FCPS HS Boundary

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dear Hunt Valley Parents south of FFX county parkway: As a result of updating policy 8130 to prioritize transportation and reduce travel times, your children will now travel a longer, more dangerous route to Key Middle and Lewis HS. The SB promises this boundary change will provide improved transportation and a better educational experience for all.
P.S. Please ensure you teach your high schoolers defensive driving maneuvers to avoid erratic Maryland drivers making last second changes out of the FFX County Parkway/Gambrill exit only lane.

+1 as a resident of this area, oh but it’s “ToO CoMpLiCaTeD” according to an equity troll who clearly has no idea about the area, to eliminate the Sangster split feeder and send all its kids to Lake Braddock, thus reducing enrollment at Irving and WSHS.

Sorry, maybe I missed it in your weird post but, how exactly does this help Lewis? This might help balance once side of the equation but not the other, and both are needed, ASAP.

It doesn’t and I’m not understanding why everything has to be to “help Lewis.” You can fix some of the (actually fairly slight) crowding at WSHS without shuttling kids down the parkway and actually giving them a longer school commute.

Ensuring that Lewis has a sufficiently large enrollment to support the activities and opportunities available at other high schools ought to be the only boundary change FCPS is currently treating as a priority. Everything else is just noise intended to cancel out the parents who’ll complain if moved to Lewis.

If 230 kids are transferring out of Lewis currently, you will have 500 kids transferring out of Lewis following rezoning.

Almost all of the kids in the fringe neighborhoods take German...

And what makes you think they won't add German to Lewis? Or go Nuclear and remove it from WSHS, lol.

It is sad because what the board is really doing isn’t “fixing” Lewis. It is fixing test scores at Lewis. That is it. Is FCPS only responsible for test scores or does a community owe its children more? To truly “fix” Lewis for the kids who are going there, you need holistic social support. That doesn’t mean holistic boundaries, but looking at what the population there needs. They aren’t as concerned with test scores I would bet. They need strong social supports: health care, English skills, academic skills, food shelter etc. The solution lies more with Geoffrey Canada’s Harlem Children’s Zone project than redistricting. Trade skills would also probably benefit. So, dear Gatehouse person, if you want to FIX Lewis and become an urban setting, let’s do it right.

I totaly agree with this.

To some degree it is about simple student numbers, especially if you can add students who are more likely to take advanced classes. That is really where the school is struggling. So that could help 'fix' Lewis by making it more attractive. They do need to publicly (and prominently) advertise that they are switching to AP.

I see you don’t care about the “other kids” there. You just want more choice for you kid. Isn’t that why the transfer program exists?

[Anonymous]

The imperative to move kids to Lewis is based on both its current and projected enrollments. There is no other high school in FCPS projected to have 1425 kids adjacent to one projected to have 2900 students. There is a compelling case to change those boundaries if FCPS wants to have any argument that it’s a system that cares about equal opportunity.

The fact that the West Springfield parents are coming up with such frivolous arguments as to why the boundaries shouldn’t be adjusted is precisely why they must be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dear Hunt Valley Parents south of FFX county parkway: As a result of updating policy 8130 to prioritize transportation and reduce travel times, your children will now travel a longer, more dangerous route to Key Middle and Lewis HS. The SB promises this boundary change will provide improved transportation and a better educational experience for all.
P.S. Please ensure you teach your high schoolers defensive driving maneuvers to avoid erratic Maryland drivers making last second changes out of the FFX County Parkway/Gambrill exit only lane.

+1 as a resident of this area, oh but it’s “ToO CoMpLiCaTeD” according to an equity troll who clearly has no idea about the area, to eliminate the Sangster split feeder and send all its kids to Lake Braddock, thus reducing enrollment at Irving and WSHS.

Sorry, maybe I missed it in your weird post but, how exactly does this help Lewis? This might help balance once side of the equation but not the other, and both are needed, ASAP.

It doesn’t and I’m not understanding why everything has to be to “help Lewis.” You can fix some of the (actually fairly slight) crowding at WSHS without shuttling kids down the parkway and actually giving them a longer school commute.

