Boundary Review Meetings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

And, at the beginning, they were clear as to their purpose. There were three reasons--and overcrowding and transportation were two of them. The third now "shall not be mentioned."

[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.

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

It wouldn’t overcrowd Lorton Station ES, that school was built large with a capacity of close to 900 and right now has only 83% utilization. They could pick up another neighborhood. Gunston is smaller (capacity 650, also currently 83% utilization), older - built in the 1950s, someone upthread said it was also on well and septic which is typical of the Mason Neck area so you definitely don’t want to overcrowd it. And to pick up a large neighborhood like Hagel Circle they have to move some of their current neighborhoods out to Island Creek, which is much more associated with the Kingstowne area, would be a longer bus ride for the neighborhoods getting moved, and puts Island Creek at close to capacity as well. You end up with Island Creek and Gunston between 95-100% and leave the larger, newer Lorton Station still at only 83%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

McElveen is a good bit smarter than the rest of them but he’s also a loyal Democrat so he just sits back and watches the train wreck with a combination of bemusement and detachment.

It would be nice if he occasionally spoke up and pointed out that he knew this would not go well for all the reasons we’ve now seen.

At this point they are just going through the motions of pretending they are accomplishing something, and they really aren’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

McElveen is a good bit smarter than the rest of them but he’s also a loyal Democrat so he just sits back and watches the train wreck with a combination of bemusement and detachment.

It would be nice if he occasionally spoke up and pointed out that he knew this would not go well for all the reasons we’ve now seen.

At this point they are just going through the motions of pretending they are accomplishing something, and they really aren’t.

Mcelveen is a creep who took high school kids to prom. Yuck.

[Anonymous]

Ya'll need to wave the white flag, and accept whatever school the school board wants to send your kids to.

They received a resounding mandate last night to do whatever they want to do to your kids education (or lack thereof) however they want to do it, under any timeline, without grandfathering if need be.

They know that there will be zero consequences in the next election for rezoning anyone.

Read the tea leaves and save your energy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ya'll need to wave the white flag, and accept whatever school the school board wants to send your kids to.

They received a resounding mandate last night to do whatever they want to do to your kids education (or lack thereof) however they want to do it, under any timeline, without grandfathering if need be.

They know that there will be zero consequences in the next election for rezoning anyone.

Read the tea leaves and save your energy.

What is: How to totally misread last night’s results for a thousand, Alex.

Now, in a couple of years if they clean sweep the school board elections, that would be a better signal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ya'll need to wave the white flag, and accept whatever school the school board wants to send your kids to.

They received a resounding mandate last night to do whatever they want to do to your kids education (or lack thereof) however they want to do it, under any timeline, without grandfathering if need be.

They know that there will be zero consequences in the next election for rezoning anyone.

Read the tea leaves and save your energy.

What is: How to totally misread last night’s results for a thousand, Alex.

Now, in a couple of years if they clean sweep the school board elections, that would be a better signal.

Of course they will clean sweep the school board elections.

They know after last night that they have support to do whatever they want to do however they want to do it.

You all know you will vote them back into office no matter who runs, and they know it too.

Anyone who is fighting the rezoning is fairly delusional that their opinion matters to the school board. They know and you know that they will either get reelected, or someone far worse/more extreme/more left than them will get elected, no matter which neighborhoods get rezoned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ya'll need to wave the white flag, and accept whatever school the school board wants to send your kids to.

They received a resounding mandate last night to do whatever they want to do to your kids education (or lack thereof) however they want to do it, under any timeline, without grandfathering if need be.

They know that there will be zero consequences in the next election for rezoning anyone.

Read the tea leaves and save your energy.

What is: How to totally misread last night’s results for a thousand, Alex.

Now, in a couple of years if they clean sweep the school board elections, that would be a better signal.

Of course they will clean sweep the school board elections.

They know after last night that they have support to do whatever they want to do however they want to do it.

You all know you will vote them back into office no matter who runs, and they know it too.

Anyone who is fighting the rezoning is fairly delusional that their opinion matters to the school board. They know and you know that they will either get reelected, or someone far worse/more extreme/more left than them will get elected, no matter which neighborhoods get rezoned.

I don’t buy that for a second. There are areas that have successfully fought boundary changes through each turn of the map. And don’t forget, the puppet masters of the school board is the Democratic Party, and margins statewide are much much closer. Sure, maybe the bond passes 70-30 in Fairfax, but push too hard and vouchers statewide become a real possibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ya'll need to wave the white flag, and accept whatever school the school board wants to send your kids to.

They received a resounding mandate last night to do whatever they want to do to your kids education (or lack thereof) however they want to do it, under any timeline, without grandfathering if need be.

They know that there will be zero consequences in the next election for rezoning anyone.

Read the tea leaves and save your energy.

What is: How to totally misread last night’s results for a thousand, Alex.

Now, in a couple of years if they clean sweep the school board elections, that would be a better signal.

Of course they will clean sweep the school board elections.

They know after last night that they have support to do whatever they want to do however they want to do it.

