Boundary Review Meetings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New email:

December 5, 2025
Dear Families,

We want to let you know that adjustments have been made to the draft boundary Scenario 4 to address under capacity at Lewis High School. In addition, capacity concerns at Parklawn Elementary School and Glasgow Middle School are being addressed at the direction of the School Board.

With that in mind, we invite you to attend a community meeting to learn about the adjustments to Scenario 4 and discuss how the potential changes would affect the Bren Mar Park, Parklawn, and Glasgow communities. We will also answer your questions.

Are they going to move Bren Mar Park Elementary to Key and Lewis?

Bren Mar Park is K-5 so they’d only go to Lewis for high school (similar to what happens at Edison.) I’m wondering if they’re planning to offload Parklawn kids to Holmes/Annandale since those are the only schools mentioned.

Where does Bren Mar Park go to middle school now? As you said, they could just address Lewis and not worry about Key (Bren Mar Park would stay at their current middle school and then go to Lewis). It would split them from their current middle school peers, something they were trying to avoid. Key is underutilized also so too bad they can't more kids there.

OK. Just trying to understand that email (assuming it is real). They mention fixing under capacity at Lewis and then addressing capacity concerns at Parklawn and Glasgow. Then in the second paragraph they mention Bren Mar Park. I was trying to make a connection between fixing the underutilization of Lewis and understanding the impacts at the three schools in the second paragraph with Bren Mar only mentioned in the second paragraph. Parklawn and Glasgow are much further from Lewis, so I was guessing that perhaps they were moving Bren Mar to Key and Lewis. I did not realize it is only K-5 so that wouldn't work.

BMP goes to Holmes and then Edison. It’s the only Holmes feeder that doesn’t go to Annandale. It was moved to Edison in 2011 to relieve overcrowding at Annandale. Scenario 4 moves it back to Annandale to eliminate the split feeder at Holmes.

So any idea on how they are addressing Lewis? If they were pulling students from somewhere else, wouldn't they include them in this community meeting invitation to discuss the potential changes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New email:

December 5, 2025
Dear Families,

We want to let you know that adjustments have been made to the draft boundary Scenario 4 to address under capacity at Lewis High School. In addition, capacity concerns at Parklawn Elementary School and Glasgow Middle School are being addressed at the direction of the School Board.

With that in mind, we invite you to attend a community meeting to learn about the adjustments to Scenario 4 and discuss how the potential changes would affect the Bren Mar Park, Parklawn, and Glasgow communities. We will also answer your questions.

Are they going to move Bren Mar Park Elementary to Key and Lewis?

Bren Mar Park is K-5 so they’d only go to Lewis for high school (similar to what happens at Edison.) I’m wondering if they’re planning to offload Parklawn kids to Holmes/Annandale since those are the only schools mentioned.

Where does Bren Mar Park go to middle school now? As you said, they could just address Lewis and not worry about Key (Bren Mar Park would stay at their current middle school and then go to Lewis). It would split them from their current middle school peers, something they were trying to avoid. Key is underutilized also so too bad they can't more kids there.

OK. Just trying to understand that email (assuming it is real). They mention fixing under capacity at Lewis and then addressing capacity concerns at Parklawn and Glasgow. Then in the second paragraph they mention Bren Mar Park. I was trying to make a connection between fixing the underutilization of Lewis and understanding the impacts at the three schools in the second paragraph with Bren Mar only mentioned in the second paragraph. Parklawn and Glasgow are much further from Lewis, so I was guessing that perhaps they were moving Bren Mar to Key and Lewis. I did not realize it is only K-5 so that wouldn't work.

BMP goes to Holmes and then Edison. It’s the only Holmes feeder that doesn’t go to Annandale. It was moved to Edison in 2011 to relieve overcrowding at Annandale. Scenario 4 moves it back to Annandale to eliminate the split feeder at Holmes.

So any idea on how they are addressing Lewis? If they were pulling students from somewhere else, wouldn't they include them in this community meeting invitation to discuss the potential changes?

I don’t want to comment further until the validity of this email is confirmed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We voted these clowns in. The very clowns who decided to jam us with an unnecessary comprehensive boundary study resulting in thousands of our kids suffering mental health trauma being forced to move schools, with the only justification that we hadn’t done it in 40 years (which is misleading in and of itself).

We all need to remember how they gave little thought to how to implement these changes and have really set the county back and wasted so much of FCPS employee time and resources on an unnecessary course with only negative outcomes. They could have actually tried to improve the school experience, but instead just wasted their time for years at this point shuffling our kids around like pawns.

Screw them.

The kids are moving with all of their classmates from ES, they know kids at the new school through that grouping. They probably know other kids at the new school through activities. They will be fine. Kids move every year for family reasons, jobs, changing houses, and the like. The vast majority are just fine. Moving with a hundred or so kids that you know from ES is not traumatic. And kids in their HSs right now won’t have to move.

I suspect that the kids who will struggle are the kids of parents who are flipping out. Or that the kids who are moved and have a normal teenage hiccup will lead to parents blaming redistricting.

I agree with the underlined part.

An interesting side note, every year, including this one, there are multiple discussions on our town Facebook page over whether AAP kids should attend the center middle school at the bext school over (very similar except it is a 7th-12th secondary school) or remain at the Local Level 4 middle school and continue to our neighborhood high school.

There are always dozens and dozens of parents posting how it is soooo easy socially to transition between the secondary AAP program and the stand alone middle school/high school, because the kids all know lots of kids at both schools (true even for non AAP kids at both schools) and because there is so much overlap between all 3 schools through community events, sports, scouts, performing arts, etc.

The same statements are made every year when this topic comes up. I completely agree that the school communities do overlap quite a bit, especially through sports and activities. The kids at the middle school, secondary and high school all know mamy kids from each pyramid.

But the neighborhood that is getting rezoned to that secondary school is flipping out and claiming the opposite is true, as the main argument against their split feeder being eliminated.

It is kind of interesting to see those completely opposite arguments playing out online simultaneously.

Sounds like you’re fine with other kids getting moved from West Springfield to Lake Braddock, so long as they aren’t your kids. This is the consistent theme - other kids can cope, but leave mine alone.

Every year the AAP question comes up. And every year, the overwhelming response is that either option is great because the kids have tons of friends at each of the 3 schools, and there is so much social and community overlap between the schools.

These discussions have been going on with the exact same comments since AAP was added to Irving over 10 years ago. The discussion is always the same each year, that the schools are very close socially so attending either school or both schools is really easy socially.

