overcrowding at Lanier and Fairfax high school

[Anonymous]

The School Board is apparently on the verge of recommending a boundary study. Any thoughts on what schools the kids would be redistricted to, and how many of them?

[Anonymous]

I would guess Frost/Woodson, Robinson, Rocky Run/Chantilly, Oakton.

[Anonymous]

My kids would be affected, and I'm quite sure we'd be sent to Liberty MS and Centreville HS. We are about as far as you can be away from Fairfax HS within the boundary and are far closer to both both Centreville and Chantilly HS.

I know that the kids who ride the bus from my neighborhood to Fairfax ride about 40 minutes. To drive there, with no traffic, takes about 25 minutes. It really makes no sense.

I have no idea how many would be affected.

[Anonymous]

The elementary schools in that area are standing-room-only. How crowded are those other middle and high schools?

[Anonymous]

Any under enrolled schools anywhere nearby?

Chantilly already has trailers. It seems like we're going to need to discuss another hs at some point.

[Anonymous]

I think the School Board is looking to redistrict a lot of the areas to the west of Fairfax City.

The most likely solution right now appears to be to redistrict those kids to Woodson or Robinson, first because those schools are projected to have excess capacity in the next ten years or so, and also balance out the demographics of Woodson/Robinson, which are more white and affluent than Fairfax HS.

There should probably be a new high school/middle school for that area (in a no-mans land right now between Fairfax and Centreville), but it's doubtful that will happen. Redistricting to Woodson/Robinson is cheaper and easier.

[Anonymous]

I just saw something the other day about westfield only being 12 years old? interesting.

so, they think woodson and robinson will be under enrolled? seems odd, especially after the most recent HS redistrict in annandale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just saw something the other day about westfield only being 12 years old? interesting.

so, they think woodson and robinson will be under enrolled? seems odd, especially after the most recent HS redistrict in annandale.

See page 21 of the CIP. Woodson and Robinson are both great candidates for some additional students.

http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/cip/cipbook2013-17.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just saw something the other day about westfield only being 12 years old? interesting.

so, they think woodson and robinson will be under enrolled? seems odd, especially after the most recent HS redistrict in annandale.

See page 21 of the CIP. Woodson and Robinson are both great candidates for some additional students.

http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/cip/cipbook2013-17.pdf

Or the map directly:

http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/maps/capacityutilization/high2016-17.pdf

[Anonymous]

I've heard people at Fairfax High School say that their school has too many low-income remedial kids, especially from apartment complexes in the western part of the attendance zone... it's probably those areas that will be selectively redistricted to Woodson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've heard people at Fairfax High School say that their school has too many low-income remedial kids, especially from apartment complexes in the western part of the attendance zone... it's probably those areas that will be selectively redistricted to Woodson.

City of Fairfax wants to reduce overcrowding at Fairfax HS, but it seems unlikely that a redistricting is going to reduce the percentage of low-income kids very much. It's actually the Willow Springs ES area in the western part of the current Fairfax district that has the most affluent demographics. That area can be redistricted since it's outside the City of Fairfax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just saw something the other day about westfield only being 12 years old? interesting.

so, they think woodson and robinson will be under enrolled? seems odd, especially after the most recent HS redistrict in annandale.

See page 21 of the CIP. Woodson and Robinson are both great candidates for some additional students.

http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/cip/cipbook2013-17.pdf

Or the map directly:

http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/maps/capacityutilization/high2016-17.pdf

That map shows Woodson at 90% capacity in 2016, but I think it predates the decision to redistrict the Wakefield Forest ES kids at Poe/Annandale to Frost/Woodson. Woodson may still have additional room for transfers, just not as much as that map suggests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just saw something the other day about westfield only being 12 years old? interesting.

so, they think woodson and robinson will be under enrolled? seems odd, especially after the most recent HS redistrict in annandale.

See page 21 of the CIP. Woodson and Robinson are both great candidates for some additional students.

http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/cip/cipbook2013-17.pdf

Or the map directly:

http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/maps/capacityutilization/high2016-17.pdf

That map shows Woodson at 90% capacity in 2016, but I think it predates the decision to redistrict the Wakefield Forest ES kids at Poe/Annandale to Frost/Woodson. Woodson may still have additional room for transfers, just not as much as that map suggests.

Yes, it is likely a percentage point or two higher.

Likely similar for many of the schools due to more students in FCPS than projected.

[Anonymous]

From a September 10 School Board meeting, about the recipients of Fairfax's "realigned" students:

http://fairfaxcity.patch.com/articles/school-officials-to-consider-moving-students-from-fairfax-lanier-to-other-schools

From the article:
"The boundary study will consider moving some county students assigned to FHS and Lanier to schools outside the city limits, like Woodson, Robinson and Oakton high schools. Centreville, Chantilly and Falls Church may provide additional options."

FCPS is unlikely to take the far-away but affluent Willow Springs area out of Fairfax High's zone without also redistricting the lower income parts that are closer to Fairfax (taking out Willow Springs alone will leave Fairfax HS much poorer). I bet Willow Springs will go to Centreville or Chantilly while the low income areas will be shifted to Robinson, or possibly Woodson too.

Seems like good news for Fairfax High -- not so good news for Robinson or Woodson.

[Anonymous]

Where exactly are the low-income areas? If they are in the City of Fairfax, they will stay at FHS.

FCPS will look at the demographics, but they will make changes that increase the low-income percentages at FHS if it's most efficient from a transportation and capacity perspective. Over the past five years, FCPS moved quite a few of Annandale's nicer SFH neighborhoods to Falls Church, Lake Braddock and Woodson to relieve overcrowding. That was only slightly offset by moving some lower-income areas to Edison. Prior to the latest move, people said that FCPS would never move the affluent Wakefield Forest area assigned to Annandale to Woodson, but it did.