School Boundaries and "One Fairfax"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nobody is going to like a massive boundary change, that's just the truth.

I will say for the second or third time on this thread that the general Langley focus is not to be broken up and send kids to different places. If there is capacity, send whatever kids make the most sense to fill that gap, Tysons, whatever it may be. The Langley focus is to keep the neighborhood feeling that exists in Great Falls.

It doesn't fit the narrative here or the attaching of motive that is really easy to sell in the current political environment (wealthy person is to blame for any problems in the world) but that's not the truth. Great Falls has a unique neighborhood feel in part due to it's natural boundary of Rte 7 that makes it feel like a neighborhood more than most places in FXCO or the DC area. you don't know when you have crossed over from Herndon to Reston, for instance but you do feel that you enter a neighborhood when you enter Great Falls and that is what people are trying to protect. Everyone here buys knowing that in some cases Langley is a bit of a drive but do it anyway and don't care.

Tell GF that they don't have to split up the community and backfill the extra capacity with whatever you feel is reasonable

A large percentage of Langley students are currently being bussed 16+ miles to Langley. We are keeping the current boundaries why again?

The racist great falls residents don’t like being bothered with facts. They want to continue to have special treatment because they are so important.
It totally makes sense that they continue with 1.2 % FARM next to 50% FARM at Herndon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nobody is going to like a massive boundary change, that's just the truth.

I will say for the second or third time on this thread that the general Langley focus is not to be broken up and send kids to different places. If there is capacity, send whatever kids make the most sense to fill that gap, Tysons, whatever it may be. The Langley focus is to keep the neighborhood feeling that exists in Great Falls.

It doesn't fit the narrative here or the attaching of motive that is really easy to sell in the current political environment (wealthy person is to blame for any problems in the world) but that's not the truth. Great Falls has a unique neighborhood feel in part due to it's natural boundary of Rte 7 that makes it feel like a neighborhood more than most places in FXCO or the DC area. you don't know when you have crossed over from Herndon to Reston, for instance but you do feel that you enter a neighborhood when you enter Great Falls and that is what people are trying to protect. Everyone here buys knowing that in some cases Langley is a bit of a drive but do it anyway and don't care.

Tell GF that they don't have to split up the community and backfill the extra capacity with whatever you feel is reasonable

A large percentage of Langley students are currently being bussed 16+ miles to Langley. We are keeping the current boundaries why again?

Just to annoy you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nobody is going to like a massive boundary change, that's just the truth.

I will say for the second or third time on this thread that the general Langley focus is not to be broken up and send kids to different places. If there is capacity, send whatever kids make the most sense to fill that gap, Tysons, whatever it may be. The Langley focus is to keep the neighborhood feeling that exists in Great Falls.

It doesn't fit the narrative here or the attaching of motive that is really easy to sell in the current political environment (wealthy person is to blame for any problems in the world) but that's not the truth. Great Falls has a unique neighborhood feel in part due to it's natural boundary of Rte 7 that makes it feel like a neighborhood more than most places in FXCO or the DC area. you don't know when you have crossed over from Herndon to Reston, for instance but you do feel that you enter a neighborhood when you enter Great Falls and that is what people are trying to protect. Everyone here buys knowing that in some cases Langley is a bit of a drive but do it anyway and don't care.

Tell GF that they don't have to split up the community and backfill the extra capacity with whatever you feel is reasonable

A large percentage of Langley students are currently being bussed 16+ miles to Langley. We are keeping the current boundaries why again?

Just to annoy you?

HHS has increased its FARMs percentage to annoy you.

Langley is at less than 2%to annoy you.

I'm going to give have a salad for dinner--you guessed it!-- to annoy you.

Everything in the universe is against you. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So the self-centered Langley people are trying to rebrand their “One Great Falls” group as “Voices of Fairfax”?

LOL. I was hoping for something more Teutonic like “Langley Uber Alles.”

If you think their plans are limited to Langley, you think wrong.
They will not even limit it to high schools.

Their plans under the new name still seem to focus on getting people to sign a petition objecting to ever redistricting anyone out of Langley (“Mein School”).

Wow. You totally misunderstood. I guess your hatred shows. I was talking about the School Board.

You seem to think their plans are limited to Langley.

And, by the way, your comment is hateful. Just like the SB. Strauss mocking people is way out of line. Hynes' arrogance speaks for itself. Which schools did their kids attend?

You might want to be clear when you use the word “they” next time.

I’m not aware of Strauss “mocking” people. That is not her style. She told Langley residents in western Fairfax they would probably be redistricted if a new high school is built in western Fairfax in another decade. FCPS has been saying that for years. Is Langley entitled to some exemption in perpetuity from boundary changes?

