FCPS Skyview Boundary Revised Scenario 1 / 2

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Good evening:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the ongoing Skyview High School boundary review process, specifically the impact to Crossfield Elementary School.

Since the outset of this conversation last fall, I raised the transportation and capacity challenges associated with Crossfield ES remaining at Oakton HS. As I have stated several times, it's not the fault of the western communities that the boundary lines are such that kids have to ride a school bus forty-five minutes to an hour one way to get to their base school; Oakton HS in this case. Additionally, I am concerned about the housing development approved in the central Oakton corridor that will potentially exacerbate the capacity challenges at Oakton HS. Today, Oakton HS is at 103% capacity with around 2,000 housing units approved and awaiting construction.

Over the last few months, I have worked with transportation and facilities staff to analyze these issues in depth to help me determine whether Crossfield ES should remain at Oakton HS, or be sent to Skyview HS. Thanks to our very capable transportation staff and the analysis they provided me, the average bussing times are:

Crossfield ES to Oakton HS: 45 minutes
Crossfield ES to Carson MS: 47 minutes

Although there are no times available for a hypothetical route from Crossfield ES to Skyview HS, Carson MS is next door and provides a good benchmark for the data. This is to say, that sending Crossfield ES to Skyview HS will not result in any measurable transportation efficiencies.

In that time, another key detail has surfaced which also impacts my decision making process: Skyview HS does not have the capacity available to absorb both Crossfield ES and Fox Mill ES. Based on the feedback from the Fox Mill ES community, I believe Fox Mill ES should be sent to Skyview HS. It is also worth noting that within the South Lakes HS pyramid, there are over 7,000 housing units proposed or approved which would yield significantly more students into South Lakes HS than the housing units proposed or approved for Oakton HS.

The final scenario generated by the Superintendent and her staff indicates that Crossfield ES be sent to Franklin MS and remain at Oakton HS. Based on the available transportation and capacity data, as well as the community feedback, my expectation is that Crossfield ES remain at Oakton HS, while also being aligned to Franklin MS.

Crossfield to Carson takes 47 minutes???? Did they bike it??

No that's what it takes for my neighborhood which is 45 min, but as i said it's 35 to oakton.

The conversation here always focused on Franklin Farm and not neighborhoods closest to Crossfield which are right next to non Navy Island neighborhoods and across from neighborhoods zoned to Madison.

NO one in Crossfield area is closer to Oakton in milieage or time than to Skyview. Most of them are less than 10 minutes most from Skyview.

That’s not the conclusion FCPS’ transport team reached based on data.

I assume they only used bus routes and not driving time (like not how long it takes a teen to drive himself to school).

We all know the data is twisted. For one thing, as I said before, most kids live south/west of Crossfield.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Just used Folkstone/West Ox as a starting point. Almost 10 miles to Oakton and less than 3 to Carson.
Using Crossfield as the starting point is bogus. No one going to Carson lives that far.

And, the time--using express lanes is 15 minutes.
Eight minutes to Carson.

And, most of the population lives closer to Carson than that intersection.

He must be getting pushback from some Crossfield people now.

This tells me that Meren is putting pressure on him now. She's had a year to do that.

You realize buses follow a route... They go to different neighborhoods both towards and away from the assigned school and even backtrack.

Folkstone is slightly more than 6 miles from Oakton and 4 from Carson. Where are you getting your distances from?

Google maps right now has over 7 miles to Oakton a d 3.9 to Carson. 16 vs 12 min in car, not bus from the intersection of Folkstone and Fox Mill. That is just about the closest Crossfield spot to Oakton.. most of Crossfield is much, much closer to Carson. But you know that.

Next, you and McDaniel might consider distance to South Lakes.

South Lakes needs the extra capacity for future growth. Let’s make arguments based on facts and not emotion.

LOL! Like RIO based their lobbying on facts?

