Fall 2022 Over/Under-Enrollment at FCPS High Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

The sports speak for the under-enrollment. I understand demographics play a role, but even Justice, Annandale, Herndon, and Mount Vernon have some relatively strong sports programs despite their similar demographics. On the other hand, Lewis struggles to have enough players for many of their teams.

The fact that some sports only have JV with no other option, and even the lone JV teams have bare minimum players is just plain depressing. Those kids deserve a full and rich high school experience both academically and with activities.

Lack of JV teams doesn’t mean the building isn’t crowded though.

But 78% of capacity does.

Aren't the low income schools supposed to be smaller?

Um, are you saying we are designating Lewis as low income? That's not the way this works, that's not how any of this works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

The sports speak for the under-enrollment. I understand demographics play a role, but even Justice, Annandale, Herndon, and Mount Vernon have some relatively strong sports programs despite their similar demographics. On the other hand, Lewis struggles to have enough players for many of their teams.

The fact that some sports only have JV with no other option, and even the lone JV teams have bare minimum players is just plain depressing. Those kids deserve a full and rich high school experience both academically and with activities.

Lack of JV teams doesn’t mean the building isn’t crowded though.

But 78% of capacity does.

Aren't the low income schools supposed to be smaller?

They have smaller classroom sizes. So if they were near their full design capacity they’d end up with trailers or modulars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

Hmm. I recall the former student School Board representative who definitely went to Lewis complaining about how students at Lewis felt disrespected and how she couldn’t access a challenging math class because so few sections were offered there.

If they removed IB from Lewis and switched to AP, it would help tremendously.

Or get rid of IB at all the other schools in that area, and make Lewis a magnet for IB.

Yes! There was an interesting article in the Post recently by Jay Matthews discussing how math teachers at Justice HS had basically had to work around some of the constraints of the IB math sequences to offer courses that made sense for students at that school.

Dr. Reid is big on the slogan “imagine the possibilities” but when it comes to Lewis it’s mostly been “imagine doing more of the same.”

She literally just inherited it. Maybe give her a whole school year before you irrationally drag her?

Not dragging her. Saying the history of Lewis in recent years has been at odds with Reid’s mantra.

Maybe it will demonstrate over time, though, whether she has plans or just slogans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

The sports speak for the under-enrollment. I understand demographics play a role, but even Justice, Annandale, Herndon, and Mount Vernon have some relatively strong sports programs despite their similar demographics. On the other hand, Lewis struggles to have enough players for many of their teams.

The fact that some sports only have JV with no other option, and even the lone JV teams have bare minimum players is just plain depressing. Those kids deserve a full and rich high school experience both academically and with activities.

Lack of JV teams doesn’t mean the building isn’t crowded though.

But 78% of capacity does.

Aren't the low income schools supposed to be smaller?

Um, are you saying we are designating Lewis as low income? That's not the way this works, that's not how any of this works.

No, I am not designating Lewis anything.

But aren't they a Title I school?

Title I schools are supposed to have smaller classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

The sports speak for the under-enrollment. I understand demographics play a role, but even Justice, Annandale, Herndon, and Mount Vernon have some relatively strong sports programs despite their similar demographics. On the other hand, Lewis struggles to have enough players for many of their teams.

The fact that some sports only have JV with no other option, and even the lone JV teams have bare minimum players is just plain depressing. Those kids deserve a full and rich high school experience both academically and with activities.

Lack of JV teams doesn’t mean the building isn’t crowded though.

But 78% of capacity does.

Aren't the low income schools supposed to be smaller?

Um, are you saying we are designating Lewis as low income? That's not the way this works, that's not how any of this works.

No, I am not designating Lewis anything.

But aren't they a Title I school?

Title I schools are supposed to have smaller classes.

FCPS only has Title I elementary schools. But the high schools with more poor kids have considerably smaller class sizes.

If the suggestion is that poorer kids benefit from smaller classes, of course. But if the total school enrollment is low, that means kids have access to fewer courses and it tends over time to further concentrate poverty at those schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

The sports speak for the under-enrollment. I understand demographics play a role, but even Justice, Annandale, Herndon, and Mount Vernon have some relatively strong sports programs despite their similar demographics. On the other hand, Lewis struggles to have enough players for many of their teams.

