Boundary Review Meetings

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Why on earth do we need a huge preschool space at a high school?

So Merin can claim there just isn’t space to redistrict kids from South Lakes.

It’s Meren and she’s one of the only School Board members asking the right questions these days.

Yeah, her idea to put a pre-school at a high school is totally the normal thing to do. Don't you remember all those 4 year olds running around the place back when you went to high school?

My high school in the 1990s had a preschool. It was essentially an early childhood education academy-style program. I think that would be a great program to have. There is a huge need for early childhood education providers in this area and this would be an excellent training ground for them. There are also a lot of low income families in the area that could use a head start program.

I think McNair has a Head Start program.

[Anonymous]

How did meeting go tonight? Takeaways?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I don't know the western part of the county as well as the southeastern, but when South County opened the ensuing boundary changes left Lee (Lewis) with a high-poverty population. Is there a risk that this could happen to a school like Westfield?

I moved here right after South County opened, and didn’t have kids in FCPS yet. But I always thought SC took almost all of its students from Hayfield, which was bursting at the seams at the time? I can’t imagine commuting to Lewis from Lorton. What elementary(ies?) were zoned to Lee at the time that ended up at SC, or were these secondary moves to put kids into Hayfield when they lost students to SC?

Newington Forest previously split between Lee and Hayfield. When South County opened all of Newington Forest went to South County. In the same boundary study, Hunt Valley, which had split between West Springfield and Lee, was all sent to West Springfield.

I knew that about the Hunt Valley split feeder but didn’t realize some of Newington Forest was at Lee as well. That’s a brutal drive.

Gambrill to the Parkway, not really that brutal. But yes, SC is the right school for those neighborhoods.

Only if you are talking about 2AM

It is a crazy ling commute for a school bus, especially when you factor in 30 minutes of stops to pick up kids.

Parts of the Saratoga area are just as far as Gambrill and Pohick.

Yes, and Saratoga should have been moved to SoCo when it opened, but the Saratoga families fought to stay at Lee/now Lewis.

That was over 20 years ago. Things have changed and if the board was truly focused on transportation they should have revisited this. Both SoCo and WS are closer in mileage and neither requires highway transport. Lewis is the furthest away and requires the bus to get on 95.

I've heard this 95 argument before, but it doesn't make sense. I drive from the Sydenstricker/Gambrill area to the Key/Lewis area at least once a week. I never get on 95. I don't even know how that would work. There is no highway driving other than the Parkway.

Doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make sense to you. It’s true.

Maybe you're talking about Saratoga? I got confused and thought this was about Hunt Valley. If Saratoga, I'll give you that 95 is one way of getting there, but definitely not "required".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did meeting go tonight? Takeaways?

One big takeaway is that they seem to be planning to reduce transfers and are managing that process differently next school year. It may be harder for a student to transfer out for language, for example, because they will make alternative options available.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is anybody able to share actual, real justification that is being used to move Rolling Valley into WSHS?
I understand why neighborhoods would be moved out. I can't understand at all why neighborhoods would be moved into WSHS, especially Rolling Valley. Makes sense to leave it where it is.

Can anybody at least share the STATED justification? If this happens, feel like this whole thing is just corrupt.

The Springfield rep has stated more than once that RV is a split feeder that has been asking for many years to go to WSHS as the reason to move them into WSHS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is anybody able to share actual, real justification that is being used to move Rolling Valley into WSHS?
I understand why neighborhoods would be moved out. I can't understand at all why neighborhoods would be moved into WSHS, especially Rolling Valley. Makes sense to leave it where it is.

Can anybody at least share the STATED justification? If this happens, feel like this whole thing is just corrupt.

The Springfield rep has stated more than once that RV is a split feeder that has been asking for many years to go to WSHS as the reason to move them into WSHS.

Yes, and someone pointed out tonight that almost no split feeders across the county were actually closed. What would make this one special? And hurt Lewis to boot? Makes zero sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did meeting go tonight? Takeaways?

One big takeaway is that they seem to be planning to reduce transfers and are managing that process differently next school year. It may be harder for a student to transfer out for language, for example, because they will make alternative options available.

My takeaways:

--Lewis parents (like myself) are very upset that this boundary process did nothing to actually move more students to Lewis.
--We are upset that they would even consider moving more kids out of Lewis (Rolling Valley). But it seems that this came to a surprise at Dr. Reid so I'm hopeful this will be fixed in scenero 5.
--We need to be supportive of cracking down on reasons for kids to leave Lewis
--Our parents and community are wonderful and Lewis is a great school, but we need more students

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did meeting go tonight? Takeaways?

