FCPS HS Boundary

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The supporters don't have to organize to do anything because the School Board is doing something. They can send their emails and call their School Board member and say they appreciate the change. They don't need to raise funds for law suits or develop literature. The School Board is going to proceed with the plan and the boundaries are going to shift.

How many parents are really upset about this the the schools that are most likely to be affected? We hear from the most vocal opponents here but I suspect that those opponents don't fully speak for the entire community. I would bet that the parents who are safely within the school boundaries could careless what happens to the parents on the edge of the boundary. There might even be parents who are well within the boundaries who want the changes to happen to relieve overcrowding at the school. Their house isn't going to drop in value and their kids are not moving so they at best don't care and at worst would like to see it happen.

This is me. We bought well within a desired school boundary. I am excited at the prospect of a boundary review to fix all the overcrowding. Not only will my property value not drop, it may actually go up since there will be fewer homes available in the "good" school zone. There are many, many homeowners in this same situation. Basically everyone except the Great Falls and West Springfield homes that get moved will become part of the now smaller pool of homes that go to the currently perceived "good" schools. And the Herndon/Lewis homes will get a modest boost as well. You're really swimming upstream if you think you can stop this from happening.

There are going to be other situations where people and schools are adversely affected. You just know about the Langley and West Springfield situations because they’ve gotten the most attention so far.

[Anonymous]

2003
Lee - 2092 students
Roughly 23% F/R lunch, 42% white, medium ESL rate (17.3%)

WS - 2259 students
Roughly 7% F/R lunch, 64% white, low ESL rate (7.5%)

2024
Lewis - 1675 students
Roughly 63% F/R lunch, 12% white, high ESL rate (30%)

WS - 2761 students
Roughly 17% F/R lunch, 48% white, low ESL rate (5%)

In 2003 Lee was middle of the road in FCPS. What happened?

IB put into Lee and several other schools

IB actually enabled easier transfer out with the liberal pupil placement policy

Immigrants concentrated in certain schools

2005 boundary change - removed hundreds of students from Lee just as it was getting expanded - some to South County, some to West Springfield; students that departed were on the wealthier end of the spectrum. FCPS knew this was the case

Pupil placement accelerated - FCPS refuses to budge on dropping IB and Lee

2015 boundary change - removed Daventry students - a relatively wealthy neighborhood

In the middle of all of this Great Schools came along and created winners and losers - English speaking Americans, particularly white, just stopped choosing houses in the Lee/Lewis boundary

That is how we got here. Notice the total number of students in 2003 at the two schools. Only different by 167 students. Now in 2024 - different by 1086 students.

Lewis is much smaller, much poorer, and has many more ESL students. The ESL rate at WS actually went down over the years.

The quality of the school (teachers, admin) is not necessarily different or subpar, but the demographics of the students is much different.

How should this be resolved? Long time homeowner wants to know.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of assumptions being made about who does and doesn't support adjustments. This is going to be akin to the common "boomer" vs. new generation conflict. As usual, older folks want to maintain what they feel they rightfully deserve, and younger families want a slice of the same pie.

There are a lot of young, very well-educated families who are completely priced out of top 10 schools. You bet they support boundary changes that make more schools acceptable and affordable. You'd be crazy not to in that position.

spot on! Especially in 22153 (Saratoga/Newington). I’ve talked to many families over the years who either moved or are planning to move/pupil place/private school before HS. Unfortunately our little community of students isn’t large enough to help Lewis get on equal footing with other FCPS schools. Geographically, im not even sure why we are in the Lewis pyramid given that South County is closer in distance and ease of transportation. I wholeheartedly support the SB’s efforts to reasses boundaries and bring more kids to Lewis.

Why would you want people to suffer with you? You gotta sell. Luckily Saratoga is fairly desirable - decent housing stock, community pools and amenities, and convenient. And there’s plenty of “dog mom/dad” DINK buyers who like having more space vs. a condo in Arlington, as well as empty nesters, families with babies who will move out when their kid hits 1st grade, and Catholic school families, not to mention FCPS teachers who pupil place where mom or dad works. Or you could list for rent and get a nice military family to rent for a few years. Just sell and move to the other side of Pohick and your kids could be in bounds for Newington Forest and South County. Or move up the parkway to West Springfield! There’s nothing much that can help Lewis at this point as almost every other school surrounding it is high poverty or also under enrolled.

