Boundary Review Meetings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am coming to the discussion late. can someone catch me up - what is wrong with keeping the boundaries as they are?

There are a number of schools that are overcrowded and some schools underutilized. At the very least, the overcrowded schools need relief by shifting boundaries. The problem is most ES families wants to stay at their HS while wanting other ES to be moved so that the school is no longer over crowded. The parents don’t like the crowded hallways, cafeteria schedules, and all the trailers and modulars but they don’t want to move because they like the school.

Reducing the overcrowding at one HS means shifting kids to nearby HS, which might overcrowd those HSs forcing kids on the boundaries of those schools to be moved to a different HS. This upsets those families who like their school and don’t feel like they should have to move because there are kids being moved into the school to reduce overcrowding at a different school.

Parents at a strong school really don’t want to be moved to a school that is not perceived to be a similar strength. Parents at an AP school don’t want to be moved to an IB school.

But we have a series of HS, MS, and ES that are overcrowded and need relief. So we need boundary changes.

It wouldn’t have been smooth but the process would have been better if the School Board just said they were going to meet the needs of the overcrowded schools and that meant that there would be some ripple effects in order to better distribute students so schools were not overcrowded. WSHS families would still be throwing each other under the bus to avoid going to Lewis.

We have under enrolled high schools because the school board allows hundreds of students to flee via ib/ap transfers causing a significant brain drain at those schools. They could address the under enrolled schools without changing boundaries.

That needs to happen first, before they cavalierly diminish kids’ mental heath with unnecessary boundary changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am coming to the discussion late. can someone catch me up - what is wrong with keeping the boundaries as they are?

Ask the rest of the country where they regularly adjust boundaries so they don't have to set up trailer parks at their schools to house classrooms or bus kids halfway across the county that could be taught somewhere closer to home.

Trailers have been a way of life with FCPS for 40 years. 8130 won’t fix that. Who cares so much about trailers. Seriously. Its nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am coming to the discussion late. can someone catch me up - what is wrong with keeping the boundaries as they are?

There are a number of schools that are overcrowded and some schools underutilized. At the very least, the overcrowded schools need relief by shifting boundaries. The problem is most ES families wants to stay at their HS while wanting other ES to be moved so that the school is no longer over crowded. The parents don’t like the crowded hallways, cafeteria schedules, and all the trailers and modulars but they don’t want to move because they like the school.

Reducing the overcrowding at one HS means shifting kids to nearby HS, which might overcrowd those HSs forcing kids on the boundaries of those schools to be moved to a different HS. This upsets those families who like their school and don’t feel like they should have to move because there are kids being moved into the school to reduce overcrowding at a different school.

Parents at a strong school really don’t want to be moved to a school that is not perceived to be a similar strength. Parents at an AP school don’t want to be moved to an IB school.

But we have a series of HS, MS, and ES that are overcrowded and need relief. So we need boundary changes.

It wouldn’t have been smooth but the process would have been better if the School Board just said they were going to meet the needs of the overcrowded schools and that meant that there would be some ripple effects in order to better distribute students so schools were not overcrowded. WSHS families would still be throwing each other under the bus to avoid going to Lewis.

Because WSHS is absolutely fine as is. This whole thing is nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am coming to the discussion late. can someone catch me up - what is wrong with keeping the boundaries as they are?

There are a number of schools that are overcrowded and some schools underutilized. At the very least, the overcrowded schools need relief by shifting boundaries. The problem is most ES families wants to stay at their HS while wanting other ES to be moved so that the school is no longer over crowded. The parents don’t like the crowded hallways, cafeteria schedules, and all the trailers and modulars but they don’t want to move because they like the school.

Reducing the overcrowding at one HS means shifting kids to nearby HS, which might overcrowd those HSs forcing kids on the boundaries of those schools to be moved to a different HS. This upsets those families who like their school and don’t feel like they should have to move because there are kids being moved into the school to reduce overcrowding at a different school.