It is just interesting to see that annual Irving/WSHS/LBSS discussion occur under the context of the rezoning fight, when the main arguments against rezoning to Lake Braddock with most of their classmates and friends, are the complete opposite to the common knowledge and experiences expressed each year in the community at large and the annual online middle school AAP discussions.

Even if you are completely against rezoning, it is impossible not to see rhe irony of these two very contradictory positions, occuring simultaneously under the shadow of rezoning.

It's a different calculus when you're talking about effectively forcing some kids already in high school to switch schools. Do you really not see that? Or are they useful sacrificial lambs across the county, as long as you're not redistricted to Lewis?

Non of the kids already in high school are switching schools.

You are either misinformed or intentionally lying. Go listen to Ricardy Anderson's comments at the School Board meeting last night.

Rising Juniors and Seniors are being allowed to stay at their HS with transportation. You put your rising Sophomore on the same bus as the Juniors and Seniors, look they have transportation. In 2 years, they have their license and can drive to school. Problem solved.

They've spent money implementing readers on buses so shortly your child will have to scan their id and the bus driver will be alerted whether or not they are assigned the route. Of course if they provide busing for Juniors and Seniors there is no reason they can't do for Freshmen and Sophomores in the same neighborhood. It makes sense to probably not include busing for rising 7th and 9th graders as they are already going to be switching schools and to limit the financial impact to three years. I suppose rising 9th graders could take the bus for three years but those families would know that bus transportation would not be provided their senior year.

They aren't providing busing for juniors and seniors. They aren't providing bussing for ANYONE who stays at their old school. They will vote on it at the next meeting.

The vote to deny transportation will be the logical conclusion of a bunch of really stupid people doing really stupid things for a couple of years, and then putting on their sad faces and pretending - not that long after they decided to waste $200 million on a new high school that is by no means necessary - that "the budget is tight" and "tough decisions had to be made."

What a bunch of dopes.

It's amazing that after all this time there are still people out there who don't understand the difference between capital budget and operating budget - or that the money comes from completely different sources and legally cannot be mixed.

Aren’t you pedantic? The point is that this School Board is both selectively thrifty and selectively profligate. It’s hard to take anything they say with a straight face any more. They alternate their exuberant faces with their somber faces, but it’s still a circus act.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We voted these clowns in. The very clowns who decided to jam us with an unnecessary comprehensive boundary study resulting in thousands of our kids suffering mental health trauma being forced to move schools, with the only justification that we hadn’t done it in 40 years (which is misleading in and of itself).

We all need to remember how they gave little thought to how to implement these changes and have really set the county back and wasted so much of FCPS employee time and resources on an unnecessary course with only negative outcomes. They could have actually tried to improve the school experience, but instead just wasted their time for years at this point shuffling our kids around like pawns.

Screw them.

The kids are moving with all of their classmates from ES, they know kids at the new school through that grouping. They probably know other kids at the new school through activities. They will be fine. Kids move every year for family reasons, jobs, changing houses, and the like. The vast majority are just fine. Moving with a hundred or so kids that you know from ES is not traumatic. And kids in their HSs right now won’t have to move.

I suspect that the kids who will struggle are the kids of parents who are flipping out. Or that the kids who are moved and have a normal teenage hiccup will lead to parents blaming redistricting.

I agree with the underlined part.

An interesting side note, every year, including this one, there are multiple discussions on our town Facebook page over whether AAP kids should attend the center middle school at the bext school over (very similar except it is a 7th-12th secondary school) or remain at the Local Level 4 middle school and continue to our neighborhood high school.

There are always dozens and dozens of parents posting how it is soooo easy socially to transition between the secondary AAP program and the stand alone middle school/high school, because the kids all know lots of kids at both schools (true even for non AAP kids at both schools) and because there is so much overlap between all 3 schools through community events, sports, scouts, performing arts, etc.

The same statements are made every year when this topic comes up. I completely agree that the school communities do overlap quite a bit, especially through sports and activities. The kids at the middle school, secondary and high school all know mamy kids from each pyramid.

But the neighborhood that is getting rezoned to that secondary school is flipping out and claiming the opposite is true, as the main argument against their split feeder being eliminated.

It is kind of interesting to see those completely opposite arguments playing out online simultaneously.

Sounds like you’re fine with other kids getting moved from West Springfield to Lake Braddock, so long as they aren’t your kids. This is the consistent theme - other kids can cope, but leave mine alone.

Every year the AAP question comes up. And every year, the overwhelming response is that either option is great because the kids have tons of friends at each of the 3 schools, and there is so much social and community overlap between the schools.

These discussions have been going on with the exact same comments since AAP was added to Irving over 10 years ago. The discussion is always the same each year, that the schools are very close socially so attending either school or both schools is really easy socially.

It is just interesting to see that annual Irving/WSHS/LBSS discussion occur under the context of the rezoning fight, when the main arguments against rezoning to Lake Braddock with most of their classmates and friends, are the complete opposite to the common knowledge and experiences expressed each year in the community at large and the annual online middle school AAP discussions.

Even if you are completely against rezoning, it is impossible not to see rhe irony of these two very contradictory positions, occuring simultaneously under the shadow of rezoning.

It's a different calculus when you're talking about effectively forcing some kids already in high school to switch schools. Do you really not see that? Or are they useful sacrificial lambs across the county, as long as you're not redistricted to Lewis?

Non of the kids already in high school are switching schools.

You are either misinformed or intentionally lying. Go listen to Ricardy Anderson's comments at the School Board meeting last night.

Rising Juniors and Seniors are being allowed to stay at their HS with transportation. You put your rising Sophomore on the same bus as the Juniors and Seniors, look they have transportation. In 2 years, they have their license and can drive to school. Problem solved.

They've spent money implementing readers on buses so shortly your child will have to scan their id and the bus driver will be alerted whether or not they are assigned the route. Of course if they provide busing for Juniors and Seniors there is no reason they can't do for Freshmen and Sophomores in the same neighborhood. It makes sense to probably not include busing for rising 7th and 9th graders as they are already going to be switching schools and to limit the financial impact to three years. I suppose rising 9th graders could take the bus for three years but those families would know that bus transportation would not be provided their senior year.

They aren't providing busing for juniors and seniors. They aren't providing bussing for ANYONE who stays at their old school. They will vote on it at the next meeting.

The vote to deny transportation will be the logical conclusion of a bunch of really stupid people doing really stupid things for a couple of years, and then putting on their sad faces and pretending - not that long after they decided to waste $200 million on a new high school that is by no means necessary - that "the budget is tight" and "tough decisions had to be made."

What a bunch of dopes.

It's amazing that after all this time there are still people out there who don't understand the difference between capital budget and operating budget - or that the money comes from completely different sources and legally cannot be mixed.