Here are some real facts:
Most of Crossfield population is much, much closer in mileage and time to Carson/KAA. McDaniel's analysis is flawed. First, the Carson kids from Crossfield live much, much closer than the Crossfield school. McDaniel lives in the area, he knows that. However, he does live very close to Crossfield school. He also lives very close to South Lakes. In fact, right now, his street is less than 10 minutes from South Lakes. It is almost 20 minutes from Oakton. And 12 minutes to Carson. (googlemaps)

No group lobbied more on emotion than RIO. Next would be Walney Oaks.

I think it’s much more reasonable to trust the findings of independent consultants who have a proven track record in creating school boundaries and elected officials, particularly one that you all championed the last year than a random anonymous poster. I’m sorry you didn’t get what you wanted. You’re free to change your mind on the pyramid you bought into but you’ve blamed those who haven’t changed their mind for far too long.

The consultants are only independent in the sense that they aren’t FCPS employees, but you’d have to be a complete idiot to think they aren’t serving up what they’ve been instructed to deliver. They follow the instructions they’ve been given and we’ve seen how their maps get amended if they don’t align with what Reid or a School Board member like Dixit wants.

If the consultants had been given more discretion, they would never have proposed to empty out Westfield like this proposal does. It flies in the face of everything they were taught and what they know from experience leads to failing schools.

[Anonymous]

So in summary:

Skyview can’t fit both fox mill and crossfield.

Fox mill wants to go.

Crossfield doesn’t want to go.

The bus times for Crossfield is a wash.

There’s more development in South lakes than Oakton.

Taking the RIO tactics out of it, the conclusion to send fox mill to Skyview instead of Crossfield makes sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can always pupil place to Skyview for the pathways.

"You can always isolate your kid from all their friends and neighbors" is not the great argument you think it is.

I know it is not. The complaints about IB at SLHS have been regularly met with "You can pupil place to Herndon for AP." It sucks because moving your kid from their friends sucks. Unfortunately, there are places were you have to decide what is more important, being close to home and needing to make new friends at a different school or stay with your friends and go to the school farther away. And yes, it sucks but that is where you are.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Just used Folkstone/West Ox as a starting point. Almost 10 miles to Oakton and less than 3 to Carson.
Using Crossfield as the starting point is bogus. No one going to Carson lives that far.

And, the time--using express lanes is 15 minutes.
Eight minutes to Carson.

And, most of the population lives closer to Carson than that intersection.

He must be getting pushback from some Crossfield people now.

This tells me that Meren is putting pressure on him now. She's had a year to do that.

You realize buses follow a route... They go to different neighborhoods both towards and away from the assigned school and even backtrack.

Folkstone is slightly more than 6 miles from Oakton and 4 from Carson. Where are you getting your distances from?

Google maps right now has over 7 miles to Oakton a d 3.9 to Carson. 16 vs 12 min in car, not bus from the intersection of Folkstone and Fox Mill. That is just about the closest Crossfield spot to Oakton.. most of Crossfield is much, much closer to Carson. But you know that.

Next, you and McDaniel might consider distance to South Lakes.

South Lakes needs the extra capacity for future growth. Let’s make arguments based on facts and not emotion.

Isn't there more housing going up in Oakton then South Lakes area?

Yes.

No, please read the prior post and use fact not opinion.

Current data from realtor.com:

Reston new construction: 18
Oakton new construction: 68

Projections are one thing. Ongoing new construction in Oakton has already begun. Reston--just projection.

This is not a valid metric. This most likely reflects tear down houses being replaced with new construction.

The Oakton area is being developed. Not teardowns. Suggest you check it out. Very near Oakton High School.

But, that's okay. Plenty of room at South Lakes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just used Folkstone/West Ox as a starting point. Almost 10 miles to Oakton and less than 3 to Carson.
Using Crossfield as the starting point is bogus. No one going to Carson lives that far.

And, the time--using express lanes is 15 minutes.
Eight minutes to Carson.

And, most of the population lives closer to Carson than that intersection.

