Boundary Review Meetings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is 2232?

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planning-development/public-facilities-review/process

An excerpt from Meren's email referring to a delay in opening Western HS (at least as a traditional high school with attendance based on boundaries):

"Second, it comes down to County permitting. It was during the October 30, first meeting of the Joint Facility Review Committee, of which I’m on, that it became clear that permitting to transition the building for a fall opening by FCPS would not be completed in the needed timeline. A key factor is completing the “2232 Process”, in a best-case scenario of five months. This is not enough time to then COMPLETE necessary structural adjustments to the facility by the fall."

[Anonymous]

They should open in Fall 26 with freshmen and sophomores, and juniors given the option.
Opening with just one grade would be difficult in getting a critical mass of students to have enough course offerings especially for math.
Also bring in JV sports from the start. Also bring in Japanese Immersion and AP.

Finally the Carson split feeder situation, which has hurt many kids, can be solved. But “leadership” is squandering this and wasting time. Stop overthinking this and trying to make everyone happy. They are over complicating this and will probably arrive at the same conclusion far too late that they could just figure out now.
Just rip off the bandaid and get it over with!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, if what Meren says is correct about delaying the opening, why didn't Reid mention that at the Saturday meeting?

Because the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing? Idk I’ve worked in plenty of dysfunctional organizations and this all seems pretty par for the course, lots of people making statements that may or may not be true and never checking with anyone else first, lots of abrupt deadline changes, lots of “well let’s fold in this slightly related but ultimately not core project into this larger project so we can fix both things at the same time” muddying the waters.

DP. It might be somewhere in the middle. At the Chantilly meeting, Reid said they still wanted to do a soft open in 2026 but they would focus on finishing the county wide study first before looking at the KAA boundaries early next year.

What is a “soft open” for a high school? How would people have any idea what they are signing their kids up for, other than that it wouldn’t have VHSL sports?

I’ve yet to see a compelling reason why they shouldn’t delay opening Western until it has three grades, with only juniors given an automatic option to remain at their current schools.

It sounded like they wanted to let anyone who wants to go there attend, whether in boundary or not. Not sure what grades specifically.

I understand but that’s still incoherent from a planning perspective. They gear up to offer the standard course of studies to 500 kids? What happens if you’re out of boundary and you send your kid to Western but they adopt boundaries later? Does your kid get booted?

The School Board needs to grow a spine and squelch Reid Charter before it opens.

+1

There is no reason they cannot open next year--except that these people do not know how to plan anything.

Schools destroyed by tornadoes, etc, manage to open elsewhere under much more difficult circumstances.

They can open next year and have JV sports teams. It just takes someone being pro-active on this. Or, open with ninth grade and Freshman sports.

One challenge with this is that freshmen coming out of Carson have very different academic needs. You'll have the kids who should have gotten into TJ ready for higher-level math courses and kids needing remedial math to be ready for Algebra I. The smaller Western opens, the more challenging it becomes to build a schedule that accommodates these diverse requirements.

I don't see why anyone would choose to go there unless you are right across the street or something. It sounds like course offerings will be questionable. Will there be enough kids to form interest in typical clubs? Will sports kids bother with being bussed back to the base school for sports when they can just choose to stay at the base school to begin with? In truth, the longer they delay required boundaries, the longer it takes to fully establish the school.

Agree with the bolded. They need to stop quibbling and just do the dang thing.

Families in the neighborhoods most likely to go to Western HS are overwhelmingly in support of it, and would absolutely do whatever they needed to support clubs and sports.

Squelch the magnet idea and get to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, if what Meren says is correct about delaying the opening, why didn't Reid mention that at the Saturday meeting?

Because the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing? Idk I’ve worked in plenty of dysfunctional organizations and this all seems pretty par for the course, lots of people making statements that may or may not be true and never checking with anyone else first, lots of abrupt deadline changes, lots of “well let’s fold in this slightly related but ultimately not core project into this larger project so we can fix both things at the same time” muddying the waters.