And it is hardly arrogant for Hynes to remind people who buy property in Fairfax County that there is no guarantee that they will remain assigned to the same schools in 10 years.

Of course, if you come at this with the sense of entitlement common to many Langley families, it’s not surprising you take offense to any suggestion you will not always get your way, or that decisions might be made with others also in mind.

[Anonymous]

I’m not aware of Strauss “mocking” people. That is not her style. She told Langley residents in western Fairfax they would probably be redistricted if a new high school is built in western Fairfax in another decade. FCPS has been saying that for years. Is Langley entitled to some exemption in perpetuity from boundary changes?

You must not have watched the video. Ironic, I remember how she protected Dranesville families with the South Lakes redistricting. Some lived very close to South Lakes, but they were untouchable. Now, that she is not running for reelection, things have changed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So the self-centered Langley people are trying to rebrand their “One Great Falls” group as “Voices of Fairfax”?

LOL. I was hoping for something more Teutonic like “Langley Uber Alles.”

If you think their plans are limited to Langley, you think wrong.
They will not even limit it to high schools.

Their plans under the new name still seem to focus on getting people to sign a petition objecting to ever redistricting anyone out of Langley (“Mein School”).

Wow. You totally misunderstood. I guess your hatred shows. I was talking about the School Board.

You seem to think their plans are limited to Langley.

And, by the way, your comment is hateful. Just like the SB. Strauss mocking people is way out of line. Hynes' arrogance speaks for itself. Which schools did their kids attend?

You might want to be clear when you use the word “they” next time.

I’m not aware of Strauss “mocking” people. That is not her style. She told Langley residents in western Fairfax they would probably be redistricted if a new high school is built in western Fairfax in another decade. FCPS has been saying that for years. Is Langley entitled to some exemption in perpetuity from boundary changes?

And it is hardly arrogant for Hynes to remind people who buy property in Fairfax County that there is no guarantee that they will remain assigned to the same schools in 10 years.

Of course, if you come at this with the sense of entitlement common to many Langley families, it’s not surprising you take offense to any suggestion you will not always get your way, or that decisions might be made with others also in mind.

+1. Langley people are challenged when it comes to fear-mongering.

Langley Poster: "Watch out, under ONE FAIRFAX they are going to bus your kids across the county!"

Everyone Else: "You mean like they already do at Langley? GTFO here!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I’m not aware of Strauss “mocking” people. That is not her style. She told Langley residents in western Fairfax they would probably be redistricted if a new high school is built in western Fairfax in another decade. FCPS has been saying that for years. Is Langley entitled to some exemption in perpetuity from boundary changes?

You must not have watched the video. Ironic, I remember how she protected Dranesville families with the South Lakes redistricting. Some lived very close to South Lakes, but they were untouchable. Now, that she is not running for reelection, things have changed.

South Lakes isn’t in Dranesville. Herndon is, and the new high school might be, in Dranesville, so it’s not surprising she might approach the two situations differently.

And, of course, if she is stepping down this year, she obviously has no ability to keep Langley out of a boundary study for a new high school in 2029 or 2030. All she can do is tell people to get ready for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I’m not aware of Strauss “mocking” people. That is not her style. She told Langley residents in western Fairfax they would probably be redistricted if a new high school is built in western Fairfax in another decade. FCPS has been saying that for years. Is Langley entitled to some exemption in perpetuity from boundary changes?

You must not have watched the video. Ironic, I remember how she protected Dranesville families with the South Lakes redistricting. Some lived very close to South Lakes, but they were untouchable. Now, that she is not running for reelection, things have changed.

South Lakes isn’t in Dranesville. Herndon is, and the new high school might be, in Dranesville, so it’s not surprising she might approach the two situations differently.

And, of course, if she is stepping down this year, she obviously has no ability to keep Langley out of a boundary study for a new high school in 2029 or 2030. All she can do is tell people to get ready for it.

It was her glee that was disturbing. And, there were plenty of people shifted around during the South Lakes redistricting.

Nevertheless, who do you propose should go to Langley when you send Great Falls to Herndon?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I’m not aware of Strauss “mocking” people. That is not her style. She told Langley residents in western Fairfax they would probably be redistricted if a new high school is built in western Fairfax in another decade. FCPS has been saying that for years. Is Langley entitled to some exemption in perpetuity from boundary changes?

You must not have watched the video. Ironic, I remember how she protected Dranesville families with the South Lakes redistricting. Some lived very close to South Lakes, but they were untouchable. Now, that she is not running for reelection, things have changed.

South Lakes isn’t in Dranesville. Herndon is, and the new high school might be, in Dranesville, so it’s not surprising she might approach the two situations differently.

