FCPS Skyview Boundary Scenario 1/2/3

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new mascot is incredibly stupid.

Why bother making it a traditional high school when she clearly wants an aviation magnet.

Just prepare for the boundaries to be nullified at a programming re-vote.

Fortunately for us there already was a public review period and a school board vote making it a traditional school. No matter how much fear-mongering some people try to stir up on this board a magnet isn't happening. They are fully underway opening as a traditional school.

This is not quite true. The county’s recent approval to allow Skyview to open as a public school was based on its initial 1000-student enrollment. If FCPS wants Skyview to operate as a traditional school with a typical, larger enrollment, it will have to come back to the county within the next year. And if the county were to deny the follow-up application FCPS’s fall-back might be to cap enrollment and operate Skyview as a magnet or lottery school.

I know that’s not what the School board directed, and FCPS may be able to satisfy the county Skyview can accommodate more than 1000 students, but it’s somewhat misleading to claim there aren’t still uncertainties.

How does a school transition from traditional to magnet? Do the students who are already there have to make it through the application process or be sent back to their base school?

They won't be doing that.

Here is a quote from someone on the planning commission:

“This has really been a long road trying to find an adequate spot and the fact that this just materialized is pretty miraculous,” said Braddock District Commissioner Mary Cortina. “I just can’t envision a better scenario of being able to find a place for the school.”

Sounds to me like they will approve it in the future when the plans are set.
https://www.ffxnow.com/2026/05/20/reuse-of-private-academy-as-public-skyview-high-school-approved/#disqus_thread

Everyone agrees the site is a good site for a high school. But they don't have the approvals yet to serve more than 1000 kids.

The costs are a real issue. FCPS already lied when it put out multiple statements referring to an estimated $280 million in savings, based on the difference between the initial $150 million purchase price and estimates that building a new school from scratch would cost around $430 million. Within a few months, they were estimating it would cost over $50 million more to get Skyview ready, which means the prior statements were false and the purported savings would be $230 million, not $280 million.

The "plans" for the future are not "set" until they've done a LOT of additional work with the main Skyview building and the two shell buildings. If the costs are even higher, their prior misrepresentation becomes even more glaring. In addition, future county approvals are not guaranteed. That's why they probably do have a "Plan B" (i.e., some type of smaller magnet or lottery school) that would be an exit ramp if the costs spiral or future approvals hit an obstacle (as at Centreville).

You didn't read the new number? https://www.ffxnow.com/2026/05/20/reuse-of-private-academy-as-public-skyview-high-school-approved/

He noted that it could have cost $600 million to acquire land and build an entirely new facility.

So now it looks like we are $400 million ahead on this new school. It's practically free at this point. That should give them plenty of leeway for any cost overruns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new mascot is incredibly stupid.

Why bother making it a traditional high school when she clearly wants an aviation magnet.

Just prepare for the boundaries to be nullified at a programming re-vote.

My student (who lives within the eventual Skyview boundary) and his friends all agreed that the other option (Yeti) was even worse.

It will be a good school, but Reid et al have really rolled this out poorly.

It doesn't lend itself to a cheer for a football team. Did they do this like the name selection? Drop one of the most popular choices before the vote?

I hate how Reid is pushing “airport theme” on a community that doesn’t necessarily identify as an “airport” community. There is so much more to this area.

[Anonymous]

Personally I think the real problem is that the local community wants a traditional high school, but the school personnel that have evaluated Skyview know that the building and grounds are a long way away from being a traditional HS. The school board and gatehouse are trying to find ways to give the community what they want, but it is going to be costly and its boundary adjustments will have repercussions on a lot of people that they won’t like. It will come down to who FCPS wants to piss off less. The people living around Skyview, the people who are forced to move to Westfield, or the general taxpayer. Making Skyview a magnet only upsets one group. The traditional route will be a much larger group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The new mascot is incredibly stupid.

Why bother making it a traditional high school when she clearly wants an aviation magnet.

Just prepare for the boundaries to be nullified at a programming re-vote.

The Skyview Aviators? Eesh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new mascot is incredibly stupid.

Why bother making it a traditional high school when she clearly wants an aviation magnet.

Just prepare for the boundaries to be nullified at a programming re-vote.

Fortunately for us there already was a public review period and a school board vote making it a traditional school. No matter how much fear-mongering some people try to stir up on this board a magnet isn't happening. They are fully underway opening as a traditional school.