DP. It might be somewhere in the middle. At the Chantilly meeting, Reid said they still wanted to do a soft open in 2026 but they would focus on finishing the county wide study first before looking at the KAA boundaries early next year.

What is a “soft open” for a high school? How would people have any idea what they are signing their kids up for, other than that it wouldn’t have VHSL sports?

I’ve yet to see a compelling reason why they shouldn’t delay opening Western until it has three grades, with only juniors given an automatic option to remain at their current schools.

It sounded like they wanted to let anyone who wants to go there attend, whether in boundary or not. Not sure what grades specifically.

I understand but that’s still incoherent from a planning perspective. They gear up to offer the standard course of studies to 500 kids? What happens if you’re out of boundary and you send your kid to Western but they adopt boundaries later? Does your kid get booted?

The School Board needs to grow a spine and squelch Reid Charter before it opens.

+1

There is no reason they cannot open next year--except that these people do not know how to plan anything.

Schools destroyed by tornadoes, etc, manage to open elsewhere under much more difficult circumstances.

They can open next year and have JV sports teams. It just takes someone being pro-active on this. Or, open with ninth grade and Freshman sports.

One challenge with this is that freshmen coming out of Carson have very different academic needs. You'll have the kids who should have gotten into TJ ready for higher-level math courses and kids needing remedial math to be ready for Algebra I. The smaller Western opens, the more challenging it becomes to build a schedule that accommodates these diverse requirements.

I don't see why anyone would choose to go there unless you are right across the street or something. It sounds like course offerings will be questionable. Will there be enough kids to form interest in typical clubs? Will sports kids bother with being bussed back to the base school for sports when they can just choose to stay at the base school to begin with? In truth, the longer they delay required boundaries, the longer it takes to fully establish the school.

We will go in the first year. My student would not play a sport at their current HS, they enjoy their sport but are not the kid who is practicing in the back yard and has expressed zero interest in playing at their HS. They might be more interested in trying out for a Freshmen team at a school with less competition, knowing that it would be rough, because they know they are likely to get some playing time and there is not going to be a ton of pressure to win. If they choose not to do a sport, starting the clubs they like should be easy enough, think D&D, games, and Magic the Gathering. They would also be interested in academic clubs, the math clubs, that should be easier to get started.

We are one of the families that would be coming from SLHS and have 0 interest in IB classes. Moving to a new school with AP would be great. The "aviation program" classes sound interesting. I put aviation in quotes because the classes sound more STEM based then aviation based but what do I know. We know other families excited to make the move as well. Believe it or not, we are out there. There are families not invested in sports and music and theatre, the big programs that are less likely to be strong in the first 4 years at the new school, who will be fine with the regular clubs. Some are excited for their kids to get a chance to lead at the new schools.

There might be kids who know that they are good at a specific sport but not strong enough to make the JV or Varsity at their current school that might be excited about moving to a school where they might have a chance to play more. Or they are the kid who is a good vocalist or musician that knows they would be in the choir or a third seat that might get the chance to get a solo role or second or first seat. There might be kids who are strong in math but know that they might not make the math team at Oakton who thinks they have a better shot at the new school. There will be opportunities open for kids that they might not have at the new school.

The one thing that I think FCPS will get right is making sure that they have teachers for the classes that freshmen and sophomores would normally take. I know teachers who have already expressed an interest to move to the new school. I suspect that FCPS will be able to choose the teachers that they want and will choose the best teachers they can to make sure that the transition years are as painless as possible. They don't want the damage that would come from not being able to offer classes that the kids need or want, electives.

I expect that there will be rocky moments but that possibility exists at every school. So yeah, we would move in a heartbeat. And we know others excited to do so as well. I doubt that there are as many parents excited about the move at Chantilly but the parents I know there don't seem to dread the move. Oakton families are split, with the largest voice fighting the move. SLHS families are not all on board with the idea but I think there is more of an even split on those excited and those who want to stay at SLHS. I suspect that the opt in option means that many of those families will be fine as long as their current MS can go to SLHS. Some ES parents seem to be less enthusiastic about moving but that will probably shift if it does happen and they see the new school grow and options become available. SLHS also has the pro of being able to pupil place for IB so it is easy to stay there if they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is 2232?

