School bonds on November ballot

[Anonymous]

I’m also inclined to vote no for the first time ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I will vote yes when I finally see any movement on McLean HS getting a renovation.

Well, if this isn’t McLean in a nutshell.

Knee jerk stupidity. Look into how overdue MHS is for a renovation, how crowded it is, and how the county keeps green lighting development that will add to school crowding before you issue another thoughtless and uninformed statement like that.

That issue should be left to solve itself. If the incoming community is truly so concerned about overcrowding, then they will consider living elsewhere until overcrowding subsides. The onus should not be on the taxpayer to build superstructure schools.

[Anonymous]

Every four years there are DCUM posters who say they’ll vote against bonds, including some who claim to be at MHS (and maybe they are, but it also can be a pretext for others not at the school to take a jab at MHS by reiterating the facilities issues there).

But school bonds always pass, or at least they have for decades. More recently, they’ve passed by at least 2-1 margins:

2021: 300K (Y), 130K (N)

2019: 226K (Y), 67K (N)

2017: 262K (Y), 95K (N)

2015: 136K (Y), 50K (N)

2013: 216K (Y), 77K (N)

2011: 134K (Y), 58K (N)

Realistically it’s tilting at windmills to suggest Fairfax residents will vote down a school bond. Those of us at McLean who want to see the school get funded fairly have to find other levers to pull.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I will vote yes when I finally see any movement on McLean HS getting a renovation.

Well, if this isn’t McLean in a nutshell.

Knee jerk stupidity. Look into how overdue MHS is for a renovation, how crowded it is, and how the county keeps green lighting development that will add to school crowding before you issue another thoughtless and uninformed statement like that.

That issue should be left to solve itself. If the incoming community is truly so concerned about overcrowding, then they will consider living elsewhere until overcrowding subsides. The onus should not be on the taxpayer to build superstructure schools.

Dumb argument, especially when the Board of Supervisors makes residential growth in Tysons (almost 1/2 of which feeds into McLean) a top county priority. FCPS’s capital spending needs to align with the BOS’s priorities, and FCPS has funded out-of-cycle additions at less overcrowded schools in lower-growth areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I will vote yes when I finally see any movement on McLean HS getting a renovation.

Well, if this isn’t McLean in a nutshell.

Knee jerk stupidity. Look into how overdue MHS is for a renovation, how crowded it is, and how the county keeps green lighting development that will add to school crowding before you issue another thoughtless and uninformed statement like that.

That issue should be left to solve itself. If the incoming community is truly so concerned about overcrowding, then they will consider living elsewhere until overcrowding subsides. The onus should not be on the taxpayer to build superstructure schools.

The “superstructure schools” (West Potomac, Centreville) already got or are getting funding to expand to 3000 seats. McLean has the fewest permanent seats of any HS in the county and needs an addition to bring its capacity more in line with the county average.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every four years there are DCUM posters who say they’ll vote against bonds, including some who claim to be at MHS (and maybe they are, but it also can be a pretext for others not at the school to take a jab at MHS by reiterating the facilities issues there).

But school bonds always pass, or at least they have for decades. More recently, they’ve passed by at least 2-1 margins:

2021: 300K (Y), 130K (N)

2019: 226K (Y), 67K (N)

2017: 262K (Y), 95K (N)

2015: 136K (Y), 50K (N)

2013: 216K (Y), 77K (N)

2011: 134K (Y), 58K (N)

Realistically it’s tilting at windmills to suggest Fairfax residents will vote down a school bond. Those of us at McLean who want to see the school get funded fairly have to find other levers to pull.

Yes. And as long as this continues the Board will have no reason to stop spending money in bad ways. They know these bond will always pass. And the taxpayers are on the hook. I will escape in the next few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every four years there are DCUM posters who say they’ll vote against bonds, including some who claim to be at MHS (and maybe they are, but it also can be a pretext for others not at the school to take a jab at MHS by reiterating the facilities issues there).

But school bonds always pass, or at least they have for decades. More recently, they’ve passed by at least 2-1 margins:

2021: 300K (Y), 130K (N)

2019: 226K (Y), 67K (N)

2017: 262K (Y), 95K (N)

2015: 136K (Y), 50K (N)

2013: 216K (Y), 77K (N)

2011: 134K (Y), 58K (N)

Realistically it’s tilting at windmills to suggest Fairfax residents will vote down a school bond. Those of us at McLean who want to see the school get funded fairly have to find other levers to pull.

Yes. And as long as this continues the Board will have no reason to stop spending money in bad ways. They know these bond will always pass. And the taxpayers are on the hook. I will escape in the next few years.

In that case it appears the bonds will pass by even higher margins.

There are people in the county who absolutely would vote against any school bonds until FCPS did a massive redistricting to use all the existing capacity, wherever located.

One way to interpret the routine passage of the bond referenda is that people generally want to stay at their current schools and will accept some inefficiency and somewhat higher taxes in exchange for not getting redistricted constantly just because some other school miles further away may have some surplus capacity.

And people like nice school facilities for their kids. FCPS hasn’t been consistent in its renovation policy - older schools built in the 1950s like Annandale, Lewis, and McLean got much cheaper renovations than the schools built in the 1960s subsequently received. But the more recent renovations have been quite nice, while still not the super-luxe renovations or new buildings you see in some other parts of the country.

[Anonymous]

Additionally to voting no for the first time, I will also vote for Paul Bartkwoski for School Board because this is a cause he will definitely fight for.

