What can we do to stop the boundary change?

[Anonymous]

OP, you didn't explain why you would be against the change.
It's been a long time since fcps did a whole scale change, and it's needed. They seem to have done away with any of the controversial moves.

[Anonymous]

One thing in #4 that I don't understand it the part of Fairfax High that is being sent to Chantilly. Someone on BRAC maybe?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you didn't explain why you would be against the change.
It's been a long time since fcps did a whole scale change, and it's needed. They seem to have done away with any of the controversial moves.

Not the OP, but any unnecessary moves are dumb. Only Coates should be moved. The rest is just social engineering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m pro boundary changes and I don’t understand why it takes them so long to do them. School boundaries should be more dynamic. My elementary school is currently very overcrowded because they opened a new development. But the other two elementary schools which are 1/4 mile and 1 mile away are under enrolled.

What we need is a neutral boundary change process that depends on data and not humans to do it. I’m sick of Gerrymandered boundaries.

School boundary rezonings should require a residdncy check of all schools under consideration for rezoning.

The kids from out of boundary should be remived before any in boundary students get rezoned.

And if a large neighborhood gets rezoned out of a school due to "overcrowding" FCPS should not be able to replace them with a different large neighborhood. (Cough, cough, RV replacing Sangster, cough cough)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't want to talk particulars of the different boundaries like the other threads. Just how to we, as individuals and groups, push the issue?

Letter writing? Collect and hire legal counsel for a class action? Picket?

I know there are some pretty smart people on here. What are the best courses of action?

Best thing you can do is reach out to your school board reps (all 4) to let them know you oppose the boundary changes. Make it personal, but avoid talking about property value - the school board members don’t care about property values even though school quality is linked to them.

Next is organize a campaign to contact school board members. Timber Lane had a big campaign to stay at McLean instead of being moved, and they were vindicated today when the new maps were released.

Next, longer term, is don’t just vote for these clowns because they have a D next to their names. I say that as someone who just filled out my mail in ballot voting for the Ds at the statewide level, but opposed the school bond, which I used to vote for. You are just one vote, but if the school board members fear for their jobs or funding then the boundary change crap will disappear mighty quick.

There is at least one organization, fairfact matters that appears to generally be against the boundary changes. You should consider reaching out to them to see if there are other things.

Ridiculous. I can't take anything you said seriously because you opposed the school bond.

DP. Why should people vote for this school bond? Enrollment is declining yet they want to open new schools and expand existing ones when they could be making current facilities nicer. They aren’t good stewards of taxpayer money.

Couldn’t agree more. Time to do the only thing voters can do at this time. Send a clear message that the superintendent and SB are poor stewards of taxpayer money by voting “no” on the school bond initiative on the ballot.

I hope that readers here are smart enough to recognize that this person and the other who claims they voted NO are people who want to ensure that their children get vouchers for "school choice". It's fairly easy to spot you trolls nowadays.

Fake news. There are more than two of us and we’ll vote against the bond to try and further shrink the margins by which they pass and send the SB a message that at least some of us know their spending priorities are out of whack.

We do not need new schools or school expansions right now. We need them to upgrade existing spaces for the declining school enrollments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only way to stop is new school board and superintendent. Truly feel sorry for those that will be negatively impacted by the boundary changes.

They need to make other more important precursor decisions such as reducing or eliminating IB program, etc.

Just to stupid to know what to do when.

You do know that OP is just complaining because their home value is declining, right? This has absolutely nothing to do with the children.

I don't think so.

A neighborhood in our pyramid is getting moved to an adjacent, equal quality school, where their property values are likely to go up.

They were told it was because their high school was significantly overcrowded, yet the school board just replaced them with a similar sized neighborhood, whose property values are going to rocket up.

They are upset, because adding hundreds of homes into their empty spots proves the rezoning wasn't about overcrowding, and because it shows that the school board prioritizes politics over stability for their own kids.

Their property values increase, but their kids are getting screwed with. They are pi$$ed.

-- I actually am not against both changes, but completely agree with the families getting moved that the school board is treating their kids unfairly. It would be less of a sting if FCPS was not moving almost 300 houses into their spots, after telling them their own kids must change schools because of overcrowding.

No one wants to sed there kids messed with, especially when the actions prove that the justification for moving their kids was a lie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know they just bought a high school. This is actually a good time for boundary changes. Whatever you try, it will be an uphill battle at this stage.

I think they need another 6-12 months to figure out what they how can develop KAA before making boundary changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't want to talk particulars of the different boundaries like the other threads. Just how to we, as individuals and groups, push the issue?

