School redistricting related question

[Anonymous]

We are new to this area and in the process of buying home. As you know, some small clusters are part of a school pyramid very different from their neighboring homes. What is the likelihood of FCPS yanking these "enclave of homes" to a pyramid that is consistent with the rest of the neighboring homes.

As you may have guessed we are interested in a home in one such "enclave" - Of course, the price is significantly higher because the home falls in a supposedly better school pyramid. We think it is risky to pay higher only to find that school pyramid affiliation is being changed.

Thanks for any pointers you can offer.

[Anonymous]

This is too vague. We will need specifics (i.e. location) to answer your question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is too vague. We will need specifics (i.e. location) to answer your question.

Agree with this.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]We are new to this area and in the process of buying home. As you know, some small clusters are part of a school pyramid very different from their neighboring homes. What is the likelihood of FCPS yanking these "enclave of homes" to a pyramid that is consistent with the rest of the neighboring homes.

As you may have guessed we are interested in a home in one such "enclave" - Of course, the price is significantly higher because the home falls in a supposedly better school pyramid. We think it is risky to pay higher only to find that school pyramid affiliation is being changed.

Thanks for any pointers you can offer.

[/quote]

There is a longterm goal of eliminating island and peninsulas- if that is what you are talking about. If your current HS is over crowded, I would be worried.

[Anonymous]

I think it's risky to buy in any of FCPS's "islands" or at the edge of a school district.

[Anonymous]

The islands should be gone. Whether they will be is anyone's guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The islands should be gone. Whether they will be is anyone's guess.

The policy towards eliminating islands is sporadically observed and enforced. It really depends upon what makes sense at the moment.

So, for example, the Frost/Woodson island that sits within Robinson is being eliminated as of this fall. On the other hand, as part of the Lanier/Fairax boundary study last year, the School Board created a new "Fairfax island" separated from Fairfax HS and the rest of the Fairfax district by neighborhoods now reassigned to Oakton and Woodson.

There are also still a lot of ES attendance islands that theoretically should be eliminated (for example, the Navy ES island that looks like it should go to Crossfield or Oak Hill, the Willow Springs ES island that looks like it should go to Fairfax Villa or Eagle View, the Olde Creek ES island that looks like it should go to Oak View or Laurel Ridge, the Keene Mill ES island), but probably can't be eliminated unless there's a larger boundary study.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]This is too vague. We will need specifics (i.e. location) to answer your question.[/quote]

Sorry.. Herndon homes that fall in Langley pyramid instead of Herndon High. How often are the boundary studies conducted? Is there a list of all ES Islands? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I would not buy a home in Herndon with the assumption that it will continue to feed to Langley long-term. The islands are not safe.

[Anonymous]

I would not be afraid to send my kids to Herndon HS -- but I can understand your concern (OP) that you might be paying more for a house b/c of the cache of Langley (and that is not a guarantee).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not buy a home in Herndon with the assumption that it will continue to feed to Langley long-term. The islands are not safe.

There is no Langley "island" in Herndon. There are only parts of western Fairfax closer to Herndon (and South Lakes) that are zoned for Forestville/Cooper/Langley instead.

In the short term, this is not an area likely to be redistricted, since FCPS thinks Herndon is above-capacity and Langley will have extra seats. On the other hand, FCPS has plans to build another high school in western Fairfax over the next decade. If/when that school is finished, there will be major boundary changes affecting most, if not all, of the high schools that students in western Fairfax currently attend, and there would be a good chance at that time that some of those neighborhoods in western Fairfax currently zoned for Langley would get moved to Herndon then, and that other areas now in the Herndon district would get moved to other schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The islands should be gone. Whether they will be is anyone's guess.

The policy towards eliminating islands is sporadically observed and enforced. It really depends upon what makes sense at the moment.

So, for example, the Frost/Woodson island that sits within Robinson is being eliminated as of this fall. On the other hand, as part of the Lanier/Fairax boundary study last year, the School Board created a new "Fairfax island" separated from Fairfax HS and the rest of the Fairfax district by neighborhoods now reassigned to Oakton and Woodson.

There are also still a lot of ES attendance islands that theoretically should be eliminated (for example, the Navy ES island that looks like it should go to Crossfield or Oak Hill, the Willow Springs ES island that looks like it should go to Fairfax Villa or Eagle View, the Olde Creek ES island that looks like it should go to Oak View or Laurel Ridge, the Keene Mill ES island), but probably can't be eliminated unless there's a larger boundary study.

There is also a random trailer park kind of in the middle of industrial buildings off Route 50 that gets reassigned to a different elementary school every few years.

[Anonymous]

Thanks to all of you who replied. Much appreciated.

[Anonymous]

There is also a random trailer park kind of in the middle of industrial buildings off Route 50 that gets reassigned to a different elementary school every few years.

Yes. Kathy Smith moves them every time there is an election.

[Anonymous]

If you are near a boundary, things can always change.