Boundary Review Meetings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren't they opening with JV/freshman sports? That's stupid. Are they going to be transporting kids back to other schools for sports? That would be a logistical nightmare.

They should open WITH JV and freshman levels set up and ready to go. They have three gyms and a soccer field!

They explained this on Friday in the Zoom meetings that they had. They cannot have any VHSL level programs or individual sports and allow kids to play on varsity teams at other schools. As soon as there is 1 VHSL sport at the HS, kids are not allowed to play at another HS for a different sport. If they have VHSL freshman and JV squads, the kids who could play varsity cannot play at a different HS.

The solution is to wait until they have the fields and number of students at the right experience levels to have varsity sports in all sports. They are hoping to have VHSL sports in the second year the school is open but understand that might not happen until the third year the school is open.

It is all or nothing. You can't have VHSL at any level in any sport and allow kids to play a different sport at a different school.

The right solution would be to wait until Western has enough space for three grades, open with fixed boundaries and VHSL sports, and dispense with this opt-in nonsense with extra bus routes for activities at other schools.

These people have absolutely lost their minds.

Because people won’t throw a hissy fit if you tell them their rising Juniors need to move? This will be fine, it will take a few years to have a full school and all that comes with it. That is life.

[Anonymous]

Been Mar got last minute screwed in the Annandale boundary change and now will get last minute screwed for Lewis. At least FCPS is consistent in its screwing of poor kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Been Mar got last minute screwed in the Annandale boundary change and now will get last minute screwed for Lewis. At least FCPS is consistent in its screwing of poor kids.

What do you want them to do in that area of the county, exactly? The demographics are what they are. It looks like they’re going to boost enrollment at Lewis and make a move out of Edison to prepare for the new development there. It is a move that makes sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Been Mar got last minute screwed in the Annandale boundary change and now will get last minute screwed for Lewis. At least FCPS is consistent in its screwing of poor kids.

What do you want them to do in that area of the county, exactly? The demographics are what they are. It looks like they’re going to boost enrollment at Lewis and make a move out of Edison to prepare for the new development there. It is a move that makes sense.

If any move is made at this late stage to Bren Mar, it should be to send it back to Annandale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Been Mar got last minute screwed in the Annandale boundary change and now will get last minute screwed for Lewis. At least FCPS is consistent in its screwing of poor kids.

What do you want them to do in that area of the county, exactly? The demographics are what they are. It looks like they’re going to boost enrollment at Lewis and make a move out of Edison to prepare for the new development there. It is a move that makes sense.

Do you think FCPS would propose a last minute scenario moving kids out of West Springfield or Langley that hadn’t been in any of the published scenarios? Not a snowball’s chance in hell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren't they opening with JV/freshman sports? That's stupid. Are they going to be transporting kids back to other schools for sports? That would be a logistical nightmare.

They should open WITH JV and freshman levels set up and ready to go. They have three gyms and a soccer field!

They explained this on Friday in the Zoom meetings that they had. They cannot have any VHSL level programs or individual sports and allow kids to play on varsity teams at other schools. As soon as there is 1 VHSL sport at the HS, kids are not allowed to play at another HS for a different sport. If they have VHSL freshman and JV squads, the kids who could play varsity cannot play at a different HS.

The solution is to wait until they have the fields and number of students at the right experience levels to have varsity sports in all sports. They are hoping to have VHSL sports in the second year the school is open but understand that might not happen until the third year the school is open.

It is all or nothing. You can't have VHSL at any level in any sport and allow kids to play a different sport at a different school.

The right solution would be to wait until Western has enough space for three grades, open with fixed boundaries and VHSL sports, and dispense with this opt-in nonsense with extra bus routes for activities at other schools.

These people have absolutely lost their minds.

Because people won’t throw a hissy fit if you tell them their rising Juniors need to move? This will be fine, it will take a few years to have a full school and all that comes with it. That is life.

If they weren’t mucking things up with other unnecessary changes there’s no reason they couldn’t wait and open Western as a 9-11 school with established boundaries and the courses and activities families want and provide transportation to grandfathered students. Give rising juniors the option to attend Western or their current schools but otherwise no need for this stupid opt-in and bussing kids to other schools for sports crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Been Mar got last minute screwed in the Annandale boundary change and now will get last minute screwed for Lewis. At least FCPS is consistent in its screwing of poor kids.

What do you want them to do in that area of the county, exactly? The demographics are what they are. It looks like they’re going to boost enrollment at Lewis and make a move out of Edison to prepare for the new development there. It is a move that makes sense.

If any move is made at this late stage to Bren Mar, it should be to send it back to Annandale.

