FCPS HS Boundary

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Close Lewis. Just close it. Send those kids to better schools. There’s your equitable solution with equal outcomes.

This was explored about 10-12 years back when Lewis (then Lee) was in danger of losing accreditation under the old determinations. They were going to turn Lee and Key MS into the IB magnet for that area of the county and end IB at all the other nearby schools. They would then distribute the feeder ES accordingly to the schools nearby - WS, Annandale, SC, and Edison for sure and possibly also Hayfield. That would have made Annandale the new Lee unfortunately. That’s what happens when you concentrate recent ESOL arrivals in one area of the county.

Then the state changed the accreditation rules and Lewis was no longer in danger so the whole idea was scrapped. They also assumed under this plan that an IB magnet would have been so desirable that the MS and HS that would have absorbed one or more of Lewis’s feeders would have been fine enrollment-wise and not suddenly bursting at the seams because kids would elect to go to the IB magnet instead of their local school. Which always seemed like tremendously fuzzy math to me.

FCPS used to have a school for adult student recent arrival immigrants, but it was closed during the recession and not re-opened. I’d say that’s what they need to start up again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that the overcrowding problem is due to the fact that it is just too easy for a motivated family to not attend a poorly ranked school, and I would look to fix that before addressing geographic boundaries.

And so your solution is to try and prevent those parents from sending their kids to a crappy school? The same crappy schools that many in this thread are trying to keep their kids from attending? 🥴

What people are saying is that it is ridiculous to rezone kids from an adjacent pyramid to Lewis to fill the slots of Lewis zoned kids who are pupil placing out of Lewis to other kids.

There are hundreds of Lewis zoned students pupil placing to other high schools. Yet FCPS wants to rezone a different group of kids to take the spots of the students who are actually living in boundary for Lewis?

Fix the reasons why hundreds of kids transfer out of Lewis first.

See how that works for a few years before even discussing rezoning kids from other schools.

How many kids transfer out of Lewis each year?

226 as of 2023-24

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/fcps.fts/viz/SY2023-24StudentTransfersDashboard/ReadMe

The smallest WSHS feeder and closest to Lewis is West Springfield Elementary.

West Springfield Elementary has roughly 275 to 320 students in a given year that follow on to WSHS.

So if FCPS rezoned WSES TO Lewis, what they are essentially doing is replacing the 226 Lewis zoned students who actually live in the Lewis catchment, with 275-320 West Springfield Elementary students.

It is not quite an even exchange, but the numbers are close enough that FCPS needs to look at filling that gap with students who are actually zoned for Lewis, before disrupting the lives of students whose families purchased in other pyramids.

I didn't realize that so many kids transferred out of Lewis. I doubt FCPS would add another ES to Lewis if 19% of Lewis' existing student body transfers out. Seems silly.

Yes.

Almost an entire elementary school worth of students transfer out of Lewis.

That is what makes this entire rezoning plan so ridiculous.

Fix that first, before trying a student swap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that the overcrowding problem is due to the fact that it is just too easy for a motivated family to not attend a poorly ranked school, and I would look to fix that before addressing geographic boundaries.

And so your solution is to try and prevent those parents from sending their kids to a crappy school? The same crappy schools that many in this thread are trying to keep their kids from attending? 🥴

What people are saying is that it is ridiculous to rezone kids from an adjacent pyramid to Lewis to fill the slots of Lewis zoned kids who are pupil placing out of Lewis to other kids.

There are hundreds of Lewis zoned students pupil placing to other high schools. Yet FCPS wants to rezone a different group of kids to take the spots of the students who are actually living in boundary for Lewis?

Fix the reasons why hundreds of kids transfer out of Lewis first.

See how that works for a few years before even discussing rezoning kids from other schools.

You can't tell Lewis students they cannot transfer for language or AP or other reasons without telling every other student in the county they cannot transfer for language or AP. And that will upset every parent at an IB school and parents of kids at the lower rated AP schools that transfers out, Herndon sends a good number of kids to SLHS for IB. Which will lead to parents demanding that IB go away, which the school board seems to be set on keeping.