Aren’t you pedantic? The point is that this School Board is both selectively thrifty and selectively profligate. It’s hard to take anything they say with a straight face any more. They alternate their exuberant faces with their somber faces, but it’s still a circus act.

I'd say the PP is just "basically informed" vs. "pedantic", and that your prior post displayed complete ignorance on this topic. You may have a valid point to make, but you're making it in the least convincing way possible by conflating unrelated things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We voted these clowns in. The very clowns who decided to jam us with an unnecessary comprehensive boundary study resulting in thousands of our kids suffering mental health trauma being forced to move schools, with the only justification that we hadn’t done it in 40 years (which is misleading in and of itself).

We all need to remember how they gave little thought to how to implement these changes and have really set the county back and wasted so much of FCPS employee time and resources on an unnecessary course with only negative outcomes. They could have actually tried to improve the school experience, but instead just wasted their time for years at this point shuffling our kids around like pawns.

Screw them.

The kids are moving with all of their classmates from ES, they know kids at the new school through that grouping. They probably know other kids at the new school through activities. They will be fine. Kids move every year for family reasons, jobs, changing houses, and the like. The vast majority are just fine. Moving with a hundred or so kids that you know from ES is not traumatic. And kids in their HSs right now won’t have to move.

I suspect that the kids who will struggle are the kids of parents who are flipping out. Or that the kids who are moved and have a normal teenage hiccup will lead to parents blaming redistricting.

I agree with the underlined part.

An interesting side note, every year, including this one, there are multiple discussions on our town Facebook page over whether AAP kids should attend the center middle school at the bext school over (very similar except it is a 7th-12th secondary school) or remain at the Local Level 4 middle school and continue to our neighborhood high school.

There are always dozens and dozens of parents posting how it is soooo easy socially to transition between the secondary AAP program and the stand alone middle school/high school, because the kids all know lots of kids at both schools (true even for non AAP kids at both schools) and because there is so much overlap between all 3 schools through community events, sports, scouts, performing arts, etc.

The same statements are made every year when this topic comes up. I completely agree that the school communities do overlap quite a bit, especially through sports and activities. The kids at the middle school, secondary and high school all know mamy kids from each pyramid.

But the neighborhood that is getting rezoned to that secondary school is flipping out and claiming the opposite is true, as the main argument against their split feeder being eliminated.

It is kind of interesting to see those completely opposite arguments playing out online simultaneously.

Sounds like you’re fine with other kids getting moved from West Springfield to Lake Braddock, so long as they aren’t your kids. This is the consistent theme - other kids can cope, but leave mine alone.

Every year the AAP question comes up. And every year, the overwhelming response is that either option is great because the kids have tons of friends at each of the 3 schools, and there is so much social and community overlap between the schools.

These discussions have been going on with the exact same comments since AAP was added to Irving over 10 years ago. The discussion is always the same each year, that the schools are very close socially so attending either school or both schools is really easy socially.

It is just interesting to see that annual Irving/WSHS/LBSS discussion occur under the context of the rezoning fight, when the main arguments against rezoning to Lake Braddock with most of their classmates and friends, are the complete opposite to the common knowledge and experiences expressed each year in the community at large and the annual online middle school AAP discussions.

Even if you are completely against rezoning, it is impossible not to see rhe irony of these two very contradictory positions, occuring simultaneously under the shadow of rezoning.

It's a different calculus when you're talking about effectively forcing some kids already in high school to switch schools. Do you really not see that? Or are they useful sacrificial lambs across the county, as long as you're not redistricted to Lewis?

They are not forcing kids to move if they have started HS.

Learn to read. They are effectively forcing kids whose families can't arrange for their transportation (and there are more of these families than they acknowledge) to switch schools starting next fall. Including HS kids.

Most if not all of the kids in that WSHS/LB neighborhood have their own cars or friends with cars, or a parent who can transport them.

It is a fairly affluent area

My son is a ninth grader who may be rezoned. His father and I both work full-time jobs that require us to be in the office 5 days a week. He does not drive, nor do I plan on getting him a car. None of his friends drive because they are in ninth grade and will be taking the bus. He wants to stay at his current school, with his current friends, and stay in his current sports teams. We are a real family who will be impacted by this. Please keep your 'opinions' about who is affluent enough to make this work to yourself.

We are in the same boat. I assume many families are. You can call the WSHS neighborhood “affluent”, but many are two income households who are most likely military, federal govt, teachers, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We voted these clowns in. The very clowns who decided to jam us with an unnecessary comprehensive boundary study resulting in thousands of our kids suffering mental health trauma being forced to move schools, with the only justification that we hadn’t done it in 40 years (which is misleading in and of itself).

We all need to remember how they gave little thought to how to implement these changes and have really set the county back and wasted so much of FCPS employee time and resources on an unnecessary course with only negative outcomes. They could have actually tried to improve the school experience, but instead just wasted their time for years at this point shuffling our kids around like pawns.

Screw them.

The kids are moving with all of their classmates from ES, they know kids at the new school through that grouping. They probably know other kids at the new school through activities. They will be fine. Kids move every year for family reasons, jobs, changing houses, and the like. The vast majority are just fine. Moving with a hundred or so kids that you know from ES is not traumatic. And kids in their HSs right now won’t have to move.

I suspect that the kids who will struggle are the kids of parents who are flipping out. Or that the kids who are moved and have a normal teenage hiccup will lead to parents blaming redistricting.

I agree with the underlined part.

An interesting side note, every year, including this one, there are multiple discussions on our town Facebook page over whether AAP kids should attend the center middle school at the bext school over (very similar except it is a 7th-12th secondary school) or remain at the Local Level 4 middle school and continue to our neighborhood high school.

There are always dozens and dozens of parents posting how it is soooo easy socially to transition between the secondary AAP program and the stand alone middle school/high school, because the kids all know lots of kids at both schools (true even for non AAP kids at both schools) and because there is so much overlap between all 3 schools through community events, sports, scouts, performing arts, etc.

The same statements are made every year when this topic comes up. I completely agree that the school communities do overlap quite a bit, especially through sports and activities. The kids at the middle school, secondary and high school all know mamy kids from each pyramid.

But the neighborhood that is getting rezoned to that secondary school is flipping out and claiming the opposite is true, as the main argument against their split feeder being eliminated.

It is kind of interesting to see those completely opposite arguments playing out online simultaneously.

Sounds like you’re fine with other kids getting moved from West Springfield to Lake Braddock, so long as they aren’t your kids. This is the consistent theme - other kids can cope, but leave mine alone.