This is not quite true. The county’s recent approval to allow Skyview to open as a public school was based on its initial 1000-student enrollment. If FCPS wants Skyview to operate as a traditional school with a typical, larger enrollment, it will have to come back to the county within the next year. And if the county were to deny the follow-up application FCPS’s fall-back might be to cap enrollment and operate Skyview as a magnet or lottery school.

I know that’s not what the School board directed, and FCPS may be able to satisfy the county Skyview can accommodate more than 1000 students, but it’s somewhat misleading to claim there aren’t still uncertainties.

How does a school transition from traditional to magnet? Do the students who are already there have to make it through the application process or be sent back to their base school?

They won't be doing that.

Here is a quote from someone on the planning commission:

“This has really been a long road trying to find an adequate spot and the fact that this just materialized is pretty miraculous,” said Braddock District Commissioner Mary Cortina. “I just can’t envision a better scenario of being able to find a place for the school.”

Sounds to me like they will approve it in the future when the plans are set.
https://www.ffxnow.com/2026/05/20/reuse-of-private-academy-as-public-skyview-high-school-approved/#disqus_thread

Everyone agrees the site is a good site for a high school. But they don't have the approvals yet to serve more than 1000 kids.

The costs are a real issue. FCPS already lied when it put out multiple statements referring to an estimated $280 million in savings, based on the difference between the initial $150 million purchase price and estimates that building a new school from scratch would cost around $430 million. Within a few months, they were estimating it would cost over $50 million more to get Skyview ready, which means the prior statements were false and the purported savings would be $230 million, not $280 million.

The "plans" for the future are not "set" until they've done a LOT of additional work with the main Skyview building and the two shell buildings. If the costs are even higher, their prior misrepresentation becomes even more glaring. In addition, future county approvals are not guaranteed. That's why they probably do have a "Plan B" (i.e., some type of smaller magnet or lottery school) that would be an exit ramp if the costs spiral or future approvals hit an obstacle (as at Centreville).

You didn't read the new number? https://www.ffxnow.com/2026/05/20/reuse-of-private-academy-as-public-skyview-high-school-approved/

He noted that it could have cost $600 million to acquire land and build an entirely new facility.

So now it looks like we are $400 million ahead on this new school. It's practically free at this point. That should give them plenty of leeway for any cost overruns.

LOL. Of course their prior estimates weren’t audited, and now they feel free to just make up whatever numbers they want.

Don’t forget - these are the same people who’ll vote this week to approve a construction contract for a new ES in Dunn Loring that isn’t needed. Planning and fiscal transparency aren’t their strong suits.

[Anonymous]

was that supposedly the most popular vote? i doubt it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally I think the real problem is that the local community wants a traditional high school, but the school personnel that have evaluated Skyview know that the building and grounds are a long way away from being a traditional HS. The school board and gatehouse are trying to find ways to give the community what they want, but it is going to be costly and its boundary adjustments will have repercussions on a lot of people that they won’t like. It will come down to who FCPS wants to piss off less. The people living around Skyview, the people who are forced to move to Westfield, or the general taxpayer. Making Skyview a magnet only upsets one group. The traditional route will be a much larger group.

I know you refuse to give up on this, but all of it has already been discussed in public and voted on by the school board. The area desperately needs a traditional school, the community wants a traditional school, and the board (and CIP) identified the need for and voted for a traditional school. There is only a small group (you included) that wants something different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Personally I think the real problem is that the local community wants a traditional high school, but the school personnel that have evaluated Skyview know that the building and grounds are a long way away from being a traditional HS. The school board and gatehouse are trying to find ways to give the community what they want, but it is going to be costly and its boundary adjustments will have repercussions on a lot of people that they won’t like. It will come down to who FCPS wants to piss off less. The people living around Skyview, the people who are forced to move to Westfield, or the general taxpayer. Making Skyview a magnet only upsets one group. The traditional route will be a much larger group.

I know you refuse to give up on this, but all of it has already been discussed in public and voted on by the school board. The area desperately needs a traditional school, the community wants a traditional school, and the board (and CIP) identified the need for and voted for a traditional school. There is only a small group (you included) that wants something different.

and you've failed to identify how we resolve all the overcrowding at the western schools without this new school being dedicated to students from the overcrowded areas - not a magnet which would primarily take students from the schools that are not overcrowded. The solution isn't to keep stacking more and more trailers onto the western high school properties until there isn't any more room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally I think the real problem is that the local community wants a traditional high school, but the school personnel that have evaluated Skyview know that the building and grounds are a long way away from being a traditional HS. The school board and gatehouse are trying to find ways to give the community what they want, but it is going to be costly and its boundary adjustments will have repercussions on a lot of people that they won’t like. It will come down to who FCPS wants to piss off less. The people living around Skyview, the people who are forced to move to Westfield, or the general taxpayer. Making Skyview a magnet only upsets one group. The traditional route will be a much larger group.