And the kids transferring out is not the reason for overcrowding at most of the schools that are over crowded that need relief. Boundaries are redrawn in school districts on a more regular basis then FCPS redraws boundaries. It is normal. I get that a percentage of the population does not like the school that they are moving to and that sucks. I doubt we are hearing from the people who are happy with the process because they are sick of being told that they are a SB employee, a SB member, or that they are not entitled to think that it is a good thing because they are not one of the kids being moved to school X.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that the overcrowding problem is due to the fact that it is just too easy for a motivated family to not attend a poorly ranked school, and I would look to fix that before addressing geographic boundaries.

And so your solution is to try and prevent those parents from sending their kids to a crappy school? The same crappy schools that many in this thread are trying to keep their kids from attending? 🥴

What people are saying is that it is ridiculous to rezone kids from an adjacent pyramid to Lewis to fill the slots of Lewis zoned kids who are pupil placing out of Lewis to other kids.

There are hundreds of Lewis zoned students pupil placing to other high schools. Yet FCPS wants to rezone a different group of kids to take the spots of the students who are actually living in boundary for Lewis?

Fix the reasons why hundreds of kids transfer out of Lewis first.

See how that works for a few years before even discussing rezoning kids from other schools.

You can't tell Lewis students they cannot transfer for language or AP or other reasons without telling every other student in the county they cannot transfer for language or AP. And that will upset every parent at an IB school and parents of kids at the lower rated AP schools that transfers out, Herndon sends a good number of kids to SLHS for IB. Which will lead to parents demanding that IB go away, which the school board seems to be set on keeping.

And the kids transferring out is not the reason for overcrowding at most of the schools that are over crowded that need relief. Boundaries are redrawn in school districts on a more regular basis then FCPS redraws boundaries. It is normal. I get that a percentage of the population does not like the school that they are moving to and that sucks. I doubt we are hearing from the people who are happy with the process because they are sick of being told that they are a SB employee, a SB member, or that they are not entitled to think that it is a good thing because they are not one of the kids being moved to school X.

You cannot tell 200-something West Springfield Elementary kids (or Rollung Valley, Keene Mill or Hunt Valley kids) that they are going to be rezoned to Lewis to backfill the 200-something Lewis kids who are currently transferring to other high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that the overcrowding problem is due to the fact that it is just too easy for a motivated family to not attend a poorly ranked school, and I would look to fix that before addressing geographic boundaries.

And so your solution is to try and prevent those parents from sending their kids to a crappy school? The same crappy schools that many in this thread are trying to keep their kids from attending? 🥴

What people are saying is that it is ridiculous to rezone kids from an adjacent pyramid to Lewis to fill the slots of Lewis zoned kids who are pupil placing out of Lewis to other kids.

There are hundreds of Lewis zoned students pupil placing to other high schools. Yet FCPS wants to rezone a different group of kids to take the spots of the students who are actually living in boundary for Lewis?

Fix the reasons why hundreds of kids transfer out of Lewis first.

See how that works for a few years before even discussing rezoning kids from other schools.

You can't tell Lewis students they cannot transfer for language or AP or other reasons without telling every other student in the county they cannot transfer for language or AP. And that will upset every parent at an IB school and parents of kids at the lower rated AP schools that transfers out, Herndon sends a good number of kids to SLHS for IB. Which will lead to parents demanding that IB go away, which the school board seems to be set on keeping.

And the kids transferring out is not the reason for overcrowding at most of the schools that are over crowded that need relief. Boundaries are redrawn in school districts on a more regular basis then FCPS redraws boundaries. It is normal. I get that a percentage of the population does not like the school that they are moving to and that sucks. I doubt we are hearing from the people who are happy with the process because they are sick of being told that they are a SB employee, a SB member, or that they are not entitled to think that it is a good thing because they are not one of the kids being moved to school X.

You cannot tell 200-something West Springfield Elementary kids (or Rollung Valley, Keene Mill or Hunt Valley kids) that they are going to be rezoned to Lewis to backfill the 200-something Lewis kids who are currently transferring to other high schools.