Every year the AAP question comes up. And every year, the overwhelming response is that either option is great because the kids have tons of friends at each of the 3 schools, and there is so much social and community overlap between the schools.

These discussions have been going on with the exact same comments since AAP was added to Irving over 10 years ago. The discussion is always the same each year, that the schools are very close socially so attending either school or both schools is really easy socially.

It is just interesting to see that annual Irving/WSHS/LBSS discussion occur under the context of the rezoning fight, when the main arguments against rezoning to Lake Braddock with most of their classmates and friends, are the complete opposite to the common knowledge and experiences expressed each year in the community at large and the annual online middle school AAP discussions.

Even if you are completely against rezoning, it is impossible not to see rhe irony of these two very contradictory positions, occuring simultaneously under the shadow of rezoning.

It's a different calculus when you're talking about effectively forcing some kids already in high school to switch schools. Do you really not see that? Or are they useful sacrificial lambs across the county, as long as you're not redistricted to Lewis?

They are not forcing kids to move if they have started HS.

Learn to read. They are effectively forcing kids whose families can't arrange for their transportation (and there are more of these families than they acknowledge) to switch schools starting next fall. Including HS kids.

Most if not all of the kids in that WSHS/LB neighborhood have their own cars or friends with cars, or a parent who can transport them.

It is a fairly affluent area

My son is a ninth grader who may be rezoned. His father and I both work full-time jobs that require us to be in the office 5 days a week. He does not drive, nor do I plan on getting him a car. None of his friends drive because they are in ninth grade and will be taking the bus. He wants to stay at his current school, with his current friends, and stay in his current sports teams. We are a real family who will be impacted by this. Please keep your 'opinions' about who is affluent enough to make this work to yourself.

We are in the same boat. I assume many families are. You can call the WSHS neighborhood “affluent”, but many are two income households who are most likely military, federal govt, teachers, etc.

I’m so sorry that the school board put you in this position. They did this so that they can now claim that they did a comprehensive review in the last 40 years. They found a “solution” and went in search of a problem.

It’s incompetence at its finest but pernicious because it negatively impacts so many families with really nothing to show for it.

It’s time they admit their failure And change 8130 back to what it was. Then they can set about fixing real problems “Coates” rather than delaying fixing real problems to tackle imaginary ones.

Then in 2027, let’s vote them all out (except for Mcelveen, who saw this disaster coming a mile away).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We voted these clowns in. The very clowns who decided to jam us with an unnecessary comprehensive boundary study resulting in thousands of our kids suffering mental health trauma being forced to move schools, with the only justification that we hadn’t done it in 40 years (which is misleading in and of itself).

We all need to remember how they gave little thought to how to implement these changes and have really set the county back and wasted so much of FCPS employee time and resources on an unnecessary course with only negative outcomes. They could have actually tried to improve the school experience, but instead just wasted their time for years at this point shuffling our kids around like pawns.

Screw them.

The kids are moving with all of their classmates from ES, they know kids at the new school through that grouping. They probably know other kids at the new school through activities. They will be fine. Kids move every year for family reasons, jobs, changing houses, and the like. The vast majority are just fine. Moving with a hundred or so kids that you know from ES is not traumatic. And kids in their HSs right now won’t have to move.

I suspect that the kids who will struggle are the kids of parents who are flipping out. Or that the kids who are moved and have a normal teenage hiccup will lead to parents blaming redistricting.

I agree with the underlined part.

An interesting side note, every year, including this one, there are multiple discussions on our town Facebook page over whether AAP kids should attend the center middle school at the bext school over (very similar except it is a 7th-12th secondary school) or remain at the Local Level 4 middle school and continue to our neighborhood high school.

There are always dozens and dozens of parents posting how it is soooo easy socially to transition between the secondary AAP program and the stand alone middle school/high school, because the kids all know lots of kids at both schools (true even for non AAP kids at both schools) and because there is so much overlap between all 3 schools through community events, sports, scouts, performing arts, etc.

The same statements are made every year when this topic comes up. I completely agree that the school communities do overlap quite a bit, especially through sports and activities. The kids at the middle school, secondary and high school all know mamy kids from each pyramid.

But the neighborhood that is getting rezoned to that secondary school is flipping out and claiming the opposite is true, as the main argument against their split feeder being eliminated.

It is kind of interesting to see those completely opposite arguments playing out online simultaneously.

Sounds like you’re fine with other kids getting moved from West Springfield to Lake Braddock, so long as they aren’t your kids. This is the consistent theme - other kids can cope, but leave mine alone.

Every year the AAP question comes up. And every year, the overwhelming response is that either option is great because the kids have tons of friends at each of the 3 schools, and there is so much social and community overlap between the schools.

These discussions have been going on with the exact same comments since AAP was added to Irving over 10 years ago. The discussion is always the same each year, that the schools are very close socially so attending either school or both schools is really easy socially.

It is just interesting to see that annual Irving/WSHS/LBSS discussion occur under the context of the rezoning fight, when the main arguments against rezoning to Lake Braddock with most of their classmates and friends, are the complete opposite to the common knowledge and experiences expressed each year in the community at large and the annual online middle school AAP discussions.

Even if you are completely against rezoning, it is impossible not to see rhe irony of these two very contradictory positions, occuring simultaneously under the shadow of rezoning.

It's a different calculus when you're talking about effectively forcing some kids already in high school to switch schools. Do you really not see that? Or are they useful sacrificial lambs across the county, as long as you're not redistricted to Lewis?

Non of the kids already in high school are switching schools.

You are either misinformed or intentionally lying. Go listen to Ricardy Anderson's comments at the School Board meeting last night.

Rising Juniors and Seniors are being allowed to stay at their HS with transportation. You put your rising Sophomore on the same bus as the Juniors and Seniors, look they have transportation. In 2 years, they have their license and can drive to school. Problem solved.

They've spent money implementing readers on buses so shortly your child will have to scan their id and the bus driver will be alerted whether or not they are assigned the route. Of course if they provide busing for Juniors and Seniors there is no reason they can't do for Freshmen and Sophomores in the same neighborhood. It makes sense to probably not include busing for rising 7th and 9th graders as they are already going to be switching schools and to limit the financial impact to three years. I suppose rising 9th graders could take the bus for three years but those families would know that bus transportation would not be provided their senior year.

They aren't providing busing for juniors and seniors. They aren't providing bussing for ANYONE who stays at their old school. They will vote on it at the next meeting.

The vote to deny transportation will be the logical conclusion of a bunch of really stupid people doing really stupid things for a couple of years, and then putting on their sad faces and pretending - not that long after they decided to waste $200 million on a new high school that is by no means necessary - that "the budget is tight" and "tough decisions had to be made."