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planning-development/public-facilities-review/process

An excerpt from Meren's email referring to a delay in opening Western HS (at least as a traditional high school with attendance based on boundaries):

"Second, it comes down to County permitting. It was during the October 30, first meeting of the Joint Facility Review Committee, of which I’m on, that it became clear that permitting to transition the building for a fall opening by FCPS would not be completed in the needed timeline. A key factor is completing the “2232 Process”, in a best-case scenario of five months. This is not enough time to then COMPLETE necessary structural adjustments to the facility by the fall."

Kyle McDaniel's newsletter that just came states that the school will open next year:

Western High School Update
The new Western High School represents one of the most significant opportunities for Fairfax County in decades, and the first new public high school to open in nearly twenty years.

This acquisition is both strategic and fiscally responsible. Building a new high school in that area from scratch, which has been planned for years, was estimated to cost over $400 million plus an additional $150 million to acquire the land. By purchasing this property for $150 million, FCPS saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and delivered a turn-key asset immediately. The facility will serve 2,000 students and is planned to open for the 2026-27 school year.

Community engagement is underway, and I wanted to thank those who have shared their feedback. Nearly 1,000 families and students attended the October 25 open house to tour the campus and hear firsthand the planning that is ongoing.

The Superintendent has recommended, and I agree with her recommendation, that the school be a “traditional” comprehensive high school with geographic boundaries to alleviate capacity and transportation challenges in the western Fairfax County communities.

Following extensive public comment, the Superintendent is also recommending that the window for public input be extended into the spring, after the ongoing County-wide boundary review process has completed. I agree with this recommendation as it allows more time for programming decisions to be made and for more public input on the boundaries. That being said, this would not change the planned opening for the 2026-2027 school year, and I would not support delaying the opening in any way.

Lastly, I have heard from several families regarding the phasing plans for the new school. These plans will ultimately be approved by the School Board, and my view is that they are generous and allow for opting into or out of the school for the first few years of its opening, with a very clear cut-off date for phasing. The boundaries are still being formulated, but I would anticipate impacts to Westfield, South Lakes, Oakton, Chantilly, and Centreville High Schools. Please continue to reach out to me or your district representative with feedback.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, if what Meren says is correct about delaying the opening, why didn't Reid mention that at the Saturday meeting?

Because the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing? Idk I’ve worked in plenty of dysfunctional organizations and this all seems pretty par for the course, lots of people making statements that may or may not be true and never checking with anyone else first, lots of abrupt deadline changes, lots of “well let’s fold in this slightly related but ultimately not core project into this larger project so we can fix both things at the same time” muddying the waters.

DP. It might be somewhere in the middle. At the Chantilly meeting, Reid said they still wanted to do a soft open in 2026 but they would focus on finishing the county wide study first before looking at the KAA boundaries early next year.

What is a “soft open” for a high school? How would people have any idea what they are signing their kids up for, other than that it wouldn’t have VHSL sports?

I’ve yet to see a compelling reason why they shouldn’t delay opening Western until it has three grades, with only juniors given an automatic option to remain at their current schools.

It sounded like they wanted to let anyone who wants to go there attend, whether in boundary or not. Not sure what grades specifically.

I understand but that’s still incoherent from a planning perspective. They gear up to offer the standard course of studies to 500 kids? What happens if you’re out of boundary and you send your kid to Western but they adopt boundaries later? Does your kid get booted?

The School Board needs to grow a spine and squelch Reid Charter before it opens.

+1

There is no reason they cannot open next year--except that these people do not know how to plan anything.

Schools destroyed by tornadoes, etc, manage to open elsewhere under much more difficult circumstances.

They can open next year and have JV sports teams. It just takes someone being pro-active on this. Or, open with ninth grade and Freshman sports.

One challenge with this is that freshmen coming out of Carson have very different academic needs. You'll have the kids who should have gotten into TJ ready for higher-level math courses and kids needing remedial math to be ready for Algebra I. The smaller Western opens, the more challenging it becomes to build a schedule that accommodates these diverse requirements.