Ensuring that Lewis has a sufficiently large enrollment to support the activities and opportunities available at other high schools ought to be the only boundary change FCPS is currently treating as a priority. Everything else is just noise intended to cancel out the parents who’ll complain if moved to Lewis.

If 230 kids are transferring out of Lewis currently, you will have 500 kids transferring out of Lewis following rezoning.

Almost all of the kids in the fringe neighborhoods take German...

And what makes you think they won't add German to Lewis? Or go Nuclear and remove it from WSHS, lol.

What is wrong with you.

Such mirth over jacking around people's kids.

Do you know any high school teens?

To rezone kids in high school over politics is awful.

To take glee over it is vindictive and cruel.

Kids will be grandfathered. Duh.

They can promise to grandfather and it still would enough. This is about protecting THEIR property values and THEIR kids. It’s selfish AF and I for one am happy that the SB is finally taking corrective action to address these longstanding issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gambrill to Lewis is not a long commute. Gambrill to WSHS is very similar. They are both still shorter than many kids in FCPS.

Gambrill to SCHS is about 3 miles, whereas to Lewis, it is about 6 miles. SCHS is currently under capacity by a similar percentage as Lewis.

True.

Lewis is the longest commute of the 4 schools.

WSHS is the fastest.

SoCo is a little longer.

Lewis is the longest by a lot, and involves crossing the worst rush hour traffic spot in that part of northern Virginia.

This is simply not the case. Check Google maps. Yes, probably a little longer to Lewis, but many children in FCPS have much longer trips. Fringe Great Falls, parts of Mason Neck, Lake Braddock, Robinson. Some small difference in distance or time is not going to sway the board.

That being said, there are some conflicting goals in their policies - split feeders being the biggest one. Hard to see them sending all of Hunt Valley to Lewis and it doesn't make sense to send the South Hunt Valley children to Saratoga Elementary to solve the split that way. So if they send South Hunt Valley to Lewis that will bring back an old split feeder.

You are not from the area.

Lewis is a twice as long commute than WSHS or SoCo.

The road types and traffic patterns to get to each school are completely different.

I have lived here for years and years and years. You are simply in denial. Yes, it is a bit longer to Lewis, but not any type of difference that would sway the School Board.

All of that said, in the end they will not end up moving any of WS to Lewis. They just won't do it. They will come up with some other wild-eyed scheme they think will help - but it won't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The imperative to move kids to Lewis is based on both its current and projected enrollments. There is no other high school in FCPS projected to have 1425 kids adjacent to one projected to have 2900 students. There is a compelling case to change those boundaries if FCPS wants to have any argument that it’s a system that cares about equal opportunity.

The fact that the West Springfield parents are coming up with such frivolous arguments as to why the boundaries shouldn’t be adjusted is precisely why they must be.

Well said. It needs to happen. The optics are horrible.

Lewis/WSHS is their top priority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dear Hunt Valley Parents south of FFX county parkway: As a result of updating policy 8130 to prioritize transportation and reduce travel times, your children will now travel a longer, more dangerous route to Key Middle and Lewis HS. The SB promises this boundary change will provide improved transportation and a better educational experience for all.
P.S. Please ensure you teach your high schoolers defensive driving maneuvers to avoid erratic Maryland drivers making last second changes out of the FFX County Parkway/Gambrill exit only lane.

+1 as a resident of this area, oh but it’s “ToO CoMpLiCaTeD” according to an equity troll who clearly has no idea about the area, to eliminate the Sangster split feeder and send all its kids to Lake Braddock, thus reducing enrollment at Irving and WSHS.

Sorry, maybe I missed it in your weird post but, how exactly does this help Lewis? This might help balance once side of the equation but not the other, and both are needed, ASAP.

It doesn’t and I’m not understanding why everything has to be to “help Lewis.” You can fix some of the (actually fairly slight) crowding at WSHS without shuttling kids down the parkway and actually giving them a longer school commute.

Ensuring that Lewis has a sufficiently large enrollment to support the activities and opportunities available at other high schools ought to be the only boundary change FCPS is currently treating as a priority. Everything else is just noise intended to cancel out the parents who’ll complain if moved to Lewis.

If 230 kids are transferring out of Lewis currently, you will have 500 kids transferring out of Lewis following rezoning.