Parents at a strong school really don’t want to be moved to a school that is not perceived to be a similar strength. Parents at an AP school don’t want to be moved to an IB school.

But we have a series of HS, MS, and ES that are overcrowded and need relief. So we need boundary changes.

It wouldn’t have been smooth but the process would have been better if the School Board just said they were going to meet the needs of the overcrowded schools and that meant that there would be some ripple effects in order to better distribute students so schools were not overcrowded. WSHS families would still be throwing each other under the bus to avoid going to Lewis.

This is simplistic thinking. We ought to ask why some schools are overcrowded and others are under-enrolled. Is it because of pupil placements out of AP or IB schools? Is it because of safety concerns? Is it because FCPS has been misallocating its scarce capital dollars?

Boundary changes are the last resort of people lacking in imagination and unwilling to examine how their own actions and inactions may have contributed to capacity imbalances. And they can be a band aid if they don't address the underlying issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am coming to the discussion late. can someone catch me up - what is wrong with keeping the boundaries as they are?

There are a number of schools that are overcrowded and some schools underutilized. At the very least, the overcrowded schools need relief by shifting boundaries. The problem is most ES families wants to stay at their HS while wanting other ES to be moved so that the school is no longer over crowded. The parents don’t like the crowded hallways, cafeteria schedules, and all the trailers and modulars but they don’t want to move because they like the school.

Reducing the overcrowding at one HS means shifting kids to nearby HS, which might overcrowd those HSs forcing kids on the boundaries of those schools to be moved to a different HS. This upsets those families who like their school and don’t feel like they should have to move because there are kids being moved into the school to reduce overcrowding at a different school.

Parents at a strong school really don’t want to be moved to a school that is not perceived to be a similar strength. Parents at an AP school don’t want to be moved to an IB school.

But we have a series of HS, MS, and ES that are overcrowded and need relief. So we need boundary changes.

It wouldn’t have been smooth but the process would have been better if the School Board just said they were going to meet the needs of the overcrowded schools and that meant that there would be some ripple effects in order to better distribute students so schools were not overcrowded. WSHS families would still be throwing each other under the bus to avoid going to Lewis.

We have under enrolled high schools because the school board allows hundreds of students to flee via ib/ap transfers causing a significant brain drain at those schools. They could address the under enrolled schools without changing boundaries.

That needs to happen first, before they cavalierly diminish kids’ mental heath with unnecessary boundary changes.

Chicken or the egg debate. But the schools need to be fixed in order for students and families to want to go there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am coming to the discussion late. can someone catch me up - what is wrong with keeping the boundaries as they are?

Ask the rest of the country where they regularly adjust boundaries so they don't have to set up trailer parks at their schools to house classrooms or bus kids halfway across the county that could be taught somewhere closer to home.

Trailers have been a way of life with FCPS for 40 years. 8130 won’t fix that. Who cares so much about trailers. Seriously. Its nuts.

FCPS Alum. Had many classes in trailers. Somehow made it out alive and am posting here with you fine folks. Crazy I was able to survive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am coming to the discussion late. can someone catch me up - what is wrong with keeping the boundaries as they are?

There are a number of schools that are overcrowded and some schools underutilized. At the very least, the overcrowded schools need relief by shifting boundaries. The problem is most ES families wants to stay at their HS while wanting other ES to be moved so that the school is no longer over crowded. The parents don’t like the crowded hallways, cafeteria schedules, and all the trailers and modulars but they don’t want to move because they like the school.

Reducing the overcrowding at one HS means shifting kids to nearby HS, which might overcrowd those HSs forcing kids on the boundaries of those schools to be moved to a different HS. This upsets those families who like their school and don’t feel like they should have to move because there are kids being moved into the school to reduce overcrowding at a different school.

Parents at a strong school really don’t want to be moved to a school that is not perceived to be a similar strength. Parents at an AP school don’t want to be moved to an IB school.

But we have a series of HS, MS, and ES that are overcrowded and need relief. So we need boundary changes.