You all know you will vote them back into office no matter who runs, and they know it too.

Anyone who is fighting the rezoning is fairly delusional that their opinion matters to the school board. They know and you know that they will either get reelected, or someone far worse/more extreme/more left than them will get elected, no matter which neighborhoods get rezoned.

I don’t buy that for a second. There are areas that have successfully fought boundary changes through each turn of the map. And don’t forget, the puppet masters of the school board is the Democratic Party, and margins statewide are much much closer. Sure, maybe the bond passes 70-30 in Fairfax, but push too hard and vouchers statewide become a real possibility.

The schools with the most money and really loud voices are able to impact things. No one else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ya'll need to wave the white flag, and accept whatever school the school board wants to send your kids to.

They received a resounding mandate last night to do whatever they want to do to your kids education (or lack thereof) however they want to do it, under any timeline, without grandfathering if need be.

They know that there will be zero consequences in the next election for rezoning anyone.

Read the tea leaves and save your energy.

What is: How to totally misread last night’s results for a thousand, Alex.

Now, in a couple of years if they clean sweep the school board elections, that would be a better signal.

Of course they will clean sweep the school board elections.

They know after last night that they have support to do whatever they want to do however they want to do it.

You all know you will vote them back into office no matter who runs, and they know it too.

Anyone who is fighting the rezoning is fairly delusional that their opinion matters to the school board. They know and you know that they will either get reelected, or someone far worse/more extreme/more left than them will get elected, no matter which neighborhoods get rezoned.

I don’t buy that for a second. There are areas that have successfully fought boundary changes through each turn of the map. And don’t forget, the puppet masters of the school board is the Democratic Party, and margins statewide are much much closer. Sure, maybe the bond passes 70-30 in Fairfax, but push too hard and vouchers statewide become a real possibility.

The schools with the most money and really loud voices are able to impact things. No one else.

The parents who vote with their feet, either moving to private or moving out of the county, over time, will significantly impact the school systems performance. It’s a slow but steady drip

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ya'll need to wave the white flag, and accept whatever school the school board wants to send your kids to.

They received a resounding mandate last night to do whatever they want to do to your kids education (or lack thereof) however they want to do it, under any timeline, without grandfathering if need be.

They know that there will be zero consequences in the next election for rezoning anyone.

Read the tea leaves and save your energy.

What is: How to totally misread last night’s results for a thousand, Alex.

Now, in a couple of years if they clean sweep the school board elections, that would be a better signal.

Of course they will clean sweep the school board elections.

They know after last night that they have support to do whatever they want to do however they want to do it.

You all know you will vote them back into office no matter who runs, and they know it too.

Anyone who is fighting the rezoning is fairly delusional that their opinion matters to the school board. They know and you know that they will either get reelected, or someone far worse/more extreme/more left than them will get elected, no matter which neighborhoods get rezoned.

I don’t buy that for a second. There are areas that have successfully fought boundary changes through each turn of the map. And don’t forget, the puppet masters of the school board is the Democratic Party, and margins statewide are much much closer. Sure, maybe the bond passes 70-30 in Fairfax, but push too hard and vouchers statewide become a real possibility.

The schools with the most money and really loud voices are able to impact things. No one else.

The parents who vote with their feet, either moving to private or moving out of the county, over time, will significantly impact the school systems performance. It’s a slow but steady drip

Maybe, or perhaps the Forestville parents will just rent apartments in Tysons in 2031 when part of Langley gets moved to Herndon and claim it's their primary residence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ya'll need to wave the white flag, and accept whatever school the school board wants to send your kids to.

They received a resounding mandate last night to do whatever they want to do to your kids education (or lack thereof) however they want to do it, under any timeline, without grandfathering if need be.

They know that there will be zero consequences in the next election for rezoning anyone.

Read the tea leaves and save your energy.

What is: How to totally misread last night’s results for a thousand, Alex.

Now, in a couple of years if they clean sweep the school board elections, that would be a better signal.

Of course they will clean sweep the school board elections.

They know after last night that they have support to do whatever they want to do however they want to do it.

You all know you will vote them back into office no matter who runs, and they know it too.

Anyone who is fighting the rezoning is fairly delusional that their opinion matters to the school board. They know and you know that they will either get reelected, or someone far worse/more extreme/more left than them will get elected, no matter which neighborhoods get rezoned.

I don’t buy that for a second. There are areas that have successfully fought boundary changes through each turn of the map. And don’t forget, the puppet masters of the school board is the Democratic Party, and margins statewide are much much closer. Sure, maybe the bond passes 70-30 in Fairfax, but push too hard and vouchers statewide become a real possibility.

The schools with the most money and really loud voices are able to impact things. No one else.

The parents who vote with their feet, either moving to private or moving out of the county, over time, will significantly impact the school systems performance. It’s a slow but steady drip

So parents with money who can afford private school or who can afford to move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ya'll need to wave the white flag, and accept whatever school the school board wants to send your kids to.

