Western High School Boundary Map options (A/B/C/D)

[Anonymous]

Every reason the Crossfield people have given could apply to the Oak Hill kids at Chantilly. They are extremely happy with Chantilly--but do understand that this school is needed.

But, somehow the Crossfield people deserve to stay at a school that is now over 100% capacity, has long bus rides, and has new construction underway--when there will be a great new school close by.

Reeks of Great Falls--except that Langley has been underenrolled in the past--but no longer.

So much for the School Board and their push for equity. And, this school will be a "good" school--or it should be if they would just set the boundaries.

But, with all the uncertainty, it just does not make sense.

Is Reid really going to wait to see who "opts in?" Why would you opt in if you do not even know if your neighbors will eventually be there?
Where is the common sense here?

[Anonymous]

I didn't say that the Crossfield families deserve to stay at Oakton but I think it is easier for them to challenge the move.

Oak Hill is one of the closest schools to the new school and Chantilly is overcrowded, that is why Oak Hill is moving. Geographically, it makes sense. I know parents of kids going to Chantilly who will stay at Chantilly and I know 8th graders who are selecting Chantilly over the new school. I know parents of 6th graders that are not thrilled with the change. The difference is that they are right down the street and Chantilly is overcrowded. The parents know that and I think they are pretty well aware that there is no fighting the move.

Crossfield is on the boundary area for the Western School. Crossfield is one of the schools with a weird boundary that makes it hard to know where the kids should go. Oakton is not one of the schools that is being targeted for reducing the student body population. It is easier for the families that want to stay at Oakton to fight for that.

Chantilly families can try and pupil place for the Chantilly engineering program, there is likely to be enough space to allow that to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Is Reid really going to wait to see who "opts in?" Why would you opt in if you do not even know if your neighbors will eventually be there?
Where is the common sense here?

We are talking to our neighbors and know a bunch of folks opting in. Some people are opting in because their kids friends are excited to be moving to the new school, and they want to go with their friends.

[Anonymous]

I always get the impression it’s one South Lakes mom who doesn’t like IB who is talking up Western to death to try and gin up more enthusiasm. Maybe there are others and she’s just the one who posts the long threads with the same content every day or two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always get the impression it’s one South Lakes mom who doesn’t like IB who is talking up Western to death to try and gin up more enthusiasm. Maybe there are others and she’s just the one who posts the long threads with the same content every day or two.

Hi there!

Yes, excited for Western. Happy to be leaving IB. Opting in. Don't expect to be in boundary.

No real reason to talk it up here, it is happening. (shrugs)

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I think most in the area are excited about having a school. I also think a lot of Crossfield people would like to go there, but you have people like the speakers the other night that make it about their own opinions. Using the pandemic as an excuse and construction at Crossfield as a reason to stay at Oakton? When the distance to Oakton is at least twice as long and very, very difficult. 66 or windy roads.

It’s not only the two speakers from Crossfield. If you joined the community meeting between the School Board members and the Crossfield families, you would see most of the families want to stay at Oakton.

The speakers chose to speak up because that’s what the board member suggested.

That's not true actually, it's just that everyone is too scared to speak up at a meeting where the entire PTO and all the room moms are present and going on and on about safety.

I find it hard to believe these people have so much power if they are in fact the minority. How many people were at this meeting?

Maybe 30 and everyone who talked has older kids.

So let’s say 5 people spoke…the other 25 were that fearful they sat there in silence? If that’s the case how could you ever expect the board to know anyone at Crossfield wants to move to Western? What’s the repercussion for people speaking up? If it’s the choice between I guess being an outsider vs. having your kids travel on what you say is an unsafe bus ride (I have no firsthand knowledge). I think one outweighs the other.

You are using flawed logic. That meeting was set up by the Crossfield PTO whose leadership has made their position very clear. Why would someone with a different view feel comfortable speaking out when they know that the people who organized the meeting did so specifically to fight back on the potential change? Let’s not pretend it was some neutral meeting set up as a forum to hear all viewpoints.

If you don’t know the people involved you probably don’t understand the social dynamics at play. I do. They are pressuring people to sign their petition. I wouldn’t feel comfortable speaking up either. I have seen them be outright hostile towards people with a different opinion from them on much more minor topics, let alone something like this. Why would someone want to deal with that at school, in the neighborhood, at sports, etc?

