Why is Langley Enrollment Going Down?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The appeal if living far away on large plots of land ended.

This. And even if that subset of buyers doesn't want to live in DC, they'd probably much prefer Arlington, McLean, or Alexandria over Great Falls.

When we were looking, our realtor tried to show us several houses in Great Falls, and I shut that down very quickly. People want walkability and transit, and Great Falls offers zero of that.

Major generalization. Perhaps you do, but those of us who actually live in Great Falls chose it precisely because of its large lots, privacy, huge green spaces, and no metro/urban center. Great Falls attracts people who enjoy a more rural feel and don't want to be living on top of one another in a more urban area. You couldn't pay me to live any closer to DC, and especially not Arlington or Alexandria.

Might as well live in West Virginia

Seriously. The whole "urban centers and metro stops are for the poors" is a last century ideal, dear.

Don't think I ever said anything about the "poors," but if that's the way you want to take it, be my guest. Dear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they add a strong AAP program at Cooper, you'd also find some families moving into the current Langley boundaries instead of into the Longfellow and Kilmer boundary areas.

Ugh, Cooper was a great school without AAP. Adding it just makes me want to move elsewhere. I think AAP has ruined school dynamics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The appeal if living far away on large plots of land ended.

This. And even if that subset of buyers doesn't want to live in DC, they'd probably much prefer Arlington, McLean, or Alexandria over Great Falls.

When we were looking, our realtor tried to show us several houses in Great Falls, and I shut that down very quickly. People want walkability and transit, and Great Falls offers zero of that.

Major generalization. Perhaps you do, but those of us who actually live in Great Falls chose it precisely because of its large lots, privacy, huge green spaces, and no metro/urban center. Great Falls attracts people who enjoy a more rural feel and don't want to be living on top of one another in a more urban area. You couldn't pay me to live any closer to DC, and especially not Arlington or Alexandria.

Do you have neighbors with younger children committed to the public schools, PP? I am hoping these neighborhoods will turn over soon and that FCPS will decide it does not have to cannibalize all the surrounding school districts just to fill up schools like Great Falls ES and Langley HS.

I'm the PP and yes, our neighborhood is full of families with school-aged kids (elementary through high school) who attend the public schools. There are one or two families whose kids are in privates, but the vast majority send their kids to public school.

Thanks - that's great to hear (and just reaffirms my sense that FCPS needs to pause before messing around with the base boundaries too much). They moved a bunch of neighborhoods to South Lakes a few years ago when its enrollment was much lower than Langley's (SL had about 1400 kids) and within a few years South Lakes was seriously overcrowded.

[Anonymous]

We live in FCPS- Oakton HS district. We looked at homes in McLean and declined. Why! Langley HS. I don't want my kids to attend Langley. McLean HS- maybe. Staying put as OHS is ideal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in FCPS- Oakton HS district. We looked at homes in McLean and declined. Why! Langley HS. I don't want my kids to attend Langley. McLean HS- maybe. Staying put as OHS is ideal.

[Anonymous]

If you live near Rt 7 in GF like we do, you will soon be able to walk to Tysons and Reston. Oh joy.

Our kids are in private school in DC and we deal with the commute because we love our neighborhood and community. But, with all of the increased foot traffic directly behind our house, we may as well move to Arlington and be closer to schools and our offices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The appeal if living far away on large plots of land ended.

Are you suggesting that there are unoccupied homes in the area???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they add a strong AAP program at Cooper, you'd also find some families moving into the current Langley boundaries instead of into the Longfellow and Kilmer boundary areas.

Ugh, Cooper was a great school without AAP. Adding it just makes me want to move elsewhere. I think AAP has ruined school dynamics.

You really need to stop posting this nonsense. Everyone here knows all the Mclean and Great Falls elementary and high schools are full of AAP children and that 2 years more will make little difference. I get the feeling like you are trying to belittle AAP parents and act like you are some sort of victim. We just see a parent trying to keep a school as exlusionaty and uncrowned as possible while other kids are stuck in grossly overcrowded schools and classrooms.

