FCPS comprehensive boundary review

[Anonymous]

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I think that they need to look at Justice (for a lot of reasons) but Justice right now only has one middle school that feeds it and that is Glasgow. That is a huge problem. Because there is nothing to break up the bad middle school culture and it carries to Justice. They should move some of the Glasgow population to Falls Church or another HS and take from McLean pyramid. Justice needs help.

So, you think that McLean should pony up kids to help Justice? Do you hear yourself?

I've said it repeatedly: The Superintendent and School Board need to address and fix the problem The problem is not solved by pouring in more affluent kids. The problem is solved by addressing the needs of the current students and admitting what the problem is. I don't know anything about Glasgow, but if there is a serious problem there it should be addressed THERE. Spreading the problem around will not fix it.

I own property in the area. The issue with Glasgow is that it was rebuilt from scratch to accommodate almost 1700 kids, including AAP kids, but a lot of the student body is undisciplined and unruly. The community just wants to reduce the enrollment, even if it leaves the school technically under-enrolled, so the administration has fewer kids to supervise.

Both Holmes and Poe, which are nearby, have spare capacity and they are also 6-8 middle schools like Glasgow. The challenge is that Holmes and Poe are already split feeders (Holmes to Annandale and Edison and Poe to Annandale and Falls Church) and moving Glasgow kids there would turn them into three-way split feeders unless the Justice boundaries also change. In addition, the Glasgow neighborhoods closest to Holmes and Poe are mostly single-family areas, so they could end up reducing the number of kids at Glasgow but increasing the concentration of poverty. But I gather some would support that as long as the enrollment is smaller.

Reid wants to make this school the model for all FCPS middle schools.

Giant, unmanageable 6th through 8th grade monstrosities with around 2000 students each.

The 7th-8th middle schools are barely holding the discipline together, and the three 6th-7th-8th middle schools are out of control.

Yet Reid wants that model to go county wide.

It makes no sense fot the school board to expand all the middle schools to 2000 students.

APS has 6-8 middle schools and most of them have enrollments smaller than many FCPS 7-8 middle schools.

But they have the buildings they have, and we have the buildings we have. I don’t know how we possibly have 6-8 middle schools in FCPS without massive upheaval and in some cases monster-size schools.

If they move 6th grade to middle schools, most of the middle schools will go from around 1100-1400 students, to 1600-2100 students. Discipline issues will skyrocket with middle schools of that size enrollment.

APS is a tiny district compared to FCPS and has far fewer households with school aged children.

You cannot compare the 2 districts on this one, because their student composition is so different from FCPS.

However, we can compare the middle schools in FCPS. In general, the 6th-8th middle schools on average are far less successful than most of the 7th-8th middle schools, with far more discipline issues.

The only reason to add 6th to middle school is if Reid wants to pull the quality of all FCPS middle schools downward to the lowest common denominator.

So you agree that Glasgow is too big and needs to be fixed.

And the MS that are currently 6th-8th have, as you say, a very different composition than most of the rest of FCPS MS.

The lack of reasoning skills on display in this thread is astounding. I get that re-boundarying is an emotional issue, but it’s clear many of you cannot put together coherent arguments.

Is Jackson middle school of similar composition? I am sure there are 7-8th in FCPS that are similar in composition to Glasgow. I am not even sure if Poe or Holmes is similar in composition to Glasgow.

If you are looking at race, they are similar in demographics for all those schools. Holmes and Poe (3 grades) have about 900 kids and Glasgow 1800 kids. Jackson is two grades with 1000 kids.

The big difference is that Glasgow's population is 94% economically disadvantaged and Poe is 91%. Jackson is 59% and Holmes 67%.

The economically disadvantaged is the issue (besides learning a new language). My friend taught at Glasgow, and besides the MS13 gangs and violence they have to educate kids that have never had a single book in their home. Parents and PTOs put a lot into schools, time and money. You are talking about a school that completely lacks even that resource by its population makeup.

These statistics are off. I can assure you that nowhere near 94% of Glasgow’s kids are economically disadvantaged. They may roll up kids at feeder ES that are deemed 100% disadvantaged for convenience but there are a lot of kids from affluent families in Lake Barcroft and Sleepy Hollow at Glasgow and Justice.

Poe is not truly 91% disadvantaged, either.