Believe me, when people with elementary schoolers and younger have one on one conversations they are expressing openness to attending the new school. But the people who are open to it aren’t the types who loudly complain in order to get what they want in life. It’s partly a personality thing.

I’m sorry but it’s not about feeling comfortable it’s about doing what you think is right. How many people have signed this petition? 50-75? Then create your own and send it to the board as it sounds like you’d more than exceed whatever number they have.

The crossfield petition is edging in on 600 people.

It's wildly popular.

Wow…okay, so 600 people were pressured to sign a petition then? Come on. The board should not care but clearly that community wants to stay at Oakton.

I think the board will look at opt-in numbers. Crossfield will most likely stay at Oakton.

So no community should be moved to any school if they have loud enough complainers? This doesn't seem like a feasible policy.

Opt in numbers are an objective metric. It’s not loud complaints. Policy makers should absolutely pay attent to opt in numbers than complaints.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I think most in the area are excited about having a school. I also think a lot of Crossfield people would like to go there, but you have people like the speakers the other night that make it about their own opinions. Using the pandemic as an excuse and construction at Crossfield as a reason to stay at Oakton? When the distance to Oakton is at least twice as long and very, very difficult. 66 or windy roads.

It’s not only the two speakers from Crossfield. If you joined the community meeting between the School Board members and the Crossfield families, you would see most of the families want to stay at Oakton.

The speakers chose to speak up because that’s what the board member suggested.

That's not true actually, it's just that everyone is too scared to speak up at a meeting where the entire PTO and all the room moms are present and going on and on about safety.

I find it hard to believe these people have so much power if they are in fact the minority. How many people were at this meeting?

Maybe 30 and everyone who talked has older kids.

So let’s say 5 people spoke…the other 25 were that fearful they sat there in silence? If that’s the case how could you ever expect the board to know anyone at Crossfield wants to move to Western? What’s the repercussion for people speaking up? If it’s the choice between I guess being an outsider vs. having your kids travel on what you say is an unsafe bus ride (I have no firsthand knowledge). I think one outweighs the other.

You are using flawed logic. That meeting was set up by the Crossfield PTO whose leadership has made their position very clear. Why would someone with a different view feel comfortable speaking out when they know that the people who organized the meeting did so specifically to fight back on the potential change? Let’s not pretend it was some neutral meeting set up as a forum to hear all viewpoints.

If you don’t know the people involved you probably don’t understand the social dynamics at play. I do. They are pressuring people to sign their petition. I wouldn’t feel comfortable speaking up either. I have seen them be outright hostile towards people with a different opinion from them on much more minor topics, let alone something like this. Why would someone want to deal with that at school, in the neighborhood, at sports, etc?

Believe me, when people with elementary schoolers and younger have one on one conversations they are expressing openness to attending the new school. But the people who are open to it aren’t the types who loudly complain in order to get what they want in life. It’s partly a personality thing.

I’m sorry but it’s not about feeling comfortable it’s about doing what you think is right. How many people have signed this petition? 50-75? Then create your own and send it to the board as it sounds like you’d more than exceed whatever number they have.

The crossfield petition is edging in on 600 people.

It's wildly popular.

Wow…okay, so 600 people were pressured to sign a petition then? Come on. The board should not care but clearly that community wants to stay at Oakton.

I think the board will look at opt-in numbers. Crossfield will most likely stay at Oakton.

Once again, it's not fair to make this decision based on parents of current middle and high schoolers.

Why, so you can reap the benefits of a fully developed school, while my kids have a sub par experience having to be bussed to other schools for sports and lacking a full set of activites.

It sucks for everyone.

You have the option to opt out of Western for the next two years. They have also said that if you opt in to your base school, you can stay there.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I think most in the area are excited about having a school. I also think a lot of Crossfield people would like to go there, but you have people like the speakers the other night that make it about their own opinions. Using the pandemic as an excuse and construction at Crossfield as a reason to stay at Oakton? When the distance to Oakton is at least twice as long and very, very difficult. 66 or windy roads.

It’s not only the two speakers from Crossfield. If you joined the community meeting between the School Board members and the Crossfield families, you would see most of the families want to stay at Oakton.

The speakers chose to speak up because that’s what the board member suggested.

That's not true actually, it's just that everyone is too scared to speak up at a meeting where the entire PTO and all the room moms are present and going on and on about safety.

I find it hard to believe these people have so much power if they are in fact the minority. How many people were at this meeting?

