Longfellow MS AAP overcrowding plans?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm saying have Longfellow be CENTER ONLY-GE kids from that district would go to Cooper.

Oh.

I hadn't realized that's what you had in mind. That's certainly not going to happen, unless FCPS decides to rename Longfellow TJMSST and make it a magnet school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm saying have Longfellow be CENTER ONLY-GE kids from that district would go to Cooper.

Oh.

I hadn't realized that's what you had in mind. That's certainly not going to happen, unless FCPS decides to rename Longfellow TJMSST and make it a magnet school.

Maybe they should.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll just point out again that it's not Longfellow enrollment trends that will force changes at Cooper. It's the declining enrollment at Cooper and the overcrowding at Kilmer, which gets the Cooper AAP kids from Great Falls.

So it's fair to all of a sudden overcrowd Cooper overnight and force kids into trailers when Longfellow just undertook a nice renovation to increase capacity (I can't comment on Kilmer since I know nothing about their building or future renovation plans).

Longfellow is at capacity even with its Reno. It is slated to go over capacity shortly. People are not saying to do it over night. This has been talked about for at least a year and Cooper is slated to be under capacity. I don't think it is fair for Cooper parents to continue to deny AAP to their neighborhood children and require them to be bussed all the way across town to Longfellow. I also don't think it is fair for Cooper parents to say they don't want their AAP students but that they perfectly fine for them to be overwhelming another school's resources. Cooper should take care of its own students - all of them.

I remember you parents from the Haycock AAP redistricting last year. Longfellow is not even over capacity yet (as many other schools are) and you're complaining and pushing kids out already.

Touche. Agree the Longfellow parents ought to let the Kilmer parents be the heavy on this one. If the Cluster 2 parents are happy to send their kids to school in trailers in a 1500-student Kilmer in a few years because parents in Great Falls don't think FCPS can offer a good enough AAP program at Cooper, I'd suck it up at Longfellow. The AAP-impacted overcrowding is going to kick in at Kilmer and Jackson before it hits Longfellow.

[Anonymous]

I think with all the growth in the area and so many schools at overcapacity, AAP is one of many concerns. A step in the right direction would be to go to back to neighborhood middle schools and include AAP classes in each one. Otherwise you're going to be constantly redrawing the boundaries as the population in the Tysons area grows. There is no way it is right to have schools like Kilmer bursting at the seams to include kids AAP kids who go on to Langley High School in another pyramid. Particularly when Kilmer is taking up so much of the slack for new development. This year my son when to school for 6 weeks and suddenly had 3 of 7 classes changed because new teachers had to be brought in to handle the overflow kids. This was largely due to an unanticipated number of students who were new residents (like 100). If a public school can't even serve the kids in its own neighborhood, why must it bend over backwards to serve AAP kids from another area? I think Pat Hynes had it right wanting to put an AAP Center in Thoreau as well. We're becoming too big and too congested an area for all this busing and there would easily be critical mass at both Cooper and Thoreau for AAP kids. As ballooning AAP numbers show there are enough smart kids to go around.

It's time to give schools back to their local communities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll just point out again that it's not Longfellow enrollment trends that will force changes at Cooper. It's the declining enrollment at Cooper and the overcrowding at Kilmer, which gets the Cooper AAP kids from Great Falls.

PP here-I believe I already stated that I wasn't qualified to comment on Kilmer, so the above snotty comment wasn't necessary.

I really don't get why the school board feels it makes sense to have AAP in all middle achools. In Cluster 1, it makes most sense for Longfellow to be THE center for middle school. They clearly have the teaching resources and extracurricular infrastructure already in place as well as the renovated building. It would also solve the problems of critical mass and AAP vs Non AAP populations. If transportation is the issue do limited or no bussing. I would gladly drive my kid for an advanced education in an established center-and I'm sure others feel the same, since clearly the main issue here is money (or lack thereof in FCPS) driving these decisions.

It doesn't make sense when Cooper is under capacity because they send AAP students to Longfeloow and Longfellow is over capacity becasue of those same students. There are plenty of AAP students in the Cooper district for a robust AAp program. I would also send half the expereince AAP teachers at Longfellow to Cooper so they can benefit from the experienced teacher resources. The extracurricular stuff could easily be done at Cooper now. I don't know why they don't do it currently. The issue isn't money (as it wouldn't save all that much), it is space and the fact that the over large AAP population at Longfellow adversely affects the Gen- Ed population at Longfellow.

