Bren Mar Park to Key/Lewis

[Anonymous]

There was an additional meeting last night discussing this. Seems like this is going to be the plan moving forward to boost enrollment at Lewis.

Thoughts?

Now Lewis/Key boundary will span both sides of 95/395 and 495. Sucks for the kids that need to get on highways to go to school

Plus the additional need to add 6th grade to Bren Mar ES to make this change work.
How is this the final solution that the school board came up with?

[Anonymous]

What meeting are you referring to? The webpage for that boundary study only refers to the meeting in late April, and many at
Bren Mar Park west of 395 have made it clear they would prefer to move back to Annandale rather than Lewis if they are to be moved.

[Anonymous]

There was a follow up meeting last night at Lewis HS to discuss this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was a follow up meeting last night at Lewis HS to discuss this

But there’s no reference on the boundary study page:

https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/maps/boundary-adjustments-information/bren-mar-park-boundary-study

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was a follow up meeting last night at Lewis HS to discuss this

But there’s no reference on the boundary study page:

https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/maps/boundary-adjustments-information/bren-mar-park-boundary-study

They do a lot of these secret squirrel meetings and don’t tell anyone publicly. In this case probably only Bren Mar Park and maybe Lewis families were informed about it. It’s the same for the changes at Halley, Gunston, and Lorton Station - they have a meeting at the Lorton Library and only advertise it to families currently at Halley. They might have even only advertised it to families living in Hagel Circle, not even everyone at Halley. They had a meeting at Gunston and only told Gunston parents. Etc. etc.

[Anonymous]

The Lewis families were informed about the meeting. The Lewis community has been begging for more communities to be zoned into the school.

And please, no comments about eliminating IB and adding more programs. It's been said and done, so thank you.

What Lewis needs is more kids. What happens when there's not enough students to enroll in a class? The class gets cancelled. That means the more specialized classes end up not being offered because the population's not large enough to support that niche subject.

Then parents move into other school districts, because they want the more course offerings, and Lewis shrinks even more.

The school needs a healthy, growing population.

Either the school board grow a freaking backbone and move kids into Lewis, or they just admit that they don't want to invest in the school and shut the damn school down. They don't seem concerned about student population or overcrowded schools, so let's just let the other high schools absorb the population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Lewis families were informed about the meeting. The Lewis community has been begging for more communities to be zoned into the school.

And please, no comments about eliminating IB and adding more programs. It's been said and done, so thank you.

What Lewis needs is more kids. What happens when there's not enough students to enroll in a class? The class gets cancelled. That means the more specialized classes end up not being offered because the population's not large enough to support that niche subject.

Then parents move into other school districts, because they want the more course offerings, and Lewis shrinks even more.

The school needs a healthy, growing population.

Either the school board grow a freaking backbone and move kids into Lewis, or they just admit that they don't want to invest in the school and shut the damn school down. They don't seem concerned about student population or overcrowded schools, so let's just let the other high schools absorb the population.

Agree with everything you said. The proposed solution just screams “We don’t want to piss off the rich WSHS zoned folks” so we’ll pick on the low hanging fruit instead. The proposed change will have to include adding 6th grade to Bren Mar ES to work ( have they thought about this, how feasible is it?) plus won’t a bunch of the high schoolers now pass Edison on the way to Lewis? I thought commute times were an important consideration. Have they factored traffic in at all?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Lewis families were informed about the meeting. The Lewis community has been begging for more communities to be zoned into the school.

And please, no comments about eliminating IB and adding more programs. It's been said and done, so thank you.

What Lewis needs is more kids. What happens when there's not enough students to enroll in a class? The class gets cancelled. That means the more specialized classes end up not being offered because the population's not large enough to support that niche subject.

Then parents move into other school districts, because they want the more course offerings, and Lewis shrinks even more.

The school needs a healthy, growing population.

Either the school board grow a freaking backbone and move kids into Lewis, or they just admit that they don't want to invest in the school and shut the damn school down. They don't seem concerned about student population or overcrowded schools, so let's just let the other high schools absorb the population.

Well, OK, but Bren Mar Park currently feeds to Edison and is in the Annandale pyramid because it feeds to a middle school (Holmes) that mostly feeds to Annandale. And some families and community members at Bren Mar Park, particularly those in the old Edsall Park area west of 395, have said they do not want to be redistricted to Lewis and would prefer to move to Annandale if they have to be moved. Keep in mind also that, unlike others in the area, Bren Mar Park was redistricted 15 years ago.