The fact that some sports only have JV with no other option, and even the lone JV teams have bare minimum players is just plain depressing. Those kids deserve a full and rich high school experience both academically and with activities.

Lack of JV teams doesn’t mean the building isn’t crowded though.

But 78% of capacity does.

Aren't the low income schools supposed to be smaller?

Um, are you saying we are designating Lewis as low income? That's not the way this works, that's not how any of this works.

No, I am not designating Lewis anything.

But aren't they a Title I school?

Title I schools are supposed to have smaller classes.

FCPS only has Title I elementary schools. But the high schools with more poor kids have considerably smaller class sizes.

If the suggestion is that poorer kids benefit from smaller classes, of course. But if the total school enrollment is low, that means kids have access to fewer courses and it tends over time to further concentrate poverty at those schools.

Lewis is close to double many of the Catholic high school enrollment. It is 30% larger than some of the strong public high schools I have taught at in other states.

FCPS needs to switch Lewis from IB to AP.

That school being IB is a huge turn off for military families who need the flexibility of AP and its a la carte structure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

The sports speak for the under-enrollment. I understand demographics play a role, but even Justice, Annandale, Herndon, and Mount Vernon have some relatively strong sports programs despite their similar demographics. On the other hand, Lewis struggles to have enough players for many of their teams.

The fact that some sports only have JV with no other option, and even the lone JV teams have bare minimum players is just plain depressing. Those kids deserve a full and rich high school experience both academically and with activities.

Lack of JV teams doesn’t mean the building isn’t crowded though.

But 78% of capacity does.

Aren't the low income schools supposed to be smaller?

Um, are you saying we are designating Lewis as low income? That's not the way this works, that's not how any of this works.

No, I am not designating Lewis anything.

But aren't they a Title I school?

Title I schools are supposed to have smaller classes.

FCPS only has Title I elementary schools. But the high schools with more poor kids have considerably smaller class sizes.

If the suggestion is that poorer kids benefit from smaller classes, of course. But if the total school enrollment is low, that means kids have access to fewer courses and it tends over time to further concentrate poverty at those schools.

Lewis is close to double many of the Catholic high school enrollment. It is 30% larger than some of the strong public high schools I have taught at in other states.

FCPS needs to switch Lewis from IB to AP.

That school being IB is a huge turn off for military families who need the flexibility of AP and its a la carte structure.

You have to replace this School Board next year for that to happen.

They are all limousine liberals with guilty consciences. Keeping IB at Lewis makes them feel good because IB has a lot of feel-good phrases like making students "life-long learners" and "global citizens." And it's also more expensive than AP, so they have something else to point to as evidence that they spend more on poorer schools.

Whether it actually serves the school community or incentivizes families to look elsewhere or buy in the Lewis district and then pupil place to other schools concerns them very little.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

You appear to lack the self-awareness to realize you're proving PP's point.

And there's not just one poster noting that, if the School Board was more focused, they'd pay more attention to the disparity between the enrollments at Lewis and surrounding schools, including West Springfield.

Definitely one poster obsesssed with WSHS who posts here all the time.

They constantly triies to turn a thread about schools 30% or more over enrolled into a thread about a school only 5% over enrolled, similar enrollment to the majority of FCPS high schools.

I have posted about the disparities between West Springfield and Lewis and am definitely not the only one PP ends up sparring with. So you can shelve the "one obsessed poster" because others also see the disparities.

There's a huge difference in total enrollment between West Springfield (2650) and Lewis (1685). Also, West Springfield has the second-highest number of white kids of any HS in FCPS (1289) while Lewis - with which West Springfield shares a long border - has the fewest (193).

Ask yourself if a School Board that really cares about "equity" would not be taking a harder look at Lewis, or at the boundaries in that general area. And, yes, it would include a look at whether the IB program at Lewis is helping or hurting the school. And, yes, Lewis also borders other schools besides West Springfield (Annandale, Edison, Hayfield, and South County), although none of those other schools currently has as many students or is as over-enrolled as West Springfield.