It wouldn’t have been smooth but the process would have been better if the School Board just said they were going to meet the needs of the overcrowded schools and that meant that there would be some ripple effects in order to better distribute students so schools were not overcrowded. WSHS families would still be throwing each other under the bus to avoid going to Lewis.

We have under enrolled high schools because the school board allows hundreds of students to flee via ib/ap transfers causing a significant brain drain at those schools. They could address the under enrolled schools without changing boundaries.

That needs to happen first, before they cavalierly diminish kids’ mental heath with unnecessary boundary changes.

Chicken or the egg debate. But the schools need to be fixed in order for students and families to want to go there.

A boundary change isn't a fix. It's a cover-up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am coming to the discussion late. can someone catch me up - what is wrong with keeping the boundaries as they are?

Ask the rest of the country where they regularly adjust boundaries so they don't have to set up trailer parks at their schools to house classrooms or bus kids halfway across the county that could be taught somewhere closer to home.

Trailers have been a way of life with FCPS for 40 years. 8130 won’t fix that. Who cares so much about trailers. Seriously. Its nuts.

FCPS Alum. Had many classes in trailers. Somehow made it out alive and am posting here with you fine folks. Crazy I was able to survive.

100%. The person arguing to upend the fruit cart because of trailers is grasping at the thinnest of straws.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am coming to the discussion late. can someone catch me up - what is wrong with keeping the boundaries as they are?

Ask the rest of the country where they regularly adjust boundaries so they don't have to set up trailer parks at their schools to house classrooms or bus kids halfway across the county that could be taught somewhere closer to home.

Trailers have been a way of life with FCPS for 40 years. 8130 won’t fix that. Who cares so much about trailers. Seriously. Its nuts.

FCPS Alum. Had many classes in trailers. Somehow made it out alive and am posting here with you fine folks. Crazy I was able to survive.

100%. The person arguing to upend the fruit cart because of trailers is grasping at the thinnest of straws.

Np. No dog in this fight, but I thought the old trailers are full of mold. They're fine new but get moldy if not replaced after a while, which is a health hazard, especially for teachers who stay in them all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am coming to the discussion late. can someone catch me up - what is wrong with keeping the boundaries as they are?

Ask the rest of the country where they regularly adjust boundaries so they don't have to set up trailer parks at their schools to house classrooms or bus kids halfway across the county that could be taught somewhere closer to home.

Trailers have been a way of life with FCPS for 40 years. 8130 won’t fix that. Who cares so much about trailers. Seriously. Its nuts.

FCPS Alum. Had many classes in trailers. Somehow made it out alive and am posting here with you fine folks. Crazy I was able to survive.

100%. The person arguing to upend the fruit cart because of trailers is grasping at the thinnest of straws.

Np. No dog in this fight, but I thought the old trailers are full of mold. They're fine new but get moldy if not replaced after a while, which is a health hazard, especially for teachers who stay in them all day.

Getting rid of trailers should be a goal, but some of the people who rail about modulars just use that as an excuse because they want to get the poorest kids redistricted out of their schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am coming to the discussion late. can someone catch me up - what is wrong with keeping the boundaries as they are?

There are a number of schools that are overcrowded and some schools underutilized. At the very least, the overcrowded schools need relief by shifting boundaries. The problem is most ES families wants to stay at their HS while wanting other ES to be moved so that the school is no longer over crowded. The parents don’t like the crowded hallways, cafeteria schedules, and all the trailers and modulars but they don’t want to move because they like the school.

Reducing the overcrowding at one HS means shifting kids to nearby HS, which might overcrowd those HSs forcing kids on the boundaries of those schools to be moved to a different HS. This upsets those families who like their school and don’t feel like they should have to move because there are kids being moved into the school to reduce overcrowding at a different school.

Parents at a strong school really don’t want to be moved to a school that is not perceived to be a similar strength. Parents at an AP school don’t want to be moved to an IB school.