Maybe 30 and everyone who talked has older kids.

So let’s say 5 people spoke…the other 25 were that fearful they sat there in silence? If that’s the case how could you ever expect the board to know anyone at Crossfield wants to move to Western? What’s the repercussion for people speaking up? If it’s the choice between I guess being an outsider vs. having your kids travel on what you say is an unsafe bus ride (I have no firsthand knowledge). I think one outweighs the other.

You are using flawed logic. That meeting was set up by the Crossfield PTO whose leadership has made their position very clear. Why would someone with a different view feel comfortable speaking out when they know that the people who organized the meeting did so specifically to fight back on the potential change? Let’s not pretend it was some neutral meeting set up as a forum to hear all viewpoints.

If you don’t know the people involved you probably don’t understand the social dynamics at play. I do. They are pressuring people to sign their petition. I wouldn’t feel comfortable speaking up either. I have seen them be outright hostile towards people with a different opinion from them on much more minor topics, let alone something like this. Why would someone want to deal with that at school, in the neighborhood, at sports, etc?

Believe me, when people with elementary schoolers and younger have one on one conversations they are expressing openness to attending the new school. But the people who are open to it aren’t the types who loudly complain in order to get what they want in life. It’s partly a personality thing.

I’m sorry but it’s not about feeling comfortable it’s about doing what you think is right. How many people have signed this petition? 50-75? Then create your own and send it to the board as it sounds like you’d more than exceed whatever number they have.

The crossfield petition is edging in on 600 people.

It's wildly popular.

Wow…okay, so 600 people were pressured to sign a petition then? Come on. The board should not care but clearly that community wants to stay at Oakton.

I think the board will look at opt-in numbers. Crossfield will most likely stay at Oakton.

Once again, it's not fair to make this decision based on parents of current middle and high schoolers.

And yet those are the kids immediately impacted. They are the kids been asked to move to a school without sports or activities or programs. We are opting in but we have a kid who is not likely to play varsity sports in HS and who is excited to start the clubs they are interested in. We also are moving from an IB school to an AP school, there feels like less academic risk.

But asking parents who know that they are at an academically strong school to move to a school with nothing there is a big ask. We were looking at pupil placing before all this because we wanted the academic program at a place like Oakton. It will look very different by the time the kids in early ES get to Western because the core will have been established and you can see that. But asking the parents of 5th and 6th graders to be excited to move to something new when they are at a place that is so well established is hard.

I don't know too many really excited parents from Oak Hill, I think there is more a sense that there is no point in really objecting because they are too close and Chantilly is overcrowded. But the parents of kids I know in 6th grade at Oak Hill are not exactly excited. There are parents at SLHS who are not interested in moving for the same reason as the Oakton families. They are fine with IB and are worried about the lack of sports or theatre for a school with none of that.

What some people see as a positive in 5-10 years is a risk for the ones taking it on now. And I get that.

YOU CAN OPT OUT OF WESTERN. YOU HAVE A CHOICE. We won't. We'll be stuck with Oakton even though there will be FIVE high schools closer to our homes.

[Anonymous]

Crossfield is on the boundary area for the Western School. Crossfield is one of the schools with a weird boundary that makes it hard to know where the kids should go. Oakton is not one of the schools that is being targeted for reducing the student body population. It is easier for the families that want to stay at Oakton to fight for that.

NOT ONE person in Crossfield boundary is closer to Oakton than the new school-not by a long shot. With one neighborhood exception, they all go to Carson. The others go to Hughes.

It is not a borderline issue--unless you wish to make it borderline with South Lakes--which is also much closer to Crossfield families than Oakton.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I think most in the area are excited about having a school. I also think a lot of Crossfield people would like to go there, but you have people like the speakers the other night that make it about their own opinions. Using the pandemic as an excuse and construction at Crossfield as a reason to stay at Oakton? When the distance to Oakton is at least twice as long and very, very difficult. 66 or windy roads.

It’s not only the two speakers from Crossfield. If you joined the community meeting between the School Board members and the Crossfield families, you would see most of the families want to stay at Oakton.

The speakers chose to speak up because that’s what the board member suggested.

That's not true actually, it's just that everyone is too scared to speak up at a meeting where the entire PTO and all the room moms are present and going on and on about safety.

I find it hard to believe these people have so much power if they are in fact the minority. How many people were at this meeting?

Maybe 30 and everyone who talked has older kids.

