Loudoun Co school board votes to eliminate busing to TJ

[Anonymous]

I mean this only effects freshmen and sophomores. Surely by junior year they can drive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean this only effects freshmen and sophomores. Surely by junior year they can drive?

If they have a car. Not every kid does. Nowadays, not even every kid has a license.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Loudoun resident and I support this. We have enough of our own issues that we need more funding for. Also, might improve Loudoun scores if the smartest kids weren't bused away.

That hasn't worked out for ACPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Loudoun is building their own brand. AOS cant compete with TJ if their best candidates go to TJ.

It was only a matter of time before this happened.

AOS is never going to be at the TJ level because of the incompetence of LCPS admin. They have no idea what they are doing. The discussion our school board had when comparing both schools was so insane as to be unbelievable. I think the parents who are sending their kids to the AOS at this time are doing it for themselves for the bragging rights because there is nothing there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys are crazy. They are doing this to existing kids going to TJ. Pulling the rug out from under them. Not just cutting off busing for future applicants. That's not right and if any of your kids were affected, you wouldn't be so snide.

NP here. It's humorous that you think you have a legal right to a bus ride when your kid is "special permissioned" to a school other than their homeschool. When parents use special permission the parent is responsible for the transportation. I am one of those parents. I've had to drive my kids for years.

Get a lawyer and get in line to sue. Go ahead and waste your money. You won't win. You know who has a better chance at a lawsuit? Me. Since the school system paid for your kids transportation for many many years, they need to pay my costs.

I'll support the contract with TJ but I don't support paying for your kid's transportation. I won't even get in to the issues regarding the shortage of bus drivers.

In FCPS kids that apply to attend a magnet school or language immersion program that is not at their base school are required to transport their child. This is a known expectation. It is mentioned in the program over view meetings, on the web site, and in the invitation you receive if you get one of the spots. Kids who choose to attend an AP or IB high school that is not their base school are required to provide their own transportation but, again, that is made clear from day one.

Kids in AAP and attending TJ are bussed to their schools, this is also something that is common knowledge.

I understand Loundoun County choosing to not fund the transport to TJ. That is a perfectly fair decision. But if the kids who applied for the program did so with an understanding that transportation was going to be provided, like the kids currently attending TJ, I can see where they would be upset. So if you are a rising Senior and your parents cannot get you to TJ and the bus option has been removed, then you have to change schools your Senior year?

I think a fair decision would be to provide the bus for the rising Freshmen, who have already made a decision to attend TJ based on the knowledge that there was a bus available, and then no more. The kids choosing to apply for the class enter in 2020 would know that they have to provide their own transportation and could make an informed decision.

Laws change, people must adapt. Tax law changed and things I planned late 2017 had an unintended affect for 2018. The freshman haven't started, they are lucky enough to change their plans. Though I do feel for rising seniors.

[Anonymous]

What really is cringe worthy is that most of these people who buy/move to Loudoun know that TJ from Loudoun is shaky. They said a second grader spoke at the board meeting appealing not to crush her hopes. WTF?

Instead of talking about suing, parading kids etc, if TJ is SO important, why not move to FCPS ??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Loudoun is building their own brand. AOS cant compete with TJ if their best candidates go to TJ.

It was only a matter of time before this happened.

Agree.

[Anonymous]

The freshmen may not have started but they may have turned down offers at AOS or AES and I don't know that they can get those spots back. So a rising freshmen who committed to TJ might have to return to their base school and not AOS or AES because they no longer have a transportation to TJ. And what about Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The freshmen may not have started but they may have turned down offers at AOS or AES and I don't know that they can get those spots back. So a rising freshmen who committed to TJ might have to return to their base school and not AOS or AES because they no longer have a transportation to TJ. And what about Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors?

There's no way any incoming freshmen and/or their parents didn't know this was *at least* a possibility if not a probability. It's been debated in Loudoun extensively for quite awhile with one particular community vocally demanding busing services and the vast majority of community taxpayers saying, I'm sorry, we're paying $1M+ per year for WHAT?? If you want your kid to go to TJ, YOU drive them there. You've undoubtedly put in a great deal of effort to get them accepted, why stop there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The freshmen may not have started but they may have turned down offers at AOS or AES and I don't know that they can get those spots back. So a rising freshmen who committed to TJ might have to return to their base school and not AOS or AES because they no longer have a transportation to TJ. And what about Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors?

There's no way any incoming freshmen and/or their parents didn't know this was *at least* a possibility if not a probability. It's been debated in Loudoun extensively for quite awhile with one particular community vocally demanding busing services and the vast majority of community taxpayers saying, I'm sorry, we're paying $1M+ per year for WHAT?? If you want your kid to go to TJ, YOU drive them there. You've undoubtedly put in a great deal of effort to get them accepted, why stop there?

Sure, but they say that every year. How was anyone to know that this would be the year when they would cut transportation?

[Anonymous]

Why the school system need to provide gigantic full size busses in case the bus serves just few kids that could be easily transported by a school minivan type of bus?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The freshmen may not have started but they may have turned down offers at AOS or AES and I don't know that they can get those spots back. So a rising freshmen who committed to TJ might have to return to their base school and not AOS or AES because they no longer have a transportation to TJ. And what about Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors?

There's no way any incoming freshmen and/or their parents didn't know this was *at least* a possibility if not a probability. It's been debated in Loudoun extensively for quite awhile with one particular community vocally demanding busing services and the vast majority of community taxpayers saying, I'm sorry, we're paying $1M+ per year for WHAT?? If you want your kid to go to TJ, YOU drive them there. You've undoubtedly put in a great deal of effort to get them accepted, why stop there?

Aw, come on, which community?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The freshmen may not have started but they may have turned down offers at AOS or AES and I don't know that they can get those spots back. So a rising freshmen who committed to TJ might have to return to their base school and not AOS or AES because they no longer have a transportation to TJ. And what about Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors?

There's no way any incoming freshmen and/or their parents didn't know this was *at least* a possibility if not a probability. It's been debated in Loudoun extensively for quite awhile with one particular community vocally demanding busing services and the vast majority of community taxpayers saying, I'm sorry, we're paying $1M+ per year for WHAT?? If you want your kid to go to TJ, YOU drive them there. You've undoubtedly put in a great deal of effort to get them accepted, why stop there?

Sure, but they say that every year. How was anyone to know that this would be the year when they would cut transportation?

This is a stupid argument. As silly as it can get. It is like complaining to a Black Jack dealer that he cannot win the last game as he has been losing all along and how are you to know he is going to win the last round. You took a gamble and lost. Now move on.

[Anonymous]

I see any kind of agreement as to transportation services as being applicable for one year at a time. The services provided can change from year to year.

Families are being given notice more than a year in advance that bus services will not be available from Loudoun to TJ during the 2020-21 year. That seems to be plenty of time to make other arrangements.

[Anonymous]

$7k raised apparently in two days to start legal proceedings against the lcps school board:

https://www.gofundme.com/loudoun-tjhsst-families-defense-fund