Letter writing? Collect and hire legal counsel for a class action? Picket?

I know there are some pretty smart people on here. What are the best courses of action?

Best thing you can do is reach out to your school board reps (all 4) to let them know you oppose the boundary changes. Make it personal, but avoid talking about property value - the school board members don’t care about property values even though school quality is linked to them.

Next is organize a campaign to contact school board members. Timber Lane had a big campaign to stay at McLean instead of being moved, and they were vindicated today when the new maps were released.

Next, longer term, is don’t just vote for these clowns because they have a D next to their names. I say that as someone who just filled out my mail in ballot voting for the Ds at the statewide level, but opposed the school bond, which I used to vote for. You are just one vote, but if the school board members fear for their jobs or funding then the boundary change crap will disappear mighty quick.

There is at least one organization, fairfact matters that appears to generally be against the boundary changes. You should consider reaching out to them to see if there are other things.

Ridiculous. I can't take anything you said seriously because you opposed the school bond.

DP. Why should people vote for this school bond? Enrollment is declining yet they want to open new schools and expand existing ones when they could be making current facilities nicer. They aren’t good stewards of taxpayer money.

Couldn’t agree more. Time to do the only thing voters can do at this time. Send a clear message that the superintendent and SB are poor stewards of taxpayer money by voting “no” on the school bond initiative on the ballot.

I think that is a dumb move. It isn’t teach the board a lesson, it WILL mess with the renovation schedule more and keep FCPS schools that your kids go to dirty.

Vote in different board members and be vocal about supporting other candidates.

Maybe we could riff our senior Gatehouse leadership by around 40-50%, and cut the double personal assistants added for the school board to free up some funds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One thing in #4 that I don't understand it the part of Fairfax High that is being sent to Chantilly. Someone on BRAC maybe?

Is the neighborhood in Fairfax City?

Fairfax High School is unique because it belongs to City of Fairfax, with some financial and staffing overlap with FCPS.

The school is for City of Fairfax residents, with extra spots filled with adjacent FCPS neighborhoods.

If Fairfax HS gets overcrowded or if FCPS needs to move students, like the domino effect for the new high school, students who are not City of Fairfax residents are required to be the ones rezoned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't want to talk particulars of the different boundaries like the other threads. Just how to we, as individuals and groups, push the issue?

Letter writing? Collect and hire legal counsel for a class action? Picket?

I know there are some pretty smart people on here. What are the best courses of action?

Best thing you can do is reach out to your school board reps (all 4) to let them know you oppose the boundary changes. Make it personal, but avoid talking about property value - the school board members don’t care about property values even though school quality is linked to them.

Next is organize a campaign to contact school board members. Timber Lane had a big campaign to stay at McLean instead of being moved, and they were vindicated today when the new maps were released.

Next, longer term, is don’t just vote for these clowns because they have a D next to their names. I say that as someone who just filled out my mail in ballot voting for the Ds at the statewide level, but opposed the school bond, which I used to vote for. You are just one vote, but if the school board members fear for their jobs or funding then the boundary change crap will disappear mighty quick.

There is at least one organization, fairfact matters that appears to generally be against the boundary changes. You should consider reaching out to them to see if there are other things.

Ridiculous. I can't take anything you said seriously because you opposed the school bond.

DP. Why should people vote for this school bond? Enrollment is declining yet they want to open new schools and expand existing ones when they could be making current facilities nicer. They aren’t good stewards of taxpayer money.

Couldn’t agree more. Time to do the only thing voters can do at this time. Send a clear message that the superintendent and SB are poor stewards of taxpayer money by voting “no” on the school bond initiative on the ballot.

I hope that readers here are smart enough to recognize that this person and the other who claims they voted NO are people who want to ensure that their children get vouchers for "school choice". It's fairly easy to spot you trolls nowadays.

I’m the one who originally posted that I voted no on the bond. Your claim is dead wrong. I think it’s pretty unlikely that my family would qualify for vouchers based income. We can afford private without vouchers, but I’d like to stay in the public school system and support it, so long as the school board doesn’t screw over my kids.

It’s funny, because you and I probably have the same ostensible goal - to save FCPS - but your version requires all the schools to be mediocre or worse. And your version dooms FCPS rather than saves it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't want to talk particulars of the different boundaries like the other threads. Just how to we, as individuals and groups, push the issue?

Letter writing? Collect and hire legal counsel for a class action? Picket?