You make it extremely personal with other posters, when it's really about the huge gap between the School Board's talk about "equity" and what they really do (or don't do).

Why do you care so much?

I swear the people who constantly bring up Lewis on DCUM (and target WSHS in the process) are people who live in areas zoned for Lewis and are resentful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

You appear to lack the self-awareness to realize you're proving PP's point.

And there's not just one poster noting that, if the School Board was more focused, they'd pay more attention to the disparity between the enrollments at Lewis and surrounding schools, including West Springfield.

Definitely one poster obsesssed with WSHS who posts here all the time.

They constantly triies to turn a thread about schools 30% or more over enrolled into a thread about a school only 5% over enrolled, similar enrollment to the majority of FCPS high schools.

I have posted about the disparities between West Springfield and Lewis and am definitely not the only one PP ends up sparring with. So you can shelve the "one obsessed poster" because others also see the disparities.

There's a huge difference in total enrollment between West Springfield (2650) and Lewis (1685). Also, West Springfield has the second-highest number of white kids of any HS in FCPS (1289) while Lewis - with which West Springfield shares a long border - has the fewest (193).

Ask yourself if a School Board that really cares about "equity" would not be taking a harder look at Lewis, or at the boundaries in that general area. And, yes, it would include a look at whether the IB program at Lewis is helping or hurting the school. And, yes, Lewis also borders other schools besides West Springfield (Annandale, Edison, Hayfield, and South County), although none of those other schools currently has as many students or is as over-enrolled as West Springfield.

You make it extremely personal with other posters, when it's really about the huge gap between the School Board's talk about "equity" and what they really do (or don't do).

Why do you care so much?

I swear the people who constantly bring up Lewis on DCUM (and target WSHS in the process) are people who live in areas zoned for Lewis and are resentful.

People who get screwed again and again do tend to build up some resentment. Not sure why you would expect something different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

The sports speak for the under-enrollment. I understand demographics play a role, but even Justice, Annandale, Herndon, and Mount Vernon have some relatively strong sports programs despite their similar demographics. On the other hand, Lewis struggles to have enough players for many of their teams.

The fact that some sports only have JV with no other option, and even the lone JV teams have bare minimum players is just plain depressing. Those kids deserve a full and rich high school experience both academically and with activities.

Lack of JV teams doesn’t mean the building isn’t crowded though.

But 78% of capacity does.

Aren't the low income schools supposed to be smaller?

Um, are you saying we are designating Lewis as low income? That's not the way this works, that's not how any of this works.

No, I am not designating Lewis anything.

But aren't they a Title I school?

Title I schools are supposed to have smaller classes.

FCPS only has Title I elementary schools. But the high schools with more poor kids have considerably smaller class sizes.

If the suggestion is that poorer kids benefit from smaller classes, of course. But if the total school enrollment is low, that means kids have access to fewer courses and it tends over time to further concentrate poverty at those schools.

If the classes are smaller, then they will offer more classes than if the class sizes were typical. The problem arises when the students don’t take the variety of classes that is available at other schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

You appear to lack the self-awareness to realize you're proving PP's point.

And there's not just one poster noting that, if the School Board was more focused, they'd pay more attention to the disparity between the enrollments at Lewis and surrounding schools, including West Springfield.

Definitely one poster obsesssed with WSHS who posts here all the time.

They constantly triies to turn a thread about schools 30% or more over enrolled into a thread about a school only 5% over enrolled, similar enrollment to the majority of FCPS high schools.

I have posted about the disparities between West Springfield and Lewis and am definitely not the only one PP ends up sparring with. So you can shelve the "one obsessed poster" because others also see the disparities.

There's a huge difference in total enrollment between West Springfield (2650) and Lewis (1685). Also, West Springfield has the second-highest number of white kids of any HS in FCPS (1289) while Lewis - with which West Springfield shares a long border - has the fewest (193).

Ask yourself if a School Board that really cares about "equity" would not be taking a harder look at Lewis, or at the boundaries in that general area. And, yes, it would include a look at whether the IB program at Lewis is helping or hurting the school. And, yes, Lewis also borders other schools besides West Springfield (Annandale, Edison, Hayfield, and South County), although none of those other schools currently has as many students or is as over-enrolled as West Springfield.

