FCPS Boundary Review Updates

[Anonymous]

If not now, when should the boundary changes be addressed? Won’t families still have the same issues to push against them: community, home values, friends,?

The population in our county has changed. Some areas are more dense, older neighborhoods might have more empty nesters now. Shouldn’t the public schools do their best to serve all students? Sometimes that will mean shifting a few neighborhoods around.

I can see how some have issues with breaking up friend groups, but most of the families with kids at TJ don’t seem very concerned about that. Neither do the ones that pupil place their kids to another school. Are those kids traumatized?

15:28 gave a very good response to this. I have a couple of things to add. Those neighborhoods with empty nesters tend to turnover. That is currently happening in my neighborhood. And, "voila!" you have a young neighborhood again.

And, I agree, sometimes there needs to be a boundary change: a new school opening; lots of new construction; etc. However, that is not going on county wide. I think the last new high school was South County. Westfield shortly before that, I think.
The last one for no good reason was South Lakes because the PTA was not happy. People who were involved still resent it. This is a county wide version.

People understand a boundary change when there is a clear need. This is an extremely expensive process. It is disruptive to students, famlies, and staff. And, why?

It is not going to solve anything. It will just be different kids on longer bus rides. Kids being changed from their communities and shifting from friends.

The negatives are many. I still do not know what FCPS SB sees as the positives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For most middle class people, their home equity is their life savings. If they lose half of their life savings, it's not something they can just "get over."

It is incredible how out of touch the rich can be.

Let’s revisit this so-called devaluation of home price when it supposedly happens due to school zoning. Losing half its value. SMH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What percentage of the county has a house that is walkable to the trifecta of elementary middle and high school? Much less than 1%, right, if any?

Everyone else is just gambling on their house? Gtfo.

I summo but greater than 1%. We can walk to all three of ours. Terraset(?)-Hughes-SLHS are adjacent and walkable for many.

Can someone identify this poster’s logical fallacy/fallacies? There is definitely a name for it, I just can’t recall at the moment.

I think enough people have chimed in about walking distance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What percentage of the county has a house that is walkable to the trifecta of elementary middle and high school? Much less than 1%, right, if any?

Everyone else is just gambling on their house? Gtfo.

I summo but greater than 1%. We can walk to all three of ours. Terraset(?)-Hughes-SLHS are adjacent and walkable for many.

I'd say no greater than 1%. South Lakes and Hughes basically share a campus. Terraset is hardly 1% of the county.

There are areas walkable to Kent Gardens, Longfellow, and McLean, and to Churchill Road, Cooper, and Langley.

Ditto Herndon - Herndon - Herndon

Adding Clearview/Dranesville-Herndon-Herndon.

I guess I should’ve clarified, walkable like a mile or two, not several miles. I guess theoretically everyone can walk to every school with enough time.

Ummm …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Maybe I am in the minority viewpoint, or it is just that people like me are not too concerned about all this because our houses are not close to a boundary.

You may think you are not close to a boundary, but that does not matter anymore. When I moved here, we were not close to a boundary. We haven't moved, but the boundaries have.
Elementary is safe for us because we are walkers. At least, I think it is safe. Middle school is very close--yet we are close to a boundary. High school is very close--yet we are close to a boundary.

When the boundaries were drawn, there were valid reasons for them. Traffic patterns, overcrowding at some schools, etc. With limited exceptions, that is not true with this boundary study.

This is kind of like going on vacation and having others come in to rearrange your furniture. They throw away what they think is not useful--but is important to you. And, yes, they also rearrange your kitchen so that you cannot find what you frequently use.

Did FCPS promise you that high school in perpetuity?

Did FCPS promise you an equity-based hand-out paid for by your neighbors?

Boundaries changes. All over the country, not just in Fairfax County.

Build a bridge and get over it.

“Get over it.” This is about real impact to real kids so no, I won’t just “get over it”. Since ES, my MS-aged kid has built connections to their zoned HS through sports, music, and academic activities. They visit the HS and know so many of the kids they’ll soon go to school with. Taking that away (and worse, asking them to switch part way through!) isn’t necessary. I’m all for raising resilient kids, but we’ve already asked these kids to be resilient through a pandemic, which significantly disrupted their education and community. What are we trying to achieve through this exercise that’s worth the real impact it will have on kids? I’d prefer that public schools always prioritize the kids.
Also, any data being used to inform decisions isn’t reliable. This area is facing major changes through the ripple effects of downsizing the federal government and curbing immigration. The region needs to stabilize before we use data to make major and costly decisions.

Adjustments need to happen periodically. If it’s not your kid being moved now, it’s somebody else’s kids later. I personally would
have loved for this review to happen years ago, but it’s not about me (or you). Stop taking this personally.