He must be getting pushback from some Crossfield people now.

This tells me that Meren is putting pressure on him now. She's had a year to do that.

You realize buses follow a route... They go to different neighborhoods both towards and away from the assigned school and even backtrack.

Folkstone is slightly more than 6 miles from Oakton and 4 from Carson. Where are you getting your distances from?

Google maps right now has over 7 miles to Oakton a d 3.9 to Carson. 16 vs 12 min in car, not bus from the intersection of Folkstone and Fox Mill. That is just about the closest Crossfield spot to Oakton.. most of Crossfield is much, much closer to Carson. But you know that.

Next, you and McDaniel might consider distance to South Lakes.

South Lakes needs the extra capacity for future growth. Let’s make arguments based on facts and not emotion.

Isn't there more housing going up in Oakton then South Lakes area?

Yes.

No, please read the prior post and use fact not opinion.

Current data from realtor.com:

Reston new construction: 18
Oakton new construction: 68

Projections are one thing. Ongoing new construction in Oakton has already begun. Reston--just projection.

This is not a valid metric. This most likely reflects tear down houses being replaced with new construction.

The Oakton area is being developed. Not teardowns. Suggest you check it out. Very near Oakton High School.

But, that's okay. Plenty of room at South Lakes.

Everyone is aware of the AT&T site including FCPS and the consultants. You can use aggressive and condescending language but you’ve offered nothing new to the conversation.

[Anonymous]

The consultants were told 85% usage was the absolute minimum and left Westfield at 74%.

Its absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Have they ever moved 1000+ students out of a high school before and left 800+ seats open? That is a huge number.

Putting aside the very real issue of having to lose so many classmates, teachers and course options for the Westfield students, that is an incredible misuse of taxpayer dollars and resources.

No, and what's going to happen when this all shakes out is what happens every time FCPS picks a school to be the designated "loser".

Any MC or UMC family who can figure out how to get their kids into the great schools right next door to Westfield will do so, by hook or by crook. The school will then not have enough academically minded students to offer sufficient AP classes and electives, so more MC students will disappear and the school ratings will tank.

People with kids won't move into the school zone, because the school has a low rating. In a few years, Westfield will have 1600 students in a school built for 3000, most of them low income. Exactly like Justice---so close to much better schools.

Its crazy to do this to what is a functioning, completely average FCPS HS at the moment.

But you can tell from an earlier post that some people think it’s a perfectly acceptable outcome. As long as they get theirs, they are ready to bring the marshmallows to toast over the dumpster fire FCPS is leaving behind at Westfield.

The parents at adjacent schools should be concerned, because their schools will be overcrowded with Westfield refugees.

Yep, exhibit a: West Springfield HS.

What does this mean?

FCPS created a disaster at Lewis through rezoning, causing almost all the families in the Lewis zone with means to figure out ways to 'escape' to West Springfield HS, a well regarded school very close by. WSHS is grossly overcrowded now and Lewis is basically empty.

[Anonymous]

^^It would be even more egregious if that happened at Westfield, given Westfield pre-Skyview is a perfectly functional, regular FCPS HS AND a Westfield with only @1700 kids a la Lewis would be a building with over a thousand empty seats AND spineless FCPS would simply be unable to rezone any areas into a Westfield that has spiraled down so low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just used Folkstone/West Ox as a starting point. Almost 10 miles to Oakton and less than 3 to Carson.
Using Crossfield as the starting point is bogus. No one going to Carson lives that far.

And, the time--using express lanes is 15 minutes.
Eight minutes to Carson.

And, most of the population lives closer to Carson than that intersection.

He must be getting pushback from some Crossfield people now.

This tells me that Meren is putting pressure on him now. She's had a year to do that.

You realize buses follow a route... They go to different neighborhoods both towards and away from the assigned school and even backtrack.

Folkstone is slightly more than 6 miles from Oakton and 4 from Carson. Where are you getting your distances from?

