FCPS comprehensive boundary review

[Anonymous]

Once more: get rid of IB. Lewis enrollment and Herndon enrollment will increase. I'd love to know how many IB to AP are at Chantilly--but probably some.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They clearly need to do something with Lewis and WSHS. WSHS is going to be asking taxpayers for trailers soon.

I'd say leave the Langley/Herndon situation alone. If anything, move some Westfield kids to Herndon to help Chantilly.

I’m not in WSHS pyramid, but I don’t think the situation is that dire to say something clearly must be done in that area.

Families want stability. How many kids are at Lewis? It’s like over 1600, right? That’s double the size of most high schools in the country. I’m not sure how anyone can claim that a school of that size is critically under capacity.

The latest five-year projection had Lewis down to slightly over 1400 by 2028. That is around the size where they intervened in 2008 to move kids to South Lakes. When your enrollment is dropping like that, you don’t necessarily have stability, because the school normally loses teachers and electives. In Lewis’s case, maybe they could put it some guarantees that won’t happen during a transition back to AP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Once more: get rid of IB. Lewis enrollment and Herndon enrollment will increase. I'd love to know how many IB to AP are at Chantilly--but probably some.

This is the easy solution. FCPS does a terrible job in delivering IB, so drop it and let the coming decline in school population solve the overcrowding issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They clearly need to do something with Lewis and WSHS. WSHS is going to be asking taxpayers for trailers soon.

I'd say leave the Langley/Herndon situation alone. If anything, move some Westfield kids to Herndon to help Chantilly.

They really aren’t going to be asking for trailers. Everyone who actually has kids at WSHS has said that with the recent renovation that there’s plenty of room in the hallways, there are empty classroom spaces, there is room in the cafeteria, etc. If something like the Keene Mill island gets shifted to Lake Braddock and a LB elementary feeder (probably White Oaks) that will decrease the population as well. There is also no growth or development slated for WSHS’s boundaries. Everything is built up.

[Anonymous]

I'd say leave the Langley/Herndon situation alone. If anything, move some Westfield kids to Herndon to help Chantilly.

During the 2008 South Lakes "study," both Herndon and South Lakes PTAs "turned down" that area. Coates is the logical school to fill Herndon as it is close. But, traffic patterns might make it problematic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I'd say leave the Langley/Herndon situation alone. If anything, move some Westfield kids to Herndon to help Chantilly.

During the 2008 South Lakes "study," both Herndon and South Lakes PTAs "turned down" that area. Coates is the logical school to fill Herndon as it is close. But, traffic patterns might make it problematic.

This. Then rezone Oak Hill to Westfield.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'd say leave the Langley/Herndon situation alone. If anything, move some Westfield kids to Herndon to help Chantilly.

During the 2008 South Lakes "study," both Herndon and South Lakes PTAs "turned down" that area. Coates is the logical school to fill Herndon as it is close. But, traffic patterns might make it problematic.

This. Then rezone Oak Hill to Westfield.

You can't rezone Oak Hill to Westfield without moving others out of Westfield. It would overcrowd Westfield.

Chantilly has compact boundaries just like West Springfield. No one will move out of that school without pushing back hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'd say leave the Langley/Herndon situation alone. If anything, move some Westfield kids to Herndon to help Chantilly.

During the 2008 South Lakes "study," both Herndon and South Lakes PTAs "turned down" that area. Coates is the logical school to fill Herndon as it is close. But, traffic patterns might make it problematic.

This. Then rezone Oak Hill to Westfield.

You can't rezone Oak Hill to Westfield without moving others out of Westfield. It would overcrowd Westfield.

Chantilly has compact boundaries just like West Springfield. No one will move out of that school without pushing back hard.

I just looked at Chantilly membership. Two interesting things on the profile:

1. Thirty kids have been added since the beginning of the year--most in November. There has not been any measurable increase in new construction. Where did these kids come from?
2. More interesting: there are more than 100 fewer students in ninth grade than any other grade.
Is this normal attrition or is it because there were too many pupil placements in the past?