So let’s say 5 people spoke…the other 25 were that fearful they sat there in silence? If that’s the case how could you ever expect the board to know anyone at Crossfield wants to move to Western? What’s the repercussion for people speaking up? If it’s the choice between I guess being an outsider vs. having your kids travel on what you say is an unsafe bus ride (I have no firsthand knowledge). I think one outweighs the other.

You are using flawed logic. That meeting was set up by the Crossfield PTO whose leadership has made their position very clear. Why would someone with a different view feel comfortable speaking out when they know that the people who organized the meeting did so specifically to fight back on the potential change? Let’s not pretend it was some neutral meeting set up as a forum to hear all viewpoints.

If you don’t know the people involved you probably don’t understand the social dynamics at play. I do. They are pressuring people to sign their petition. I wouldn’t feel comfortable speaking up either. I have seen them be outright hostile towards people with a different opinion from them on much more minor topics, let alone something like this. Why would someone want to deal with that at school, in the neighborhood, at sports, etc?

Believe me, when people with elementary schoolers and younger have one on one conversations they are expressing openness to attending the new school. But the people who are open to it aren’t the types who loudly complain in order to get what they want in life. It’s partly a personality thing.

I’m sorry but it’s not about feeling comfortable it’s about doing what you think is right. How many people have signed this petition? 50-75? Then create your own and send it to the board as it sounds like you’d more than exceed whatever number they have.

The crossfield petition is edging in on 600 people.

It's wildly popular.

Wow…okay, so 600 people were pressured to sign a petition then? Come on. The board should not care but clearly that community wants to stay at Oakton.

I think the board will look at opt-in numbers. Crossfield will most likely stay at Oakton.

Once again, it's not fair to make this decision based on parents of current middle and high schoolers.

And yet those are the kids immediately impacted. They are the kids been asked to move to a school without sports or activities or programs. We are opting in but we have a kid who is not likely to play varsity sports in HS and who is excited to start the clubs they are interested in. We also are moving from an IB school to an AP school, there feels like less academic risk.

But asking parents who know that they are at an academically strong school to move to a school with nothing there is a big ask. We were looking at pupil placing before all this because we wanted the academic program at a place like Oakton. It will look very different by the time the kids in early ES get to Western because the core will have been established and you can see that. But asking the parents of 5th and 6th graders to be excited to move to something new when they are at a place that is so well established is hard.

I don't know too many really excited parents from Oak Hill, I think there is more a sense that there is no point in really objecting because they are too close and Chantilly is overcrowded. But the parents of kids I know in 6th grade at Oak Hill are not exactly excited. There are parents at SLHS who are not interested in moving for the same reason as the Oakton families. They are fine with IB and are worried about the lack of sports or theatre for a school with none of that.

What some people see as a positive in 5-10 years is a risk for the ones taking it on now. And I get that.

I have a 6th grader and have talked to multiple parents of 6th graders who are not freaking out at the possibility of attending the new school. They are probably the first group who would have to attend if in boundary. It’s the parents of current middle and high schoolers who are freaking out, when their kids won’t be forced to go there. The kids who want to be there will be the ones who are there when it’s less established.

It’s not about the school being less established for a lot of the Crossfield people. It’s who will end up going there compared to who attends Oakton. Do not let them fool you.

I assume many of them are AAP parents (or their kids were placed into AAP at Crossfield and are now all Honors) who think their snowflakes are in the "school within the school" at Carson so they don't have to mix with OMG kids who went to McNair and Coates. They are r-a-c-i-s-t and c-l-a-s-s-i-s-t.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I think most in the area are excited about having a school. I also think a lot of Crossfield people would like to go there, but you have people like the speakers the other night that make it about their own opinions. Using the pandemic as an excuse and construction at Crossfield as a reason to stay at Oakton? When the distance to Oakton is at least twice as long and very, very difficult. 66 or windy roads.

It’s not only the two speakers from Crossfield. If you joined the community meeting between the School Board members and the Crossfield families, you would see most of the families want to stay at Oakton.

The speakers chose to speak up because that’s what the board member suggested.

That's not true actually, it's just that everyone is too scared to speak up at a meeting where the entire PTO and all the room moms are present and going on and on about safety.

I find it hard to believe these people have so much power if they are in fact the minority. How many people were at this meeting?

Maybe 30 and everyone who talked has older kids.