What a bunch of dopes.

It's amazing that after all this time there are still people out there who don't understand the difference between capital budget and operating budget - or that the money comes from completely different sources and legally cannot be mixed.

Aren’t you pedantic? The point is that this School Board is both selectively thrifty and selectively profligate. It’s hard to take anything they say with a straight face any more. They alternate their exuberant faces with their somber faces, but it’s still a circus act.

I'd say the PP is just "basically informed" vs. "pedantic", and that your prior post displayed complete ignorance on this topic. You may have a valid point to make, but you're making it in the least convincing way possible by conflating unrelated things.

It’s easy to spot the types who are more than prepared to ignore how this School Board is ready to screw many families by denying them transportation to their current schools all because they are simultaneously ready to spend so much money on Western HS. You certainly weren’t cheap to buy off, but your indifference serves their agenda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We voted these clowns in. The very clowns who decided to jam us with an unnecessary comprehensive boundary study resulting in thousands of our kids suffering mental health trauma being forced to move schools, with the only justification that we hadn’t done it in 40 years (which is misleading in and of itself).

We all need to remember how they gave little thought to how to implement these changes and have really set the county back and wasted so much of FCPS employee time and resources on an unnecessary course with only negative outcomes. They could have actually tried to improve the school experience, but instead just wasted their time for years at this point shuffling our kids around like pawns.

Screw them.

The kids are moving with all of their classmates from ES, they know kids at the new school through that grouping. They probably know other kids at the new school through activities. They will be fine. Kids move every year for family reasons, jobs, changing houses, and the like. The vast majority are just fine. Moving with a hundred or so kids that you know from ES is not traumatic. And kids in their HSs right now won’t have to move.

I suspect that the kids who will struggle are the kids of parents who are flipping out. Or that the kids who are moved and have a normal teenage hiccup will lead to parents blaming redistricting.

I agree with the underlined part.

An interesting side note, every year, including this one, there are multiple discussions on our town Facebook page over whether AAP kids should attend the center middle school at the bext school over (very similar except it is a 7th-12th secondary school) or remain at the Local Level 4 middle school and continue to our neighborhood high school.

There are always dozens and dozens of parents posting how it is soooo easy socially to transition between the secondary AAP program and the stand alone middle school/high school, because the kids all know lots of kids at both schools (true even for non AAP kids at both schools) and because there is so much overlap between all 3 schools through community events, sports, scouts, performing arts, etc.

The same statements are made every year when this topic comes up. I completely agree that the school communities do overlap quite a bit, especially through sports and activities. The kids at the middle school, secondary and high school all know mamy kids from each pyramid.

But the neighborhood that is getting rezoned to that secondary school is flipping out and claiming the opposite is true, as the main argument against their split feeder being eliminated.

It is kind of interesting to see those completely opposite arguments playing out online simultaneously.

Sounds like you’re fine with other kids getting moved from West Springfield to Lake Braddock, so long as they aren’t your kids. This is the consistent theme - other kids can cope, but leave mine alone.

Every year the AAP question comes up. And every year, the overwhelming response is that either option is great because the kids have tons of friends at each of the 3 schools, and there is so much social and community overlap between the schools.

These discussions have been going on with the exact same comments since AAP was added to Irving over 10 years ago. The discussion is always the same each year, that the schools are very close socially so attending either school or both schools is really easy socially.

It is just interesting to see that annual Irving/WSHS/LBSS discussion occur under the context of the rezoning fight, when the main arguments against rezoning to Lake Braddock with most of their classmates and friends, are the complete opposite to the common knowledge and experiences expressed each year in the community at large and the annual online middle school AAP discussions.

Even if you are completely against rezoning, it is impossible not to see rhe irony of these two very contradictory positions, occuring simultaneously under the shadow of rezoning.

It's a different calculus when you're talking about effectively forcing some kids already in high school to switch schools. Do you really not see that? Or are they useful sacrificial lambs across the county, as long as you're not redistricted to Lewis?

Non of the kids already in high school are switching schools.

You are either misinformed or intentionally lying. Go listen to Ricardy Anderson's comments at the School Board meeting last night.

Rising Juniors and Seniors are being allowed to stay at their HS with transportation. You put your rising Sophomore on the same bus as the Juniors and Seniors, look they have transportation. In 2 years, they have their license and can drive to school. Problem solved.

They've spent money implementing readers on buses so shortly your child will have to scan their id and the bus driver will be alerted whether or not they are assigned the route. Of course if they provide busing for Juniors and Seniors there is no reason they can't do for Freshmen and Sophomores in the same neighborhood. It makes sense to probably not include busing for rising 7th and 9th graders as they are already going to be switching schools and to limit the financial impact to three years. I suppose rising 9th graders could take the bus for three years but those families would know that bus transportation would not be provided their senior year.

They aren't providing busing for juniors and seniors. They aren't providing bussing for ANYONE who stays at their old school. They will vote on it at the next meeting.

The vote to deny transportation will be the logical conclusion of a bunch of really stupid people doing really stupid things for a couple of years, and then putting on their sad faces and pretending - not that long after they decided to waste $200 million on a new high school that is by no means necessary - that "the budget is tight" and "tough decisions had to be made."

What a bunch of dopes.

It's amazing that after all this time there are still people out there who don't understand the difference between capital budget and operating budget - or that the money comes from completely different sources and legally cannot be mixed.

Aren’t you pedantic? The point is that this School Board is both selectively thrifty and selectively profligate. It’s hard to take anything they say with a straight face any more. They alternate their exuberant faces with their somber faces, but it’s still a circus act.

I'd say the PP is just "basically informed" vs. "pedantic", and that your prior post displayed complete ignorance on this topic. You may have a valid point to make, but you're making it in the least convincing way possible by conflating unrelated things.

It’s easy to spot the types who are more than prepared to ignore how this School Board is ready to screw many families by denying them transportation to their current schools all because they are simultaneously ready to spend so much money on Western HS. You certainly weren’t cheap to buy off, but your indifference serves their agenda.

One has nothing to do with the other.
If anything, the new school will save on transportation unless some of the loudest voices win. And, if they went ahead and determined traditional boundaries, then planning could be accomplished in a timely manner.
You still seem to not understand the difference between capital expenses and operating expenses.
Building/renovations are capital expenses.
Transportation is an operating expense. And, those funds are NOT "fungible" between each other.

