FCPS is turning the new high school purchased to fix crowding into an Aviation magnet school instead of a high school??

[Anonymous]

There are fCPS schools with planetariums? Seriousky?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are fCPS schools with planetariums? Seriousky?

For quite some time now. All the local schools districts (in certain high schools) have them as far as I know. Woodson, W-L, Oakton, etc…

Oakton’s just received an expensive upgrade:
“Oakton’s planetarium has undergone recent upgrades with new technology, such as a Spitz nano-seam dome, a GOTO Orpheus projector, and COSM Digistar 7 software, to provide immersive digital and full-dome visuals of the universe.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've always wondered, why does South County HS have that whole extra athletic bubble building that Westfield does not, when their enrollment is so much smaller than Westfield?

Westfield was built when the SB was in an "austerity" phase, that's why it has that medium security prison vibe, literally no gathering spaces for students, etc.

FCPS funds were more lavishly distributed for later builds and renovations which got South County nice extras like a completely separate extra athletic building.

Strangely, for a wealthy county, FCPS was really cheap with new schools and renovations 25 years ago. Back in the 70s, FCPS went all out with expensive new high schools like Robinson.

At least FCPS is now building/renovating to a much higher standard. Still not extravagant, but the new renovations are quite nice. KAA/Western HS will be nice, and I’m curious about what new specialized facilities it will have. Some of the FCPS schools have planetaria, so I would think at a minimum, FCPS would construct a new, state-of-the-art planetarium for the proposed AI/Aviation/Space Academy.

You have got to be kidding me. They can have a specialized curriculum but they cannot afford a new “state-of-the-art planetarium” at KAA when older high schools got cheap renovations and need money for basic maintenance.

Hard to tell if you’re trolling or just utterly clueless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've always wondered, why does South County HS have that whole extra athletic bubble building that Westfield does not, when their enrollment is so much smaller than Westfield?

Westfield was built when the SB was in an "austerity" phase, that's why it has that medium security prison vibe, literally no gathering spaces for students, etc.

FCPS funds were more lavishly distributed for later builds and renovations which got South County nice extras like a completely separate extra athletic building.

Strangely, for a wealthy county, FCPS was really cheap with new schools and renovations 25 years ago. Back in the 70s, FCPS went all out with expensive new high schools like Robinson.

At least FCPS is now building/renovating to a much higher standard. Still not extravagant, but the new renovations are quite nice. KAA/Western HS will be nice, and I’m curious about what new specialized facilities it will have. Some of the FCPS schools have planetaria, so I would think at a minimum, FCPS would construct a new, state-of-the-art planetarium for the proposed AI/Aviation/Space Academy.

You have got to be kidding me. They can have a specialized curriculum but they cannot afford a new “state-of-the-art planetarium” at KAA when older high schools got cheap renovations and need money for basic maintenance.

Hard to tell if you’re trolling or just utterly clueless.

FCPS can do all of that and update the renovation queue also. It takes a bit of planning and foresight. What's the point of the superintendent's academy if there aren't any specialized facilities to support it? Of course the academy may just be a pipe dream, but if it happens some money would need to be spent on specialized facilities to attract students to the program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are fCPS schools with planetariums? Seriousky?

For quite some time now. All the local schools districts (in certain high schools) have them as far as I know. Woodson, W-L, Oakton, etc…

Oakton’s just received an expensive upgrade:
“Oakton’s planetarium has undergone recent upgrades with new technology, such as a Spitz nano-seam dome, a GOTO Orpheus projector, and COSM Digistar 7 software, to provide immersive digital and full-dome visuals of the universe.”

Talk about equity….

Signed parent without a planetarium who got bused to Oakton’s planetarium in the 1980s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've always wondered, why does South County HS have that whole extra athletic bubble building that Westfield does not, when their enrollment is so much smaller than Westfield?

Westfield was built when the SB was in an "austerity" phase, that's why it has that medium security prison vibe, literally no gathering spaces for students, etc.

FCPS funds were more lavishly distributed for later builds and renovations which got South County nice extras like a completely separate extra athletic building.