So let’s say 5 people spoke…the other 25 were that fearful they sat there in silence? If that’s the case how could you ever expect the board to know anyone at Crossfield wants to move to Western? What’s the repercussion for people speaking up? If it’s the choice between I guess being an outsider vs. having your kids travel on what you say is an unsafe bus ride (I have no firsthand knowledge). I think one outweighs the other.

You are using flawed logic. That meeting was set up by the Crossfield PTO whose leadership has made their position very clear. Why would someone with a different view feel comfortable speaking out when they know that the people who organized the meeting did so specifically to fight back on the potential change? Let’s not pretend it was some neutral meeting set up as a forum to hear all viewpoints.

If you don’t know the people involved you probably don’t understand the social dynamics at play. I do. They are pressuring people to sign their petition. I wouldn’t feel comfortable speaking up either. I have seen them be outright hostile towards people with a different opinion from them on much more minor topics, let alone something like this. Why would someone want to deal with that at school, in the neighborhood, at sports, etc?

Believe me, when people with elementary schoolers and younger have one on one conversations they are expressing openness to attending the new school. But the people who are open to it aren’t the types who loudly complain in order to get what they want in life. It’s partly a personality thing.

I’m sorry but it’s not about feeling comfortable it’s about doing what you think is right. How many people have signed this petition? 50-75? Then create your own and send it to the board as it sounds like you’d more than exceed whatever number they have.

The crossfield petition is edging in on 600 people.

It's wildly popular.

Wow…okay, so 600 people were pressured to sign a petition then? Come on. The board should not care but clearly that community wants to stay at Oakton.

I think the board will look at opt-in numbers. Crossfield will most likely stay at Oakton.

Once again, it's not fair to make this decision based on parents of current middle and high schoolers.

And yet those are the kids immediately impacted. They are the kids been asked to move to a school without sports or activities or programs. We are opting in but we have a kid who is not likely to play varsity sports in HS and who is excited to start the clubs they are interested in. We also are moving from an IB school to an AP school, there feels like less academic risk.

But asking parents who know that they are at an academically strong school to move to a school with nothing there is a big ask. We were looking at pupil placing before all this because we wanted the academic program at a place like Oakton. It will look very different by the time the kids in early ES get to Western because the core will have been established and you can see that. But asking the parents of 5th and 6th graders to be excited to move to something new when they are at a place that is so well established is hard.

I don't know too many really excited parents from Oak Hill, I think there is more a sense that there is no point in really objecting because they are too close and Chantilly is overcrowded. But the parents of kids I know in 6th grade at Oak Hill are not exactly excited. There are parents at SLHS who are not interested in moving for the same reason as the Oakton families. They are fine with IB and are worried about the lack of sports or theatre for a school with none of that.

What some people see as a positive in 5-10 years is a risk for the ones taking it on now. And I get that.

I have a 6th grader and have talked to multiple parents of 6th graders who are not freaking out at the possibility of attending the new school. They are probably the first group who would have to attend if in boundary. It’s the parents of current middle and high schoolers who are freaking out, when their kids won’t be forced to go there. The kids who want to be there will be the ones who are there when it’s less established.

It’s not about the school being less established for a lot of the Crossfield people. It’s who will end up going there compared to who attends Oakton. Do not let them fool you.

No, some of us with younger kids disagree with you. You're speculating based on the people you know. Many parents with younger kids want to stay at Oakton too.

For the same reason as above. You're scared of the kids who went to McNair and Coates. Guess what? They're great kids! My Carson kid has made friends with a ton of them, they're in the Honors classes, too, they're bright and smart and hell, it's great for your wealthy white and asian kids to be exposed to a little diversity.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I think most in the area are excited about having a school. I also think a lot of Crossfield people would like to go there, but you have people like the speakers the other night that make it about their own opinions. Using the pandemic as an excuse and construction at Crossfield as a reason to stay at Oakton? When the distance to Oakton is at least twice as long and very, very difficult. 66 or windy roads.

It’s not only the two speakers from Crossfield. If you joined the community meeting between the School Board members and the Crossfield families, you would see most of the families want to stay at Oakton.

The speakers chose to speak up because that’s what the board member suggested.

That's not true actually, it's just that everyone is too scared to speak up at a meeting where the entire PTO and all the room moms are present and going on and on about safety.

I find it hard to believe these people have so much power if they are in fact the minority. How many people were at this meeting?

Maybe 30 and everyone who talked has older kids.