You make it extremely personal with other posters, when it's really about the huge gap between the School Board's talk about "equity" and what they really do (or don't do).

Why do you care so much?

I swear the people who constantly bring up Lewis on DCUM (and target WSHS in the process) are people who live in areas zoned for Lewis and are resentful.

People who get screwed again and again do tend to build up some resentment. Not sure why you would expect something different.

Oh, please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

You appear to lack the self-awareness to realize you're proving PP's point.

And there's not just one poster noting that, if the School Board was more focused, they'd pay more attention to the disparity between the enrollments at Lewis and surrounding schools, including West Springfield.

Definitely one poster obsesssed with WSHS who posts here all the time.

They constantly triies to turn a thread about schools 30% or more over enrolled into a thread about a school only 5% over enrolled, similar enrollment to the majority of FCPS high schools.

I have posted about the disparities between West Springfield and Lewis and am definitely not the only one PP ends up sparring with. So you can shelve the "one obsessed poster" because others also see the disparities.

There's a huge difference in total enrollment between West Springfield (2650) and Lewis (1685). Also, West Springfield has the second-highest number of white kids of any HS in FCPS (1289) while Lewis - with which West Springfield shares a long border - has the fewest (193).

Ask yourself if a School Board that really cares about "equity" would not be taking a harder look at Lewis, or at the boundaries in that general area. And, yes, it would include a look at whether the IB program at Lewis is helping or hurting the school. And, yes, Lewis also borders other schools besides West Springfield (Annandale, Edison, Hayfield, and South County), although none of those other schools currently has as many students or is as over-enrolled as West Springfield.

You make it extremely personal with other posters, when it's really about the huge gap between the School Board's talk about "equity" and what they really do (or don't do).

Why do you care so much?

I swear the people who constantly bring up Lewis on DCUM (and target WSHS in the process) are people who live in areas zoned for Lewis and are resentful.

It seems like FCPS ought to pay more attention to both the schools that have been overcrowded for years as well as to those that have been under-enrolled.

They don't, so they get called out, and then people like you get worked up about it.

And it's not lost on some of us that the former head of FCPS Facilities went to West Springfield, oversaw a very nice renovation and expansion of that school, and neglected issues at many other schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

You appear to lack the self-awareness to realize you're proving PP's point.

And there's not just one poster noting that, if the School Board was more focused, they'd pay more attention to the disparity between the enrollments at Lewis and surrounding schools, including West Springfield.

Definitely one poster obsesssed with WSHS who posts here all the time.

They constantly triies to turn a thread about schools 30% or more over enrolled into a thread about a school only 5% over enrolled, similar enrollment to the majority of FCPS high schools.

I have posted about the disparities between West Springfield and Lewis and am definitely not the only one PP ends up sparring with. So you can shelve the "one obsessed poster" because others also see the disparities.

There's a huge difference in total enrollment between West Springfield (2650) and Lewis (1685). Also, West Springfield has the second-highest number of white kids of any HS in FCPS (1289) while Lewis - with which West Springfield shares a long border - has the fewest (193).

Ask yourself if a School Board that really cares about "equity" would not be taking a harder look at Lewis, or at the boundaries in that general area. And, yes, it would include a look at whether the IB program at Lewis is helping or hurting the school. And, yes, Lewis also borders other schools besides West Springfield (Annandale, Edison, Hayfield, and South County), although none of those other schools currently has as many students or is as over-enrolled as West Springfield.

You make it extremely personal with other posters, when it's really about the huge gap between the School Board's talk about "equity" and what they really do (or don't do).

Why do you care so much?

I swear the people who constantly bring up Lewis on DCUM (and target WSHS in the process) are people who live in areas zoned for Lewis and are resentful.

People who get screwed again and again do tend to build up some resentment. Not sure why you would expect something different.

Oh, please.

So, there won't be any resentment if some WS students are rezoned to Lewis. Good to hear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

You appear to lack the self-awareness to realize you're proving PP's point.