That is called redrawing the boundaries due to shifting populations. You move kids from over crowded schools to schools that are not full. There is a ripple effect that is going to wash through the system. Some students will be moved. It happens in our area, see Arlington and Loudoun recently. Go read their boards, there were plenty of upset and complaining parents in Arlington's moves.
You think the problem is solved using a method that the School Board and probably a decent percentage of parents don't think is an appropriate solution. I doubt you would be saying what you are saying if your kid was being told they couldn't transfer. The school board is going to decide whose self-interested position is going to be approved, someone is going to lose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You cannot tell 200-something West Springfield Elementary kids (or Rollung Valley, Keene Mill or Hunt Valley kids) that they are going to be rezoned to Lewis to backfill the 200-something Lewis kids who are currently transferring to other high schools.

Under the current pupil-placement rules, rezoning 200 WSES kids to Lewis is not going to actually result in those 200 kids attending Lewis. Lewis is viewed as such a poor school that I would be surprised if a rezone of 200 kids resulted in 50 of those kids actually attending Lewis instead of pupil-placing to other high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that the overcrowding problem is due to the fact that it is just too easy for a motivated family to not attend a poorly ranked school, and I would look to fix that before addressing geographic boundaries.

And so your solution is to try and prevent those parents from sending their kids to a crappy school? The same crappy schools that many in this thread are trying to keep their kids from attending? 🥴

What people are saying is that it is ridiculous to rezone kids from an adjacent pyramid to Lewis to fill the slots of Lewis zoned kids who are pupil placing out of Lewis to other kids.

There are hundreds of Lewis zoned students pupil placing to other high schools. Yet FCPS wants to rezone a different group of kids to take the spots of the students who are actually living in boundary for Lewis?

Fix the reasons why hundreds of kids transfer out of Lewis first.

See how that works for a few years before even discussing rezoning kids from other schools.

You can't tell Lewis students they cannot transfer for language or AP or other reasons without telling every other student in the county they cannot transfer for language or AP. And that will upset every parent at an IB school and parents of kids at the lower rated AP schools that transfers out, Herndon sends a good number of kids to SLHS for IB. Which will lead to parents demanding that IB go away, which the school board seems to be set on keeping.

And the kids transferring out is not the reason for overcrowding at most of the schools that are over crowded that need relief. Boundaries are redrawn in school districts on a more regular basis then FCPS redraws boundaries. It is normal. I get that a percentage of the population does not like the school that they are moving to and that sucks. I doubt we are hearing from the people who are happy with the process because they are sick of being told that they are a SB employee, a SB member, or that they are not entitled to think that it is a good thing because they are not one of the kids being moved to school X.

You cannot tell 200-something West Springfield Elementary kids (or Rollung Valley, Keene Mill or Hunt Valley kids) that they are going to be rezoned to Lewis to backfill the 200-something Lewis kids who are currently transferring to other high schools.

That is called redrawing the boundaries due to shifting populations. You move kids from over crowded schools to schools that are not full. There is a ripple effect that is going to wash through the system. Some students will be moved. It happens in our area, see Arlington and Loudoun recently. Go read their boards, there were plenty of upset and complaining parents in Arlington's moves.
You think the problem is solved using a method that the School Board and probably a decent percentage of parents don't think is an appropriate solution. I doubt you would be saying what you are saying if your kid was being told they couldn't transfer. The school board is going to decide whose self-interested position is going to be approved, someone is going to lose.

That is a very weak argument for rezoning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that the overcrowding problem is due to the fact that it is just too easy for a motivated family to not attend a poorly ranked school, and I would look to fix that before addressing geographic boundaries.

And so your solution is to try and prevent those parents from sending their kids to a crappy school? The same crappy schools that many in this thread are trying to keep their kids from attending? 🥴

What people are saying is that it is ridiculous to rezone kids from an adjacent pyramid to Lewis to fill the slots of Lewis zoned kids who are pupil placing out of Lewis to other kids.

There are hundreds of Lewis zoned students pupil placing to other high schools. Yet FCPS wants to rezone a different group of kids to take the spots of the students who are actually living in boundary for Lewis?

Fix the reasons why hundreds of kids transfer out of Lewis first.

