South Lakes / Madison / Oakton High Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Some think the primary purpose of the redistricting was to add more affluent and higher-scoring kids to South Lakes. At the time of the redistricting, though, South Lakes was definitely under-capacity. It's over-crowded now, so the study can be criticized in hindsight.

This outcome was known ahead of time and was brought up at every single meeting. Every one. The school board had no interest in listening. It's not hindsight.

Anonymous wrote: Of course, the economy and other developments, such as PWC's increasing antipathy towards Hispanics, may have had an impact on enrollments as well. There's no doubt that South Lakes' current demographics look more like the neighboring schools than they did in 2007. For some, that might be a reason to stop fretting about sending their kids there.

South Lakes is in Fairfax County, not PWC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Some think the primary purpose of the redistricting was to add more affluent and higher-scoring kids to South Lakes. At the time of the redistricting, though, South Lakes was definitely under-capacity. It's over-crowded now, so the study can be criticized in hindsight.

This outcome was known ahead of time and was brought up at every single meeting. Every one. The school board had no interest in listening. It's not hindsight.

Anonymous wrote: Of course, the economy and other developments, such as PWC's increasing antipathy towards Hispanics, may have had an impact on enrollments as well. There's no doubt that South Lakes' current demographics look more like the neighboring schools than they did in 2007. For some, that might be a reason to stop fretting about sending their kids there.

South Lakes is in Fairfax County, not PWC.

The policies in PWC led numerous families to move to Fairfax, resulting in more students in FCPS than there might have been had PWC not cracked down and sent the message that illegal/undocumented immigrants were not welcome. That impacted the enrollment at SL and other FCPS schools.

The fact that the study can be criticized in hindsight does mean others were not also critical of it at the time.

[Anonymous]

the boundary maps of these high schools are kind of crazy. Oakton and Madison are so close together, it really makes the boundaries look like gerrymandered political districts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:the boundary maps of these high schools are kind of crazy. Oakton and Madison are so close together, it really makes the boundaries look like gerrymandered political districts.

The boundaries reflect all sorts of behind-the-scenes deals cut over the years, which is why (for example) there are areas south of Route 7 in Reston and Vienna that go to Langley and McLean, rather than Herndon, South Lakes or Marshall. Even if there had been fewer deals, the Oakton and Madison boundaries would still be strange because there are several high schools in the middle of the county close to one another (Madison, Oakton, Fairfax, Woodson), while much of the recent population growth has been further west.

Madison's boundaries are more compact than Oakton's, though, and there seems to be a widely held belief that students in the Town of Vienna will never get redistricted out of Madison (although there's no legal requirement that prevents FCPS from doing so). In comparison, unless you live within a few blocks of Oakton HS, you can never really be sure you won't get redistricted at some point. It literally comes with the territory.

[Anonymous]

I guess what I don't like about the boundary maps of these schools are the split feeders schools. I don't really think it makes sense for Wolftrap Elementary to split to 2 high schools or the Oakton Elem. kids who live in Tamarack that end up at Madison. If I lived in a split feeder, I would probably be frustrated that the kids my kids would grow up going to school with would end up at a different High School.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess what I don't like about the boundary maps of these schools are the split feeders schools. I don't really think it makes sense for Wolftrap Elementary to split to 2 high schools or the Oakton Elem. kids who live in Tamarack that end up at Madison. If I lived in a split feeder, I would probably be frustrated that the kids my kids would grow up going to school with would end up at a different High School.

I am in the Oakton ES / Madison HS area too, but I think for the most part the boundaries overlap, no? i.e., most of Oakton ES will go to Madison HS. At least I hope so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess what I don't like about the boundary maps of these schools are the split feeders schools. I don't really think it makes sense for Wolftrap Elementary to split to 2 high schools or the Oakton Elem. kids who live in Tamarack that end up at Madison. If I lived in a split feeder, I would probably be frustrated that the kids my kids would grow up going to school with would end up at a different High School.

It's not really that big a deal. We're in McLean and it's the same here with quite a few schools (Franklin Sherman, Colvin Run and Spring Hill all split between Langley and McLean, while Lemon Road splits between McLean and Marshall). Kids stay in touch with each other through social media, sports leagues, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I am in the Oakton ES / Madison HS area too, but I think for the most part the boundaries overlap, no? i.e., most of Oakton ES will go to Madison HS. At least I hope so.

North half of Oakton ES district goes to Thoreau MS/Madison HS; south half goes to Jackson MS/Oakton HS. Looks about 50%-50% on the map; not sure about the actual number of students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I am in the Oakton ES / Madison HS area too, but I think for the most part the boundaries overlap, no? i.e., most of Oakton ES will go to Madison HS. At least I hope so.

North half of Oakton ES district goes to Thoreau MS/Madison HS; south half goes to Jackson MS/Oakton HS. Looks about 50%-50% on the map; not sure about the actual number of students.

ah, lots of sketchy apartments up south of 123 - they can go to Oakton HS.