The only way Saratoga is getting out of Lewis is if ALL the development zoned for Edison comes to pass, and they decide to revisit the Lewis/Edison borders and end up shunting off Saratoga to South County, or if Lewis is closed entirely. Either scenario is AT LEAST 10 years off, conservatively.

I don’t view this as us “suffering together” rather bringing in more students and families like us, to help bring more balance (and thus, opportunities) to Lewis.

Our kids aren’t close to HS age yet, but this boundary assessment will definitely influence whether we join our neighbors in moving/pupil place/go private or if stick around and see if anything can be done to improve Lewis.

This seems like a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation for the SB. If they move kids, people will leave. If they don’t move kids, people will move. They can’t win either way.

Aha.

Well, first, you need to disabuse yourself of the notion that those being redistricted to Lewis are "families like us." They aren't, because they prioritized finding a house zoned to West Springfield rather than settling for Lewis.

Second, you need to anticipate that there will be a lot of attrition, because just because someone gets redistricted to Lewis doesn't mean they will passively accept this and not explore other options.

Third, you need to acknowledge that there are possibilities other than the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario you outlined. Schools can improve if the county encourages development in the surrounding area, or the school does a better job of meeting the needs of the kids who are already zoned for the school. Rezoning - just like adding IB - can be a very crude and not necessarily effective tool for trying to enhance a school's perceived quality.

Oh I see. So, because we were priced out of neighborhoods zoned for WS, our kids don’t deserve an equivalent education? Got it.

To your second point, I guess you missed the part where I suggested that families like mine also have options, and we will continue to exercise them if the SB continues to neglect the needs of the students at Lewis. Trying to stop pupil placements as a retention method ain’t gonna fly!

And as to your third point, there is quite literally no action that the SB can take that will appease everyone. So yes, damned if you do/don’t still applies.

No one buys "priced out" of an entire pyramid area, much less the pyramids of several outstanding high schools in the county. 99% of us can't have it all when we make decisions about buying and renting. In my case we compromised on townhouse size so kids share rooms. In your case you chose to compromise on schools. Something made you choose to live in the Lewis pyramid, and you feel entitled to "options" for your kids to attend school elsewhere.

You have no idea what our living situation is or what we sacrificed to live here. Just more foaming at the mouth from someone worried about protecting their property value.

Yes, what a travesty that you were forced to live in Springfield, VA, in the Lewis pyramid. There were clearly no other options within Fairfax county, in adjacent counties, or in other parts of Virginia or the DMV.

Huh? We chose the best pyramid we could afford with the shortest commute to our jobs. But if I’m following your logic, since we couldn’t afford to be in your perfect community, we should simply accept our crappy high school and shouldn’t get excited about the possibility of improvements to it. Did I get that right?

PP. So there it is. You prioritized commute. No one forced you accept a crappy high school- you made that decision. There are plenty of parents who sacrificed their commute or other things to make sure they did not compromise on their kids' high school. You are not one of them. No one is arguing about you celebrating the prospect of the SB moving better performing populations into your high school boundary, but don't expect others to agree with your expectation that you should be entitled to options other than the high school zone that you chose so you could have an easy commute.

Yes, we prioritized short commutes to preserve family time. So that means we are dammed to a sucky school foreve, amirite?

Trust me, I have zero expectation that the people on this board would agree with anything I have to say. But like you, I have an opinion and the right to express it.

What’s really got you upset is that there are ppl who actually support what the board is doing.

No, the PP is calling out your blatant hypocrisy and trying to mooch off of your neighbors. You should have to give up your nice commute, because other people in the county have longer commutes. See what I did there? Equity.

Mooch off my neighbors? Lol. Otay. Well, I guess you got me. I guess we’ll both be the losers in this fight. How’s that for equity?