See how that works for a few years before even discussing rezoning kids from other schools.

You can't tell Lewis students they cannot transfer for language or AP or other reasons without telling every other student in the county they cannot transfer for language or AP. And that will upset every parent at an IB school and parents of kids at the lower rated AP schools that transfers out, Herndon sends a good number of kids to SLHS for IB. Which will lead to parents demanding that IB go away, which the school board seems to be set on keeping.

And the kids transferring out is not the reason for overcrowding at most of the schools that are over crowded that need relief. Boundaries are redrawn in school districts on a more regular basis then FCPS redraws boundaries. It is normal. I get that a percentage of the population does not like the school that they are moving to and that sucks. I doubt we are hearing from the people who are happy with the process because they are sick of being told that they are a SB employee, a SB member, or that they are not entitled to think that it is a good thing because they are not one of the kids being moved to school X.

You cannot tell 200-something West Springfield Elementary kids (or Rollung Valley, Keene Mill or Hunt Valley kids) that they are going to be rezoned to Lewis to backfill the 200-something Lewis kids who are currently transferring to other high schools.

That is called redrawing the boundaries due to shifting populations. You move kids from over crowded schools to schools that are not full. There is a ripple effect that is going to wash through the system. Some students will be moved. It happens in our area, see Arlington and Loudoun recently. Go read their boards, there were plenty of upset and complaining parents in Arlington's moves.
You think the problem is solved using a method that the School Board and probably a decent percentage of parents don't think is an appropriate solution. I doubt you would be saying what you are saying if your kid was being told they couldn't transfer. The school board is going to decide whose self-interested position is going to be approved, someone is going to lose.

That is a very weak argument for rezoning.

It’s also not equitable and does not have equal outcomes for all students which is at the core of everything….right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that the overcrowding problem is due to the fact that it is just too easy for a motivated family to not attend a poorly ranked school, and I would look to fix that before addressing geographic boundaries.

And so your solution is to try and prevent those parents from sending their kids to a crappy school? The same crappy schools that many in this thread are trying to keep their kids from attending? 🥴

What people are saying is that it is ridiculous to rezone kids from an adjacent pyramid to Lewis to fill the slots of Lewis zoned kids who are pupil placing out of Lewis to other kids.

There are hundreds of Lewis zoned students pupil placing to other high schools. Yet FCPS wants to rezone a different group of kids to take the spots of the students who are actually living in boundary for Lewis?

Fix the reasons why hundreds of kids transfer out of Lewis first.

See how that works for a few years before even discussing rezoning kids from other schools.

You can't tell Lewis students they cannot transfer for language or AP or other reasons without telling every other student in the county they cannot transfer for language or AP. And that will upset every parent at an IB school and parents of kids at the lower rated AP schools that transfers out, Herndon sends a good number of kids to SLHS for IB. Which will lead to parents demanding that IB go away, which the school board seems to be set on keeping.

And the kids transferring out is not the reason for overcrowding at most of the schools that are over crowded that need relief. Boundaries are redrawn in school districts on a more regular basis then FCPS redraws boundaries. It is normal. I get that a percentage of the population does not like the school that they are moving to and that sucks. I doubt we are hearing from the people who are happy with the process because they are sick of being told that they are a SB employee, a SB member, or that they are not entitled to think that it is a good thing because they are not one of the kids being moved to school X.

Lewis students primarily transfer to Edison (50), TJ (33), Lake Braddock (24), and Mount Vernon (13) any other transfers are too small to quantify due to student privacy. Students are most likely following their AAP cohorts from middle school. Make Key an AAP middle school and you’ll likely get 74 students back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that the overcrowding problem is due to the fact that it is just too easy for a motivated family to not attend a poorly ranked school, and I would look to fix that before addressing geographic boundaries.

And so your solution is to try and prevent those parents from sending their kids to a crappy school? The same crappy schools that many in this thread are trying to keep their kids from attending? 🥴

What people are saying is that it is ridiculous to rezone kids from an adjacent pyramid to Lewis to fill the slots of Lewis zoned kids who are pupil placing out of Lewis to other kids.