This is what the State is saying on their site.
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/

That says Poe is 77% farms not 91

Under enrollment tab it has it at 91% for economically disadvantaged

[Anonymous]

Virtual community meetings will be taking place in January and February if you didn’t get a chance to attend an in person meeting https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/maps/2024-2026-boundary-review?utm_campaign+=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#boundary_community_engage

Since the last virtual meeting is Feb. 10, it doesn’t seem like we’ll see any proposals until after that date.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:So I could have a grandfathered senior- WSHS and grandfathered 8th grader- Irving but 10th grade SOCO.

Or WSHS+Irving + one at Lewis.

Talk about a disparity in education quality within a single family.

Shame on the school board for using kids as political pawns.

I’m naively hoping our end of HV gets sent to SOCO and not Lewis. But you’re right. I’m more worried about the transportation and high school events for the 2 locations.

Be thankful your kids have activities. Some schools can’t even provide kids those opportunities because there aren’t enough kids interested. Also, you don’t have to grandfather. That’s your choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I could have a grandfathered senior- WSHS and grandfathered 8th grader- Irving but 10th grade SOCO.

Or WSHS+Irving + one at Lewis.

Talk about a disparity in education quality within a single family.

Shame on the school board for using kids as political pawns.

I’m naively hoping our end of HV gets sent to SOCO and not Lewis. But you’re right. I’m more worried about the transportation and high school events for the 2 locations.

Be thankful your kids have activities. Some schools can’t even provide kids those opportunities because there aren’t enough kids interested. Also, you don’t have to grandfather. That’s your choice.

My goodness.

What a comment. One can only hope this is trolling and not a serious post.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know where I can find information on how the schools in the Edison pyramid might be affected by boundary changes? Folks seem to have a lot of info in this thread about the likelihood/possibility of shifts in other pyramids, but I’m having trouble finding anything on how the Edison schools might shift.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know where I can find information on how the schools in the Edison pyramid might be affected by boundary changes? Folks seem to have a lot of info in this thread about the likelihood/possibility of shifts in other pyramids, but I’m having trouble finding anything on how the Edison schools might shift.

Pretty sure that everything on here is pure speculation. Some people sense that their schools are on the chopping block--and may be correct. And, people love to point fingers at other neighborhoods and recommend that they might be moved.

[Anonymous]

Have the consultants or the committee members looked into making the Wilston School a 6th grade academy? It’s a highly walkable former school building in the center of 7 Corners. That would solve the Glasgow overcrowding crisis and save FCPS the $ and effort from switching to the 6-8 model countywide.

It would likely only need a paint job, new security vestibule at the entry, and maybe asbestos removal. The building itself looks great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know where I can find information on how the schools in the Edison pyramid might be affected by boundary changes? Folks seem to have a lot of info in this thread about the likelihood/possibility of shifts in other pyramids, but I’m having trouble finding anything on how the Edison schools might shift.

If you are in a good school district you are at risk. The only kids who are likely completely safe are the ones who go to school with the school board members’ kids. Those kids miraculously won’t be impacted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have the consultants or the committee members looked into making the Wilston School a 6th grade academy? It’s a highly walkable former school building in the center of 7 Corners. That would solve the Glasgow overcrowding crisis and save FCPS the $ and effort from switching to the 6-8 model countywide.

It would likely only need a paint job, new security vestibule at the entry, and maybe asbestos removal. The building itself looks great.

It’s Willston and it’s being used as a community center now. No one is going to make it a “6th grade academy.” Those folks are already up in arms about being an outlier with K-5 elementary schools and 6-8 middle schools. They’d be even more of an outlier with 6th graders in a stand-alone building.

Maybe if Glasgow reverted to a 7-8 school and they needed another ES in the Justice pyramid they’d return it to use as a K-6 school, but they previously built a brand-new Bailey’s Upper ES in part because people had hesitations about the Willston site.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have the consultants or the committee members looked into making the Wilston School a 6th grade academy? It’s a highly walkable former school building in the center of 7 Corners. That would solve the Glasgow overcrowding crisis and save FCPS the $ and effort from switching to the 6-8 model countywide.

It would likely only need a paint job, new security vestibule at the entry, and maybe asbestos removal. The building itself looks great.

It’s Willston and it’s being used as a community center now. No one is going to make it a “6th grade academy.” Those folks are already up in arms about being an outlier with K-5 elementary schools and 6-8 middle schools. They’d be even more of an outlier with 6th graders in a stand-alone building.