They received a resounding mandate last night to do whatever they want to do to your kids education (or lack thereof) however they want to do it, under any timeline, without grandfathering if need be.

They know that there will be zero consequences in the next election for rezoning anyone.

Read the tea leaves and save your energy.

What is: How to totally misread last night’s results for a thousand, Alex.

Now, in a couple of years if they clean sweep the school board elections, that would be a better signal.

Of course they will clean sweep the school board elections.

They know after last night that they have support to do whatever they want to do however they want to do it.

You all know you will vote them back into office no matter who runs, and they know it too.

Anyone who is fighting the rezoning is fairly delusional that their opinion matters to the school board. They know and you know that they will either get reelected, or someone far worse/more extreme/more left than them will get elected, no matter which neighborhoods get rezoned.

I don’t buy that for a second. There are areas that have successfully fought boundary changes through each turn of the map. And don’t forget, the puppet masters of the school board is the Democratic Party, and margins statewide are much much closer. Sure, maybe the bond passes 70-30 in Fairfax, but push too hard and vouchers statewide become a real possibility.

The schools with the most money and really loud voices are able to impact things. No one else.

The parents who vote with their feet, either moving to private or moving out of the county, over time, will significantly impact the school systems performance. It’s a slow but steady drip

Maybe, or perhaps the Forestville parents will just rent apartments in Tysons in 2031 when part of Langley gets moved to Herndon and claim it's their primary residence.

Snapping up that reasonably priced rental to let it sit empty. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ya'll need to wave the white flag, and accept whatever school the school board wants to send your kids to.

They received a resounding mandate last night to do whatever they want to do to your kids education (or lack thereof) however they want to do it, under any timeline, without grandfathering if need be.

They know that there will be zero consequences in the next election for rezoning anyone.

Read the tea leaves and save your energy.

What is: How to totally misread last night’s results for a thousand, Alex.

Now, in a couple of years if they clean sweep the school board elections, that would be a better signal.

Of course they will clean sweep the school board elections.

They know after last night that they have support to do whatever they want to do however they want to do it.

You all know you will vote them back into office no matter who runs, and they know it too.

Anyone who is fighting the rezoning is fairly delusional that their opinion matters to the school board. They know and you know that they will either get reelected, or someone far worse/more extreme/more left than them will get elected, no matter which neighborhoods get rezoned.

I don’t buy that for a second. There are areas that have successfully fought boundary changes through each turn of the map. And don’t forget, the puppet masters of the school board is the Democratic Party, and margins statewide are much much closer. Sure, maybe the bond passes 70-30 in Fairfax, but push too hard and vouchers statewide become a real possibility.

The schools with the most money and really loud voices are able to impact things. No one else.

The parents who vote with their feet, either moving to private or moving out of the county, over time, will significantly impact the school systems performance. It’s a slow but steady drip

So parents with money who can afford private school or who can afford to move.

I’d rather not alienate those families in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ya'll need to wave the white flag, and accept whatever school the school board wants to send your kids to.

They received a resounding mandate last night to do whatever they want to do to your kids education (or lack thereof) however they want to do it, under any timeline, without grandfathering if need be.

They know that there will be zero consequences in the next election for rezoning anyone.

Read the tea leaves and save your energy.

What is: How to totally misread last night’s results for a thousand, Alex.

Now, in a couple of years if they clean sweep the school board elections, that would be a better signal.

Of course they will clean sweep the school board elections.

They know after last night that they have support to do whatever they want to do however they want to do it.

You all know you will vote them back into office no matter who runs, and they know it too.

Anyone who is fighting the rezoning is fairly delusional that their opinion matters to the school board. They know and you know that they will either get reelected, or someone far worse/more extreme/more left than them will get elected, no matter which neighborhoods get rezoned.

I don’t buy that for a second. There are areas that have successfully fought boundary changes through each turn of the map. And don’t forget, the puppet masters of the school board is the Democratic Party, and margins statewide are much much closer. Sure, maybe the bond passes 70-30 in Fairfax, but push too hard and vouchers statewide become a real possibility.

There are still 3 more map revisions coming.

Map 5 is the last BRAC map. Reid initially said that map 3 was no longer under consideration, but by the end of the WSHS meeting she said Map 3 was back on the table, so parents who successfully fought for revisions to the early maps, such as Hunt Valley, might be out of luck as changes are made to accommodate the Sangster split feeder that has an irrational hatred of Lake Braddock.

Map 6 will be Reid's changes and map 7 will be all the school board pet projects added into the maps, such as Sandy Anderson's Rolling Valley to WSHS/moving other neighborhoods out to accomodate the changes. Other areas will get surprise rezonings in that round too.

There is no community feedback opportunity for Reids map 6 or the school board's map 7. There is only public notice required.

If you think after last night that the school board fears any election backlash over unpopular rezoning, you are not paying attention. They know that they or people more extreme than them will win in the next school board election, so they have zero motivation to do anything but what they wanted to do when they first started revising policy 8130 under One Fairfax 2 years ago.