There are hundreds of Lewis zoned students pupil placing to other high schools. Yet FCPS wants to rezone a different group of kids to take the spots of the students who are actually living in boundary for Lewis?

Fix the reasons why hundreds of kids transfer out of Lewis first.

See how that works for a few years before even discussing rezoning kids from other schools.

You can't tell Lewis students they cannot transfer for language or AP or other reasons without telling every other student in the county they cannot transfer for language or AP. And that will upset every parent at an IB school and parents of kids at the lower rated AP schools that transfers out, Herndon sends a good number of kids to SLHS for IB. Which will lead to parents demanding that IB go away, which the school board seems to be set on keeping.

And the kids transferring out is not the reason for overcrowding at most of the schools that are over crowded that need relief. Boundaries are redrawn in school districts on a more regular basis then FCPS redraws boundaries. It is normal. I get that a percentage of the population does not like the school that they are moving to and that sucks. I doubt we are hearing from the people who are happy with the process because they are sick of being told that they are a SB employee, a SB member, or that they are not entitled to think that it is a good thing because they are not one of the kids being moved to school X.

You cannot tell 200-something West Springfield Elementary kids (or Rollung Valley, Keene Mill or Hunt Valley kids) that they are going to be rezoned to Lewis to backfill the 200-something Lewis kids who are currently transferring to other high schools.

That is called redrawing the boundaries due to shifting populations. You move kids from over crowded schools to schools that are not full. There is a ripple effect that is going to wash through the system. Some students will be moved. It happens in our area, see Arlington and Loudoun recently. Go read their boards, there were plenty of upset and complaining parents in Arlington's moves.
You think the problem is solved using a method that the School Board and probably a decent percentage of parents don't think is an appropriate solution. I doubt you would be saying what you are saying if your kid was being told they couldn't transfer. The school board is going to decide whose self-interested position is going to be approved, someone is going to lose.

That is a very weak argument for rezoning.

The argument, whether you agree with it or not, is that there are over crowded schools and under crowded schools. Boundaries need to be shifted to take advantage of the existing space across the county.

You don't like that argument because you don't want your child to be moved.

You counter that students at under enrolled schools are allowed to transfer and that those transfer rules should be halted. Kids would stay at their base school so the under capacity schools will have more students.

The problem with your argument, is that kids are not transferring to schools that are over crowded because the over crowded schools are closed to transfer. Your solution does nothing to deal with the fact that there are at least 5 HSs that are well over capacity and need relief. It might be more then five but I seem to recall a list of 5 HSs. That does not touch on all the ESs and MSs that are over capacity. Ending langauge immersion programs and AAP centers and other specialty programs will not fix the issue of over crowding. Which means that your solution, while good for your student, does not fix the larger problem. Re-drawing the boundaries does.

You are focused on a solution that meets your self-interest but that doesn't mean it is the best solution for the County as a whole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Close Lewis. Just close it. Send those kids to better schools. There’s your equitable solution with equal outcomes.

What does this actually look like?

I assume it means something like:

* Moving Bren Mar Park back from Edison to Annandale

* Moving Lynbrook and Springfield Estates to Edison (curious since some WS posters have argued Edison will soon get overcrowded and should be sending kids to Lewis, but whatever)

* Moving Forestdale to Hayfield

* Moving Saratoga to South County

* Moving Crestwood and Garfield to West Springfield

* Moving Orange Hunt, the Keene Mill island, and the part of Sangster that goes to West Springfield to Lake Braddock

* Moving some LB feeder from Lake Braddock to Robinson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that the overcrowding problem is due to the fact that it is just too easy for a motivated family to not attend a poorly ranked school, and I would look to fix that before addressing geographic boundaries.

And so your solution is to try and prevent those parents from sending their kids to a crappy school? The same crappy schools that many in this thread are trying to keep their kids from attending? 🥴

What people are saying is that it is ridiculous to rezone kids from an adjacent pyramid to Lewis to fill the slots of Lewis zoned kids who are pupil placing out of Lewis to other kids.

There are hundreds of Lewis zoned students pupil placing to other high schools. Yet FCPS wants to rezone a different group of kids to take the spots of the students who are actually living in boundary for Lewis?