This is an excellent summary. This process has been horribly mismanaged since day one, and at some point FCPS is going to have to make some tough decisions.

[Anonymous]

Enrollment is dropping across the county and the nation. We won’t have capacity issues in 5 years. Look at our numbers. The district will be shrinking. I’m not saying that area should not have a school. It doesn’t make sense for kids to drive that far to a HS. It just won’t be needed because of capacity. Location is a legitimate argument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Personally I think the real problem is that the local community wants a traditional high school, but the school personnel that have evaluated Skyview know that the building and grounds are a long way away from being a traditional HS. The school board and gatehouse are trying to find ways to give the community what they want, but it is going to be costly and its boundary adjustments will have repercussions on a lot of people that they won’t like. It will come down to who FCPS wants to piss off less. The people living around Skyview, the people who are forced to move to Westfield, or the general taxpayer. Making Skyview a magnet only upsets one group. The traditional route will be a much larger group.

This is an excellent summary. This process has been horribly mismanaged since day one, and at some point FCPS is going to have to make some tough decisions.

+2. In my mind, it’s akin to a highway being rerouted away from one community and through another. Sure, one community is ecstatic, while the other community (or in this case, communities) is furious.

It’s a lose-lose for the school board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new mascot is incredibly stupid.

Why bother making it a traditional high school when she clearly wants an aviation magnet.

Just prepare for the boundaries to be nullified at a programming re-vote.

Fortunately for us there already was a public review period and a school board vote making it a traditional school. No matter how much fear-mongering some people try to stir up on this board a magnet isn't happening. They are fully underway opening as a traditional school.

This is not quite true. The county’s recent approval to allow Skyview to open as a public school was based on its initial 1000-student enrollment. If FCPS wants Skyview to operate as a traditional school with a typical, larger enrollment, it will have to come back to the county within the next year. And if the county were to deny the follow-up application FCPS’s fall-back might be to cap enrollment and operate Skyview as a magnet or lottery school.

I know that’s not what the School board directed, and FCPS may be able to satisfy the county Skyview can accommodate more than 1000 students, but it’s somewhat misleading to claim there aren’t still uncertainties.

How does a school transition from traditional to magnet? Do the students who are already there have to make it through the application process or be sent back to their base school?

They won't be doing that.

Here is a quote from someone on the planning commission:

“This has really been a long road trying to find an adequate spot and the fact that this just materialized is pretty miraculous,” said Braddock District Commissioner Mary Cortina. “I just can’t envision a better scenario of being able to find a place for the school.”

Sounds to me like they will approve it in the future when the plans are set.
https://www.ffxnow.com/2026/05/20/reuse-of-private-academy-as-public-skyview-high-school-approved/#disqus_thread

Everyone agrees the site is a good site for a high school. But they don't have the approvals yet to serve more than 1000 kids.

The costs are a real issue. FCPS already lied when it put out multiple statements referring to an estimated $280 million in savings, based on the difference between the initial $150 million purchase price and estimates that building a new school from scratch would cost around $430 million. Within a few months, they were estimating it would cost over $50 million more to get Skyview ready, which means the prior statements were false and the purported savings would be $230 million, not $280 million.

The "plans" for the future are not "set" until they've done a LOT of additional work with the main Skyview building and the two shell buildings. If the costs are even higher, their prior misrepresentation becomes even more glaring. In addition, future county approvals are not guaranteed. That's why they probably do have a "Plan B" (i.e., some type of smaller magnet or lottery school) that would be an exit ramp if the costs spiral or future approvals hit an obstacle (as at Centreville).

You didn't read the new number? https://www.ffxnow.com/2026/05/20/reuse-of-private-academy-as-public-skyview-high-school-approved/

He noted that it could have cost $600 million to acquire land and build an entirely new facility.

So now it looks like we are $400 million ahead on this new school. It's practically free at this point. That should give them plenty of leeway for any cost overruns.

LOL. Of course their prior estimates weren’t audited, and now they feel free to just make up whatever numbers they want.

Don’t forget - these are the same people who’ll vote this week to approve a construction contract for a new ES in Dunn Loring that isn’t needed. Planning and fiscal transparency aren’t their strong suits.