Therein lies the problem-none of the Longfellow teachers would be willing to come over to Cooper to get a new center up and running-if there were, I'm sure parents at Churchill and Spring Hill would feel differently about allowing their kids to be a "guinea pig" for a new center. It takes time and energy as well as appropriate, qualified center teachers to lead a new center-and despite all of the recent talk on the subject, Cooper seems to be doing nothing in the meantime to make itself more attractive to kids currently at the Churchill Road Center or Spring Hill local level IV.

I sure as heck don't want my 5th grader to be part of the pseudo-center at Cooper they keep talking about creating, and I doubt many would-and given property taxes I pay to live in the Langley pyramid, it should be my choice to do what's best for my kid.

First of all, don't forget about Colvin Run which also feeds into Cooper, Longfellow, and Cooper.

As a current Cooper parent, I am very happy that Cooper is "doing nothing to make itself more attractive" to the AAP population. Cooper, as it is right now, is a wonderful school and doesn't need to make itself more appealing for a select group of students. Why would they? I agree with a PP who said Cooper should remain a Gen Ed school, taking Gen Ed kids from Longfellow as well. I think making Longfellow an AAP only center is a great idea. Let's not forget why there is overcrowding in the AAP centers in the first place: FCPS has admitted far too many kids into the program in recent years. It's not Cooper's fault that there are fewer and fewer Gen Ed kids; it's FCPS! Why should Cooper have to absorb the AAP overflow when the Gen Ed population has gotten the short end of the stick for years? Why on earth should Gen Ed kids have to bend over backwards to accomodate a "special" program at Cooper? We also live in the Langley pyramid and we also pay exorbitant property taxes; frankly, the one benefit we parents of Gen Ed kids have is a middle school that has NO AAP! Long may that last.

[Anonymous]

FCPS has posted a possible calendar:

Suggested boundary adjustments calendar

[2014]
April-May: Staff reviews new enrollment projections and school capacities to determine over or under utilized schools that could be candidates for boundary adjustments. Office of Facilities Planning (OFP) staff (or, “Staff”) will review these candidates with Facilities Planning Advisory Council (FPAC) members, affected cluster assistant superintendents and FCPS leadership.

May-June: Staff recommends to the School Board boundary adjustment studies to be undertaken during the coming school year; the scope of each study (schools to be included) in each boundary study; and whether to use a regular or expedited boundary process.

June-July: The School Board conducts work sessions for each and takes action on the scope of boundary study/process recommendations.

July-Oct.: Staff prepares boundary study scenarios and works with the Department of Communications and Community Outreach (DCCO) to schedule and prepare materials for community outreach meetings.

Oct.-Dec.: OFP and DCCO staff conduct community outreach meetings, with assistance/support from FPAC members, respond to community questions/concerns and evaluate community response to boundary scenarios.

[2015]
Early Jan.: Staff recommends specific boundary adjustments to the School Board.

Jan.-early Feb.: The School Board holds public hearing and work session on boundary recommendations.

Late Feb.: The School Board takes action on boundary adjustment recommendations.

March: The Cluster Assistant Superintendents notify students affected by boundary adjustments; Staff incorporates approved boundary adjustments into updated enrollment projections.

June: Update online boundary locator application and boundary maps.

http://www.fcps.edu/schlbd/docs/sb%20follow%20up%20responses/fy%202014/SBfollow-up14-19.pdf

[Anonymous]

Here's some of the relevant language:

"Colvin Run, Westbriar and Wolftrap Elementary Schools: An attendance area/AAP program adjustment between Colvin Run and Westbriar or Wolftrap ES can help reduce enrollment at Westbriar ES. Westbriar ES is projected to receive a significant number of students from the new developments in the Tysons area, as well as the extension of the Silver Line. This can also help to eliminate an attendance area island for Westbriar ES.

Cooper, Longfellow and Kilmer Middle Schools: The current and projected capacity surplus at Cooper MS can be used to reduce the capacity deficits at both Longfellow and Kilmer Middle Schools for both General Education and AAP.

Langley, Herndon and McLean High Schools: An attendance area adjustment between these schools will help reduce capacity deficits at McLean and Herndon HS by taking advantage of capacity surplus at Langley HS. The Herndon HS renovation will be completed in the 10-year CIP cycle and will include capacity enhancements."

I'd watch this carefully if I were in the Marshall or McLean districts, as one possible result is that FCPS expands the already enormous Cooper/Langley boundaries (by far the largest in the county) yet again, and sends nice neighborhoods of single-family houses to Cooper/Langley. Yet again, Cooper/Langley would only get richer and less like any other schools in the county.