Sounds like Chantilly does not need any help at this time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They clearly need to do something with Lewis and WSHS. WSHS is going to be asking taxpayers for trailers soon.

I'd say leave the Langley/Herndon situation alone. If anything, move some Westfield kids to Herndon to help Chantilly.

I’m not in WSHS pyramid, but I don’t think the situation is that dire to say something clearly must be done in that area.

Families want stability. How many kids are at Lewis? It’s like over 1600, right? That’s double the size of most high schools in the country. I’m not sure how anyone can claim that a school of that size is critically under capacity.

+1
My HS had about 350 kids in it and had multiple sports and ECs. It meant that kids could do a lot of things not just 1 or 2 and you did not have to be a superstar to get on a team. It was great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'd say leave the Langley/Herndon situation alone. If anything, move some Westfield kids to Herndon to help Chantilly.

During the 2008 South Lakes "study," both Herndon and South Lakes PTAs "turned down" that area. Coates is the logical school to fill Herndon as it is close. But, traffic patterns might make it problematic.

This. Then rezone Oak Hill to Westfield.

You can't rezone Oak Hill to Westfield without moving others out of Westfield. It would overcrowd Westfield.

Chantilly has compact boundaries just like West Springfield. No one will move out of that school without pushing back hard.

I don't understand your reasoning. Coates has probably twice as many kids as Oak Hill once you account for AAP transfers. Herndon is muxh closer to Coates than Westfield so that makes sense, and Oak Hill makes sense to Westfield as there are already surrounding neighborhoods further away to the north already there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'd say leave the Langley/Herndon situation alone. If anything, move some Westfield kids to Herndon to help Chantilly.

During the 2008 South Lakes "study," both Herndon and South Lakes PTAs "turned down" that area. Coates is the logical school to fill Herndon as it is close. But, traffic patterns might make it problematic.

This. Then rezone Oak Hill to Westfield.

You can't rezone Oak Hill to Westfield without moving others out of Westfield. It would overcrowd Westfield.

Chantilly has compact boundaries just like West Springfield. No one will move out of that school without pushing back hard.

I don't understand your reasoning. Coates has probably twice as many kids as Oak Hill once you account for AAP transfers. Herndon is muxh closer to Coates than Westfield so that makes sense, and Oak Hill makes sense to Westfield as there are already surrounding neighborhoods further away to the north already there.

Thought you were only talking about moving Oak Hill from Chantilly to Westfield without moving anyone out of Westfield.

In any event, I don't think they will move a 64% FARMS ES to a 55% HS (Herndon), when Herndon also shares a border with lower-FARMS schools. But I could be wrong.

FWIW, according to the Capacity Dashboard, FCPS is now projecting Chantilly at 98% capacity in 2029-30, so moving kids around to reduce Chantilly's enrollment may be less of an issue that some assume.

[Anonymous]

Chantilly has Greenbriar East which is a split feeder…and it’s a big school. They are going to need to move someone out of Chantilly to accommodate those kids, or plan to do something with Poplar Tree’s boundary where some will now head to Powell and then Centreville.

[Anonymous]

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I listened to the sessions that FairFACTS Matters and then the Great Falls Citizens Association had with Robyn Lady earlier this year. The references to Herndon from Langley-zoned parents were quite disparaging.

Well, this statement intrigued me, so I googled and found the GFCA webinar with Robyn Lady. I heard nothing disparaging. I did hear lots of concerns about the shift, but not like that.

At one point, Robyn Lady brought up the demographics as the reason the school is rated lower. Someone did ask about the safety stats. The moderator mentioned (I am paraphrasing) that they might consider addressing that issue before shifting kids.
I've stated on this thread before that I have never heard anyone address fixing the problem at the struggling schools rather than covering it up with higher SES scoring kids.