One big takeaway is that they seem to be planning to reduce transfers and are managing that process differently next school year. It may be harder for a student to transfer out for language, for example, because they will make alternative options available.

My takeaways:

--Lewis parents (like myself) are very upset that this boundary process did nothing to actually move more students to Lewis.
--We are upset that they would even consider moving more kids out of Lewis (Rolling Valley). But it seems that this came to a surprise at Dr. Reid so I'm hopeful this will be fixed in scenero 5.
--We need to be supportive of cracking down on reasons for kids to leave Lewis
--Our parents and community are wonderful and Lewis is a great school, but we need more students

Are you lobbying to get rid of IB? That is the ticket out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is anybody able to share actual, real justification that is being used to move Rolling Valley into WSHS?
I understand why neighborhoods would be moved out. I can't understand at all why neighborhoods would be moved into WSHS, especially Rolling Valley. Makes sense to leave it where it is.

Can anybody at least share the STATED justification? If this happens, feel like this whole thing is just corrupt.

The Springfield rep has stated more than once that RV is a split feeder that has been asking for many years to go to WSHS as the reason to move them into WSHS.

But why wpuld they all go to WSHS instead.of Lewis?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know the western part of the county as well as the southeastern, but when South County opened the ensuing boundary changes left Lee (Lewis) with a high-poverty population. Is there a risk that this could happen to a school like Westfield?

I moved here right after South County opened, and didn’t have kids in FCPS yet. But I always thought SC took almost all of its students from Hayfield, which was bursting at the seams at the time? I can’t imagine commuting to Lewis from Lorton. What elementary(ies?) were zoned to Lee at the time that ended up at SC, or were these secondary moves to put kids into Hayfield when they lost students to SC?

Newington Forest previously split between Lee and Hayfield. When South County opened all of Newington Forest went to South County. In the same boundary study, Hunt Valley, which had split between West Springfield and Lee, was all sent to West Springfield.

I knew that about the Hunt Valley split feeder but didn’t realize some of Newington Forest was at Lee as well. That’s a brutal drive.

Gambrill to the Parkway, not really that brutal. But yes, SC is the right school for those neighborhoods.

Only if you are talking about 2AM

It is a crazy ling commute for a school bus, especially when you factor in 30 minutes of stops to pick up kids.

Parts of the Saratoga area are just as far as Gambrill and Pohick.

Yes, and Saratoga should have been moved to SoCo when it opened, but the Saratoga families fought to stay at Lee/now Lewis.

That was over 20 years ago. Things have changed and if the board was truly focused on transportation they should have revisited this. Both SoCo and WS are closer in mileage and neither requires highway transport. Lewis is the furthest away and requires the bus to get on 95.

I've heard this 95 argument before, but it doesn't make sense. I drive from the Sydenstricker/Gambrill area to the Key/Lewis area at least once a week. I never get on 95. I don't even know how that would work. There is no highway driving other than the Parkway.

Doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make sense to you. It’s true.

Maybe you're talking about Saratoga? I got confused and thought this was about Hunt Valley. If Saratoga, I'll give you that 95 is one way of getting there, but definitely not "required".

The fastest way to get from Lewis to Saratoga is 95. The 95-South exit is right next to Lewis, and there are exits that put you right outside of Saratoga.

Other ways to get home from Lewis are to take Backlick Road all the way to Rolling Road, or you could cut through the mall traffic and take the Parkway.

On the flip side, Daventry simply has to take Old Keene Mill Road up and down to get to Lewis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did meeting go tonight? Takeaways?

One big takeaway is that they seem to be planning to reduce transfers and are managing that process differently next school year. It may be harder for a student to transfer out for language, for example, because they will make alternative options available.

My takeaways:

--Lewis parents (like myself) are very upset that this boundary process did nothing to actually move more students to Lewis.
--We are upset that they would even consider moving more kids out of Lewis (Rolling Valley). But it seems that this came to a surprise at Dr. Reid so I'm hopeful this will be fixed in scenero 5.
--We need to be supportive of cracking down on reasons for kids to leave Lewis
--Our parents and community are wonderful and Lewis is a great school, but we need more students

Why would you want to make it harder for students to leave?

Also interested why you'd want note students in? Expanding the size of teams and clubs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know the western part of the county as well as the southeastern, but when South County opened the ensuing boundary changes left Lee (Lewis) with a high-poverty population. Is there a risk that this could happen to a school like Westfield?