Almost all of the kids in the fringe neighborhoods take German...

And what makes you think they won't add German to Lewis? Or go Nuclear and remove it from WSHS, lol.

What is wrong with you.

Such mirth over jacking around people's kids.

Do you know any high school teens?

To rezone kids in high school over politics is awful.

To take glee over it is vindictive and cruel.

Kids will be grandfathered. Duh.

Great- this is what Lewis parents are like. Can’t wait to send my kids to such an understanding kind school!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live near Gambrills and I can’t even believe going to WSHS is 15 mins. Shorter, in my estimation.

15 minutes is the morning with traffic.

The 2 posters not from the area arguing that the commutes are the same do not understand the commutes.

From the Hunt Valley neighborhoods inside the pkwy, commuting with traffic to WSHS is around 7 minutes, and maybe 5 minutes during down time. Kids actually walk from the HV neighborhoods to WSHS when the weather is nice.

The Gambrill people get to WSHS in under 15 minutes when the traffic is bad, and around 10 minutes otherwise.

HV to Lewis is 20 minutes during slow times, evenings and Saturday afternoons. It is much longer during rush hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The imperative to move kids to Lewis is based on both its current and projected enrollments. There is no other high school in FCPS projected to have 1425 kids adjacent to one projected to have 2900 students. There is a compelling case to change those boundaries if FCPS wants to have any argument that it’s a system that cares about equal opportunity.

The fact that the West Springfield parents are coming up with such frivolous arguments as to why the boundaries shouldn’t be adjusted is precisely why they must be.

Well said. It needs to happen. The optics are horrible.

Lewis/WSHS is their top priority.

-stated Langley parents with a sigh of relief

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dear Hunt Valley Parents south of FFX county parkway: As a result of updating policy 8130 to prioritize transportation and reduce travel times, your children will now travel a longer, more dangerous route to Key Middle and Lewis HS. The SB promises this boundary change will provide improved transportation and a better educational experience for all.
P.S. Please ensure you teach your high schoolers defensive driving maneuvers to avoid erratic Maryland drivers making last second changes out of the FFX County Parkway/Gambrill exit only lane.

+1 as a resident of this area, oh but it’s “ToO CoMpLiCaTeD” according to an equity troll who clearly has no idea about the area, to eliminate the Sangster split feeder and send all its kids to Lake Braddock, thus reducing enrollment at Irving and WSHS.

Sorry, maybe I missed it in your weird post but, how exactly does this help Lewis? This might help balance once side of the equation but not the other, and both are needed, ASAP.

It doesn’t and I’m not understanding why everything has to be to “help Lewis.” You can fix some of the (actually fairly slight) crowding at WSHS without shuttling kids down the parkway and actually giving them a longer school commute.

Ensuring that Lewis has a sufficiently large enrollment to support the activities and opportunities available at other high schools ought to be the only boundary change FCPS is currently treating as a priority. Everything else is just noise intended to cancel out the parents who’ll complain if moved to Lewis.

If 230 kids are transferring out of Lewis currently, you will have 500 kids transferring out of Lewis following rezoning.

Almost all of the kids in the fringe neighborhoods take German...

And what makes you think they won't add German to Lewis? Or go Nuclear and remove it from WSHS, lol.

It is sad because what the board is really doing isn’t “fixing” Lewis. It is fixing test scores at Lewis. That is it. Is FCPS only responsible for test scores or does a community owe its children more? To truly “fix” Lewis for the kids who are going there, you need holistic social support. That doesn’t mean holistic boundaries, but looking at what the population there needs. They aren’t as concerned with test scores I would bet. They need strong social supports: health care, English skills, academic skills, food shelter etc. The solution lies more with Geoffrey Canada’s Harlem Children’s Zone project than redistricting. Trade skills would also probably benefit. So, dear Gatehouse person, if you want to FIX Lewis and become an urban setting, let’s do it right.

I totaly agree with this.

To some degree it is about simple student numbers, especially if you can add students who are more likely to take advanced classes. That is really where the school is struggling. So that could help 'fix' Lewis by making it more attractive. They do need to publicly (and prominently) advertise that they are switching to AP.

I see you don’t care about the “other kids” there. You just want more choice for you kid. Isn’t that why the transfer program exists?