Strangely, for a wealthy county, FCPS was really cheap with new schools and renovations 25 years ago. Back in the 70s, FCPS went all out with expensive new high schools like Robinson.

At least FCPS is now building/renovating to a much higher standard. Still not extravagant, but the new renovations are quite nice. KAA/Western HS will be nice, and I’m curious about what new specialized facilities it will have. Some of the FCPS schools have planetaria, so I would think at a minimum, FCPS would construct a new, state-of-the-art planetarium for the proposed AI/Aviation/Space Academy.

You have got to be kidding me. They can have a specialized curriculum but they cannot afford a new “state-of-the-art planetarium” at KAA when older high schools got cheap renovations and need money for basic maintenance.

Hard to tell if you’re trolling or just utterly clueless.

FCPS can do all of that and update the renovation queue also. It takes a bit of planning and foresight. What's the point of the superintendent's academy if there aren't any specialized facilities to support it? Of course the academy may just be a pipe dream, but if it happens some money would need to be spent on specialized facilities to attract students to the program.

We’re headed back towards a period of austerity in FCPS and it can start by not spending money on KAA beyond what’s needed for it to function as a 9-12 AP school.

[Anonymous]

Seriously
There is no way someone is seriousky suggesting they add a planetarium. They need classroom space and the building is already much nicer than the other local schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously
There is no way someone is seriousky suggesting they add a planetarium. They need classroom space and the building is already much nicer than the other local schools.

The only mention I have seen about a planetarium was a few posts above this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've always wondered, why does South County HS have that whole extra athletic bubble building that Westfield does not, when their enrollment is so much smaller than Westfield?

Westfield was built when the SB was in an "austerity" phase, that's why it has that medium security prison vibe, literally no gathering spaces for students, etc.

FCPS funds were more lavishly distributed for later builds and renovations which got South County nice extras like a completely separate extra athletic building.

Strangely, for a wealthy county, FCPS was really cheap with new schools and renovations 25 years ago. Back in the 70s, FCPS went all out with expensive new high schools like Robinson.

At least FCPS is now building/renovating to a much higher standard. Still not extravagant, but the new renovations are quite nice. KAA/Western HS will be nice, and I’m curious about what new specialized facilities it will have. Some of the FCPS schools have planetaria, so I would think at a minimum, FCPS would construct a new, state-of-the-art planetarium for the proposed AI/Aviation/Space Academy.

You have got to be kidding me. They can have a specialized curriculum but they cannot afford a new “state-of-the-art planetarium” at KAA when older high schools got cheap renovations and need money for basic maintenance.

Hard to tell if you’re trolling or just utterly clueless.

FCPS can do all of that and update the renovation queue also. It takes a bit of planning and foresight. What's the point of the superintendent's academy if there aren't any specialized facilities to support it? Of course the academy may just be a pipe dream, but if it happens some money would need to be spent on specialized facilities to attract students to the program.

We’re headed back towards a period of austerity in FCPS and it can start by not spending money on KAA beyond what’s needed for it to function as a 9-12 AP school.

If that's what the community wants then perfect. The superintendent can reevaluate the academy idea in the future if the cost of construction goes back down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are fCPS schools with planetariums? Seriousky?

I think all the FCPS high schools built in the late 1960s had planetariums installed in the school.

Remember, the 1960s was the dawn of the space race. Everything was about exploring outer space, so of course it was logical to add planetariums to our newly built high schools.

A planetarium would not have been a frivolous expense in the 1960s. It would have been as essential to a strong high school science program as a chemistry lab.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are fCPS schools with planetariums? Seriousky?

I think all the FCPS high schools built in the late 1960s had planetariums installed in the school.

Remember, the 1960s was the dawn of the space race. Everything was about exploring outer space, so of course it was logical to add planetariums to our newly built high schools.

A planetarium would not have been a frivolous expense in the 1960s. It would have been as essential to a strong high school science program as a chemistry lab.