Oh no, you have it wrong, my dear. My kids are not in danger of having to go to school with your kids. I’m not anywhere close to your school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of assumptions being made about who does and doesn't support adjustments. This is going to be akin to the common "boomer" vs. new generation conflict. As usual, older folks want to maintain what they feel they rightfully deserve, and younger families want a slice of the same pie.

There are a lot of young, very well-educated families who are completely priced out of top 10 schools. You bet they support boundary changes that make more schools acceptable and affordable. You'd be crazy not to in that position.

spot on! Especially in 22153 (Saratoga/Newington). I’ve talked to many families over the years who either moved or are planning to move/pupil place/private school before HS. Unfortunately our little community of students isn’t large enough to help Lewis get on equal footing with other FCPS schools. Geographically, im not even sure why we are in the Lewis pyramid given that South County is closer in distance and ease of transportation. I wholeheartedly support the SB’s efforts to reasses boundaries and bring more kids to Lewis.

Why would you want people to suffer with you? You gotta sell. Luckily Saratoga is fairly desirable - decent housing stock, community pools and amenities, and convenient. And there’s plenty of “dog mom/dad” DINK buyers who like having more space vs. a condo in Arlington, as well as empty nesters, families with babies who will move out when their kid hits 1st grade, and Catholic school families, not to mention FCPS teachers who pupil place where mom or dad works. Or you could list for rent and get a nice military family to rent for a few years. Just sell and move to the other side of Pohick and your kids could be in bounds for Newington Forest and South County. Or move up the parkway to West Springfield! There’s nothing much that can help Lewis at this point as almost every other school surrounding it is high poverty or also under enrolled.

The only way Saratoga is getting out of Lewis is if ALL the development zoned for Edison comes to pass, and they decide to revisit the Lewis/Edison borders and end up shunting off Saratoga to South County, or if Lewis is closed entirely. Either scenario is AT LEAST 10 years off, conservatively.

I don’t view this as us “suffering together” rather bringing in more students and families like us, to help bring more balance (and thus, opportunities) to Lewis.

Our kids aren’t close to HS age yet, but this boundary assessment will definitely influence whether we join our neighbors in moving/pupil place/go private or if stick around and see if anything can be done to improve Lewis.

This seems like a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation for the SB. If they move kids, people will leave. If they don’t move kids, people will move. They can’t win either way.

Aha.

Well, first, you need to disabuse yourself of the notion that those being redistricted to Lewis are "families like us." They aren't, because they prioritized finding a house zoned to West Springfield rather than settling for Lewis.

Second, you need to anticipate that there will be a lot of attrition, because just because someone gets redistricted to Lewis doesn't mean they will passively accept this and not explore other options.

Third, you need to acknowledge that there are possibilities other than the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario you outlined. Schools can improve if the county encourages development in the surrounding area, or the school does a better job of meeting the needs of the kids who are already zoned for the school. Rezoning - just like adding IB - can be a very crude and not necessarily effective tool for trying to enhance a school's perceived quality.

Oh I see. So, because we were priced out of neighborhoods zoned for WS, our kids don’t deserve an equivalent education? Got it.

To your second point, I guess you missed the part where I suggested that families like mine also have options, and we will continue to exercise them if the SB continues to neglect the needs of the students at Lewis. Trying to stop pupil placements as a retention method ain’t gonna fly!

And as to your third point, there is quite literally no action that the SB can take that will appease everyone. So yes, damned if you do/don’t still applies.

No one buys "priced out" of an entire pyramid area, much less the pyramids of several outstanding high schools in the county. 99% of us can't have it all when we make decisions about buying and renting. In my case we compromised on townhouse size so kids share rooms. In your case you chose to compromise on schools. Something made you choose to live in the Lewis pyramid, and you feel entitled to "options" for your kids to attend school elsewhere.

You have no idea what our living situation is or what we sacrificed to live here. Just more foaming at the mouth from someone worried about protecting their property value.

Yes, what a travesty that you were forced to live in Springfield, VA, in the Lewis pyramid. There were clearly no other options within Fairfax county, in adjacent counties, or in other parts of Virginia or the DMV.