[Anonymous]

I don't think FCPS gave indefinite bussing until the kids graduate in previous rezonings. Parents are not asking for 1 year of transitional bussing for the grandfathered kids, they want bussing through graduation, including younger siblings who manage to get pupil placement to stay at the school with older grandfathered siblings.

With rezoning now mandated every 5 years, and people wanting bussing from 7th grade through graduation, plus younger siblings who are not grandfathered but got waivers to stay, giving bussing would mean that fcps is committing itself to a hugely expensive, multi year bussing mess.

Younger siblings piggybacking attendance waivers on their older siblings grandfathering or school transfers (like AAP) have always had to provide their own transportation.

Doesn't language immersion have to provide their own transportation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think FCPS gave indefinite bussing until the kids graduate in previous rezonings. Parents are not asking for 1 year of transitional bussing for the grandfathered kids, they want bussing through graduation, including younger siblings who manage to get pupil placement to stay at the school with older grandfathered siblings.

With rezoning now mandated every 5 years, and people wanting bussing from 7th grade through graduation, plus younger siblings who are not grandfathered but got waivers to stay, giving bussing would mean that fcps is committing itself to a hugely expensive, multi year bussing mess.

Younger siblings piggybacking attendance waivers on their older siblings grandfathering or school transfers (like AAP) have always had to provide their own transportation.

Doesn't language immersion have to provide their own transportation?

I am against county wide rezoning and the 5 year rezoning cycle, pro liberal grandfathering, and anti bussing for rezoned kids who elect to remain at their base school, because of the 5 year cycle.

I think a fair conpromise would be to allow the grandfathered high school students (not younger siblings/grades) to take one bus stop at a centralized location such as an elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We voted these clowns in. The very clowns who decided to jam us with an unnecessary comprehensive boundary study resulting in thousands of our kids suffering mental health trauma being forced to move schools, with the only justification that we hadn’t done it in 40 years (which is misleading in and of itself).

We all need to remember how they gave little thought to how to implement these changes and have really set the county back and wasted so much of FCPS employee time and resources on an unnecessary course with only negative outcomes. They could have actually tried to improve the school experience, but instead just wasted their time for years at this point shuffling our kids around like pawns.

Screw them.

The kids are moving with all of their classmates from ES, they know kids at the new school through that grouping. They probably know other kids at the new school through activities. They will be fine. Kids move every year for family reasons, jobs, changing houses, and the like. The vast majority are just fine. Moving with a hundred or so kids that you know from ES is not traumatic. And kids in their HSs right now won’t have to move.

I suspect that the kids who will struggle are the kids of parents who are flipping out. Or that the kids who are moved and have a normal teenage hiccup will lead to parents blaming redistricting.

I agree with the underlined part.

An interesting side note, every year, including this one, there are multiple discussions on our town Facebook page over whether AAP kids should attend the center middle school at the bext school over (very similar except it is a 7th-12th secondary school) or remain at the Local Level 4 middle school and continue to our neighborhood high school.

There are always dozens and dozens of parents posting how it is soooo easy socially to transition between the secondary AAP program and the stand alone middle school/high school, because the kids all know lots of kids at both schools (true even for non AAP kids at both schools) and because there is so much overlap between all 3 schools through community events, sports, scouts, performing arts, etc.

The same statements are made every year when this topic comes up. I completely agree that the school communities do overlap quite a bit, especially through sports and activities. The kids at the middle school, secondary and high school all know mamy kids from each pyramid.

But the neighborhood that is getting rezoned to that secondary school is flipping out and claiming the opposite is true, as the main argument against their split feeder being eliminated.

It is kind of interesting to see those completely opposite arguments playing out online simultaneously.

Sounds like you’re fine with other kids getting moved from West Springfield to Lake Braddock, so long as they aren’t your kids. This is the consistent theme - other kids can cope, but leave mine alone.

Every year the AAP question comes up. And every year, the overwhelming response is that either option is great because the kids have tons of friends at each of the 3 schools, and there is so much social and community overlap between the schools.

These discussions have been going on with the exact same comments since AAP was added to Irving over 10 years ago. The discussion is always the same each year, that the schools are very close socially so attending either school or both schools is really easy socially.

It is just interesting to see that annual Irving/WSHS/LBSS discussion occur under the context of the rezoning fight, when the main arguments against rezoning to Lake Braddock with most of their classmates and friends, are the complete opposite to the common knowledge and experiences expressed each year in the community at large and the annual online middle school AAP discussions.

Even if you are completely against rezoning, it is impossible not to see rhe irony of these two very contradictory positions, occuring simultaneously under the shadow of rezoning.

It's a different calculus when you're talking about effectively forcing some kids already in high school to switch schools. Do you really not see that? Or are they useful sacrificial lambs across the county, as long as you're not redistricted to Lewis?

They are not forcing kids to move if they have started HS.

Learn to read. They are effectively forcing kids whose families can't arrange for their transportation (and there are more of these families than they acknowledge) to switch schools starting next fall. Including HS kids.

Most if not all of the kids in that WSHS/LB neighborhood have their own cars or friends with cars, or a parent who can transport them.

It is a fairly affluent area

My son is a ninth grader who may be rezoned. His father and I both work full-time jobs that require us to be in the office 5 days a week. He does not drive, nor do I plan on getting him a car. None of his friends drive because they are in ninth grade and will be taking the bus. He wants to stay at his current school, with his current friends, and stay in his current sports teams. We are a real family who will be impacted by this. Please keep your 'opinions' about who is affluent enough to make this work to yourself.

We are in the same boat. I assume many families are. You can call the WSHS neighborhood “affluent”, but many are two income households who are most likely military, federal govt, teachers, etc.

Almost no seniors ride the busses to WSHS. They either drive, or ride with friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We voted these clowns in. The very clowns who decided to jam us with an unnecessary comprehensive boundary study resulting in thousands of our kids suffering mental health trauma being forced to move schools, with the only justification that we hadn’t done it in 40 years (which is misleading in and of itself).

We all need to remember how they gave little thought to how to implement these changes and have really set the county back and wasted so much of FCPS employee time and resources on an unnecessary course with only negative outcomes. They could have actually tried to improve the school experience, but instead just wasted their time for years at this point shuffling our kids around like pawns.

Screw them.

The kids are moving with all of their classmates from ES, they know kids at the new school through that grouping. They probably know other kids at the new school through activities. They will be fine. Kids move every year for family reasons, jobs, changing houses, and the like. The vast majority are just fine. Moving with a hundred or so kids that you know from ES is not traumatic. And kids in their HSs right now won’t have to move.

I suspect that the kids who will struggle are the kids of parents who are flipping out. Or that the kids who are moved and have a normal teenage hiccup will lead to parents blaming redistricting.

