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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many kids are opting in?

I heard many Centreville families are interested in Western high.

Then they’ll be driving their kids there.

Of course, they are aware of it.

But Western High is perceived as better than Westfield and Centreville. Many Asian families in the Centreville area and it appears they favor a technology focused education.

It will be somewhere between Centreville and Chantilly. Probably like Fairfax but with a swimming pool.

[Anonymous]

More housing to be zoned to Oakton:

https://www.ffxnow.com/2025/12/29/fairfax-county-board-paves-way-for-housing-to-replace-fair-oaks-area-office-buildings/

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know if they are recruiting for staff yet? I'm curious as to how the staff views it - if its coveted to be in a smaller new school with special programming or if people are avoiding due to unknowns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know if they are recruiting for staff yet? I'm curious as to how the staff views it - if it's coveted to be in a smaller new school with special programming or if people are avoiding due to unknowns.

Yes they are, and there is a lot of demand primarily due to location.

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of interested teachers, at least my teacher friends who have been in touching with the planning principal tell me so. Getting teachers will not be hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many kids are opting in?

I heard many Centreville families are interested in Western high.

Then they’ll be driving their kids there.

Of course, they are aware of it.

But Western High is perceived as better than Westfield and Centreville. Many Asian families in the Centreville area and it appears they favor a technology focused education.

It will be somewhere between Centreville and Chantilly. Probably like Fairfax but with a swimming pool.

I can see many out of boundary kids opting in. Reid has been bullish and kept insisting that the school would be sought after.

If the opt-in numbers from Centreville and other out of boundary areas are indeed high, don’t be surprised if Reid proposes a very tight boundary, leaving a lot of room for specialty program enrollment.

Basically, she wants Western High to become a semi magnet school.

[Anonymous]

"Basically, she wants Western High to become a semi magnet school."

- A rare point of agreement - we could really benefit from a technology centric educational option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Basically, she wants Western High to become a semi magnet school."

- A rare point of agreement - we could really benefit from a technology centric educational option.

Says someone who does not live in the area that needs a traditional high school.

[Anonymous]

They have said repeatedly it will be a traditional high school not a magnet high school. Give it up, mommies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They have said repeatedly it will be a traditional high school not a magnet high school. Give it up, mommies.

DP. They’ve said they want Western to be able to handle 2000+ kids, but some of the initial boundary scenarios would pull slightly over 1700 kids into Western.

So PP is hypothesizing they’ll pick one of these scenarios and then hope hundreds of kids living outside the boundaries will pupil place into Western for its “pathways” program. That way Reid can say she followed the instruction to open a traditional school, but still get the soft magnet she clearly wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have said repeatedly it will be a traditional high school not a magnet high school. Give it up, mommies.

DP. They’ve said they want Western to be able to handle 2000+ kids, but some of the initial boundary scenarios would pull slightly over 1700 kids into Western.

So PP is hypothesizing they’ll pick one of these scenarios and then hope hundreds of kids living outside the boundaries will pupil place into Western for its “pathways” program. That way Reid can say she followed the instruction to open a traditional school, but still get the soft magnet she clearly wants.

OP.

Yes, board voted for a traditional school with a specialty program but the magnitude of this specialty program hasn’t been determined.

If you read their FAQ, there’s a possibility that it may work like a semi-magnet.

In 2028-29, all 9th graders (currently enrolled 6th graders) in the defined boundary will go to the new school. The school will hold students enrolled in 9th through 12th grade. Students from outside the boundary may opt in to fill empty slots, however they may have to provide their own transportation.

I think Reid might even propose including only four elementary schools in the boundary: Floris, Coates, McNair, and Oak Hill.

This would give a plenty of room for the out of boundary kids to opt in.

To be clear I am not advocating this. I am just speculating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have said repeatedly it will be a traditional high school not a magnet high school. Give it up, mommies.

DP. They’ve said they want Western to be able to handle 2000+ kids, but some of the initial boundary scenarios would pull slightly over 1700 kids into Western.

So PP is hypothesizing they’ll pick one of these scenarios and then hope hundreds of kids living outside the boundaries will pupil place into Western for its “pathways” program. That way Reid can say she followed the instruction to open a traditional school, but still get the soft magnet she clearly wants.

OP.

Yes, board voted for a traditional school with a specialty program but the magnitude of this specialty program hasn’t been determined.

If you read their FAQ, there’s a possibility that it may work like a semi-magnet.

In 2028-29, all 9th graders (currently enrolled 6th graders) in the defined boundary will go to the new school. The school will hold students enrolled in 9th through 12th grade. Students from outside the boundary may opt in to fill empty slots, however they may have to provide their own transportation.

I think Reid might even propose including only four elementary schools in the boundary: Floris, Coates, McNair, and Oak Hill.

This would give a plenty of room for the out of boundary kids to opt in.

To be clear I am not advocating this. I am just speculating.

OMG the conspiracy theories on here are out of control!! That sentence "students from outside the boundary may opt in to fill empty slots" refers to the upper grades. By 28-29, all seats should be filled by in boundary kids unless there are a lot of kids that try to transfer to other programs (IB at SLHS, TJ, or the academy programs).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Basically, she wants Western High to become a semi magnet school."

- A rare point of agreement - we could really benefit from a technology centric educational option.

Says someone who does not live in the area that needs a traditional high school.

Odd assumption- I live in Chantilly Highlands (walkable to Western) and my older kids attended Chantilly which is THE most over crowded and still a great school. We never contemplated there would be a new school in this timeframe and Chantilly made it work, with a few rough edges (trailers etc). A magnet school for the western pyramids will pull students from all overcrowded schools. Same end result - just an opt in with a slightly larger diameter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Basically, she wants Western High to become a semi magnet school."

- A rare point of agreement - we could really benefit from a technology centric educational option.

Says someone who does not live in the area that needs a traditional high school.

Odd assumption- I live in Chantilly Highlands (walkable to Western) and my older kids attended Chantilly which is THE most over crowded and still a great school. We never contemplated there would be a new school in this timeframe and Chantilly made it work, with a few rough edges (trailers etc). A magnet school for the western pyramids will pull students from all overcrowded schools. Same end result - just an opt in with a slightly larger diameter.

You're kids would have to cross Centreville Road to get there hunty.

Are you sure you're willing to take that chance when a white BMW could take their lives.

You sound like the Franklin Farm moms whose kids walk/bike/scooter across FFX City Pkwy to the Franklin Farm Starbucks & Baskin Robbin every day but god forbid they have to cross that road to go to Western.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Basically, she wants Western High to become a semi magnet school."

- A rare point of agreement - we could really benefit from a technology centric educational option.

Says someone who does not live in the area that needs a traditional high school.

Odd assumption- I live in Chantilly Highlands (walkable to Western) and my older kids attended Chantilly which is THE most over crowded and still a great school. We never contemplated there would be a new school in this timeframe and Chantilly made it work, with a few rough edges (trailers etc). A magnet school for the western pyramids will pull students from all overcrowded schools. Same end result - just an opt in with a slightly larger diameter.

I also live in Chantilly Highlands and am old enough to remember when THRU proposed taking part of the neighborhood and putting it on the long commute to Oakton.

Yes, Chantilly does a great job, and I'd be happy to stay there, but have sense enough to know that we will be going through this repeatedly.
The new school would be a great school and if Reid would get with the program of a traditional high school could be ready for students and have a great new high school. But, I guess that is too mundane for her.