I don't see why anyone would choose to go there unless you are right across the street or something. It sounds like course offerings will be questionable. Will there be enough kids to form interest in typical clubs? Will sports kids bother with being bussed back to the base school for sports when they can just choose to stay at the base school to begin with? In truth, the longer they delay required boundaries, the longer it takes to fully establish the school.

We will go in the first year. My student would not play a sport at their current HS, they enjoy their sport but are not the kid who is practicing in the back yard and has expressed zero interest in playing at their HS. They might be more interested in trying out for a Freshmen team at a school with less competition, knowing that it would be rough, because they know they are likely to get some playing time and there is not going to be a ton of pressure to win. If they choose not to do a sport, starting the clubs they like should be easy enough, think D&D, games, and Magic the Gathering. They would also be interested in academic clubs, the math clubs, that should be easier to get started.

We are one of the families that would be coming from SLHS and have 0 interest in IB classes. Moving to a new school with AP would be great. The "aviation program" classes sound interesting. I put aviation in quotes because the classes sound more STEM based then aviation based but what do I know. We know other families excited to make the move as well. Believe it or not, we are out there. There are families not invested in sports and music and theatre, the big programs that are less likely to be strong in the first 4 years at the new school, who will be fine with the regular clubs. Some are excited for their kids to get a chance to lead at the new schools.

There might be kids who know that they are good at a specific sport but not strong enough to make the JV or Varsity at their current school that might be excited about moving to a school where they might have a chance to play more. Or they are the kid who is a good vocalist or musician that knows they would be in the choir or a third seat that might get the chance to get a solo role or second or first seat. There might be kids who are strong in math but know that they might not make the math team at Oakton who thinks they have a better shot at the new school. There will be opportunities open for kids that they might not have at the new school.

The one thing that I think FCPS will get right is making sure that they have teachers for the classes that freshmen and sophomores would normally take. I know teachers who have already expressed an interest to move to the new school. I suspect that FCPS will be able to choose the teachers that they want and will choose the best teachers they can to make sure that the transition years are as painless as possible. They don't want the damage that would come from not being able to offer classes that the kids need or want, electives.

I expect that there will be rocky moments but that possibility exists at every school. So yeah, we would move in a heartbeat. And we know others excited to do so as well. I doubt that there are as many parents excited about the move at Chantilly but the parents I know there don't seem to dread the move. Oakton families are split, with the largest voice fighting the move. SLHS families are not all on board with the idea but I think there is more of an even split on those excited and those who want to stay at SLHS. I suspect that the opt in option means that many of those families will be fine as long as their current MS can go to SLHS. Some ES parents seem to be less enthusiastic about moving but that will probably shift if it does happen and they see the new school grow and options become available. SLHS also has the pro of being able to pupil place for IB so it is easy to stay there if they want.

Option A does not have any South Lakes kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How is the whole Wolftrap/Westbriar situation shaking out? Has anyone gone back to the Wolftrap families who thought they'd be moving to Madison and told them "never mind"? Or conveyed a new plan for the ridiculous ES/MS/HS attendance island Scenario 4 proposes for Westbriar?

Where is this assumption coming from? Just your opinion of what is logical, or has something been said by anyone in an official capacity to make you believe this is happening?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, if what Meren says is correct about delaying the opening, why didn't Reid mention that at the Saturday meeting?

Because the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing? Idk I’ve worked in plenty of dysfunctional organizations and this all seems pretty par for the course, lots of people making statements that may or may not be true and never checking with anyone else first, lots of abrupt deadline changes, lots of “well let’s fold in this slightly related but ultimately not core project into this larger project so we can fix both things at the same time” muddying the waters.

DP. It might be somewhere in the middle. At the Chantilly meeting, Reid said they still wanted to do a soft open in 2026 but they would focus on finishing the county wide study first before looking at the KAA boundaries early next year.

What is a “soft open” for a high school? How would people have any idea what they are signing their kids up for, other than that it wouldn’t have VHSL sports?