I agree with the underlined part.

An interesting side note, every year, including this one, there are multiple discussions on our town Facebook page over whether AAP kids should attend the center middle school at the bext school over (very similar except it is a 7th-12th secondary school) or remain at the Local Level 4 middle school and continue to our neighborhood high school.

There are always dozens and dozens of parents posting how it is soooo easy socially to transition between the secondary AAP program and the stand alone middle school/high school, because the kids all know lots of kids at both schools (true even for non AAP kids at both schools) and because there is so much overlap between all 3 schools through community events, sports, scouts, performing arts, etc.

The same statements are made every year when this topic comes up. I completely agree that the school communities do overlap quite a bit, especially through sports and activities. The kids at the middle school, secondary and high school all know mamy kids from each pyramid.

But the neighborhood that is getting rezoned to that secondary school is flipping out and claiming the opposite is true, as the main argument against their split feeder being eliminated.

It is kind of interesting to see those completely opposite arguments playing out online simultaneously.

Sounds like you’re fine with other kids getting moved from West Springfield to Lake Braddock, so long as they aren’t your kids. This is the consistent theme - other kids can cope, but leave mine alone.

Every year the AAP question comes up. And every year, the overwhelming response is that either option is great because the kids have tons of friends at each of the 3 schools, and there is so much social and community overlap between the schools.

These discussions have been going on with the exact same comments since AAP was added to Irving over 10 years ago. The discussion is always the same each year, that the schools are very close socially so attending either school or both schools is really easy socially.

It is just interesting to see that annual Irving/WSHS/LBSS discussion occur under the context of the rezoning fight, when the main arguments against rezoning to Lake Braddock with most of their classmates and friends, are the complete opposite to the common knowledge and experiences expressed each year in the community at large and the annual online middle school AAP discussions.

Even if you are completely against rezoning, it is impossible not to see rhe irony of these two very contradictory positions, occuring simultaneously under the shadow of rezoning.

It's a different calculus when you're talking about effectively forcing some kids already in high school to switch schools. Do you really not see that? Or are they useful sacrificial lambs across the county, as long as you're not redistricted to Lewis?

They are not forcing kids to move if they have started HS.

Learn to read. They are effectively forcing kids whose families can't arrange for their transportation (and there are more of these families than they acknowledge) to switch schools starting next fall. Including HS kids.

Most if not all of the kids in that WSHS/LB neighborhood have their own cars or friends with cars, or a parent who can transport them.

It is a fairly affluent area

My son is a ninth grader who may be rezoned. His father and I both work full-time jobs that require us to be in the office 5 days a week. He does not drive, nor do I plan on getting him a car. None of his friends drive because they are in ninth grade and will be taking the bus. He wants to stay at his current school, with his current friends, and stay in his current sports teams. We are a real family who will be impacted by this. Please keep your 'opinions' about who is affluent enough to make this work to yourself.

We are in the same boat. I assume many families are. You can call the WSHS neighborhood “affluent”, but many are two income households who are most likely military, federal govt, teachers, etc.

Almost no seniors ride the busses to WSHS. They either drive, or ride with friends.

Not at WSHS, but I believe this to be true. But, "almost no seniors" is not "no seniors." And, WSHS does not have a large impoverished population and its boundaries are not that large.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We voted these clowns in. The very clowns who decided to jam us with an unnecessary comprehensive boundary study resulting in thousands of our kids suffering mental health trauma being forced to move schools, with the only justification that we hadn’t done it in 40 years (which is misleading in and of itself).

We all need to remember how they gave little thought to how to implement these changes and have really set the county back and wasted so much of FCPS employee time and resources on an unnecessary course with only negative outcomes. They could have actually tried to improve the school experience, but instead just wasted their time for years at this point shuffling our kids around like pawns.

Screw them.

The kids are moving with all of their classmates from ES, they know kids at the new school through that grouping. They probably know other kids at the new school through activities. They will be fine. Kids move every year for family reasons, jobs, changing houses, and the like. The vast majority are just fine. Moving with a hundred or so kids that you know from ES is not traumatic. And kids in their HSs right now won’t have to move.

I suspect that the kids who will struggle are the kids of parents who are flipping out. Or that the kids who are moved and have a normal teenage hiccup will lead to parents blaming redistricting.

I agree with the underlined part.

An interesting side note, every year, including this one, there are multiple discussions on our town Facebook page over whether AAP kids should attend the center middle school at the bext school over (very similar except it is a 7th-12th secondary school) or remain at the Local Level 4 middle school and continue to our neighborhood high school.

There are always dozens and dozens of parents posting how it is soooo easy socially to transition between the secondary AAP program and the stand alone middle school/high school, because the kids all know lots of kids at both schools (true even for non AAP kids at both schools) and because there is so much overlap between all 3 schools through community events, sports, scouts, performing arts, etc.

The same statements are made every year when this topic comes up. I completely agree that the school communities do overlap quite a bit, especially through sports and activities. The kids at the middle school, secondary and high school all know mamy kids from each pyramid.

But the neighborhood that is getting rezoned to that secondary school is flipping out and claiming the opposite is true, as the main argument against their split feeder being eliminated.

It is kind of interesting to see those completely opposite arguments playing out online simultaneously.

Sounds like you’re fine with other kids getting moved from West Springfield to Lake Braddock, so long as they aren’t your kids. This is the consistent theme - other kids can cope, but leave mine alone.

Every year the AAP question comes up. And every year, the overwhelming response is that either option is great because the kids have tons of friends at each of the 3 schools, and there is so much social and community overlap between the schools.

These discussions have been going on with the exact same comments since AAP was added to Irving over 10 years ago. The discussion is always the same each year, that the schools are very close socially so attending either school or both schools is really easy socially.

It is just interesting to see that annual Irving/WSHS/LBSS discussion occur under the context of the rezoning fight, when the main arguments against rezoning to Lake Braddock with most of their classmates and friends, are the complete opposite to the common knowledge and experiences expressed each year in the community at large and the annual online middle school AAP discussions.

Even if you are completely against rezoning, it is impossible not to see rhe irony of these two very contradictory positions, occuring simultaneously under the shadow of rezoning.

It's a different calculus when you're talking about effectively forcing some kids already in high school to switch schools. Do you really not see that? Or are they useful sacrificial lambs across the county, as long as you're not redistricted to Lewis?

They are not forcing kids to move if they have started HS.

Learn to read. They are effectively forcing kids whose families can't arrange for their transportation (and there are more of these families than they acknowledge) to switch schools starting next fall. Including HS kids.