This is the winner of this and previous threads. Perfect summary. We can lock this thread now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Maybe I am in the minority viewpoint, or it is just that people like me are not too concerned about all this because our houses are not close to a boundary.

You may think you are not close to a boundary, but that does not matter anymore. When I moved here, we were not close to a boundary. We haven't moved, but the boundaries have.
Elementary is safe for us because we are walkers. At least, I think it is safe. Middle school is very close--yet we are close to a boundary. High school is very close--yet we are close to a boundary.

When the boundaries were drawn, there were valid reasons for them. Traffic patterns, overcrowding at some schools, etc. With limited exceptions, that is not true with this boundary study.

This is kind of like going on vacation and having others come in to rearrange your furniture. They throw away what they think is not useful--but is important to you. And, yes, they also rearrange your kitchen so that you cannot find what you frequently use.

Did FCPS promise you that high school in perpetuity?

Did FCPS promise you an equity-based hand-out paid for by your neighbors?

Boundaries changes. All over the country, not just in Fairfax County.

Build a bridge and get over it.

“Get over it.” This is about real impact to real kids so no, I won’t just “get over it”. Since ES, my MS-aged kid has built connections to their zoned HS through sports, music, and academic activities. They visit the HS and know so many of the kids they’ll soon go to school with. Taking that away (and worse, asking them to switch part way through!) isn’t necessary. I’m all for raising resilient kids, but we’ve already asked these kids to be resilient through a pandemic, which significantly disrupted their education and community. What are we trying to achieve through this exercise that’s worth the real impact it will have on kids? I’d prefer that public schools always prioritize the kids.
Also, any data being used to inform decisions isn’t reliable. This area is facing major changes through the ripple effects of downsizing the federal government and curbing immigration. The region needs to stabilize before we use data to make major and costly decisions.

Adjustments need to happen periodically. If it’s not your kid being moved now, it’s somebody else’s kids later. I personally would
have loved for this review to happen years ago, but it’s not about me (or you). Stop taking this personally.

Which adjustments do you think are necessary? Be specific.

WTH? “Be specific.” Stop trying to gotcha the PP.PP is right. And I’m sure PP would be fine whether their boundary changed or not. At least the PP recognizes that changes are inevitable over time and that situation has been neglected for too long in a county system this large.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Maybe I am in the minority viewpoint, or it is just that people like me are not too concerned about all this because our houses are not close to a boundary.

You may think you are not close to a boundary, but that does not matter anymore. When I moved here, we were not close to a boundary. We haven't moved, but the boundaries have.
Elementary is safe for us because we are walkers. At least, I think it is safe. Middle school is very close--yet we are close to a boundary. High school is very close--yet we are close to a boundary.

When the boundaries were drawn, there were valid reasons for them. Traffic patterns, overcrowding at some schools, etc. With limited exceptions, that is not true with this boundary study.

This is kind of like going on vacation and having others come in to rearrange your furniture. They throw away what they think is not useful--but is important to you. And, yes, they also rearrange your kitchen so that you cannot find what you frequently use.

Did FCPS promise you that high school in perpetuity?

Did FCPS promise you an equity-based hand-out paid for by your neighbors?

Boundaries changes. All over the country, not just in Fairfax County.

Build a bridge and get over it.

“Get over it.” This is about real impact to real kids so no, I won’t just “get over it”. Since ES, my MS-aged kid has built connections to their zoned HS through sports, music, and academic activities. They visit the HS and know so many of the kids they’ll soon go to school with. Taking that away (and worse, asking them to switch part way through!) isn’t necessary. I’m all for raising resilient kids, but we’ve already asked these kids to be resilient through a pandemic, which significantly disrupted their education and community. What are we trying to achieve through this exercise that’s worth the real impact it will have on kids? I’d prefer that public schools always prioritize the kids.
Also, any data being used to inform decisions isn’t reliable. This area is facing major changes through the ripple effects of downsizing the federal government and curbing immigration. The region needs to stabilize before we use data to make major and costly decisions.

Adjustments need to happen periodically. If it’s not your kid being moved now, it’s somebody else’s kids later. I personally would
have loved for this review to happen years ago, but it’s not about me (or you). Stop taking this personally.

Which adjustments do you think are necessary? Be specific.

WTH? “Be specific.” Stop trying to gotcha the PP.PP is right. And I’m sure PP would be fine whether their boundary changed or not. At least the PP recognizes that changes are inevitable over time and that situation has been neglected for too long in a county system this large.

Inevitable when adjustments are necessary is understandable. Inevitable for no good reason is not understandable.

[Anonymous]

Interesting that those in favor of the adjustment cannot give good, valid reasons why it is needed. FCPS will spend buckets of money on this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting that those in favor of the adjustment cannot give good, valid reasons why it is needed. FCPS will spend buckets of money on this.