From his campaign:
* I will also focus on solving the overcrowding problems in schools without placing burdens on students and families; the two groups who suffer consequences from overcrowding despite having no hand in causing the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Additionally to voting no for the first time, I will also vote for Paul Bartkwoski for School Board because this is a cause he will definitely fight for.

From his campaign:
* I will also focus on solving the overcrowding problems in schools without placing burdens on students and families; the two groups who suffer consequences from overcrowding despite having no hand in causing the problem.

No idea what that means in practice. Care to elaborate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I will vote yes when I finally see any movement on McLean HS getting a renovation.

Not voting for other kids to get a renovation because your kids aren't is a very McLean parent attitude.

Knee jerk stupidity. Look into how overdue MHS is for a renovation, how crowded it is, and how the county keeps green lighting development that will add to school crowding before you issue another thoughtless and uninformed statement like that.

Lol. They kind of have a point though. Just because you're not getting a renovation means you're going to vote against other people getting renovations? There is nothing we can do about that. I would love for my kid's school to get a renovation, but that doesn't mean I'm going to vote against these other schools.

See how you feel after voting yes on the bond for over 20 years and still not seeing your school which is in need make the cut.

But voting no will just delay your school's renovations that much longer. They are not going to say "Oh, people voted no, better put McLean on the list." They are going to say "We only have the funds for one renovation this year instead of five, so I guess it will take 5+ years to get through the list we have." Way to spite your face.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I will vote yes when I finally see any movement on McLean HS getting a renovation.

Not voting for other kids to get a renovation because your kids aren't is a very McLean parent attitude.

FYI- Parents at McLean HS have witnessed helplessly for years how our tax money has gone to update and expand Title 1 schools for years; to replace names of “White oppressors” to more progressive ones; to push green initiatives at schools (car chargers, anyone?), all the while we watch our kids constantly breathing VOC’s from pesticides; material used for repairing and patching ceiling tiles or faulty plumbing, or eating in hallways or stairs due to an overcrowded cafeteria, not to mention barely making it to their classes on time due to impassable hallways!

The only positive thing of that facility has been to have been run by the best school principal and her tireless school support staff.

Your response is so typical of people who feel entitled to many benefits without contributing to anything. Parents in McLean HS who pay property taxes are not free loaders and have the right to expect better for our children than what we have gotten so far, but I guess you think we should vote to continue paying more taxes so your kids can be at facilities with healthier IAQ and more decent space, right?

show me the numbers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I will vote yes when I finally see any movement on McLean HS getting a renovation.

Not voting for other kids to get a renovation because your kids aren't is a very McLean parent attitude.

Knee jerk stupidity. Look into how overdue MHS is for a renovation, how crowded it is, and how the county keeps green lighting development that will add to school crowding before you issue another thoughtless and uninformed statement like that.

Lol. They kind of have a point though. Just because you're not getting a renovation means you're going to vote against other people getting renovations? There is nothing we can do about that. I would love for my kid's school to get a renovation, but that doesn't mean I'm going to vote against these other schools.

See how you feel after voting yes on the bond for over 20 years and still not seeing your school which is in need make the cut.

But voting no will just delay your school's renovations that much longer. They are not going to say "Oh, people voted no, better put McLean on the list." They are going to say "We only have the funds for one renovation this year instead of five, so I guess it will take 5+ years to get through the list we have." Way to spite your face.

which fcps renovation policy supports your statements?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I will vote yes when I finally see any movement on McLean HS getting a renovation.

Not voting for other kids to get a renovation because your kids aren't is a very McLean parent attitude.

Knee jerk stupidity. Look into how overdue MHS is for a renovation, how crowded it is, and how the county keeps green lighting development that will add to school crowding before you issue another thoughtless and uninformed statement like that.

Lol. They kind of have a point though. Just because you're not getting a renovation means you're going to vote against other people getting renovations? There is nothing we can do about that. I would love for my kid's school to get a renovation, but that doesn't mean I'm going to vote against these other schools.

See how you feel after voting yes on the bond for over 20 years and still not seeing your school which is in need make the cut.

But voting no will just delay your school's renovations that much longer. They are not going to say "Oh, people voted no, better put McLean on the list." They are going to say "We only have the funds for one renovation this year instead of five, so I guess it will take 5+ years to get through the list we have." Way to spite your face.

And that’s if they even connected those dots, which they probably wouldn’t.

The best hope for McLean is the issuance of an updated renovation queue soon. Next to that we need a strong advocate on the School Board after four years of weak, ineffective Elaine Tholen. It doesn’t appear we’ll get that in either Lady or Bartkowski, but Moon might help us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A few years ago voters approved a new elementary school for the Fairfax/Oakton area. The current school board voted to move these voter approved funds to re-open the Dunn Loring school which is not needed. This has turned into a $60 million waste of taxpayer dollars. Until the school board can show that they will be a good steward of taxpayer dollars and follow through on voter approved projects I will be voting "No".

I'm pissed about Blake Lane too, but the bond funds were not earmarked for that school and voting against bonds now does not fix the crowding situation we have.

Worth remembering that every candidate in that board election (and some non-candidates, like Gerry Connolly) came out against the Blake Lane school, and most of those people are no longer on the Board. I'm still mad about it but we're 5 years out from 2019 and being mad hasn't gotten us a new school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I will vote yes when I finally see any movement on McLean HS getting a renovation.

Well, if this isn’t McLean in a nutshell.

+1

Selfish McLean families not being okay with a crumbling building that is WAY overcapacity…they should just be quiet because some families are wealthy