That’s not a late change. It’s what Scenario 4 has proposed for months. Moving BMP to Lewis rather than back to Annandale would be the last-minute change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Been Mar got last minute screwed in the Annandale boundary change and now will get last minute screwed for Lewis. At least FCPS is consistent in its screwing of poor kids.

What do you want them to do in that area of the county, exactly? The demographics are what they are. It looks like they’re going to boost enrollment at Lewis and make a move out of Edison to prepare for the new development there. It is a move that makes sense.

Do you think FCPS would propose a last minute scenario moving kids out of West Springfield or Langley that hadn’t been in any of the published scenarios? Not a snowball’s chance in hell.

Weren’t some of the West Springfield parents also complaining that Lewis is too far away and they’d “have to cross the mixing bowl” to get to it in rush hour?

Isn’t Bren Mar inside 495? Is there another way for that area to get to Lewis other than taking 395? Now those kids have to get on the highway to go to school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Been Mar got last minute screwed in the Annandale boundary change and now will get last minute screwed for Lewis. At least FCPS is consistent in its screwing of poor kids.

What do you want them to do in that area of the county, exactly? The demographics are what they are. It looks like they’re going to boost enrollment at Lewis and make a move out of Edison to prepare for the new development there. It is a move that makes sense.

Do you think FCPS would propose a last minute scenario moving kids out of West Springfield or Langley that hadn’t been in any of the published scenarios? Not a snowball’s chance in hell.

Weren’t some of the West Springfield parents also complaining that Lewis is too far away and they’d “have to cross the mixing bowl” to get to it in rush hour?

Isn’t Bren Mar inside 495? Is there another way for that area to get to Lewis other than taking 395? Now those kids have to get on the highway to go to school?

It’s not about the logistics. It’s about the 11th-hour switcheroo that they wouldn’t dare do to a wealthier school. It’s bullying behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Been Mar got last minute screwed in the Annandale boundary change and now will get last minute screwed for Lewis. At least FCPS is consistent in its screwing of poor kids.

What do you want them to do in that area of the county, exactly? The demographics are what they are. It looks like they’re going to boost enrollment at Lewis and make a move out of Edison to prepare for the new development there. It is a move that makes sense.

Do you think FCPS would propose a last minute scenario moving kids out of West Springfield or Langley that hadn’t been in any of the published scenarios? Not a snowball’s chance in hell.

Weren’t some of the West Springfield parents also complaining that Lewis is too far away and they’d “have to cross the mixing bowl” to get to it in rush hour?

Isn’t Bren Mar inside 495? Is there another way for that area to get to Lewis other than taking 395? Now those kids have to get on the highway to go to school?

It’s not about the logistics. It’s about the 11th-hour switcheroo that they wouldn’t dare do to a wealthier school. It’s bullying behavior.

Like how they're screwed over the poor kids in Hagel Circle? Seems to be a trend...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Been Mar got last minute screwed in the Annandale boundary change and now will get last minute screwed for Lewis. At least FCPS is consistent in its screwing of poor kids.

What do you want them to do in that area of the county, exactly? The demographics are what they are. It looks like they’re going to boost enrollment at Lewis and make a move out of Edison to prepare for the new development there. It is a move that makes sense.

Do you think FCPS would propose a last minute scenario moving kids out of West Springfield or Langley that hadn’t been in any of the published scenarios? Not a snowball’s chance in hell.

Weren’t some of the West Springfield parents also complaining that Lewis is too far away and they’d “have to cross the mixing bowl” to get to it in rush hour?

Isn’t Bren Mar inside 495? Is there another way for that area to get to Lewis other than taking 395? Now those kids have to get on the highway to go to school?

They could use Van Dorn instead, and wave hi to Edison when they drive past it. That would make lots of sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren't they opening with JV/freshman sports? That's stupid. Are they going to be transporting kids back to other schools for sports? That would be a logistical nightmare.

They should open WITH JV and freshman levels set up and ready to go. They have three gyms and a soccer field!

They explained this on Friday in the Zoom meetings that they had. They cannot have any VHSL level programs or individual sports and allow kids to play on varsity teams at other schools. As soon as there is 1 VHSL sport at the HS, kids are not allowed to play at another HS for a different sport. If they have VHSL freshman and JV squads, the kids who could play varsity cannot play at a different HS.

The solution is to wait until they have the fields and number of students at the right experience levels to have varsity sports in all sports. They are hoping to have VHSL sports in the second year the school is open but understand that might not happen until the third year the school is open.

It is all or nothing. You can't have VHSL at any level in any sport and allow kids to play a different sport at a different school.

The right solution would be to wait until Western has enough space for three grades, open with fixed boundaries and VHSL sports, and dispense with this opt-in nonsense with extra bus routes for activities at other schools.