Google maps right now has over 7 miles to Oakton a d 3.9 to Carson. 16 vs 12 min in car, not bus from the intersection of Folkstone and Fox Mill. That is just about the closest Crossfield spot to Oakton.. most of Crossfield is much, much closer to Carson. But you know that.

Next, you and McDaniel might consider distance to South Lakes.

South Lakes needs the extra capacity for future growth. Let’s make arguments based on facts and not emotion.

Isn't there more housing going up in Oakton then South Lakes area?

Yes.

No, please read the prior post and use fact not opinion.

You realize McDaniel posting random "facts" to justify him flipping his stance on the issue to try to smooth over this final plan isn't actually coming from any real data, right? If there was data it would be linked. They've fudged the numbers to make it look okay. No part of Crossfield is closer to Oakton than Skyview, and most parts it isn't even close. The bus times he posted are the time it takes to run a route in a neighborhood to fill a whole bus and has very little to do with the time to drive to the school afterward. That is why they are so close. Add in the fact that Carson is picking up kids from even farther away for AAP (Waples Mill, Navy) and that's how McDaniel is hiding the true time difference to make that post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just used Folkstone/West Ox as a starting point. Almost 10 miles to Oakton and less than 3 to Carson.
Using Crossfield as the starting point is bogus. No one going to Carson lives that far.

And, the time--using express lanes is 15 minutes.
Eight minutes to Carson.

And, most of the population lives closer to Carson than that intersection.

He must be getting pushback from some Crossfield people now.

This tells me that Meren is putting pressure on him now. She's had a year to do that.

You realize buses follow a route... They go to different neighborhoods both towards and away from the assigned school and even backtrack.

Folkstone is slightly more than 6 miles from Oakton and 4 from Carson. Where are you getting your distances from?

Google maps right now has over 7 miles to Oakton a d 3.9 to Carson. 16 vs 12 min in car, not bus from the intersection of Folkstone and Fox Mill. That is just about the closest Crossfield spot to Oakton.. most of Crossfield is much, much closer to Carson. But you know that.

Next, you and McDaniel might consider distance to South Lakes.

South Lakes needs the extra capacity for future growth. Let’s make arguments based on facts and not emotion.

Isn't there more housing going up in Oakton then South Lakes area?

Yes.

No, please read the prior post and use fact not opinion.

You realize McDaniel posting random "facts" to justify him flipping his stance on the issue to try to smooth over this final plan isn't actually coming from any real data, right? If there was data it would be linked. They've fudged the numbers to make it look okay. No part of Crossfield is closer to Oakton than Skyview, and most parts it isn't even close. The bus times he posted are the time it takes to run a route in a neighborhood to fill a whole bus and has very little to do with the time to drive to the school afterward. That is why they are so close. Add in the fact that Carson is picking up kids from even farther away for AAP (Waples Mill, Navy) and that's how McDaniel is hiding the true time difference to make that post.

When you have a preconceived notion everything seems conspiratorial.

[Anonymous]

Its unfortunate for the Crossfield parents who wanted Skyview but I agree with the other posted, you are coming out of this situation with two good options, one of which you chose when you moved in. If there was room at Skyview for Fox Mill and Crossfield, that would be a different story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The consultants were told 85% usage was the absolute minimum and left Westfield at 74%.

Its absurd.

All of the consultants "rules" about capacity, eliminating split feeders, avoiding attendance islands,
keeping walkers walking, and sending closest kids to the closest schools seem somehow to not apply to Westfield boundaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The consultants were told 85% usage was the absolute minimum and left Westfield at 74%.

Its absurd.

All of the consultants "rules" about capacity, eliminating split feeders, avoiding attendance islands,
keeping walkers walking, and sending closest kids to the closest schools seem somehow to not apply to Westfield boundaries.

They created a new split feeder and new attendance islands special just for Westfield. Its so insane.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, I got the same form email back from Seema Dixit that was posted earlier.

McDaniel never replied to me at all.