Maybe if Glasgow reverted to a 7-8 school and they needed another ES in the Justice pyramid they’d return it to use as a K-6 school, but they previously built a brand-new Bailey’s Upper ES in part because people had hesitations about the Willston site.

Ahh good points thanks. I think it’s a fairly large site and could possibly also host a brand new community center, even if Willston reverts to a K-6 school. It’s land the county owns in an area with lots of school age kids, so a Willston School should be considered again as part of a solution.

There will be many more kids on the horizon in that part of the Justice zone due to the planned high density apartments and townhome developments across from the Toll Brother’s Grove at Dominion Hills subdivision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have the consultants or the committee members looked into making the Wilston School a 6th grade academy? It’s a highly walkable former school building in the center of 7 Corners. That would solve the Glasgow overcrowding crisis and save FCPS the $ and effort from switching to the 6-8 model countywide.

It would likely only need a paint job, new security vestibule at the entry, and maybe asbestos removal. The building itself looks great.

It’s Willston and it’s being used as a community center now. No one is going to make it a “6th grade academy.” Those folks are already up in arms about being an outlier with K-5 elementary schools and 6-8 middle schools. They’d be even more of an outlier with 6th graders in a stand-alone building.

Maybe if Glasgow reverted to a 7-8 school and they needed another ES in the Justice pyramid they’d return it to use as a K-6 school, but they previously built a brand-new Bailey’s Upper ES in part because people had hesitations about the Willston site.

Why in the world do they care about have 6th in MS? This seems like a non issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have the consultants or the committee members looked into making the Wilston School a 6th grade academy? It’s a highly walkable former school building in the center of 7 Corners. That would solve the Glasgow overcrowding crisis and save FCPS the $ and effort from switching to the 6-8 model countywide.

It would likely only need a paint job, new security vestibule at the entry, and maybe asbestos removal. The building itself looks great.

It’s Willston and it’s being used as a community center now. No one is going to make it a “6th grade academy.” Those folks are already up in arms about being an outlier with K-5 elementary schools and 6-8 middle schools. They’d be even more of an outlier with 6th graders in a stand-alone building.

Maybe if Glasgow reverted to a 7-8 school and they needed another ES in the Justice pyramid they’d return it to use as a K-6 school, but they previously built a brand-new Bailey’s Upper ES in part because people had hesitations about the Willston site.

Why in the world do they care about have 6th in MS? This seems like a non issue.

It mostly comes back to one of the three 6-8 MS in FCPS (Glasgow) being so chaotic. You can have 1400 kids in 7-8 at Carson, and people are generally fine with that, but when it's 1700 kids in 6-8 at Glasgow, and many of them are unruly, people want a change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I could have a grandfathered senior- WSHS and grandfathered 8th grader- Irving but 10th grade SOCO.

Or WSHS+Irving + one at Lewis.

Talk about a disparity in education quality within a single family.

Shame on the school board for using kids as political pawns.

I’m naively hoping our end of HV gets sent to SOCO and not Lewis. But you’re right. I’m more worried about the transportation and high school events for the 2 locations.

Be thankful your kids have activities. Some schools can’t even provide kids those opportunities because there aren’t enough kids interested. Also, you don’t have to grandfather. That’s your choice.

My goodness.

What a comment. One can only hope this is trolling and not a serious post.

PP isn’t wrong though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know where I can find information on how the schools in the Edison pyramid might be affected by boundary changes? Folks seem to have a lot of info in this thread about the likelihood/possibility of shifts in other pyramids, but I’m having trouble finding anything on how the Edison schools might shift.

If you are in a good school district you are at risk. The only kids who are likely completely safe are the ones who go to school with the school board members’ kids. Those kids miraculously won’t be impacted.

Correction: if you at or near an overcrowded school, you are at risk NOT because you are at a “good” school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know where I can find information on how the schools in the Edison pyramid might be affected by boundary changes? Folks seem to have a lot of info in this thread about the likelihood/possibility of shifts in other pyramids, but I’m having trouble finding anything on how the Edison schools might shift.

If you are in a good school district you are at risk. The only kids who are likely completely safe are the ones who go to school with the school board members’ kids. Those kids miraculously won’t be impacted.

Correction: if you at or near an overcrowded school, you are at risk NOT because you are at a “good” school.

Too bad they short-change some of the overcrowded schools, while wasting our money on unnecessary projects like Dunn Loring ES. With better management of resources, some of these potential boundary changes would be off the table.