[Anonymous]

I live in Great Falls (public water and sewer, by the way; also, only a 5-minute bus ride to the Silver Line Metro). I would say that most people in my neighborhood have kids who just started college, so maybe Langley is seeing the neighborhoods age out right now. On the other hand, there are several large families near me with elementary-aged kids, so we may see an increase in enrollment when those kids get to Langley.

Not everybody works in DC, but there are plenty of folks in my neighborhood who do, and they commute via the Silver Line (we are near Rt 7) without issue. Most of us prefer our walkability to be at Great Falls Park and the like - I have no interest in walking to the grocery store after getting my kids from after-care. I love living in Great Falls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The appeal if living far away on large plots of land ended.

Sorry, don't think so.

Most rich families are now preferring closer in locations.

This. Rich, young families want to be in Kalorama or 14th St . . . Not out in a dated McMansion

Hmm. We're a "rich young family" and definitely don't want to be in Kalorama, 14th St., or anywhere near DC. Give me five acres with horses any day.

Not at all rich, but 5 acres with horses is the charm of Great Falls!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Langley with apartment kids???? Say it ain't so. Langley snowflakes should never have to be exposed to poors! That's why you buy in Langley-- so your child can exist in a bubble.

It's one area of the county where FCPS ought to create attendance islands. You could have apartments now in the Marshall and McLean districts rezoned for Langley and they'd still be closer to Langley than many homes now zoned for Langley are.

There are lot of apartments and condos in the Franklin Sherman boundary. I'm sure this would help.

The big apartments near the Safeway have lots of elderly. Langley enrollment is cyclical. People aged in place which is why the boundary was extended from Springvale Road to Loudoun County line back in the 1990's. Then it's population boomed - no boundary changes back to Herndon HS. Additions.

Now Langley areas have decreases because those households that spawned the boom are for the most part aging in place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Langley with apartment kids???? Say it ain't so. Langley snowflakes should never have to be exposed to poors! That's why you buy in Langley-- so your child can exist in a bubble.

It's one area of the county where FCPS ought to create attendance islands. You could have apartments now in the Marshall and McLean districts rezoned for Langley and they'd still be closer to Langley than many homes now zoned for Langley are.

There are lot of apartments and condos in the Franklin Sherman boundary. I'm sure this would help.

The big apartments near the Safeway have lots of elderly. Langley enrollment is cyclical. People aged in place which is why the boundary was extended from Springvale Road to Loudoun County line back in the 1990's. Then it's population boomed - no boundary changes back to Herndon HS. Additions.

Now Langley areas have decreases because those households that spawned the boom are for the most part aging in place.

Langley had 2100 kids as recently as 2008. Since it already has the biggest boundary in FCPS, it seems like FCPS ought to tolerate lower enrollments at Langley for a few years before doing much more than rezoning a few apartment complexes in Tysons there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you live near Rt 7 in GF like we do, you will soon be able to walk to Tysons and Reston. Oh joy.

Our kids are in private school in DC and we deal with the commute because we love our neighborhood and community. But, with all of the increased foot traffic directly behind our house, we may as well move to Arlington and be closer to schools and our offices.

I've never been to a single home with a Great Falls address that was walkable to anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you live near Rt 7 in GF like we do, you will soon be able to walk to Tysons and Reston. Oh joy.

Our kids are in private school in DC and we deal with the commute because we love our neighborhood and community. But, with all of the increased foot traffic directly behind our house, we may as well move to Arlington and be closer to schools and our offices.

I've never been to a single home with a Great Falls address that was walkable to anything.

I'd never want to walk along Route 7 if I could avoid it, but there are, in fact, neighborhoods in Great Falls that are a close walk to the Great Falls Village area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The appeal if living far away on large plots of land ended.

Are you suggesting that there are unoccupied homes in the area???

Seriously. I didn't realize all the bidding wars going on in Great Falls indicated no one was interested in living here!