I’ve yet to see a compelling reason why they shouldn’t delay opening Western until it has three grades, with only juniors given an automatic option to remain at their current schools.

It sounded like they wanted to let anyone who wants to go there attend, whether in boundary or not. Not sure what grades specifically.

I understand but that’s still incoherent from a planning perspective. They gear up to offer the standard course of studies to 500 kids? What happens if you’re out of boundary and you send your kid to Western but they adopt boundaries later? Does your kid get booted?

The School Board needs to grow a spine and squelch Reid Charter before it opens.

+1

There is no reason they cannot open next year--except that these people do not know how to plan anything.

Schools destroyed by tornadoes, etc, manage to open elsewhere under much more difficult circumstances.

They can open next year and have JV sports teams. It just takes someone being pro-active on this. Or, open with ninth grade and Freshman sports.

One challenge with this is that freshmen coming out of Carson have very different academic needs. You'll have the kids who should have gotten into TJ ready for higher-level math courses and kids needing remedial math to be ready for Algebra I. The smaller Western opens, the more challenging it becomes to build a schedule that accommodates these diverse requirements.

I don't see why anyone would choose to go there unless you are right across the street or something. It sounds like course offerings will be questionable. Will there be enough kids to form interest in typical clubs? Will sports kids bother with being bussed back to the base school for sports when they can just choose to stay at the base school to begin with? In truth, the longer they delay required boundaries, the longer it takes to fully establish the school.

We will go in the first year. My student would not play a sport at their current HS, they enjoy their sport but are not the kid who is practicing in the back yard and has expressed zero interest in playing at their HS. They might be more interested in trying out for a Freshmen team at a school with less competition, knowing that it would be rough, because they know they are likely to get some playing time and there is not going to be a ton of pressure to win. If they choose not to do a sport, starting the clubs they like should be easy enough, think D&D, games, and Magic the Gathering. They would also be interested in academic clubs, the math clubs, that should be easier to get started.

We are one of the families that would be coming from SLHS and have 0 interest in IB classes. Moving to a new school with AP would be great. The "aviation program" classes sound interesting. I put aviation in quotes because the classes sound more STEM based then aviation based but what do I know. We know other families excited to make the move as well. Believe it or not, we are out there. There are families not invested in sports and music and theatre, the big programs that are less likely to be strong in the first 4 years at the new school, who will be fine with the regular clubs. Some are excited for their kids to get a chance to lead at the new schools.

There might be kids who know that they are good at a specific sport but not strong enough to make the JV or Varsity at their current school that might be excited about moving to a school where they might have a chance to play more. Or they are the kid who is a good vocalist or musician that knows they would be in the choir or a third seat that might get the chance to get a solo role or second or first seat. There might be kids who are strong in math but know that they might not make the math team at Oakton who thinks they have a better shot at the new school. There will be opportunities open for kids that they might not have at the new school.

The one thing that I think FCPS will get right is making sure that they have teachers for the classes that freshmen and sophomores would normally take. I know teachers who have already expressed an interest to move to the new school. I suspect that FCPS will be able to choose the teachers that they want and will choose the best teachers they can to make sure that the transition years are as painless as possible. They don't want the damage that would come from not being able to offer classes that the kids need or want, electives.

I expect that there will be rocky moments but that possibility exists at every school. So yeah, we would move in a heartbeat. And we know others excited to do so as well. I doubt that there are as many parents excited about the move at Chantilly but the parents I know there don't seem to dread the move. Oakton families are split, with the largest voice fighting the move. SLHS families are not all on board with the idea but I think there is more of an even split on those excited and those who want to stay at SLHS. I suspect that the opt in option means that many of those families will be fine as long as their current MS can go to SLHS. Some ES parents seem to be less enthusiastic about moving but that will probably shift if it does happen and they see the new school grow and options become available. SLHS also has the pro of being able to pupil place for IB so it is easy to stay there if they want.

Similar situation with us. We want to move but are scared that the options process they’re talking about will make a small class. I wish they’d rip off the bandaid and put all the kids in the same boat so they band together and create a magical school together.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like there's some infighting on the school board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like there's some infighting on the school board.