These people have absolutely lost their minds.

Because people won’t throw a hissy fit if you tell them their rising Juniors need to move? This will be fine, it will take a few years to have a full school and all that comes with it. That is life.

If they weren’t mucking things up with other unnecessary changes there’s no reason they couldn’t wait and open Western as a 9-11 school with established boundaries and the courses and activities families want and provide transportation to grandfathered students. Give rising juniors the option to attend Western or their current schools but otherwise no need for this stupid opt-in and bussing kids to other schools for sports crap.

It will be one to two years. I will be surprised if they get 500 sophomores, I can’t imagine that they would get enough juniors to offer the wide variety of classes that juniors would want.

[Anonymous]

I think the lack of freshman/ JV sports will be a much bigger consideration than FCPS is anticipating.

And, you are a coach at Westfield. You are picking between two kids for a team. One attends a completely different school and it will be a logistical pain to deal with. The other kid is in your PE class. Which kid do you pick for the team?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Been Mar got last minute screwed in the Annandale boundary change and now will get last minute screwed for Lewis. At least FCPS is consistent in its screwing of poor kids.

What do you want them to do in that area of the county, exactly? The demographics are what they are. It looks like they’re going to boost enrollment at Lewis and make a move out of Edison to prepare for the new development there. It is a move that makes sense.

Do you think FCPS would propose a last minute scenario moving kids out of West Springfield or Langley that hadn’t been in any of the published scenarios? Not a snowball’s chance in hell.

Weren’t some of the West Springfield parents also complaining that Lewis is too far away and they’d “have to cross the mixing bowl” to get to it in rush hour?

Isn’t Bren Mar inside 495? Is there another way for that area to get to Lewis other than taking 395? Now those kids have to get on the highway to go to school?

It’s not about the logistics. It’s about the 11th-hour switcheroo that they wouldn’t dare do to a wealthier school. It’s bullying behavior.

Like how they're screwed over the poor kids in Hagel Circle? Seems to be a trend...

The Hagel kids are getting screwed over right now because they have to sit in a bus on congested Lorton Road to get to a school much further away because some people 15+ years ago wanted to split up the poor neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Been Mar got last minute screwed in the Annandale boundary change and now will get last minute screwed for Lewis. At least FCPS is consistent in its screwing of poor kids.

What do you want them to do in that area of the county, exactly? The demographics are what they are. It looks like they’re going to boost enrollment at Lewis and make a move out of Edison to prepare for the new development there. It is a move that makes sense.

Do you think FCPS would propose a last minute scenario moving kids out of West Springfield or Langley that hadn’t been in any of the published scenarios? Not a snowball’s chance in hell.

Weren’t some of the West Springfield parents also complaining that Lewis is too far away and they’d “have to cross the mixing bowl” to get to it in rush hour?

Isn’t Bren Mar inside 495? Is there another way for that area to get to Lewis other than taking 395? Now those kids have to get on the highway to go to school?

Bren Mar Park is inside 495.

Going back many years there used to be two ES, Edsall Park ES and Bren Mar Park, that fed into Holmes and then Jefferson. In 1980, the School Board closed Edsall Park (inside the Beltway and west of 395) and folded it into Bren Mar Park (inside the Beltway and east of 395). In the mid-80s, they closed Jefferson and moved all of Jefferson, including Bren Mar Park, into Annandale. In 2011, they moved Bren Mar Park from Annandale to Edison, which meant that (1) Bren Mar Park was the only Holmes feeder zoned to Edison; and (2) the kids in the Edsall Park area have to cross both the Beltway and 395 to get to Edison.

Scenario 4 keeps Bren Mar Park at Holmes and moves it back to Annandale. It's not hard to get to Annandale from any Bren Mar Park neighborhood: you get on Edsall Road, and then take Backlick to Braddock to Ravenworth to Heritage Drive. However, BMP has been at Edison for 14 years, so some don't want to move from their current HS, and moving BMP to Annandale puts AHS at full capacity with its modular and at 113% if you ignore the modular.

Moving Bren Mar Park from Holmes/Edison to Key/Lewis isn't a big inconvenience for the old Edsall Park area. You take Edsall to Backlick and then get on Franconia to Key or Lewis. You have to cross both the Beltway and 395, but those families have to do this now to get to Edison. For the area closer to Bren Mar Park, it's more convoluted. You either take the same route as the Edsall Park area, which isn't direct, or you get on Van Dorn, in which case you would see Edison on your way to Lewis.

If they make a last-minute change impacting Bren Mar Park, they won't get the same reaction they'd get if it were a last-minute change affecting Langley or West Springfield, but a good number of people will be unhappy.