
The priority should be education and what will improve student success in a safe and secure environment. Bigger isn’t necessarily better educational outcomes, but it may be cheaper |
FCPS like neighboring districts (and districts in other states) are going the bigger is better approach due to economies of scale. All around the U.S. some of the 2500 -3000 student high schools are among the best of the best, with enviable course selections and athletics. I’m okay with keeping schools below 3,000 students. The supposed academic and social benefits of small schools (as argued in academia) don't come into play until each grade is around 100 students, too small to be affordable, and too small for public school athletics. |
They’ve spent decades talking about a new western high school but can’t agree on a site much less break ground. Might as well renovate and expand as soon as practicable some of the schools that are overcrowded but where people are otherwise happy. |
Most likely the county-wide boundary evaluation will end up with a shifting around of the outskirts per pyramid. Nothing groundbreaking. |
There have been times when parents really pushed for boundary changes to address overcrowding.
I know that's what some DCUM posters want, for reasons that aren't always articulated, but there's no evidence of any significant group of parents at any school asking to be moved elsewhere. And the only schools where people had really been agitating are either the subject of a recent boundary change (Kent Gardens ES) or a current boundary study (Glasgow MS, Parklawn ES, Coates ES). If others want to exit their overcrowded schools, they can pupil place without changing the boundaries for others. Otherwise, people want to stay at their schools and for FCPS to come up with an updated renovation queue so they know where their schools stand. That seems quite reasonable. |
So let’s say we eventually have all schools at the 3000-3500 and then the population dwindles. People start moving further away as remote work ranges increase for feds. Maybe some more offices move out of DC area. What to do with all this extra capacity?
Never mind. We’ll continue doing things that are not in the interests of education. Not much is happening now. Professors are seeing more and more less prepared students — even from supposed good schools. No ramifications for bad behaviors plus scapegoating of certain socioeconomic groups. We will continue to do BS in the name of the almighty dollar (property values!). This district really is a joke. |
FCPS is building to 3,000 max. I think there would be some pushback if they built larger than that. |
FCPS has 25 high/secondary schools (this excludes the smaller specialty schools like Cedar Lane, Quander Road, and Mountain View). There are only two out of the 25 at or planned for 3000 seats - West Potomac and Centreville. The rest are smaller, although a substantial number now have 2500 or more seats. And then, at the low end, there are some schools with only about 2000 permanent seats. We don't need right now to plan for, or worry about, all HS in FCPS having 3000-3500 seats. They do have to decide what the plan is for Chantilly, which has about 3000 kids but only 2500 permanent seats. Does the school get expanded at some point, or do they redistrict to Centreville when the CHS renovation is finished? And it would make sense to expand some of the schools with substantially lower capacity to 2500 seats when they are next renovated. At some schools with lower capacities now, extra capacity might be used to provide some wrap-around services to the community. At others, including those that serve areas that the county has prioritized for residential growth, it's hard to see there being a lot of extra space if the schools were expanded. They'd just be eliminating trailers and modulars and improving student safety. |
3000 is a ridiculously large number. |
For some. Considering how close, and how far some schools are from one another, density changes in the past ten years, and new streets, a significant number of schools could have radically different boundaries if they erase the map and start from scratch. |
Sounds like a good way for a lot of aspiring politicians to bring their careers to an early end. Doubt it will ever happen. |
Completely agree. Common sense, finally. |
That’s factual inaccurate. It’s not guaranteed to pupil place and there are many schools you can’t pupil place at that parents would prefer vs current assigned schools due to overcrowding and student enrollment limitations. |
You can still pupil place. It just might not be to your first choice. |
Im curious how people transfer schools to play on different sports teams. |