I moved here right after South County opened, and didn’t have kids in FCPS yet. But I always thought SC took almost all of its students from Hayfield, which was bursting at the seams at the time? I can’t imagine commuting to Lewis from Lorton. What elementary(ies?) were zoned to Lee at the time that ended up at SC, or were these secondary moves to put kids into Hayfield when they lost students to SC?

Newington Forest previously split between Lee and Hayfield. When South County opened all of Newington Forest went to South County. In the same boundary study, Hunt Valley, which had split between West Springfield and Lee, was all sent to West Springfield.

I knew that about the Hunt Valley split feeder but didn’t realize some of Newington Forest was at Lee as well. That’s a brutal drive.

Gambrill to the Parkway, not really that brutal. But yes, SC is the right school for those neighborhoods.

Only if you are talking about 2AM

It is a crazy ling commute for a school bus, especially when you factor in 30 minutes of stops to pick up kids.

Parts of the Saratoga area are just as far as Gambrill and Pohick.

Yes, and Saratoga should have been moved to SoCo when it opened, but the Saratoga families fought to stay at Lee/now Lewis.

That was over 20 years ago. Things have changed and if the board was truly focused on transportation they should have revisited this. Both SoCo and WS are closer in mileage and neither requires highway transport. Lewis is the furthest away and requires the bus to get on 95.

I've heard this 95 argument before, but it doesn't make sense. I drive from the Sydenstricker/Gambrill area to the Key/Lewis area at least once a week. I never get on 95. I don't even know how that would work. There is no highway driving other than the Parkway.

Doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make sense to you. It’s true.

Maybe you're talking about Saratoga? I got confused and thought this was about Hunt Valley. If Saratoga, I'll give you that 95 is one way of getting there, but definitely not "required".

95 would be a very convoluted way to get to Lewis from Saratoga.

Barta to the Pkwy should be the route from Saratoga.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did meeting go tonight? Takeaways?

One big takeaway is that they seem to be planning to reduce transfers and are managing that process differently next school year. It may be harder for a student to transfer out for language, for example, because they will make alternative options available.

My takeaways:

--Lewis parents (like myself) are very upset that this boundary process did nothing to actually move more students to Lewis.
--We are upset that they would even consider moving more kids out of Lewis (Rolling Valley). But it seems that this came to a surprise at Dr. Reid so I'm hopeful this will be fixed in scenero 5.
--We need to be supportive of cracking down on reasons for kids to leave Lewis
--Our parents and community are wonderful and Lewis is a great school, but we need more students

Are you lobbying to get rid of IB? That is the ticket out.

Edison HS receives the most Lewis transfers and is also an IB school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is anybody able to share actual, real justification that is being used to move Rolling Valley into WSHS?
I understand why neighborhoods would be moved out. I can't understand at all why neighborhoods would be moved into WSHS, especially Rolling Valley. Makes sense to leave it where it is.

Can anybody at least share the STATED justification? If this happens, feel like this whole thing is just corrupt.

The Springfield rep has stated more than once that RV is a split feeder that has been asking for many years to go to WSHS as the reason to move them into WSHS.

But why wpuld they all go to WSHS instead.of Lewis?

Many, many WSHS and Lewis parents have brought this up to Anderson over the past year, but she doesn't listen.

She says that it will only be 20 kids, and states she won't use Daventry as an example of how much those numbers will potentially balloon. Yet in the next breath she blames Daventry for WSHS overcrowding, acknowledging that many more students showed up at WSHS from Daventry's original projection. Then she points out that RV has been asking for a really long time to go to WSHS.

This is what she has been repeating over and over to multiple parents, not just WSHS parents but also Lewis parents.

Hooray to the Lewis parents for finally getting the absurdity of this scenario 4 moving students into WSHS through to someone at FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did meeting go tonight? Takeaways?

One big takeaway is that they seem to be planning to reduce transfers and are managing that process differently next school year. It may be harder for a student to transfer out for language, for example, because they will make alternative options available.

My takeaways:

--Lewis parents (like myself) are very upset that this boundary process did nothing to actually move more students to Lewis.
--We are upset that they would even consider moving more kids out of Lewis (Rolling Valley). But it seems that this came to a surprise at Dr. Reid so I'm hopeful this will be fixed in scenero 5.
--We need to be supportive of cracking down on reasons for kids to leave Lewis
--Our parents and community are wonderful and Lewis is a great school, but we need more students

Are you lobbying to get rid of IB? That is the ticket out.

Edison HS receives the most Lewis transfers and is also an IB school.

There are more than 20 Lewis students attending WSHS.

FCPS transfer dashboard says fewer than 10 Lewis students transferring into WSHS.