And, of course, if she is stepping down this year, she obviously has no ability to keep Langley out of a boundary study for a new high school in 2029 or 2030. All she can do is tell people to get ready for it.

It was her glee that was disturbing. And, there were plenty of people shifted around during the South Lakes redistricting.

Nevertheless, who do you propose should go to Langley when you send Great Falls to Herndon?

You are projecting quite a bit to describe her as “glee[ful].” Perhaps you think nothing short of remorseful would be acceptable?

Most likely other areas near Tysons/McLean will shift to Langley between now and 2029 or 2030. In addition, some of the aging neighborhoods currently zoned to Langley may have turned over by then, resulting in more high school-age kids.

[Anonymous]

If Jane Strauss had been paying attention she would have insisted that the developers in Tyson's apply some money for schools and roads in Tysons. Those big skyscrapers keep being built without a thought to the future of schools and roads. She has been in this job for 26 years and land is Tyson's was far more affordable back then. Even the metro stop on 7 has no parking. Dumb!

[Anonymous]

Some good testimony from Langley and McLean speakers at the School Board meeting last night about the need to balance the enrollments at those schools.

Corbett Sanders could not have looked more indifferent to what they were saying. She really is a piece of work.

[Anonymous]

Throwing this out there...

But isn't Langley, based upon its location and site, going to be under-enrolled? It's always been an enclave of sorts; it's boundaries include single family homes on relatively large lots. Not so many developments or large neighborhoods and certainly not great numbers (trying to think of one) apartment complexes like Fairfax or Falls Church or Vienna or Herndon area schools have in their infrastructure.

Would the residents of the Tysons high rises be zoned for Langley? Wouldn't McLean HS be more appropriate? Should we as FCPS taxpayers be focusing on McLean HS renovation and expansion?

And, Langley HS was built to alleviate overcrowding at the then-new Herndon HS circa 1968. Students with a Great Falls address now had a new school.


All this to say, given the changing demographics and how extraordinarily difficult it is to reach Langley and even Cooper MS, I foresee Langley being under enrolled for a long time and I blame the infrastructure. Langley parents and students already complain about the long bus rides and traffic jams ar a regular occurrence. All in all, a mess.

[Anonymous]

I never complain. I knew when I moved here what the deal was.

My kids never have either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some good testimony from Langley and McLean speakers at the School Board meeting last night about the need to balance the enrollments at those schools.

Corbett Sanders could not have looked more indifferent to what they were saying. She really is a piece of work.

Did you see the kid talking about how hard it is to attend McLean with it being so jam packed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Throwing this out there...

But isn't Langley, based upon its location and site, going to be under-enrolled? It's always been an enclave of sorts; it's boundaries include single family homes on relatively large lots. Not so many developments or large neighborhoods and certainly not great numbers (trying to think of one) apartment complexes like Fairfax or Falls Church or Vienna or Herndon area schools have in their infrastructure.

Would the residents of the Tysons high rises be zoned for Langley? Wouldn't McLean HS be more appropriate? Should we as FCPS taxpayers be focusing on McLean HS renovation and expansion?

And, Langley HS was built to alleviate overcrowding at the then-new Herndon HS circa 1968. Students with a Great Falls address now had a new school.


All this to say, given the changing demographics and how extraordinarily difficult it is to reach Langley and even Cooper MS, I foresee Langley being under enrolled for a long time and I blame the infrastructure. Langley parents and students already complain about the long bus rides and traffic jams ar a regular occurrence. All in all, a mess.

There have been times in the past where Langley was above capacity and near its current, expanded capacity. It has a huge catchment area. The current enrollment is down because neighborhoods go through cycles and even more Langley families are sending their kids to privates.

All the Tysons housing and development currently feeds to Marshall (about 2/3) or McLean (about 1/3). But that area is not far from Langley either, and reassigning at least some of it to Langley is an option. It is certainly easier to get to Langley from Tysons than it is from the Great Falls neighborhoods near the Loudoun border.

It comes back to the question as to whether FCPS decides to prioritize diversity or minimizing travel time for students. FCPS also plans to expand Madison, which means that the Marshall neighborhoods in Vienna could be reassigned to Madison in the future. Does FCPS want to turn Marshall into Tysons High and McLean into Tysons-West Falls High, or does it want to keep the demographics relatively balanced as among Langley, McLean, Madison, and Marshall?

FCPS’s current plans leave McLean’s capacity well under the current or planned capacity of Langley, Marshall and Madison. They expanded Langley during its recent renovation because they thought it would be expedient and save money, but Langley’s location near the Arlington border is the least convenient of the four schools. They will be under continued pressure from the community to move some kids from McLean to Langley, but then also allocate funds to expand McLean.