So let’s say 5 people spoke…the other 25 were that fearful they sat there in silence? If that’s the case how could you ever expect the board to know anyone at Crossfield wants to move to Western? What’s the repercussion for people speaking up? If it’s the choice between I guess being an outsider vs. having your kids travel on what you say is an unsafe bus ride (I have no firsthand knowledge). I think one outweighs the other.

You are using flawed logic. That meeting was set up by the Crossfield PTO whose leadership has made their position very clear. Why would someone with a different view feel comfortable speaking out when they know that the people who organized the meeting did so specifically to fight back on the potential change? Let’s not pretend it was some neutral meeting set up as a forum to hear all viewpoints.

If you don’t know the people involved you probably don’t understand the social dynamics at play. I do. They are pressuring people to sign their petition. I wouldn’t feel comfortable speaking up either. I have seen them be outright hostile towards people with a different opinion from them on much more minor topics, let alone something like this. Why would someone want to deal with that at school, in the neighborhood, at sports, etc?

Believe me, when people with elementary schoolers and younger have one on one conversations they are expressing openness to attending the new school. But the people who are open to it aren’t the types who loudly complain in order to get what they want in life. It’s partly a personality thing.

I’m sorry but it’s not about feeling comfortable it’s about doing what you think is right. How many people have signed this petition? 50-75? Then create your own and send it to the board as it sounds like you’d more than exceed whatever number they have.

The crossfield petition is edging in on 600 people.

It's wildly popular.

Wow…okay, so 600 people were pressured to sign a petition then? Come on. The board should not care but clearly that community wants to stay at Oakton.

I think the board will look at opt-in numbers. Crossfield will most likely stay at Oakton.

Once again, it's not fair to make this decision based on parents of current middle and high schoolers.

And yet those are the kids immediately impacted. They are the kids been asked to move to a school without sports or activities or programs. We are opting in but we have a kid who is not likely to play varsity sports in HS and who is excited to start the clubs they are interested in. We also are moving from an IB school to an AP school, there feels like less academic risk.

But asking parents who know that they are at an academically strong school to move to a school with nothing there is a big ask. We were looking at pupil placing before all this because we wanted the academic program at a place like Oakton. It will look very different by the time the kids in early ES get to Western because the core will have been established and you can see that. But asking the parents of 5th and 6th graders to be excited to move to something new when they are at a place that is so well established is hard.

I don't know too many really excited parents from Oak Hill, I think there is more a sense that there is no point in really objecting because they are too close and Chantilly is overcrowded. But the parents of kids I know in 6th grade at Oak Hill are not exactly excited. There are parents at SLHS who are not interested in moving for the same reason as the Oakton families. They are fine with IB and are worried about the lack of sports or theatre for a school with none of that.

What some people see as a positive in 5-10 years is a risk for the ones taking it on now. And I get that.

I have a 6th grader and have talked to multiple parents of 6th graders who are not freaking out at the possibility of attending the new school. They are probably the first group who would have to attend if in boundary. It’s the parents of current middle and high schoolers who are freaking out, when their kids won’t be forced to go there. The kids who want to be there will be the ones who are there when it’s less established.

It’s not about the school being less established for a lot of the Crossfield people. It’s who will end up going there compared to who attends Oakton. Do not let them fool you.

No, some of us with younger kids disagree with you. You're speculating based on the people you know. Many parents with younger kids want to stay at Oakton too.

Well you should at least come up with some better reasons, because based on what I saw at the school board meeting, yours are laughable. Like literally I laughed out loud when that one mom said crossing Fairfax County Parkway was unsafe.

[Anonymous]

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Is Reid really going to wait to see who "opts in?" Why would you opt in if you do not even know if your neighbors will eventually be there?
Where is the common sense here?

We are talking to our neighbors and know a bunch of folks opting in. Some people are opting in because their kids friends are excited to be moving to the new school, and they want to go with their friends.

Where do you live? Crossfield zone or Oak Hill?

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Anonymous wrote:I always get the impression it’s one South Lakes mom who doesn’t like IB who is talking up Western to death to try and gin up more enthusiasm. Maybe there are others and she’s just the one who posts the long threads with the same content every day or two.

Not a South Lakes mom, I'm a Crossfield mom with two young kids!

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Anonymous wrote:I think most in the area are excited about having a school. I also think a lot of Crossfield people would like to go there, but you have people like the speakers the other night that make it about their own opinions. Using the pandemic as an excuse and construction at Crossfield as a reason to stay at Oakton? When the distance to Oakton is at least twice as long and very, very difficult. 66 or windy roads.

