King Abdullah Academy Closing: FCPS Buy for HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just listened to the SB meeting on June 12. I think our magnet person is likely to be disappointed.
It starts around 2:35. Dunne presented the motion. Dixit weighed in--it is her district. Apparently, she and Dunne worked together on it. Frisch brought up Sully kids at Oakton. Lady addressed overcrowding at Chantilly.

Only three people did not vote in favor.

what did they vote on? What was the motion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just listened to the SB meeting on June 12. I think our magnet person is likely to be disappointed.
It starts around 2:35. Dunne presented the motion. Dixit weighed in--it is her district. Apparently, she and Dunne worked together on it. Frisch brought up Sully kids at Oakton. Lady addressed overcrowding at Chantilly.

Only three people did not vote in favor.

what did they vote on? What was the motion?

To purchase the school.

And, the three who did not support did not vote against it. They abstained.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's obviously not going to be another magnet school, but some people cling to small statements the board makes like "We will involve the community" or "it's possible" and project their hope.

The facts are they've been discussing another western school, competed for that specific site years ago, allocated budget to acquire land for a HS, and generally have a major need to relieve capacity. It's going to be a high school. They could add some academy programs, a special education program, work with NASA on an astronaut school etc, but the main purpose will be a regular high school.

If someone wants to still hope for a magnet school just smile and nod. No need to engage

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Finally acquiring a site in western Fairfax, with a building no less, and converting it into something other than a neighborhood high school would be one of the largest self-owns in FCPS history.

My kids won’t attend this school either way, and I realize the thread is just sport at this point for some person who wants to bait the folks in the Floris/Oak Hill area, but anyway…

I hate the term gaslighting, but the topic of this thread has taken a pretty overwhelmingly turn in the past few days. I am unlikely to benefit from this school personally, but the obvious use for it is as a traditional high school to serve an area without a neighborhood school. The idea that a magnet school is going to help relieve capacity issues is some trickle down economic thinking.

I’m not sure what you mean by trickle down economic thinking. How is a merit-based magnet related to trickle-down economics?

You seem to just attack magnet based on a vague notion of fairness without actually addressing why that area needs a separate high school. Is there over crowding? Where? Seems like it’s at an elementary school. In fact the numbers posted by a DP up above seem to indicate that there really isn’t overcrowding in the area at the high school level.

Is it split feeder concerns? Sure that’s an argument in favor of a neighborhood school, but it’s not a case-closed type argument. Explain it to us in terms other than we-deserve-it-because-it’s-discussed-in-the-CIP. Why does your community need this and why now? Is your need for the school greater than the benefits of other possible uses for the acquisition?

DP. Are you new here? Do you realize there has been a need for a western HS for more than 20 years? And that's exactly what this will be used for.

[Anonymous]

The new Western HS has to be a neighborhood high school to relieve that massive community there that never has had a local high school. Though NGL I kind of like the idea though of perhaps making a Oakton a semi magnet high school. I do see the trip to TJHSST as being too long for those in the Western part of the county. And too many high schools from Madison/Woodson nearby. Perhaps by sending Crossfield away and Navy more into Chantilly to backfill Oak Hill, Oakton could do so?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you live in western Fairfax and want KAA to become a traditional high school, don’t fight the crazy pro magnet woman.

Instead, contact your school board member.

I emailed mine and received a positive response.

There is that nervous vitriol again.

Thanks for the heads up though. I’m going to contact my school board reps to tell them the opposite of what you said!

^^ This person is so bizarre. Talk about vitriol...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one cares about magnet high schools. People really care about getting a promised HS.
Every vote counts in local elections because the turnout is so low.

People care about magnets more than you seem to think. The only people who care about the promised hs live within 2 miles of the promised hs. The vast majority of voters do not care.

DP. I disagree. I think of magnets the same way I think of AAP centers - available only to certain kids, but not all. We already have an excellent magnet in the form of TJ. AAP centers are redundant at this point and need to end. I feel the same way about another magnet school. If your kid can get into TJ, great. Otherwise, too bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So the nasty anti-new school trolls are nervous Herndon parents who don't want to be zoned out of Langley?

I can't tell if those who oppose a new neighborhood HS at the KAA site are:

1. People who really want a "TJ West" or "Kyle McDaniel Aviation Academy HS";

2. Langley posters who don't want to be the only ones left standing to fill empty seats at Herndon;

3. People who don't want to pay taxes to support public schools; or

4. Trolls who just like to make those who stand to benefit from a new school insecure.

If I can't tell, I'm betting you can't either, so shame on you for saying it's #2 when it could be ### 1, 3, 4 or something else.