Fix the reasons why hundreds of kids transfer out of Lewis first.

See how that works for a few years before even discussing rezoning kids from other schools.

You can't tell Lewis students they cannot transfer for language or AP or other reasons without telling every other student in the county they cannot transfer for language or AP. And that will upset every parent at an IB school and parents of kids at the lower rated AP schools that transfers out, Herndon sends a good number of kids to SLHS for IB. Which will lead to parents demanding that IB go away, which the school board seems to be set on keeping.

And the kids transferring out is not the reason for overcrowding at most of the schools that are over crowded that need relief. Boundaries are redrawn in school districts on a more regular basis then FCPS redraws boundaries. It is normal. I get that a percentage of the population does not like the school that they are moving to and that sucks. I doubt we are hearing from the people who are happy with the process because they are sick of being told that they are a SB employee, a SB member, or that they are not entitled to think that it is a good thing because they are not one of the kids being moved to school X.

You cannot tell 200-something West Springfield Elementary kids (or Rollung Valley, Keene Mill or Hunt Valley kids) that they are going to be rezoned to Lewis to backfill the 200-something Lewis kids who are currently transferring to other high schools.

That is called redrawing the boundaries due to shifting populations. You move kids from over crowded schools to schools that are not full. There is a ripple effect that is going to wash through the system. Some students will be moved. It happens in our area, see Arlington and Loudoun recently. Go read their boards, there were plenty of upset and complaining parents in Arlington's moves.
You think the problem is solved using a method that the School Board and probably a decent percentage of parents don't think is an appropriate solution. I doubt you would be saying what you are saying if your kid was being told they couldn't transfer. The school board is going to decide whose self-interested position is going to be approved, someone is going to lose.

Washington-Liberty got crowded so APS expanded it. Schools in Ashburn get overcrowded and LCPS builds new schools.

Chantilly and McLean get overcrowded in FCPS and they threaten redistricting that will destroy Chantilly's compact boundaries and turn McLean into the runt of FCPS.

See the difference?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that the overcrowding problem is due to the fact that it is just too easy for a motivated family to not attend a poorly ranked school, and I would look to fix that before addressing geographic boundaries.

And so your solution is to try and prevent those parents from sending their kids to a crappy school? The same crappy schools that many in this thread are trying to keep their kids from attending? 🥴

What people are saying is that it is ridiculous to rezone kids from an adjacent pyramid to Lewis to fill the slots of Lewis zoned kids who are pupil placing out of Lewis to other kids.

There are hundreds of Lewis zoned students pupil placing to other high schools. Yet FCPS wants to rezone a different group of kids to take the spots of the students who are actually living in boundary for Lewis?

Fix the reasons why hundreds of kids transfer out of Lewis first.

See how that works for a few years before even discussing rezoning kids from other schools.

You can't tell Lewis students they cannot transfer for language or AP or other reasons without telling every other student in the county they cannot transfer for language or AP. And that will upset every parent at an IB school and parents of kids at the lower rated AP schools that transfers out, Herndon sends a good number of kids to SLHS for IB. Which will lead to parents demanding that IB go away, which the school board seems to be set on keeping.

And the kids transferring out is not the reason for overcrowding at most of the schools that are over crowded that need relief. Boundaries are redrawn in school districts on a more regular basis then FCPS redraws boundaries. It is normal. I get that a percentage of the population does not like the school that they are moving to and that sucks. I doubt we are hearing from the people who are happy with the process because they are sick of being told that they are a SB employee, a SB member, or that they are not entitled to think that it is a good thing because they are not one of the kids being moved to school X.

You cannot tell 200-something West Springfield Elementary kids (or Rollung Valley, Keene Mill or Hunt Valley kids) that they are going to be rezoned to Lewis to backfill the 200-something Lewis kids who are currently transferring to other high schools.

That is called redrawing the boundaries due to shifting populations. You move kids from over crowded schools to schools that are not full. There is a ripple effect that is going to wash through the system. Some students will be moved. It happens in our area, see Arlington and Loudoun recently. Go read their boards, there were plenty of upset and complaining parents in Arlington's moves.
You think the problem is solved using a method that the School Board and probably a decent percentage of parents don't think is an appropriate solution. I doubt you would be saying what you are saying if your kid was being told they couldn't transfer. The school board is going to decide whose self-interested position is going to be approved, someone is going to lose.