Did all these people also have notice of the meeting, or was it orchestrated so that Lewis parents could just ask for kids to be redistricted to their school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Lewis families were informed about the meeting. The Lewis community has been begging for more communities to be zoned into the school.

And please, no comments about eliminating IB and adding more programs. It's been said and done, so thank you.

What Lewis needs is more kids. What happens when there's not enough students to enroll in a class? The class gets cancelled. That means the more specialized classes end up not being offered because the population's not large enough to support that niche subject.

Then parents move into other school districts, because they want the more course offerings, and Lewis shrinks even more.

The school needs a healthy, growing population.

Either the school board grow a freaking backbone and move kids into Lewis, or they just admit that they don't want to invest in the school and shut the damn school down. They don't seem concerned about student population or overcrowded schools, so let's just let the other high schools absorb the population.

Well, OK, but Bren Mar Park currently feeds to Edison and is in the Annandale pyramid because it feeds to a middle school (Holmes) that mostly feeds to Annandale. And some families and community members at Bren Mar Park, particularly those in the old Edsall Park area west of 395, have said they do not want to be redistricted to Lewis and would prefer to move to Annandale if they have to be moved. Keep in mind also that, unlike others in the area, Bren Mar Park was redistricted 15 years ago.

Did all these people also have notice of the meeting, or was it orchestrated so that Lewis parents could just ask for kids to be redistricted to their school?

Not sure what you’re insinuating about Lewis parents. They just want more kids to attend their school, don’t think they’re cherry picking who it will be. And rightfully so the school deserves more kids

There were Bren Mar families at the meeting so they were informed.
Also, Ricardy Anderson was at the meeting acting as a voice for her community. Unlike the Franconia school board rep, who was not in attendance and has done nothing to help Lewis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Lewis families were informed about the meeting. The Lewis community has been begging for more communities to be zoned into the school.

And please, no comments about eliminating IB and adding more programs. It's been said and done, so thank you.

What Lewis needs is more kids. What happens when there's not enough students to enroll in a class? The class gets cancelled. That means the more specialized classes end up not being offered because the population's not large enough to support that niche subject.

Then parents move into other school districts, because they want the more course offerings, and Lewis shrinks even more.

The school needs a healthy, growing population.

Either the school board grow a freaking backbone and move kids into Lewis, or they just admit that they don't want to invest in the school and shut the damn school down. They don't seem concerned about student population or overcrowded schools, so let's just let the other high schools absorb the population.

Well, OK, but Bren Mar Park currently feeds to Edison and is in the Annandale pyramid because it feeds to a middle school (Holmes) that mostly feeds to Annandale. And some families and community members at Bren Mar Park, particularly those in the old Edsall Park area west of 395, have said they do not want to be redistricted to Lewis and would prefer to move to Annandale if they have to be moved. Keep in mind also that, unlike others in the area, Bren Mar Park was redistricted 15 years ago.

Did all these people also have notice of the meeting, or was it orchestrated so that Lewis parents could just ask for kids to be redistricted to their school?

Not sure what you’re insinuating about Lewis parents. They just want more kids to attend their school, don’t think they’re cherry picking who it will be. And rightfully so the school deserves more kids

There were Bren Mar families at the meeting so they were informed.
Also, Ricardy Anderson was at the meeting acting as a voice for her community. Unlike the Franconia school board rep, who was not in attendance and has done nothing to help Lewis.

I’m not insinuating anything about Lewis parents. I am suggesting FCPS manipulates the process to get what it wants.

If Lewis families were cherry picking an area that it thought would improve the school’s profile, Bren Mar Park probably would not be their first choice. It’s the low-hanging fruit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Lewis families were informed about the meeting. The Lewis community has been begging for more communities to be zoned into the school.

And please, no comments about eliminating IB and adding more programs. It's been said and done, so thank you.

What Lewis needs is more kids. What happens when there's not enough students to enroll in a class? The class gets cancelled. That means the more specialized classes end up not being offered because the population's not large enough to support that niche subject.

Then parents move into other school districts, because they want the more course offerings, and Lewis shrinks even more.

The school needs a healthy, growing population.

Either the school board grow a freaking backbone and move kids into Lewis, or they just admit that they don't want to invest in the school and shut the damn school down. They don't seem concerned about student population or overcrowded schools, so let's just let the other high schools absorb the population.