But we have a series of HS, MS, and ES that are overcrowded and need relief. So we need boundary changes.

It wouldn’t have been smooth but the process would have been better if the School Board just said they were going to meet the needs of the overcrowded schools and that meant that there would be some ripple effects in order to better distribute students so schools were not overcrowded. WSHS families would still be throwing each other under the bus to avoid going to Lewis.

You ignored:

- the school board is using dated enrollment numbers and projections (2024 numbers and projections according to Thru and Dr. Reid at the meetings, not current enrollment numbers and projections.) The 2024 growth projections are based on the prior years trends, which are distorted by the number of students returning to FCPS post covid. The current numbers show a significant drop in student population over the next few years, particularly at the high school level, as the demographic cliff hits and graduating high school classes are replaced by younger grades that are anywhere from dozens fewer students, or in the case of most schools' graduating class of 2026, 100-150 fewer students.

- The school board is ignoring large numbers of transfers into schools that are overcrowded and closed to transfers. FCPS has been ignoring its own transfer rules, which require kids seeking transfers for things such as language to be denied transfer to the nearest school if it is closed to transfers, moving to the next closest school with that language. By enforcing the transfer rules as written, FCPS could easily drop enrollment in many of the overcrowded schools by dozens or more students, in some cases the same number of kids who live in bounds who are being forced to be rezoned.

- FCPS is ignoring the elephant in the room that is causing kids to transfer out of poor performing schools, unwanted IB and lack of AAP in all middle schools. Some of the under enrolled schools next to crowded schools have hundreds, nearly 300, high performing students who transfer to neighboring high schools to either stay in a different pyramid with their middle school friends, or to escape their IB high school for an AP program. FCPS should have started this process by doing the truly equitable thing, putting AAP in every middle school with no middle school students allowed to change schools for AAP, and by eliminating IB and closing the IB/AP transfer loophole.

Adding AAP to all middle schools would have been cost neutral, possibly a savings, if it eliminated bussing and if it removed the need to spend $500,000 on the no bid Thru contract, and possibly more when you factor in all the overtime FCPS is paying staff to work the rezoning meeting, plus full colored printing on heavy weight glossy paper stock of thousands of packets for every single rezoning meeting over the past 2 years.

Eliminating IB would save the district millions of dollars.

Both of these things would improve enrollment and test scores in low performing underenrolled schools almost immediately for the middle schools and within 2-4 years for the high schools, stopping their hemmoraging of high performing kids and without the need to rezone.

- FCPS is ignoring the other elephant in the room, residency fraud. Parents, principals, and teachers have been clamoring for a district wide residency check prior to rezoning. At a minimum, they are asking that FCPS does a residency check before kids are allowed to enroll in high school. Right now, FCPS only checks at kindergarten, so a student can move anywhere, even out of county, and remain in their old school pyramid through graduation.

FCPS knows residency fraud occurs. Just looking at the past couple of years, we have had a huge residency fraud scandal with Hayfield football, a medium sized residency fraud scandal with Edison girls basketball, and a small residency fraud retalitory accusation with Fairfax football. These 3 are just the tip. Reid says there is only 1 person in FCPS who is able to check residency for 180,000 students, so FCPS will not check residency. Surely Gatehouse could redirect other high paid Gatehouse employees to residency checks, like they did when they allowed Gatehouse employees to campaign for Dachna while on the clock for ffx taxpayers.

Families facing rezoning are upset that they live in the community but are getting rezoned due to people attending their high schools that don't live in bounds, either through FCPS not enforcing their transfer rules, or though residency fraud.

Families in under enrolled schools want more students, rightfully so, but FCPS is ignoring that hundreds of high performing students with engaged parents are using loopholes to transfer out of those schools each year.

Fix the root causes before disrupting peoples lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am coming to the discussion late. can someone catch me up - what is wrong with keeping the boundaries as they are?

+1. They spent two years and a tremendous amount of resources on a student-hurting solution in search of a justification. The only boundary that needed adjusting is Coates, which ironically was delayed a year because of the comprehensive review.