It’s not only the two speakers from Crossfield. If you joined the community meeting between the School Board members and the Crossfield families, you would see most of the families want to stay at Oakton.

The speakers chose to speak up because that’s what the board member suggested.

That's not true actually, it's just that everyone is too scared to speak up at a meeting where the entire PTO and all the room moms are present and going on and on about safety.

I find it hard to believe these people have so much power if they are in fact the minority. How many people were at this meeting?

Maybe 30 and everyone who talked has older kids.

So let’s say 5 people spoke…the other 25 were that fearful they sat there in silence? If that’s the case how could you ever expect the board to know anyone at Crossfield wants to move to Western? What’s the repercussion for people speaking up? If it’s the choice between I guess being an outsider vs. having your kids travel on what you say is an unsafe bus ride (I have no firsthand knowledge). I think one outweighs the other.

You are using flawed logic. That meeting was set up by the Crossfield PTO whose leadership has made their position very clear. Why would someone with a different view feel comfortable speaking out when they know that the people who organized the meeting did so specifically to fight back on the potential change? Let’s not pretend it was some neutral meeting set up as a forum to hear all viewpoints.

If you don’t know the people involved you probably don’t understand the social dynamics at play. I do. They are pressuring people to sign their petition. I wouldn’t feel comfortable speaking up either. I have seen them be outright hostile towards people with a different opinion from them on much more minor topics, let alone something like this. Why would someone want to deal with that at school, in the neighborhood, at sports, etc?

Believe me, when people with elementary schoolers and younger have one on one conversations they are expressing openness to attending the new school. But the people who are open to it aren’t the types who loudly complain in order to get what they want in life. It’s partly a personality thing.

I’m sorry but it’s not about feeling comfortable it’s about doing what you think is right. How many people have signed this petition? 50-75? Then create your own and send it to the board as it sounds like you’d more than exceed whatever number they have.

The crossfield petition is edging in on 600 people.

It's wildly popular.

Wow…okay, so 600 people were pressured to sign a petition then? Come on. The board should not care but clearly that community wants to stay at Oakton.

I think the board will look at opt-in numbers. Crossfield will most likely stay at Oakton.

Once again, it's not fair to make this decision based on parents of current middle and high schoolers.

And yet those are the kids immediately impacted. They are the kids been asked to move to a school without sports or activities or programs. We are opting in but we have a kid who is not likely to play varsity sports in HS and who is excited to start the clubs they are interested in. We also are moving from an IB school to an AP school, there feels like less academic risk.

But asking parents who know that they are at an academically strong school to move to a school with nothing there is a big ask. We were looking at pupil placing before all this because we wanted the academic program at a place like Oakton. It will look very different by the time the kids in early ES get to Western because the core will have been established and you can see that. But asking the parents of 5th and 6th graders to be excited to move to something new when they are at a place that is so well established is hard.

I don't know too many really excited parents from Oak Hill, I think there is more a sense that there is no point in really objecting because they are too close and Chantilly is overcrowded. But the parents of kids I know in 6th grade at Oak Hill are not exactly excited. There are parents at SLHS who are not interested in moving for the same reason as the Oakton families. They are fine with IB and are worried about the lack of sports or theatre for a school with none of that.

What some people see as a positive in 5-10 years is a risk for the ones taking it on now. And I get that.

I have a 6th grader and have talked to multiple parents of 6th graders who are not freaking out at the possibility of attending the new school. They are probably the first group who would have to attend if in boundary. It’s the parents of current middle and high schoolers who are freaking out, when their kids won’t be forced to go there. The kids who want to be there will be the ones who are there when it’s less established.

It’s not about the school being less established for a lot of the Crossfield people. It’s who will end up going there compared to who attends Oakton. Do not let them fool you.

No, some of us with younger kids disagree with you. You're speculating based on the people you know. Many parents with younger kids want to stay at Oakton too.

For the same reason as above. You're scared of the kids who went to McNair and Coates. Guess what? They're great kids! My Carson kid has made friends with a ton of them, they're in the Honors classes, too, they're bright and smart and hell, it's great for your wealthy white and asian kids to be exposed to a little diversity.

Yep, these people path themselves on the back for attending so-called diverse schools while doing everything they can to keep their children away from poor kids.