Do you think it is easy for all parents to pay the application fee, navigate the transfer process, and then arrange for a child’s transportation for four years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dear Hunt Valley Parents south of FFX county parkway: As a result of updating policy 8130 to prioritize transportation and reduce travel times, your children will now travel a longer, more dangerous route to Key Middle and Lewis HS. The SB promises this boundary change will provide improved transportation and a better educational experience for all.
P.S. Please ensure you teach your high schoolers defensive driving maneuvers to avoid erratic Maryland drivers making last second changes out of the FFX County Parkway/Gambrill exit only lane.

+1 as a resident of this area, oh but it’s “ToO CoMpLiCaTeD” according to an equity troll who clearly has no idea about the area, to eliminate the Sangster split feeder and send all its kids to Lake Braddock, thus reducing enrollment at Irving and WSHS.

Sorry, maybe I missed it in your weird post but, how exactly does this help Lewis? This might help balance once side of the equation but not the other, and both are needed, ASAP.

It doesn’t and I’m not understanding why everything has to be to “help Lewis.” You can fix some of the (actually fairly slight) crowding at WSHS without shuttling kids down the parkway and actually giving them a longer school commute.

Ensuring that Lewis has a sufficiently large enrollment to support the activities and opportunities available at other high schools ought to be the only boundary change FCPS is currently treating as a priority. Everything else is just noise intended to cancel out the parents who’ll complain if moved to Lewis.

If 230 kids are transferring out of Lewis currently, you will have 500 kids transferring out of Lewis following rezoning.

Almost all of the kids in the fringe neighborhoods take German...

And what makes you think they won't add German to Lewis? Or go Nuclear and remove it from WSHS, lol.

It is sad because what the board is really doing isn’t “fixing” Lewis. It is fixing test scores at Lewis. That is it. Is FCPS only responsible for test scores or does a community owe its children more? To truly “fix” Lewis for the kids who are going there, you need holistic social support. That doesn’t mean holistic boundaries, but looking at what the population there needs. They aren’t as concerned with test scores I would bet. They need strong social supports: health care, English skills, academic skills, food shelter etc. The solution lies more with Geoffrey Canada’s Harlem Children’s Zone project than redistricting. Trade skills would also probably benefit. So, dear Gatehouse person, if you want to FIX Lewis and become an urban setting, let’s do it right.

I totaly agree with this.

To some degree it is about simple student numbers, especially if you can add students who are more likely to take advanced classes. That is really where the school is struggling. So that could help 'fix' Lewis by making it more attractive. They do need to publicly (and prominently) advertise that they are switching to AP.

I see you don’t care about the “other kids” there. You just want more choice for you kid. Isn’t that why the transfer program exists?

The liberal pupil placement policy is what contributed to this issue. That and the differences in curriculum. If I were in charge that is the first thing I would correct. FCPS literally created this situation with bad decision after bad decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dear Hunt Valley Parents south of FFX county parkway: As a result of updating policy 8130 to prioritize transportation and reduce travel times, your children will now travel a longer, more dangerous route to Key Middle and Lewis HS. The SB promises this boundary change will provide improved transportation and a better educational experience for all.
P.S. Please ensure you teach your high schoolers defensive driving maneuvers to avoid erratic Maryland drivers making last second changes out of the FFX County Parkway/Gambrill exit only lane.

+1 as a resident of this area, oh but it’s “ToO CoMpLiCaTeD” according to an equity troll who clearly has no idea about the area, to eliminate the Sangster split feeder and send all its kids to Lake Braddock, thus reducing enrollment at Irving and WSHS.

Sorry, maybe I missed it in your weird post but, how exactly does this help Lewis? This might help balance once side of the equation but not the other, and both are needed, ASAP.

It doesn’t and I’m not understanding why everything has to be to “help Lewis.” You can fix some of the (actually fairly slight) crowding at WSHS without shuttling kids down the parkway and actually giving them a longer school commute.

Ensuring that Lewis has a sufficiently large enrollment to support the activities and opportunities available at other high schools ought to be the only boundary change FCPS is currently treating as a priority. Everything else is just noise intended to cancel out the parents who’ll complain if moved to Lewis.