And there's not just one poster noting that, if the School Board was more focused, they'd pay more attention to the disparity between the enrollments at Lewis and surrounding schools, including West Springfield.

Definitely one poster obsesssed with WSHS who posts here all the time.

They constantly triies to turn a thread about schools 30% or more over enrolled into a thread about a school only 5% over enrolled, similar enrollment to the majority of FCPS high schools.

I have posted about the disparities between West Springfield and Lewis and am definitely not the only one PP ends up sparring with. So you can shelve the "one obsessed poster" because others also see the disparities.

There's a huge difference in total enrollment between West Springfield (2650) and Lewis (1685). Also, West Springfield has the second-highest number of white kids of any HS in FCPS (1289) while Lewis - with which West Springfield shares a long border - has the fewest (193).

Ask yourself if a School Board that really cares about "equity" would not be taking a harder look at Lewis, or at the boundaries in that general area. And, yes, it would include a look at whether the IB program at Lewis is helping or hurting the school. And, yes, Lewis also borders other schools besides West Springfield (Annandale, Edison, Hayfield, and South County), although none of those other schools currently has as many students or is as over-enrolled as West Springfield.

You make it extremely personal with other posters, when it's really about the huge gap between the School Board's talk about "equity" and what they really do (or don't do).

Why do you care so much?

I swear the people who constantly bring up Lewis on DCUM (and target WSHS in the process) are people who live in areas zoned for Lewis and are resentful.

People who get screwed again and again do tend to build up some resentment. Not sure why you would expect something different.

Oh, please.

So, there won't be any resentment if some WS students are rezoned to Lewis. Good to hear.

Weren't there adjustments to the Springfield magisterial district that supposedly were intended to protect Democrats if Laura Jane Cohen and her colleagues moved part of West Springfield to Lewis?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

You appear to lack the self-awareness to realize you're proving PP's point.

And there's not just one poster noting that, if the School Board was more focused, they'd pay more attention to the disparity between the enrollments at Lewis and surrounding schools, including West Springfield.

Definitely one poster obsesssed with WSHS who posts here all the time.

They constantly triies to turn a thread about schools 30% or more over enrolled into a thread about a school only 5% over enrolled, similar enrollment to the majority of FCPS high schools.

I have posted about the disparities between West Springfield and Lewis and am definitely not the only one PP ends up sparring with. So you can shelve the "one obsessed poster" because others also see the disparities.

There's a huge difference in total enrollment between West Springfield (2650) and Lewis (1685). Also, West Springfield has the second-highest number of white kids of any HS in FCPS (1289) while Lewis - with which West Springfield shares a long border - has the fewest (193).

Ask yourself if a School Board that really cares about "equity" would not be taking a harder look at Lewis, or at the boundaries in that general area. And, yes, it would include a look at whether the IB program at Lewis is helping or hurting the school. And, yes, Lewis also borders other schools besides West Springfield (Annandale, Edison, Hayfield, and South County), although none of those other schools currently has as many students or is as over-enrolled as West Springfield.

You make it extremely personal with other posters, when it's really about the huge gap between the School Board's talk about "equity" and what they really do (or don't do).

Why do you care so much?

I swear the people who constantly bring up Lewis on DCUM (and target WSHS in the process) are people who live in areas zoned for Lewis and are resentful.

People who get screwed again and again do tend to build up some resentment. Not sure why you would expect something different.

Oh, please.

So, there won't be any resentment if some WS students are rezoned to Lewis. Good to hear.

New poster.

Owning a house that you purchased at $100,000-$200.000 less than houses in a neighboring district knowing perfectly well that the price was lower due to a lower performing high school, is very different than paying a premium and sacrificing things like space for a house zoned for a specific school, then losing $100,000-$200,000 or more in equity, overnight, perhaps putting your house under water, if your house gets rezoned to one of the lowest rated schools in FCPS.

Especially since rezoning a neighborhood will make zero impact on Lewis' ranking, as many of those kids will find a way to not attend Lewis using the AP/IB loophole, or a language not offered at Lewis, or Catholic school.

The only thing rezoning a neighborhood out of Lewis will do is bring down the property values in a significant way for the neighborhood rezoned.