Most if not all of the kids in that WSHS/LB neighborhood have their own cars or friends with cars, or a parent who can transport them.

It is a fairly affluent area

My son is a ninth grader who may be rezoned. His father and I both work full-time jobs that require us to be in the office 5 days a week. He does not drive, nor do I plan on getting him a car. None of his friends drive because they are in ninth grade and will be taking the bus. He wants to stay at his current school, with his current friends, and stay in his current sports teams. We are a real family who will be impacted by this. Please keep your 'opinions' about who is affluent enough to make this work to yourself.

We are in the same boat. I assume many families are. You can call the WSHS neighborhood “affluent”, but many are two income households who are most likely military, federal govt, teachers, etc.

Almost no seniors ride the busses to WSHS. They either drive, or ride with friends.

Not at WSHS, but I believe this to be true. But, "almost no seniors" is not "no seniors." And, WSHS does not have a large impoverished population and its boundaries are not that large.

The only seniors am aware of who rode the bus at WSHS are the ones whose parents are punishing them by taking away the keys for things like getting a speeding ticket or some other big infraction.

All the others drive, walk, or ride with friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We voted these clowns in. The very clowns who decided to jam us with an unnecessary comprehensive boundary study resulting in thousands of our kids suffering mental health trauma being forced to move schools, with the only justification that we hadn’t done it in 40 years (which is misleading in and of itself).

We all need to remember how they gave little thought to how to implement these changes and have really set the county back and wasted so much of FCPS employee time and resources on an unnecessary course with only negative outcomes. They could have actually tried to improve the school experience, but instead just wasted their time for years at this point shuffling our kids around like pawns.

Screw them.

The kids are moving with all of their classmates from ES, they know kids at the new school through that grouping. They probably know other kids at the new school through activities. They will be fine. Kids move every year for family reasons, jobs, changing houses, and the like. The vast majority are just fine. Moving with a hundred or so kids that you know from ES is not traumatic. And kids in their HSs right now won’t have to move.

I suspect that the kids who will struggle are the kids of parents who are flipping out. Or that the kids who are moved and have a normal teenage hiccup will lead to parents blaming redistricting.

I agree with the underlined part.

An interesting side note, every year, including this one, there are multiple discussions on our town Facebook page over whether AAP kids should attend the center middle school at the bext school over (very similar except it is a 7th-12th secondary school) or remain at the Local Level 4 middle school and continue to our neighborhood high school.

There are always dozens and dozens of parents posting how it is soooo easy socially to transition between the secondary AAP program and the stand alone middle school/high school, because the kids all know lots of kids at both schools (true even for non AAP kids at both schools) and because there is so much overlap between all 3 schools through community events, sports, scouts, performing arts, etc.

The same statements are made every year when this topic comes up. I completely agree that the school communities do overlap quite a bit, especially through sports and activities. The kids at the middle school, secondary and high school all know mamy kids from each pyramid.

But the neighborhood that is getting rezoned to that secondary school is flipping out and claiming the opposite is true, as the main argument against their split feeder being eliminated.

It is kind of interesting to see those completely opposite arguments playing out online simultaneously.

Sounds like you’re fine with other kids getting moved from West Springfield to Lake Braddock, so long as they aren’t your kids. This is the consistent theme - other kids can cope, but leave mine alone.

Every year the AAP question comes up. And every year, the overwhelming response is that either option is great because the kids have tons of friends at each of the 3 schools, and there is so much social and community overlap between the schools.

These discussions have been going on with the exact same comments since AAP was added to Irving over 10 years ago. The discussion is always the same each year, that the schools are very close socially so attending either school or both schools is really easy socially.

It is just interesting to see that annual Irving/WSHS/LBSS discussion occur under the context of the rezoning fight, when the main arguments against rezoning to Lake Braddock with most of their classmates and friends, are the complete opposite to the common knowledge and experiences expressed each year in the community at large and the annual online middle school AAP discussions.

Even if you are completely against rezoning, it is impossible not to see rhe irony of these two very contradictory positions, occuring simultaneously under the shadow of rezoning.

It's a different calculus when you're talking about effectively forcing some kids already in high school to switch schools. Do you really not see that? Or are they useful sacrificial lambs across the county, as long as you're not redistricted to Lewis?

They are not forcing kids to move if they have started HS.

Learn to read. They are effectively forcing kids whose families can't arrange for their transportation (and there are more of these families than they acknowledge) to switch schools starting next fall. Including HS kids.

Most if not all of the kids in that WSHS/LB neighborhood have their own cars or friends with cars, or a parent who can transport them.

It is a fairly affluent area

My son is a ninth grader who may be rezoned. His father and I both work full-time jobs that require us to be in the office 5 days a week. He does not drive, nor do I plan on getting him a car. None of his friends drive because they are in ninth grade and will be taking the bus. He wants to stay at his current school, with his current friends, and stay in his current sports teams. We are a real family who will be impacted by this. Please keep your 'opinions' about who is affluent enough to make this work to yourself.

We are in the same boat. I assume many families are. You can call the WSHS neighborhood “affluent”, but many are two income households who are most likely military, federal govt, teachers, etc.

Almost no seniors ride the busses to WSHS. They either drive, or ride with friends.

Not at WSHS, but I believe this to be true. But, "almost no seniors" is not "no seniors." And, WSHS does not have a large impoverished population and its boundaries are not that large.

The only seniors am aware of who rode the bus at WSHS are the ones whose parents are punishing them by taking away the keys for things like getting a speeding ticket or some other big infraction.

All the others drive, walk, or ride with friends.

And, you know all the seniors?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think FCPS gave indefinite bussing until the kids graduate in previous rezonings. Parents are not asking for 1 year of transitional bussing for the grandfathered kids, they want bussing through graduation, including younger siblings who manage to get pupil placement to stay at the school with older grandfathered siblings.

With rezoning now mandated every 5 years, and people wanting bussing from 7th grade through graduation, plus younger siblings who are not grandfathered but got waivers to stay, giving bussing would mean that fcps is committing itself to a hugely expensive, multi year bussing mess.

Younger siblings piggybacking attendance waivers on their older siblings grandfathering or school transfers (like AAP) have always had to provide their own transportation.

Doesn't language immersion have to provide their own transportation?

It doesn’t matter what you “think.” In prior redistrictings, FCPS provided bussing for grandfathered high school students through their graduation.

Younger siblings may have been able to pupil place but they did not receive transportation after the original phasing-in of the boundary change.

What they are proposing now is a departure from past practice, and a result of their not thinking about transportation before they embarked on this debacle of a boundary review. This superintendent and school board are intellectual midgets.