Lady also mentioned that the teachers prefer teaching upper level classes. I did not hear anyone ask a question about how the school plans to staff the schools that get more kids as a result of boundary lines. (Teachers generally do not like being reassigned against their will.)

What about the insulting question "Does Herndon even meet the minimal requirements to offer AP courses"? Like really?

DP.

Oh my vapors.

You have boundary change proponents on here spewing racial slurs like they’re back in the 50s, but you’re upset at that question? Such transparently faux outrage.

The “boundary change proponents“ aren’t spewing racial slurs. In some instances they are ascribing views to Langley posters based on their past conduct and statements.

You aren’t fooling anyone, including the School Board, by suggesting otherwise. They know very well by now what you’re all about.

DP. But that is false, and everyone knows this. Langley posters aren't making racist statements, you are simply fabricating this (lying) to further your narrative. All we've said is that we do not want to switch schools. There is nothing at all racist about wanting to remain at a school rather than change. There's also nothing racist about comparing the test scores at both schools. It's people like you who are determined to make this into a racial issue when it is not.

What’s the comparison with kids of similar race? How are the white kids scores at Herndon? Asian?

It isn’t as simple as looking at overall scores and data.

Once again: it is YOU who is focused on race. Thanks for proving the point.

And why shouldn’t a parent focus on race? It is another factor when thinking about an environment.

I think is misguided, but I guess no objection from me if you want to focus on race. I was raised to believe in the fundamental principles of MLK to worry about content of one’s character, not skin color, but it seems that you disagree.

it is particularly pernicious for posters to outright lie by repeatedly claiming without evidence that Langley families are racist or posting racist things, when in reality it’s the exact opposite.

Langley posters will go to the mat to avoid sending their kids to a school with any significant number of Hispanic kids. MLK would be among the first to call you out were he alive today.

You are the literal embodiment of a race baiter.

Anyone can go back through this thread and see that you are the only one bringing up race. It’s clearly not Langley posters. 🙄

OK, so Langley posters don’t mind brown people as long as they aren’t lower income brown people. Fine.

So why should rich residents (of all colors) who live in Great Falls or Herndon get priority for Langley HS over lower income brown people who live in apartments much closer to Langley HS?

What makes Langley so great that you are asking why "lower income brown people" aren't getting priority for it?

Be for real. Look at the building. The clubs. The test scores. College admissions

Thank you for answering.

Then the school board should remove all the rich kids from Great Falls and send the closer in "lower income brown people" to Langley because the existing situation isn't fair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'd say leave the Langley/Herndon situation alone. If anything, move some Westfield kids to Herndon to help Chantilly.

During the 2008 South Lakes "study," both Herndon and South Lakes PTAs "turned down" that area. Coates is the logical school to fill Herndon as it is close. But, traffic patterns might make it problematic.

This. Then rezone Oak Hill to Westfield.

You can't rezone Oak Hill to Westfield without moving others out of Westfield. It would overcrowd Westfield.

Chantilly has compact boundaries just like West Springfield. No one will move out of that school without pushing back hard.

I don't understand your reasoning. Coates has probably twice as many kids as Oak Hill once you account for AAP transfers. Herndon is muxh closer to Coates than Westfield so that makes sense, and Oak Hill makes sense to Westfield as there are already surrounding neighborhoods further away to the north already there.

Thought you were only talking about moving Oak Hill from Chantilly to Westfield without moving anyone out of Westfield.

In any event, I don't think they will move a 64% FARMS ES to a 55% HS (Herndon), when Herndon also shares a border with lower-FARMS schools. But I could be wrong.

FWIW, according to the Capacity Dashboard, FCPS is now projecting Chantilly at 98% capacity in 2029-30, so moving kids around to reduce Chantilly's enrollment may be less of an issue that some assume.

I think they will. Oak Hill and Coates can shift.

[Anonymous]

I have a suspicion they will remove IB from Lewis for fall 2026. They have more APs than other IB schools and are adding more. This timeline gives current juniors the opportunity to earn the diploma.