I know there are some pretty smart people on here. What are the best courses of action?

Best thing you can do is reach out to your school board reps (all 4) to let them know you oppose the boundary changes. Make it personal, but avoid talking about property value - the school board members don’t care about property values even though school quality is linked to them.

Next is organize a campaign to contact school board members. Timber Lane had a big campaign to stay at McLean instead of being moved, and they were vindicated today when the new maps were released.

Next, longer term, is don’t just vote for these clowns because they have a D next to their names. I say that as someone who just filled out my mail in ballot voting for the Ds at the statewide level, but opposed the school bond, which I used to vote for. You are just one vote, but if the school board members fear for their jobs or funding then the boundary change crap will disappear mighty quick.

There is at least one organization, fairfact matters that appears to generally be against the boundary changes. You should consider reaching out to them to see if there are other things.

Ridiculous. I can't take anything you said seriously because you opposed the school bond.

DP. Why should people vote for this school bond? Enrollment is declining yet they want to open new schools and expand existing ones when they could be making current facilities nicer. They aren’t good stewards of taxpayer money.

Couldn’t agree more. Time to do the only thing voters can do at this time. Send a clear message that the superintendent and SB are poor stewards of taxpayer money by voting “no” on the school bond initiative on the ballot.

The words of someone who doesn't have any kids in FCPS, but for some reason is heavily invested in this boundary change process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know they just bought a high school. This is actually a good time for boundary changes. Whatever you try, it will be an uphill battle at this stage.

I think they need another 6-12 months to figure out what they how can develop KAA before making boundary changes.

You've lost. It's not going to be a magnet. It's going to serve the local community in western fairfax county and relieve overcrowding. Your hopes of filling Herndon by bussing kids in from the south are gone. Kids with Herndon addresses will eventually fill Herndon.

[Anonymous]

My kids are among the Carson kids who go to South Lakes, and it has been awful each time. South Lakes is a fine school, but most of the kids come from Hughes and are already in cliques and it’s hard for the kids coming from Carson. Meanwhile their friends from Carson go all over the place.

I honestly don’t care what else they do but they need to eliminate this kind of split feeder thing because it hurts kids.

But I also think this needs to be one and done, no more dynamic boundaries, what is needed is stability and defined communities. Especially when the child population is declining. I know people hate on mobile classrooms, but they are better than shifting kids around and disrupting communities.

[Anonymous]

I have yet to see any parent make a case against boundary changes that doesn't involve dramatics over two things:
1) my snowflake shouldn't have to move to schools because of friends.
2) I'm racist and paid $200k more for my house to not be with the poors.

Occasionally the data isn't good, and then the changes should be carefully considered. But I think most changes shouldn't involve any parent input at all. Because we are all led my emotion of our personal situation, not what is actually best for the school or the county or OTHER people who are coming behind us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't want to talk particulars of the different boundaries like the other threads. Just how to we, as individuals and groups, push the issue?

Letter writing? Collect and hire legal counsel for a class action? Picket?

I know there are some pretty smart people on here. What are the best courses of action?

Best thing you can do is reach out to your school board reps (all 4) to let them know you oppose the boundary changes. Make it personal, but avoid talking about property value - the school board members don’t care about property values even though school quality is linked to them.

Next is organize a campaign to contact school board members. Timber Lane had a big campaign to stay at McLean instead of being moved, and they were vindicated today when the new maps were released.

Next, longer term, is don’t just vote for these clowns because they have a D next to their names. I say that as someone who just filled out my mail in ballot voting for the Ds at the statewide level, but opposed the school bond, which I used to vote for. You are just one vote, but if the school board members fear for their jobs or funding then the boundary change crap will disappear mighty quick.

There is at least one organization, fairfact matters that appears to generally be against the boundary changes. You should consider reaching out to them to see if there are other things.

Ridiculous. I can't take anything you said seriously because you opposed the school bond.

DP. Why should people vote for this school bond? Enrollment is declining yet they want to open new schools and expand existing ones when they could be making current facilities nicer. They aren’t good stewards of taxpayer money.

Couldn’t agree more. Time to do the only thing voters can do at this time. Send a clear message that the superintendent and SB are poor stewards of taxpayer money by voting “no” on the school bond initiative on the ballot.

The words of someone who doesn't have any kids in FCPS, but for some reason is heavily invested in this boundary change process.

DP. To be fair, hurriedly buying a School for $150 million without realizing there will be an extra $30-50 million in renovation costs isn’t exactly stellar stewardship of our tax dollars.