Mythical Western HS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's terrible that FCPS has allowed the high school experience at so many schools to deteriorate through bad planning, and 3000-student high schools is not the answer.

I realize they have a finite capital budget and that it's hard to find land, but they have consistently failed to prioritize relief at the county's most overcrowded schools while slavishly adhering to an out-of-date renovation queue and departing from that queue only to build additions at a few schools (such as Justice and Madison) that are NOT among the county's most overcrowded. It's hyperbole to say people should be in jail, but there are people who are still working or used to work at FCPS who should have been terminated for cause years ago.

Then, why are people so happy with Chantilly?

I don’t think people are “so happy” with the size of, and overcrowding at, Chantilly. It’s just that the alternatives right now don’t seem appealing. It’s a schlep to Oakton or Fairfax, South Lakes doesn’t have AP, Centreville is also crowded, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's terrible that FCPS has allowed the high school experience at so many schools to deteriorate through bad planning, and 3000-student high schools is not the answer.

I realize they have a finite capital budget and that it's hard to find land, but they have consistently failed to prioritize relief at the county's most overcrowded schools while slavishly adhering to an out-of-date renovation queue and departing from that queue only to build additions at a few schools (such as Justice and Madison) that are NOT among the county's most overcrowded. It's hyperbole to say people should be in jail, but there are people who are still working or used to work at FCPS who should have been terminated for cause years ago.

Then, why are people so happy with Chantilly?

People are happy with Chantilly despite of overcrowding, not because of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's terrible that FCPS has allowed the high school experience at so many schools to deteriorate through bad planning, and 3000-student high schools is not the answer.

I realize they have a finite capital budget and that it's hard to find land, but they have consistently failed to prioritize relief at the county's most overcrowded schools while slavishly adhering to an out-of-date renovation queue and departing from that queue only to build additions at a few schools (such as Justice and Madison) that are NOT among the county's most overcrowded. It's hyperbole to say people should be in jail, but there are people who are still working or used to work at FCPS who should have been terminated for cause years ago.

Then, why are people so happy with Chantilly?

People are happy with Chantilly despite of overcrowding, not because of it.

True. And, happy beats the disruption.

Seems to me that the people pushing for this are those who are more considerned about boundaries of non-Western schools.
We do need a new Western High School. But, it actually needs to be built where it can relieve the overcrowded schools without setting off a fruitbasket turnover.

[Anonymous]

We do not need to spend an obscene $200 million+ on a new western high school. Look at the most recent CIP and sum the program capacity against membership at all high schools. I calculate a total program capacity of 58330 and a total membership of 56966 as of 2022. That means we currently have extra capacity for 1364 new kids if they were to distribute amongst our schools with available space. There is no reason for overcrowded schools to exist even at this moment.

Coupled with a few of the expansions and renovations that are already in progress we will have more available capacity. There is not a need for a new building. Boundary changes alone can solve the problem right now (and boundary changes would happen regardless if a new HS were to open). Invest the $200 million into our academics and teachers instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We do not need to spend an obscene $200 million+ on a new western high school. Look at the most recent CIP and sum the program capacity against membership at all high schools. I calculate a total program capacity of 58330 and a total membership of 56966 as of 2022. That means we currently have extra capacity for 1364 new kids if they were to distribute amongst our schools with available space. There is no reason for overcrowded schools to exist even at this moment.

Coupled with a few of the expansions and renovations that are already in progress we will have more available capacity. There is not a need for a new building. Boundary changes alone can solve the problem right now (and boundary changes would happen regardless if a new HS were to open). Invest the $200 million into our academics and teachers instead.

No one has the balls to change boundaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We do not need to spend an obscene $200 million+ on a new western high school. Look at the most recent CIP and sum the program capacity against membership at all high schools. I calculate a total program capacity of 58330 and a total membership of 56966 as of 2022. That means we currently have extra capacity for 1364 new kids if they were to distribute amongst our schools with available space. There is no reason for overcrowded schools to exist even at this moment.

