you be willing to move your kids to Langley or FCHS to relieve the McLean overcrowding?

I am not a fan of moving students who already attend a HS if it can be avoided. However, I am in favor of FCPS reducing McLean HS enrollment starting with the incoming freshman class.

Would you be okay with your kids being moved?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree on mclean - leave it as is and invest in update as has been the case with other high schools.

McLean parent here and I disagree. The common spaces and hallways are way too crowded in addition to the state of disrepair. Waiting until another renovation queue is designed and all the years until construction would even start is too long. MHS needs relief now.

Another McLean parent and I agree with the prior poster. Technically may be enough classroom space with the modulars but everything else is horrifically overcrowded. FCPS should drop McLean HS enrollment by several hundred students until there is a renovation.

It seems like you’re pushing to have other kids moved to help your own. Would you be willing to move your kids to Langley or FCHS to relieve the McLean overcrowding?

I am not a fan of moving students who already attend a HS if it can be avoided. However, I am in favor of FCPS reducing McLean HS enrollment starting with the incoming freshman class.

The enrollment is already declining. This year’s freshman class was smaller than the prior year’s, and the prior year’s freshman class was smaller than the preceding year’s as well. If you look at the Longfellow numbers and the numbers for the feeder ES, that trend should continue.

[Anonymous]

MHS would still qualify for renovation under a reformed renovation queue that takes into account the age and condition of the facilities. It doesn’t need to remain overcrowded too. The anti-boundary gang does not accept that the district had so many inefficiencies in capacity usage and transportation that need to be addressed. It’s been too long with one off changes. I hope FCPS does what needs to be done and does the comprehensive change now with periodic small fixes later. I am so tired of this great falls gang trying to silence any other opinions by claiming people work for FCPS or are a “SB shill.” There are many parents who understand this is long overdue, including many at MHS who are tired of the overcrowding in the hallways, cafeteria …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was out in Loudoun earlier today and just traveled from 193/Route 7 (Dranesville) to Cooper and Langley.

Non-rush hour and perfect driving conditions.

To Cooper: 9 miles and 21 minutes

To Langley: 10 miles and 25 minutes

No doubt that trip is considerably longer during rush hour and when driving conditions are poor.

Whatever else happens with the boundary review, if there is a practical way to send those kids to a closer school, that's what FCPS should do. We are paying a lot just to allow one set of wealthy kids to attend school with other wealthy kids and no poor kids.

Just to push back against tour narrative. I live out there, and have taken to checking travel times from Forestville when the buses go by my house. The delta is 3.4 minutes longer to cooper than HMS on average and 9.8 minutes longer to Langley than HHS.

Not sure what you think it costs to employ an extra bus driver for half an hour a day, but I assure you $12 is the lowest hanging fruit that they could go after.

Get yourself a better argument, or at least admit it’s all an equity play for you.

Dude - there is a group on replying with the same argument; their goal is to get the Dems out. This was brought up before on the other forums. Certain Republicans are using the FCPS forum to foment some anger. There was even a debate to show where equity was the primary goal - it's not anywhere. The goal has been dealing with over populated schools.

Geography cannot be defeated by bussing. This is a physical limitation.

If there is a Republican plan to handle the overcrowding then let's hear it. But so far it's get the Dems out and make some deep cuts to FCPS.

Maybe stop wasting millions of dollars on political fads (e.g., million dollar+ name changes from Woodson to ... Woodson) and DEI crap and FCPS would have more money to actually, ya know, carry out their mission of educating kids. Just a thought.

You didn’t really answer PP’s question. How do we get rid of overcrowding if not boundary changes?

Residency checks.

Get rid of IB to close the IB transfer loophole.

Put AAP in every middle school so no kids go out of zone for middle school.

If a school is "closed" to transfers, actually close it. Don't double the number of transfers into the school over 2 years.

Eliminate attendance islands.

Start there.

See how 100s of high performing upper middle class students with involved parents and AAP students returning to their neighborhood schools affects test scores for a couple of years.

Then reassess if rezoning is needed.

You don’t always have to reassign an attendance island to eliminate it. In some cases they can be bridged to a school’s main attendance area.

For example, it would be very easy to bridge the Tysons island at McLean by reassigning a small area zoned to Marshall that’s bordered by 123, 495, and the Dulles Toll Road to McLean.

Frankly, eliminating attendance islands is really unnecessary. Who cares that there is a gap in between attendance zones.

There are a few crazy ones that should be fixed