[Anonymous]

What I don't understand is why FCPS is proposing to expand Langley as part of its renovation when its enrollment is declining. Then they'll have to find yet more students from distant neighborhoods to fill up the building. It would make more sense to expand the capacities at the schools with increasing numbers of students and let Langley be a smaller school if people with kids don't want to live way out in Great Falls any more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I don't understand is why FCPS is proposing to expand Langley as part of its renovation when its enrollment is declining. Then they'll have to find yet more students from distant neighborhoods to fill up the building. It would make more sense to expand the capacities at the schools with increasing numbers of students and let Langley be a smaller school if people with kids don't want to live way out in Great Falls any more.

I agree. As it is right now, kids from way down Rt. 7, almost in Sterling, are bused to Cooper/Langley. These boundaries have needed to be redrawn for years and years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I don't understand is why FCPS is proposing to expand Langley as part of its renovation when its enrollment is declining. Then they'll have to find yet more students from distant neighborhoods to fill up the building. It would make more sense to expand the capacities at the schools with increasing numbers of students and let Langley be a smaller school if people with kids don't want to live way out in Great Falls any more.

Tyson's Corner is expected to have 100,000 more residents. All area HSs will have to expand to meet the increased population. The expanded district will not be far from Langley. Mostly likely the rest of Franklin Sherman and then carving out parts of Chesterbrook and/or Kent Gardens. All of which are closer to Lngley than much of the western part of Langley's current boundary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I don't understand is why FCPS is proposing to expand Langley as part of its renovation when its enrollment is declining. Then they'll have to find yet more students from distant neighborhoods to fill up the building. It would make more sense to expand the capacities at the schools with increasing numbers of students and let Langley be a smaller school if people with kids don't want to live way out in Great Falls any more.

Tyson's Corner is expected to have 100,000 more residents. All area HSs will have to expand to meet the increased population. The expanded district will not be far from Langley. Mostly likely the rest of Franklin Sherman and then carving out parts of Chesterbrook and/or Kent Gardens. All of which are closer to Lngley than much of the western part of Langley's current boundary.

You will not find a single recent FCPS document that suggests this is contemplated, but you will find several hints that FCPS is thinking about moving areas further out in Vienna that are closer to Marshall and McLean to Langley. It seems short-sighted and detrimental to the other schools. Why not look for some way to create some SES diversity at Langley, rather than continue to expand its boundaries with even more neighborhoods of single-family homes that aren't particularly close to the school?

[Anonymous]

For those of us who live in the Langley pyramid and pay upwards of 30K plus in property taxes-not exactly looking to bring in those from the apartment complexes in Tysons-a la Korean families moving right before high school so their kids can attend TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I don't understand is why FCPS is proposing to expand Langley as part of its renovation when its enrollment is declining. Then they'll have to find yet more students from distant neighborhoods to fill up the building. It would make more sense to expand the capacities at the schools with increasing numbers of students and let Langley be a smaller school if people with kids don't want to live way out in Great Falls any more.

Tyson's Corner is expected to have 100,000 more residents. All area HSs will have to expand to meet the increased population. The expanded district will not be far from Langley. Mostly likely the rest of Franklin Sherman and then carving out parts of Chesterbrook and/or Kent Gardens. All of which are closer to Lngley than much of the western part of Langley's current boundary.

You will not find a single recent FCPS document that suggests this is contemplated, but you will find several hints that FCPS is thinking about moving areas further out in Vienna that are closer to Marshall and McLean to Langley. It seems short-sighted and detrimental to the other schools. Why not look for some way to create some SES diversity at Langley, rather than continue to expand its boundaries with even more neighborhoods of single-family homes that aren't particularly close to the school?

The point was that the likely expanded boundaries will be particluarly close to the school. Just across 123 - 1-3 miles away. McLean and Langley are only 2 1/2 miles apart. There is an apartment complex in downtown Mclean that would add a little diversity to Langley. You could also go down 123 to the apartments near the McLean Metro. Or switch the Rotunda in Tysons from McLean to Langley.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those of us who live in the Langley pyramid and pay upwards of 30K plus in property taxes-not exactly looking to bring in those from the apartment complexes in Tysons-a la Korean families moving right before high school so their kids can attend TJ.

As I've been told many times by others on this board, boundaries change. You have no right to the boundary the school had when you bought. No one is sympathetic to that argument, so yo might try a better one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those of us who live in the Langley pyramid and pay upwards of 30K plus in property taxes-not exactly looking to bring in those from the apartment complexes in Tysons-a la Korean families moving right before high school so their kids can attend TJ.

I'm a Langley parent and I hope no one thinks PP speaks for all Langley families. We would welcome any and all new kids to the school, regardless of SES. It does make sense to redraw the district around McLean and Marshall and send some of those students to Langley. A lot more sense than busing in the kids who practically live in Sterling/Herndon, almost EIGHT miles from Langley. The current boundaries are ridiculous.