Interesting:

There was supposed to be a Public Engagement Meeting tonight. It has been cancelled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was Crestwood.

Listening on line and the Board seems to not know what is going on or even to have any power. The consultants appear to be running the show.

That’s shocking. That wasn’t on any of the maps and they are pretty close to Lewis (well, all of Lewis’s boundaries are fairly close except perhaps the furthest ends of Saratoga).

Do we think this is some kind of move of Crestwood to WSHS and Hunt Valley to Lewis?

makes sense. HV is 200 more students than crestwood. so that adds students to Lewis which is underenrolled and reduces WSHS by 200 which is overenrolled. crestwood is also 50% FARMs and ESL while HV is like 10%. this helps with equitable outcomes between the schools.

Can someone explain how what they’re proposing to Halley and Gunston is equitable? They’re moving the Hagel Circle attendance island from Halley to Gunston (even though it’s still going to technically be an island). Hagel Circle is almost entirely FARMS. Halley will lose the majority of FARMS kids while Gunston will likely become a Title 1 school. In exchange for the increased students from Hagel Circle, they’re planning to move out a middle class neighborhood to Island Creek.

Bussing a low income neighborhood to a higher income school doesn’t work. Every neighborhood should be attending its closest school and this is extra true for lower income areas. Transportation is a real concern in high FARMS areas because not every household has a car, or maybe they only have 1 car for the whole household with multiple adults working in different areas. So if your kid misses the bus, there’s no way for them to get to school if walking isn’t realistic (which it absolutely is not from Hagel Circle to Halley). Parents are less likely to come to school conferences or events. Kids feel disconnected from the larger school community and it creates absenteeism.

I’m a South County parent although my kids are still in ES. If they move in Sangster’s small attendance island and most of HV south of the Parkway and don’t make any moves out, SCMS and HS are going to be overcrowded. No, I don’t really care which areas stay or go or come in to our boundaries in terms of the SES and which could give our school more “prestige,” I knew how the demographics were here when I bought and knew that it was a much larger income range compared to WS or Burke which seem more uniformly middle and UMC. But we can’t have a move in of a few hundred kids from WS and LB without a move out. Also worth noting there is significant room for development in Lorton - so a big new neighborhood could pop up at any moment, making the schools even more crowded and leading to “oops we need to make another boundary adjustment in 5-10 years” and a lot of instability.

The only elementary school within walking distance to Halley is Lorton Station. The Halley attendance island is carved from Lorton Station borders. Wouldn’t the solution be to send Halley to Lorton Station?

Walking distance, oh you mean a 40 min walk for an elementary kid? Oh and overcrowding, makes sense.. smh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was Crestwood.

Listening on line and the Board seems to not know what is going on or even to have any power. The consultants appear to be running the show.

That’s shocking. That wasn’t on any of the maps and they are pretty close to Lewis (well, all of Lewis’s boundaries are fairly close except perhaps the furthest ends of Saratoga).

Do we think this is some kind of move of Crestwood to WSHS and Hunt Valley to Lewis?

makes sense. HV is 200 more students than crestwood. so that adds students to Lewis which is underenrolled and reduces WSHS by 200 which is overenrolled. crestwood is also 50% FARMs and ESL while HV is like 10%. this helps with equitable outcomes between the schools.

Can someone explain how what they’re proposing to Halley and Gunston is equitable? They’re moving the Hagel Circle attendance island from Halley to Gunston (even though it’s still going to technically be an island). Hagel Circle is almost entirely FARMS. Halley will lose the majority of FARMS kids while Gunston will likely become a Title 1 school. In exchange for the increased students from Hagel Circle, they’re planning to move out a middle class neighborhood to Island Creek.

Bussing a low income neighborhood to a higher income school doesn’t work. Every neighborhood should be attending its closest school and this is extra true for lower income areas. Transportation is a real concern in high FARMS areas because not every household has a car, or maybe they only have 1 car for the whole household with multiple adults working in different areas. So if your kid misses the bus, there’s no way for them to get to school if walking isn’t realistic (which it absolutely is not from Hagel Circle to Halley). Parents are less likely to come to school conferences or events. Kids feel disconnected from the larger school community and it creates absenteeism.