That is a very weak argument for rezoning.

The argument, whether you agree with it or not, is that there are over crowded schools and under crowded schools. Boundaries need to be shifted to take advantage of the existing space across the county.

You don't like that argument because you don't want your child to be moved.

You counter that students at under enrolled schools are allowed to transfer and that those transfer rules should be halted. Kids would stay at their base school so the under capacity schools will have more students.

The problem with your argument, is that kids are not transferring to schools that are over crowded because the over crowded schools are closed to transfer. Your solution does nothing to deal with the fact that there are at least 5 HSs that are well over capacity and need relief. It might be more then five but I seem to recall a list of 5 HSs. That does not touch on all the ESs and MSs that are over capacity. Ending langauge immersion programs and AAP centers and other specialty programs will not fix the issue of over crowding. Which means that your solution, while good for your student, does not fix the larger problem. Re-drawing the boundaries does.

You are focused on a solution that meets your self-interest but that doesn't mean it is the best solution for the County as a whole.

And your solution is math based around enrollment and is not equitable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Close Lewis. Just close it. Send those kids to better schools. There’s your equitable solution with equal outcomes.

What does this actually look like?

I assume it means something like:

* Moving Bren Mar Park back from Edison to Annandale

* Moving Lynbrook and Springfield Estates to Edison (curious since some WS posters have argued Edison will soon get overcrowded and should be sending kids to Lewis, but whatever)

* Moving Forestdale to Hayfield

* Moving Saratoga to South County

* Moving Crestwood and Garfield to West Springfield

* Moving Orange Hunt, the Keene Mill island, and the part of Sangster that goes to West Springfield to Lake Braddock

* Moving some LB feeder from Lake Braddock to Robinson.

I think that’s about what Gatehouse thought would happen if Lewis closed as a neighborhood school and their feeders had to be distributed, yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I think that the overcrowding problem is due to the fact that it is just too easy for a motivated family to not attend a poorly ranked school, and I would look to fix that before addressing geographic boundaries.

And so your solution is to try and prevent those parents from sending their kids to a crappy school? The same crappy schools that many in this thread are trying to keep their kids from attending? 🥴

What people are saying is that it is ridiculous to rezone kids from an adjacent pyramid to Lewis to fill the slots of Lewis zoned kids who are pupil placing out of Lewis to other kids.

There are hundreds of Lewis zoned students pupil placing to other high schools. Yet FCPS wants to rezone a different group of kids to take the spots of the students who are actually living in boundary for Lewis?

Fix the reasons why hundreds of kids transfer out of Lewis first.

See how that works for a few years before even discussing rezoning kids from other schools.

You can't tell Lewis students they cannot transfer for language or AP or other reasons without telling every other student in the county they cannot transfer for language or AP. And that will upset every parent at an IB school and parents of kids at the lower rated AP schools that transfers out, Herndon sends a good number of kids to SLHS for IB. Which will lead to parents demanding that IB go away, which the school board seems to be set on keeping.

And the kids transferring out is not the reason for overcrowding at most of the schools that are over crowded that need relief. Boundaries are redrawn in school districts on a more regular basis then FCPS redraws boundaries. It is normal. I get that a percentage of the population does not like the school that they are moving to and that sucks. I doubt we are hearing from the people who are happy with the process because they are sick of being told that they are a SB employee, a SB member, or that they are not entitled to think that it is a good thing because they are not one of the kids being moved to school X.

You cannot tell 200-something West Springfield Elementary kids (or Rollung Valley, Keene Mill or Hunt Valley kids) that they are going to be rezoned to Lewis to backfill the 200-something Lewis kids who are currently transferring to other high schools.

Well, they can and they well may. There were significant pupil placements out of South Lakes to AP schools back in 2008 when a bunch of neighborhoods zoned to other schools got moved to South Lakes. Don’t confuse your preferences for rights.