True, but, given what the data center guys are paying for large continuous pieces of land, they got the buildings for free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Personally I think the real problem is that the local community wants a traditional high school, but the school personnel that have evaluated Skyview know that the building and grounds are a long way away from being a traditional HS. The school board and gatehouse are trying to find ways to give the community what they want, but it is going to be costly and its boundary adjustments will have repercussions on a lot of people that they won’t like. It will come down to who FCPS wants to piss off less. The people living around Skyview, the people who are forced to move to Westfield, or the general taxpayer. Making Skyview a magnet only upsets one group. The traditional route will be a much larger group.

This is an excellent summary. This process has been horribly mismanaged since day one, and at some point FCPS is going to have to make some tough decisions.

+2. In my mind, it’s akin to a highway being rerouted away from one community and through another. Sure, one community is ecstatic, while the other community (or in this case, communities) is furious.

It’s a lose-lose for the school board.

Huge blunder (unless you think this was deliberate on Reid’s part to secure a magnet) not to adopt Skyview boundaries at the same time as other boundary changes. With the county-wide review they continued their post-2008 tradition of only redistricting kids to better or very similar schools (Marshall to Madison, McLean to Langley, Justice to Falls Church). Now they’ve set things up to move Centreville and/or Chantilly kids to Westfield, and those folks are mostly objecting and saying “what’s in it for me?”

If they drop that plan and just use Skyview as a smaller school where everyone opts in indefinitely to be an “Aviator,” they avoid these conflicts, save money, and can turn their attention to other capital projects. They’ve boxed themselves into quite a mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new mascot is incredibly stupid.

Why bother making it a traditional high school when she clearly wants an aviation magnet.

Just prepare for the boundaries to be nullified at a programming re-vote.

Fortunately for us there already was a public review period and a school board vote making it a traditional school. No matter how much fear-mongering some people try to stir up on this board a magnet isn't happening. They are fully underway opening as a traditional school.

This is not quite true. The county’s recent approval to allow Skyview to open as a public school was based on its initial 1000-student enrollment. If FCPS wants Skyview to operate as a traditional school with a typical, larger enrollment, it will have to come back to the county within the next year. And if the county were to deny the follow-up application FCPS’s fall-back might be to cap enrollment and operate Skyview as a magnet or lottery school.

I know that’s not what the School board directed, and FCPS may be able to satisfy the county Skyview can accommodate more than 1000 students, but it’s somewhat misleading to claim there aren’t still uncertainties.

How does a school transition from traditional to magnet? Do the students who are already there have to make it through the application process or be sent back to their base school?

They won't be doing that.

Here is a quote from someone on the planning commission:

“This has really been a long road trying to find an adequate spot and the fact that this just materialized is pretty miraculous,” said Braddock District Commissioner Mary Cortina. “I just can’t envision a better scenario of being able to find a place for the school.”

Sounds to me like they will approve it in the future when the plans are set.
https://www.ffxnow.com/2026/05/20/reuse-of-private-academy-as-public-skyview-high-school-approved/#disqus_thread

Everyone agrees the site is a good site for a high school. But they don't have the approvals yet to serve more than 1000 kids.

The costs are a real issue. FCPS already lied when it put out multiple statements referring to an estimated $280 million in savings, based on the difference between the initial $150 million purchase price and estimates that building a new school from scratch would cost around $430 million. Within a few months, they were estimating it would cost over $50 million more to get Skyview ready, which means the prior statements were false and the purported savings would be $230 million, not $280 million.

The "plans" for the future are not "set" until they've done a LOT of additional work with the main Skyview building and the two shell buildings. If the costs are even higher, their prior misrepresentation becomes even more glaring. In addition, future county approvals are not guaranteed. That's why they probably do have a "Plan B" (i.e., some type of smaller magnet or lottery school) that would be an exit ramp if the costs spiral or future approvals hit an obstacle (as at Centreville).

You didn't read the new number? https://www.ffxnow.com/2026/05/20/reuse-of-private-academy-as-public-skyview-high-school-approved/

He noted that it could have cost $600 million to acquire land and build an entirely new facility.

So now it looks like we are $400 million ahead on this new school. It's practically free at this point. That should give them plenty of leeway for any cost overruns.

LOL. Of course their prior estimates weren’t audited, and now they feel free to just make up whatever numbers they want.

Don’t forget - these are the same people who’ll vote this week to approve a construction contract for a new ES in Dunn Loring that isn’t needed. Planning and fiscal transparency aren’t their strong suits.

True, but, given what the data center guys are paying for large continuous pieces of land, they got the buildings for free.

Nah, under any scenario they’ll incur plenty of new and additional one-time and recurring expenses unless they just flip the building.

[Anonymous]

Did they drag their heels on Skyview boundaries so they could make the key decisions when the largest number of people were on summer vacation?