I’m a South County parent although my kids are still in ES. If they move in Sangster’s small attendance island and most of HV south of the Parkway and don’t make any moves out, SCMS and HS are going to be overcrowded. No, I don’t really care which areas stay or go or come in to our boundaries in terms of the SES and which could give our school more “prestige,” I knew how the demographics were here when I bought and knew that it was a much larger income range compared to WS or Burke which seem more uniformly middle and UMC. But we can’t have a move in of a few hundred kids from WS and LB without a move out. Also worth noting there is significant room for development in Lorton - so a big new neighborhood could pop up at any moment, making the schools even more crowded and leading to “oops we need to make another boundary adjustment in 5-10 years” and a lot of instability.

Moving the kids from Halley to Gunston will not move a single kid out of SCMS or HS, so not sure what point you’re trying to make. Gunston is already a split feeder with the Mason Neck students going to SCMS/HS since it opened. Moving the Hagel Circle attendance island to Lorton Station would move those students to Hayfield. Additionally, there is a walking path in the back of Hagel Circle that leads to Lorton Station - getting to Gunston involves crossing Route 1 and walking down Gunston Road which doesn’t have sidewalks.

Hagel circle is fenced in. There is no proper path from the back of Hagel Circle. There are no trespassing signs posted all along there sir

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was Crestwood.

Listening on line and the Board seems to not know what is going on or even to have any power. The consultants appear to be running the show.

That’s shocking. That wasn’t on any of the maps and they are pretty close to Lewis (well, all of Lewis’s boundaries are fairly close except perhaps the furthest ends of Saratoga).

Do we think this is some kind of move of Crestwood to WSHS and Hunt Valley to Lewis?

makes sense. HV is 200 more students than crestwood. so that adds students to Lewis which is underenrolled and reduces WSHS by 200 which is overenrolled. crestwood is also 50% FARMs and ESL while HV is like 10%. this helps with equitable outcomes between the schools.

Can someone explain how what they’re proposing to Halley and Gunston is equitable? They’re moving the Hagel Circle attendance island from Halley to Gunston (even though it’s still going to technically be an island). Hagel Circle is almost entirely FARMS. Halley will lose the majority of FARMS kids while Gunston will likely become a Title 1 school. In exchange for the increased students from Hagel Circle, they’re planning to move out a middle class neighborhood to Island Creek.

Bussing a low income neighborhood to a higher income school doesn’t work. Every neighborhood should be attending its closest school and this is extra true for lower income areas. Transportation is a real concern in high FARMS areas because not every household has a car, or maybe they only have 1 car for the whole household with multiple adults working in different areas. So if your kid misses the bus, there’s no way for them to get to school if walking isn’t realistic (which it absolutely is not from Hagel Circle to Halley). Parents are less likely to come to school conferences or events. Kids feel disconnected from the larger school community and it creates absenteeism.

I’m a South County parent although my kids are still in ES. If they move in Sangster’s small attendance island and most of HV south of the Parkway and don’t make any moves out, SCMS and HS are going to be overcrowded. No, I don’t really care which areas stay or go or come in to our boundaries in terms of the SES and which could give our school more “prestige,” I knew how the demographics were here when I bought and knew that it was a much larger income range compared to WS or Burke which seem more uniformly middle and UMC. But we can’t have a move in of a few hundred kids from WS and LB without a move out. Also worth noting there is significant room for development in Lorton - so a big new neighborhood could pop up at any moment, making the schools even more crowded and leading to “oops we need to make another boundary adjustment in 5-10 years” and a lot of instability.

Moving the kids from Halley to Gunston will not move a single kid out of SCMS or HS, so not sure what point you’re trying to make. Gunston is already a split feeder with the Mason Neck students going to SCMS/HS since it opened. Moving the Hagel Circle attendance island to Lorton Station would move those students to Hayfield. Additionally, there is a walking path in the back of Hagel Circle that leads to Lorton Station - getting to Gunston involves crossing Route 1 and walking down Gunston Road which doesn’t have sidewalks.