A)Some schools are over capacity.
B)Some schools are under capacity.
Schools A and B share boundaries.
The end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting that those in favor of the adjustment cannot give good, valid reasons why it is needed. FCPS will spend buckets of money on this.

Just because you don't believe the reasons for adjusting boundaries aren't valid, doesn't mean there are NO valid reasons. Transportation is the simplist one to point out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting that those in favor of the adjustment cannot give good, valid reasons why it is needed. FCPS will spend buckets of money on this.

A)Some schools are over capacity.
B)Some schools are under capacity.
Schools A and B share boundaries.
The end.

Then, shift the boundaries of A and B. It is unnecessary to shift the whole county. Do a proper study of what will work instead of throwing spaghetti against the wall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Maybe I am in the minority viewpoint, or it is just that people like me are not too concerned about all this because our houses are not close to a boundary.

You may think you are not close to a boundary, but that does not matter anymore. When I moved here, we were not close to a boundary. We haven't moved, but the boundaries have.
Elementary is safe for us because we are walkers. At least, I think it is safe. Middle school is very close--yet we are close to a boundary. High school is very close--yet we are close to a boundary.

When the boundaries were drawn, there were valid reasons for them. Traffic patterns, overcrowding at some schools, etc. With limited exceptions, that is not true with this boundary study.

This is kind of like going on vacation and having others come in to rearrange your furniture. They throw away what they think is not useful--but is important to you. And, yes, they also rearrange your kitchen so that you cannot find what you frequently use.

Did FCPS promise you that high school in perpetuity?

Did FCPS promise you an equity-based hand-out paid for by your neighbors?

Boundaries changes. All over the country, not just in Fairfax County.

Build a bridge and get over it.

“Get over it.” This is about real impact to real kids so no, I won’t just “get over it”. Since ES, my MS-aged kid has built connections to their zoned HS through sports, music, and academic activities. They visit the HS and know so many of the kids they’ll soon go to school with. Taking that away (and worse, asking them to switch part way through!) isn’t necessary. I’m all for raising resilient kids, but we’ve already asked these kids to be resilient through a pandemic, which significantly disrupted their education and community. What are we trying to achieve through this exercise that’s worth the real impact it will have on kids? I’d prefer that public schools always prioritize the kids.
Also, any data being used to inform decisions isn’t reliable. This area is facing major changes through the ripple effects of downsizing the federal government and curbing immigration. The region needs to stabilize before we use data to make major and costly decisions.

Adjustments need to happen periodically. If it’s not your kid being moved now, it’s somebody else’s kids later. I personally would
have loved for this review to happen years ago, but it’s not about me (or you). Stop taking this personally.

Which adjustments do you think are necessary? Be specific.

WTH? “Be specific.” Stop trying to gotcha the PP.PP is right. And I’m sure PP would be fine whether their boundary changed or not. At least the PP recognizes that changes are inevitable over time and that situation has been neglected for too long in a county system this large.

You know, if you’re not willing to be specific, all you’re doing is cluttering this thread with spam.

What you call “neglect” most would consider a reasonable recognition that people prefer stability when it comes to school assignments and that FCPS benefits the most when it acknowledges that reality.

Change for the sake of change, or merely because it’s been a long time since a county-wide review, isn’t very compelling and will hurt FCPS, the county, and the tax base over the long term.

Of course, if there was a particular change you really felt was justified, we could discuss that, but you’re apparently not prepared to do that. It’s much easier to traffic in vague generalities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting that those in favor of the adjustment cannot give good, valid reasons why it is needed. FCPS will spend buckets of money on this.

A)Some schools are over capacity.
B)Some schools are under capacity.
Schools A and B share boundaries.
The end.

But what if the under-enrollment or over-enrollment isn’t that great? Or moving kids to the under-enrolled school means a longer commute that costs more money, or creates a new split feeder? Or the under-enrolled school is under-enrolled for reasons that FCPS isn’t addressing, such as not offering AP courses or having safety issues?

What you call the end ought to be the beginning, not a foregone conclusion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For most middle class people, their home equity is their life savings. If they lose half of their life savings, it's not something they can just "get over."

It is incredible how out of touch the rich can be.

Let’s revisit this so-called devaluation of home price when it supposedly happens due to school zoning. Losing half its value. SMH.

Yes, school ratings are in fact the #1 driving factor in home values when comparing areas equally distant from DC. Your feigning ignorance doesn't change that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting that those in favor of the adjustment cannot give good, valid reasons why it is needed. FCPS will spend buckets of money on this.

A)Some schools are over capacity.
B)Some schools are under capacity.
Schools A and B share boundaries.
The end.

Maybe a school is over capacity because FCPS planning sucks and we have School Board members like Karl Frisch ignoring it while wasting tens of millions on an unnecessary new elementary school in Dunn Loring.

I want smarter planning and capital investments, not kids moved around like widgets to cover up their incompetence and inattention to detail.