DP. It's not anyone from Langley. This school doesn't affect that area, as much as the PP wants to continue bringing that community into the conversation, all so she can smear them. She calls others "jerks" and full of "vitriol," yet she absolutely exemplifies a hateful attitude.

The only people who oppose a neighborhood HS at the KAA site are jackasses who are insisting it'll be a magnet - because they arrogantly think their own kid would qualify. This long-awaited school isn't going to be a magnet. It was acquired to serve the community as a whole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A TJ2 would just water down the prestige of TJ1. You take the western geniuses out of TJ1 and fill seats with less qualified students. No offense, but Fairfax county just doesn’t have that many qualified kids. And if kids are moving here specifically for that, they can move closer to TJ1.

It’s pretty disingenuous to say that the county doesn’t have enough qualified kids.

There are strong STEM opportunities all over the county.

I don't think they acquired this site just so they could humor more parents who need to believe their kids are special magnet snowflakes.

+ a million

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So the nasty anti-new school trolls are nervous Herndon parents who don't want to be zoned out of Langley?

There's no other group of parents who think their situation will be worse if the KAA turns into a regular neighborhood HS.

Psst: find a new group of people to denigrate. KAA is a great acquisition for a neighborhood area that needs it. Doesn't affect Langley at all, though I know how much that triggers you to admit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you live in western Fairfax and want KAA to become a traditional high school, don’t fight the crazy pro magnet woman.

Instead, contact your school board member.

I emailed mine and received a positive response.

There is that nervous vitriol again.

Thanks for the heads up though. I’m going to contact my school board reps to tell them the opposite of what you said!

Please go ahead. I actually feel very optimistic after receiving the email from the school board member who didn’t even vote for the purchase (she abstained).

I bet there are many more parents who want a traditional high school in western Fairfax than parents who want a magnet school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you live in western Fairfax and want KAA to become a traditional high school, don’t fight the crazy pro magnet woman.

Instead, contact your school board member.

I emailed mine and received a positive response.

There is that nervous vitriol again.

Thanks for the heads up though. I’m going to contact my school board reps to tell them the opposite of what you said!

Please go ahead. I actually feel very optimistic after receiving the email from the school board member who didn’t even vote for the purchase (she abstained).

I bet there are many more parents who want a traditional high school in western Fairfax than parents who want a magnet school.

+1
Would you mind posting the contact info for the SB reps, or is there a website that has their addresses? Thanks so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you live in western Fairfax and want KAA to become a traditional high school, don’t fight the crazy pro magnet woman.

Instead, contact your school board member.

I emailed mine and received a positive response.

There is that nervous vitriol again.

Thanks for the heads up though. I’m going to contact my school board reps to tell them the opposite of what you said!

Please go ahead. I actually feel very optimistic after receiving the email from the school board member who didn’t even vote for the purchase (she abstained).

I bet there are many more parents who want a traditional high school in western Fairfax than parents who want a magnet school.

+1
Would you mind posting the contact info for the SB reps, or is there a website that has their addresses? Thanks so much.

PP here - nvm, I found the website and sent my note.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So the nasty anti-new school trolls are nervous Herndon parents who don't want to be zoned out of Langley?

I can't tell if those who oppose a new neighborhood HS at the KAA site are:

1. People who really want a "TJ West" or "Kyle McDaniel Aviation Academy HS";

2. Langley posters who don't want to be the only ones left standing to fill empty seats at Herndon;

3. People who don't want to pay taxes to support public schools; or

4. Trolls who just like to make those who stand to benefit from a new school insecure.

If I can't tell, I'm betting you can't either, so shame on you for saying it's #2 when it could be ### 1, 3, 4 or something else.

DP. It's not anyone from Langley. This school doesn't affect that area, as much as the PP wants to continue bringing that community into the conversation, all so she can smear them. She calls others "jerks" and full of "vitriol," yet she absolutely exemplifies a hateful attitude.

The only people who oppose a neighborhood HS at the KAA site are jackasses who are insisting it'll be a magnet - because they arrogantly think their own kid would qualify. This long-awaited school isn't going to be a magnet. It was acquired to serve the community as a whole.

DP. The point was no one really knows who is posting *here* or their motivations.

Those raising the most questions elsewhere (on Next Door and Facebook) about the funding for the new school and how it might impact the ongoing boundary review are primarily from Great Falls. Odd that would be the case if the new school doesn't affect their area.

[Anonymous]

Decided to drive over there today. People hanging around the school with a Uhaul--looks like moving out.
Beautiful. And, those two extra buildings could easily be used for the school, too. Maybe, a wing for an academy or special ed.