Hagel circle is fenced in. There is no proper path from the back of Hagel Circle. There are no trespassing signs posted all along there sir

FCPS adds entrances to fences to allow elementary kids to walk to their neighborhood schools.

Surely FCPS could work with that development to find a way to create a safe walking path from Hagel Circle to Lorton Station.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was Crestwood.

Listening on line and the Board seems to not know what is going on or even to have any power. The consultants appear to be running the show.

That’s shocking. That wasn’t on any of the maps and they are pretty close to Lewis (well, all of Lewis’s boundaries are fairly close except perhaps the furthest ends of Saratoga).

Do we think this is some kind of move of Crestwood to WSHS and Hunt Valley to Lewis?

makes sense. HV is 200 more students than crestwood. so that adds students to Lewis which is underenrolled and reduces WSHS by 200 which is overenrolled. crestwood is also 50% FARMs and ESL while HV is like 10%. this helps with equitable outcomes between the schools.

Can someone explain how what they’re proposing to Halley and Gunston is equitable? They’re moving the Hagel Circle attendance island from Halley to Gunston (even though it’s still going to technically be an island). Hagel Circle is almost entirely FARMS. Halley will lose the majority of FARMS kids while Gunston will likely become a Title 1 school. In exchange for the increased students from Hagel Circle, they’re planning to move out a middle class neighborhood to Island Creek.

Bussing a low income neighborhood to a higher income school doesn’t work. Every neighborhood should be attending its closest school and this is extra true for lower income areas. Transportation is a real concern in high FARMS areas because not every household has a car, or maybe they only have 1 car for the whole household with multiple adults working in different areas. So if your kid misses the bus, there’s no way for them to get to school if walking isn’t realistic (which it absolutely is not from Hagel Circle to Halley). Parents are less likely to come to school conferences or events. Kids feel disconnected from the larger school community and it creates absenteeism.

I’m a South County parent although my kids are still in ES. If they move in Sangster’s small attendance island and most of HV south of the Parkway and don’t make any moves out, SCMS and HS are going to be overcrowded. No, I don’t really care which areas stay or go or come in to our boundaries in terms of the SES and which could give our school more “prestige,” I knew how the demographics were here when I bought and knew that it was a much larger income range compared to WS or Burke which seem more uniformly middle and UMC. But we can’t have a move in of a few hundred kids from WS and LB without a move out. Also worth noting there is significant room for development in Lorton - so a big new neighborhood could pop up at any moment, making the schools even more crowded and leading to “oops we need to make another boundary adjustment in 5-10 years” and a lot of instability.

Moving the kids from Halley to Gunston will not move a single kid out of SCMS or HS, so not sure what point you’re trying to make. Gunston is already a split feeder with the Mason Neck students going to SCMS/HS since it opened. Moving the Hagel Circle attendance island to Lorton Station would move those students to Hayfield. Additionally, there is a walking path in the back of Hagel Circle that leads to Lorton Station - getting to Gunston involves crossing Route 1 and walking down Gunston Road which doesn’t have sidewalks.

Hagel circle is fenced in. There is no proper path from the back of Hagel Circle. There are no trespassing signs posted all along there sir

FCPS adds entrances to fences to allow elementary kids to walk to their neighborhood schools.

Surely FCPS could work with that development to find a way to create a safe walking path from Hagel Circle to Lorton Station.

DP, and I don’t know that that’s a walkable distance BUT it’s certainly closer than Halley, and probably a little easier on the bus than the trip to Gunston. I’d imagine the bus would go from Hagel Cir. a little down Rt. 1 to Gunston Cove/Lorton Market, which never seems to be a hugely busy road, and then onto Lorton Road and Lorton Station Elementary is right there.

[Anonymous]

Given how the boundary review has gone, I’m betting that most of the school board members have significant buyer’s remorse undertaking such a ridiculous review.

Remember that the only one who opposed it from the start was McElveen, the rest don’t deserve reelection.