Well, OK, but Bren Mar Park currently feeds to Edison and is in the Annandale pyramid because it feeds to a middle school (Holmes) that mostly feeds to Annandale. And some families and community members at Bren Mar Park, particularly those in the old Edsall Park area west of 395, have said they do not want to be redistricted to Lewis and would prefer to move to Annandale if they have to be moved. Keep in mind also that, unlike others in the area, Bren Mar Park was redistricted 15 years ago.

Did all these people also have notice of the meeting, or was it orchestrated so that Lewis parents could just ask for kids to be redistricted to their school?

Not sure what you’re insinuating about Lewis parents. They just want more kids to attend their school, don’t think they’re cherry picking who it will be. And rightfully so the school deserves more kids

There were Bren Mar families at the meeting so they were informed.
Also, Ricardy Anderson was at the meeting acting as a voice for her community. Unlike the Franconia school board rep, who was not in attendance and has done nothing to help Lewis.

I’m not insinuating anything about Lewis parents. I am suggesting FCPS manipulates the process to get what it wants.

If Lewis families were cherry picking an area that it thought would improve the school’s profile, Bren Mar Park probably would not be their first choice. It’s the low-hanging fruit.

What's wrong with Bren Mar Park kids?

I get so tired of people trashing each other's schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Lewis families were informed about the meeting. The Lewis community has been begging for more communities to be zoned into the school.

And please, no comments about eliminating IB and adding more programs. It's been said and done, so thank you.

What Lewis needs is more kids. What happens when there's not enough students to enroll in a class? The class gets cancelled. That means the more specialized classes end up not being offered because the population's not large enough to support that niche subject.

Then parents move into other school districts, because they want the more course offerings, and Lewis shrinks even more.

The school needs a healthy, growing population.

Either the school board grow a freaking backbone and move kids into Lewis, or they just admit that they don't want to invest in the school and shut the damn school down. They don't seem concerned about student population or overcrowded schools, so let's just let the other high schools absorb the population.

Well, OK, but Bren Mar Park currently feeds to Edison and is in the Annandale pyramid because it feeds to a middle school (Holmes) that mostly feeds to Annandale. And some families and community members at Bren Mar Park, particularly those in the old Edsall Park area west of 395, have said they do not want to be redistricted to Lewis and would prefer to move to Annandale if they have to be moved. Keep in mind also that, unlike others in the area, Bren Mar Park was redistricted 15 years ago.

Did all these people also have notice of the meeting, or was it orchestrated so that Lewis parents could just ask for kids to be redistricted to their school?

Not sure what you’re insinuating about Lewis parents. They just want more kids to attend their school, don’t think they’re cherry picking who it will be. And rightfully so the school deserves more kids

There were Bren Mar families at the meeting so they were informed.
Also, Ricardy Anderson was at the meeting acting as a voice for her community. Unlike the Franconia school board rep, who was not in attendance and has done nothing to help Lewis.

I’m not insinuating anything about Lewis parents. I am suggesting FCPS manipulates the process to get what it wants.

If Lewis families were cherry picking an area that it thought would improve the school’s profile, Bren Mar Park probably would not be their first choice. It’s the low-hanging fruit.

What's wrong with Bren Mar Park kids?

I get so tired of people trashing each other's schools.

Compared to some other schools near Lewis, Bren Mar Park will yield relatively fewer students who’d increase the demand for more challenging courses at Lewis, which is one of the reasons why some Lewis parents want more kids at the school in the first place. On the flip side, the families are less likely than some others to object to being moved.

Can this not be acknowledged? Whose interests does it serve in that case?

[Anonymous]

It is clearly serving the interests of WSHS families. The school board doesn’t want to pick a fight with them. So chose another group they think won’t push back as much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is clearly serving the interests of WSHS families. The school board doesn’t want to pick a fight with them. So chose another group they think won’t push back as much.

But moving WSHS kids creates some of the same problems. Moving kids from the relative edge of Irving/WSHS boundary would move kids from Keene Mill or WSES, who are very likely to be Irving walkers. So you’re creating bussing in that instance. Moving kids from the neighborhoods furthest away south of the parkway re-creates the split feeder at Hunt Valley and the distance from Hunt Valley to WSHS is quite a bit shorter than the distance from HV to Lewis.

Trying to grab kids from the other side of Edison (Franconia ES) takes away Edison’s walkers, since those two schools are really close. Taking from North Springfield (Holmes/Annandale) is the only other somewhat workable option, but you still have the K-5/K-6 school issue, and on top of that I believe either move (Bren Mar Park to Key/Lewis or even North Springfield) will leave Holmes quite a bit under enrolled.

[Anonymous]

What about Daventry