Coupled with a few of the expansions and renovations that are already in progress we will have more available capacity. There is not a need for a new building. Boundary changes alone can solve the problem right now (and boundary changes would happen regardless if a new HS were to open). Invest the $200 million into our academics and teachers instead.

No. This would be a fruitbasket turnover disrupting communities, pyramids, and traffic.

[Anonymous]

But westfield, centreville and chantilly are all absolutely enormous. We do need another high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But westfield, centreville and chantilly are all absolutely enormous. We do need another high school.

And, the new high school should be within those boundaries-to realistically relieve them. No one else needs to be affected unless overcrowding is a problem. No schools near them are underenrolled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We do not need to spend an obscene $200 million+ on a new western high school. Look at the most recent CIP and sum the program capacity against membership at all high schools. I calculate a total program capacity of 58330 and a total membership of 56966 as of 2022. That means we currently have extra capacity for 1364 new kids if they were to distribute amongst our schools with available space. There is no reason for overcrowded schools to exist even at this moment.

Coupled with a few of the expansions and renovations that are already in progress we will have more available capacity. There is not a need for a new building. Boundary changes alone can solve the problem right now (and boundary changes would happen regardless if a new HS were to open). Invest the $200 million into our academics and teachers instead.

Historically, there were periods where FCPS was simultaneously building a new high school in western Fairfax and closing or consolidating high schools in eastern Fairfax because of where the growth was happening. It's easy to claim that overcrowding should be addressed through boundary changes alone and much harder to pull that off.

So when people fall back on that argument it's hard not to think what they really prefer is continued overcrowding at some schools, so long as they are not personally affected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But westfield, centreville and chantilly are all absolutely enormous. We do need another high school.

And, the new high school should be within those boundaries-to realistically relieve them. No one else needs to be affected unless overcrowding is a problem. No schools near them are underenrolled.

It all depends on where FCPS could realistically expect to build a comprehensive high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But westfield, centreville and chantilly are all absolutely enormous. We do need another high school.

And, the new high school should be within those boundaries-to realistically relieve them. No one else needs to be affected unless overcrowding is a problem. No schools near them are underenrolled.

I agree that the new high school should be in the chantilly-cvhs-westfield area (and we are zoned for Westfield). If they have to pull in kids from nearby boundary areas to make the numbers work out, so be it. Them's the breaks.

If FCPS doesn't have land, they should buy some from Fairfax County or a private landowner. There is a lot of land out here. They should hire a consultant, and agree to do whatever the consultant recommends. Then they don't have to make any decisions.

[Anonymous]

The firm they hired - said there is no land with enough space available to be purchased - next step look at currently owned school properties that are big enough.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know how many kids are pupil placed in these overcrowded schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know how many kids are pupil placed in these overcrowded schools?

Transfers into high schools in 2023 (western schools highlighted) per the FCPS capacity dashboard:

TJ 1971
Lake Braddock 320
Hayfield 235
South Lakes 212
Edison 168
Robinson 125
Langley 117
Mount Vernon 92
Madison 90
Woodson 87
Chantilly 81
Annandale 60
West Springfield 48
South County 39
Oakton 34
West Potomac 31
Centreville 29
Falls Church 27
Justice 23
McLean 23 (adjusted, since some grandfathered students after the 2021 boundary change are reported by FCPS as "transferring" from Langley)
Westfield 20
Herndon 16
Lewis 13

The bulk of the South Lakes transfers (212) now come from Herndon (150). Chantilly is overcrowded and gets 81 transfers, but it has the only Academy program in western Fairfax, unless you also treat Fairfax HS as in "western Fairfax," and it's not surprising that they try to accommodate some kids. Oakton, Centreville, Westfield, and Herndon now have few transfers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The firm they hired - said there is no land with enough space available to be purchased - next step look at currently owned school properties that are big enough.

I really find it hard to believe that nowhere in all of western fairfax, is an available plot of land. Maybe not available for what they want to spend.