If 230 kids are transferring out of Lewis currently, you will have 500 kids transferring out of Lewis following rezoning.

Almost all of the kids in the fringe neighborhoods take German...

And what makes you think they won't add German to Lewis? Or go Nuclear and remove it from WSHS, lol.

What is wrong with you.

Such mirth over jacking around people's kids.

Do you know any high school teens?

To rezone kids in high school over politics is awful.

To take glee over it is vindictive and cruel.

Kids will be grandfathered. Duh.

They can promise to grandfather and it still would enough. This is about protecting THEIR property values and THEIR kids. It’s selfish AF and I for one am happy that the SB is finally taking corrective action to address these longstanding issues.

Eww. Your true colors are really showing here.

[Anonymous]

The section of the county parkway between Gambrill and the parkway split has a lot of accidents, sometimes fatal and severe. I wouldn’t want any more buses than absolutely necessary on that stretch of road. I’m assuming if the Gambrill neighborhoods were bussed to Lewis that they would need to take the parkway all the way to Frontier by the mall and then to Franconia Road. That is a busy and unpredictable drive at 7-8 am.

And yes, I know kids living in West Bramblef*** Clifton and Great Falls have forever long bus rides but that’s because nothing is out there. Springfield and West Springfield aren’t like that at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The imperative to move kids to Lewis is based on both its current and projected enrollments. There is no other high school in FCPS projected to have 1425 kids adjacent to one projected to have 2900 students. There is a compelling case to change those boundaries if FCPS wants to have any argument that it’s a system that cares about equal opportunity.

The fact that the West Springfield parents are coming up with such frivolous arguments as to why the boundaries shouldn’t be adjusted is precisely why they must be.

1425 is still larger than most of the Catholic high schools which have very robust academic offerings, aports and clubs.

In fact, many would see that as an ideal sized high school, on par with many private schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gambrill to Lewis is not a long commute. Gambrill to WSHS is very similar. They are both still shorter than many kids in FCPS.

Gambrill to SCHS is about 3 miles, whereas to Lewis, it is about 6 miles. SCHS is currently under capacity by a similar percentage as Lewis.

True.

Lewis is the longest commute of the 4 schools.

WSHS is the fastest.

SoCo is a little longer.

Lewis is the longest by a lot, and involves crossing the worst rush hour traffic spot in that part of northern Virginia.

This is simply not the case. Check Google maps. Yes, probably a little longer to Lewis, but many children in FCPS have much longer trips. Fringe Great Falls, parts of Mason Neck, Lake Braddock, Robinson. Some small difference in distance or time is not going to sway the board.

That being said, there are some conflicting goals in their policies - split feeders being the biggest one. Hard to see them sending all of Hunt Valley to Lewis and it doesn't make sense to send the South Hunt Valley children to Saratoga Elementary to solve the split that way. So if they send South Hunt Valley to Lewis that will bring back an old split feeder.

You are not from the area.

Lewis is a twice as long commute than WSHS or SoCo.

The road types and traffic patterns to get to each school are completely different.

I have lived here for years and years and years. You are simply in denial. Yes, it is a bit longer to Lewis, but not any type of difference that would sway the School Board.

All of that said, in the end they will not end up moving any of WS to Lewis. They just won't do it. They will come up with some other wild-eyed scheme they think will help - but it won't.

If they do not move kids to Lewis but they make other HS boundary changes they are inviting litigation they will likely lose. They have a lot of flexibility but at some point it becomes arbitrary and capricious to change some HS boundaries but not others simply because they don’t want to piss off the noisiest parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The imperative to move kids to Lewis is based on both its current and projected enrollments. There is no other high school in FCPS projected to have 1425 kids adjacent to one projected to have 2900 students. There is a compelling case to change those boundaries if FCPS wants to have any argument that it’s a system that cares about equal opportunity.

The fact that the West Springfield parents are coming up with such frivolous arguments as to why the boundaries shouldn’t be adjusted is precisely why they must be.

1425 is still larger than most of the Catholic high schools which have very robust academic offerings, aports and clubs.

In fact, many would see that as an ideal sized high school, on par with many private schools.

In that case the WS parents should be even happier to escape a 2900-student school.