Also, the planetariums are not a huge expense. They are basically a mini auditorium with a high curved ceiling and projector. The renovated ones got updated reclining padded theater seats when they replaced the 50 year old seats, some fresh paint and new projectors.

It is not like they are showing laser light shows with top of the line sound systems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are fCPS schools with planetariums? Seriousky?

I think all the FCPS high schools built in the late 1960s had planetariums installed in the school.

Remember, the 1960s was the dawn of the space race. Everything was about exploring outer space, so of course it was logical to add planetariums to our newly built high schools.

A planetarium would not have been a frivolous expense in the 1960s. It would have been as essential to a strong high school science program as a chemistry lab.

Also, the planetariums are not a huge expense. They are basically a mini auditorium with a high curved ceiling and projector. The renovated ones got updated reclining padded theater seats when they replaced the 50 year old seats, some fresh paint and new projectors.

It is not like they are showing laser light shows with top of the line sound systems.

That being said, I don't think FCPS should install one at the new high school. It is not the 1960s, and we have better uses for our money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are fCPS schools with planetariums? Seriousky?

I think all the FCPS high schools built in the late 1960s had planetariums installed in the school.

Remember, the 1960s was the dawn of the space race. Everything was about exploring outer space, so of course it was logical to add planetariums to our newly built high schools.

A planetarium would not have been a frivolous expense in the 1960s. It would have been as essential to a strong high school science program as a chemistry lab.

Also, the planetariums are not a huge expense. They are basically a mini auditorium with a high curved ceiling and projector. The renovated ones got updated reclining padded theater seats when they replaced the 50 year old seats, some fresh paint and new projectors.

It is not like they are showing laser light shows with top of the line sound systems.

That being said, I don't think FCPS should install one at the new high school. It is not the 1960s, and we have better uses for our money.

I don't think anyone is suggesting they have one. This is how rumors get started. Just like the one about the huge expense to configure the school from that woman in Great Falls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are fCPS schools with planetariums? Seriousky?

I think all the FCPS high schools built in the late 1960s had planetariums installed in the school.

Remember, the 1960s was the dawn of the space race. Everything was about exploring outer space, so of course it was logical to add planetariums to our newly built high schools.

A planetarium would not have been a frivolous expense in the 1960s. It would have been as essential to a strong high school science program as a chemistry lab.

Also, the planetariums are not a huge expense. They are basically a mini auditorium with a high curved ceiling and projector. The renovated ones got updated reclining padded theater seats when they replaced the 50 year old seats, some fresh paint and new projectors.

It is not like they are showing laser light shows with top of the line sound systems.

That being said, I don't think FCPS should install one at the new high school. It is not the 1960s, and we have better uses for our money.

I don't think anyone is suggesting they have one. This is how rumors get started. Just like the one about the huge expense to configure the school from that woman in Great Falls.

The thread is about the space, aviation and/or ai themed academy magnet at KAA. That's why the planetarium topic came up. The new academy might require specialized construction above and beyond conversion to a 9-12 AP comprehensive high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are fCPS schools with planetariums? Seriousky?

I think all the FCPS high schools built in the late 1960s had planetariums installed in the school.

Remember, the 1960s was the dawn of the space race. Everything was about exploring outer space, so of course it was logical to add planetariums to our newly built high schools.

A planetarium would not have been a frivolous expense in the 1960s. It would have been as essential to a strong high school science program as a chemistry lab.

Also, the planetariums are not a huge expense. They are basically a mini auditorium with a high curved ceiling and projector. The renovated ones got updated reclining padded theater seats when they replaced the 50 year old seats, some fresh paint and new projectors.

It is not like they are showing laser light shows with top of the line sound systems.

That being said, I don't think FCPS should install one at the new high school. It is not the 1960s, and we have better uses for our money.

I don't think anyone is suggesting they have one. This is how rumors get started. Just like the one about the huge expense to configure the school from that woman in Great Falls.

The thread is about the space, aviation and/or ai themed academy magnet at KAA. That's why the planetarium topic came up. The new academy might require specialized construction above and beyond conversion to a 9-12 AP comprehensive high school.

And, they should not have an academy there.