You can’t make this crap up.

Parklawn has been mentioned as overcrowded. Chantilly and Centerville are badly overcrowded. I am guessing more that i don’t know about because they are not in my section of the county. Any school that is relying on trailers to hold classes needed to be addressed. Some would argue any school with modulars needed to be addressed.

A few years back this board was up in arms about the adding of trailers and kids learning in trailers and we needed to do something about it. Redrawing boundaries is doing something about it. Otherwise the solution is expanding schools and then people complain that causes issues with CIP priorities and McLean continues to deteriorate because the money is going to expansions. And McLean has every right to complain about the state of the school, it needs a major renovation.

Chantilly's senior class is 55 students larger than its junior class and 199 students larger than its sophomore class.

That is over a 250 student drop in size in just 2 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am coming to the discussion late. can someone catch me up - what is wrong with keeping the boundaries as they are?

Ask the rest of the country where they regularly adjust boundaries so they don't have to set up trailer parks at their schools to house classrooms or bus kids halfway across the county that could be taught somewhere closer to home.

Trailers have been a way of life with FCPS for 40 years. 8130 won’t fix that. Who cares so much about trailers. Seriously. Its nuts.

FCPS Alum. Had many classes in trailers. Somehow made it out alive and am posting here with you fine folks. Crazy I was able to survive.

100%. The person arguing to upend the fruit cart because of trailers is grasping at the thinnest of straws.

Np. No dog in this fight, but I thought the old trailers are full of mold. They're fine new but get moldy if not replaced after a while, which is a health hazard, especially for teachers who stay in them all day.

Getting rid of trailers should be a goal, but some of the people who rail about modulars just use that as an excuse because they want to get the poorest kids redistricted out of their schools.

Chantilly, Centreville, and Westfield have a total of 36 "temporary classrooms" AKA "trailers."
28 modular classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am coming to the discussion late. can someone catch me up - what is wrong with keeping the boundaries as they are?

There are a number of schools that are overcrowded and some schools underutilized. At the very least, the overcrowded schools need relief by shifting boundaries. The problem is most ES families wants to stay at their HS while wanting other ES to be moved so that the school is no longer over crowded. The parents don’t like the crowded hallways, cafeteria schedules, and all the trailers and modulars but they don’t want to move because they like the school.

Reducing the overcrowding at one HS means shifting kids to nearby HS, which might overcrowd those HSs forcing kids on the boundaries of those schools to be moved to a different HS. This upsets those families who like their school and don’t feel like they should have to move because there are kids being moved into the school to reduce overcrowding at a different school.

Parents at a strong school really don’t want to be moved to a school that is not perceived to be a similar strength. Parents at an AP school don’t want to be moved to an IB school.

But we have a series of HS, MS, and ES that are overcrowded and need relief. So we need boundary changes.

It wouldn’t have been smooth but the process would have been better if the School Board just said they were going to meet the needs of the overcrowded schools and that meant that there would be some ripple effects in order to better distribute students so schools were not overcrowded. WSHS families would still be throwing each other under the bus to avoid going to Lewis.

You ignored:

- the school board is using dated enrollment numbers and projections (2024 numbers and projections according to Thru and Dr. Reid at the meetings, not current enrollment numbers and projections.) The 2024 growth projections are based on the prior years trends, which are distorted by the number of students returning to FCPS post covid. The current numbers show a significant drop in student population over the next few years, particularly at the high school level, as the demographic cliff hits and graduating high school classes are replaced by younger grades that are anywhere from dozens fewer students, or in the case of most schools' graduating class of 2026, 100-150 fewer students.

- The school board is ignoring large numbers of transfers into schools that are overcrowded and closed to transfers. FCPS has been ignoring its own transfer rules, which require kids seeking transfers for things such as language to be denied transfer to the nearest school if it is closed to transfers, moving to the next closest school with that language. By enforcing the transfer rules as written, FCPS could easily drop enrollment in many of the overcrowded schools by dozens or more students, in some cases the same number of kids who live in bounds who are being forced to be rezoned.

- FCPS is ignoring the elephant in the room that is causing kids to transfer out of poor performing schools, unwanted IB and lack of AAP in all middle schools. Some of the under enrolled schools next to crowded schools have hundreds, nearly 300, high performing students who transfer to neighboring high schools to either stay in a different pyramid with their middle school friends, or to escape their IB high school for an AP program. FCPS should have started this process by doing the truly equitable thing, putting AAP in every middle school with no middle school students allowed to change schools for AAP, and by eliminating IB and closing the IB/AP transfer loophole.

Adding AAP to all middle schools would have been cost neutral, possibly a savings, if it eliminated bussing and if it removed the need to spend $500,000 on the no bid Thru contract, and possibly more when you factor in all the overtime FCPS is paying staff to work the rezoning meeting, plus full colored printing on heavy weight glossy paper stock of thousands of packets for every single rezoning meeting over the past 2 years.

Eliminating IB would save the district millions of dollars.

Both of these things would improve enrollment and test scores in low performing underenrolled schools almost immediately for the middle schools and within 2-4 years for the high schools, stopping their hemmoraging of high performing kids and without the need to rezone.

- FCPS is ignoring the other elephant in the room, residency fraud. Parents, principals, and teachers have been clamoring for a district wide residency check prior to rezoning. At a minimum, they are asking that FCPS does a residency check before kids are allowed to enroll in high school. Right now, FCPS only checks at kindergarten, so a student can move anywhere, even out of county, and remain in their old school pyramid through graduation.

FCPS knows residency fraud occurs. Just looking at the past couple of years, we have had a huge residency fraud scandal with Hayfield football, a medium sized residency fraud scandal with Edison girls basketball, and a small residency fraud retalitory accusation with Fairfax football. These 3 are just the tip. Reid says there is only 1 person in FCPS who is able to check residency for 180,000 students, so FCPS will not check residency. Surely Gatehouse could redirect other high paid Gatehouse employees to residency checks, like they did when they allowed Gatehouse employees to campaign for Dachna while on the clock for ffx taxpayers.

Families facing rezoning are upset that they live in the community but are getting rezoned due to people attending their high schools that don't live in bounds, either through FCPS not enforcing their transfer rules, or though residency fraud.

Families in under enrolled schools want more students, rightfully so, but FCPS is ignoring that hundreds of high performing students with engaged parents are using loopholes to transfer out of those schools each year.

Fix the root causes before disrupting peoples lives.

Amen.

Their instinct is always to solve yesterday's problem, without understanding the reasons, and they aren't even very good at doing that.

It's the worst School Board in FCPS history, by a long shot. It's composed almost entirely of idiots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am coming to the discussion late. can someone catch me up - what is wrong with keeping the boundaries as they are?

Ask the rest of the country where they regularly adjust boundaries so they don't have to set up trailer parks at their schools to house classrooms or bus kids halfway across the county that could be taught somewhere closer to home.

Trailers have been a way of life with FCPS for 40 years. 8130 won’t fix that. Who cares so much about trailers. Seriously. Its nuts.

FCPS Alum. Had many classes in trailers. Somehow made it out alive and am posting here with you fine folks. Crazy I was able to survive.

100%. The person arguing to upend the fruit cart because of trailers is grasping at the thinnest of straws.

Np. No dog in this fight, but I thought the old trailers are full of mold. They're fine new but get moldy if not replaced after a while, which is a health hazard, especially for teachers who stay in them all day.

Getting rid of trailers should be a goal, but some of the people who rail about modulars just use that as an excuse because they want to get the poorest kids redistricted out of their schools.

Chantilly, Centreville, and Westfield have a total of 36 "temporary classrooms" AKA "trailers."
28 modular classrooms.

Chantilly's modular classrooms will not be needed, in 2 years, when they are 250 students fewer.

(See above)