Huh? We chose the best pyramid we could afford with the shortest commute to our jobs. But if I’m following your logic, since we couldn’t afford to be in your perfect community, we should simply accept our crappy high school and shouldn’t get excited about the possibility of improvements to it. Did I get that right?

PP. So there it is. You prioritized commute. No one forced you accept a crappy high school- you made that decision. There are plenty of parents who sacrificed their commute or other things to make sure they did not compromise on their kids' high school. You are not one of them. No one is arguing about you celebrating the prospect of the SB moving better performing populations into your high school boundary, but don't expect others to agree with your expectation that you should be entitled to options other than the high school zone that you chose so you could have an easy commute.

Yes, we prioritized short commutes to preserve family time. So that means we are dammed to a sucky school foreve, amirite?

Trust me, I have zero expectation that the people on this board would agree with anything I have to say. But like you, I have an opinion and the right to express it.

What’s really got you upset is that there are ppl who actually support what the board is doing.

No, the PP is calling out your blatant hypocrisy and trying to mooch off of your neighbors. You should have to give up your nice commute, because other people in the county have longer commutes. See what I did there? Equity.

Mooch off my neighbors? Lol. Otay. Well, I guess you got me. I guess we’ll both be the losers in this fight. How’s that for equity?

Oh no, you have it wrong, my dear. My kids are not in danger of having to go to school with your kids. I’m not anywhere close to your school.

Sounds like a win for us both!

[Anonymous]

Can I ask a dumb question, why dos centreville get to build a 3,000 person school? Aren’t they so supposed to be exactly the same size, because equity?

Aren’t the same arguments that people are making for Lewis applicable across the county anytime there is a disparity in school size? The SB is hypocritical if it goes through with the centreville expansion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of assumptions being made about who does and doesn't support adjustments. This is going to be akin to the common "boomer" vs. new generation conflict. As usual, older folks want to maintain what they feel they rightfully deserve, and younger families want a slice of the same pie.

There are a lot of young, very well-educated families who are completely priced out of top 10 schools. You bet they support boundary changes that make more schools acceptable and affordable. You'd be crazy not to in that position.

spot on! Especially in 22153 (Saratoga/Newington). I’ve talked to many families over the years who either moved or are planning to move/pupil place/private school before HS. Unfortunately our little community of students isn’t large enough to help Lewis get on equal footing with other FCPS schools. Geographically, im not even sure why we are in the Lewis pyramid given that South County is closer in distance and ease of transportation. I wholeheartedly support the SB’s efforts to reasses boundaries and bring more kids to Lewis.

Why would you want people to suffer with you? You gotta sell. Luckily Saratoga is fairly desirable - decent housing stock, community pools and amenities, and convenient. And there’s plenty of “dog mom/dad” DINK buyers who like having more space vs. a condo in Arlington, as well as empty nesters, families with babies who will move out when their kid hits 1st grade, and Catholic school families, not to mention FCPS teachers who pupil place where mom or dad works. Or you could list for rent and get a nice military family to rent for a few years. Just sell and move to the other side of Pohick and your kids could be in bounds for Newington Forest and South County. Or move up the parkway to West Springfield! There’s nothing much that can help Lewis at this point as almost every other school surrounding it is high poverty or also under enrolled.

The only way Saratoga is getting out of Lewis is if ALL the development zoned for Edison comes to pass, and they decide to revisit the Lewis/Edison borders and end up shunting off Saratoga to South County, or if Lewis is closed entirely. Either scenario is AT LEAST 10 years off, conservatively.

I don’t view this as us “suffering together” rather bringing in more students and families like us, to help bring more balance (and thus, opportunities) to Lewis.

Our kids aren’t close to HS age yet, but this boundary assessment will definitely influence whether we join our neighbors in moving/pupil place/go private or if stick around and see if anything can be done to improve Lewis.

This seems like a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation for the SB. If they move kids, people will leave. If they don’t move kids, people will move. They can’t win either way.

Aha.

Well, first, you need to disabuse yourself of the notion that those being redistricted to Lewis are "families like us." They aren't, because they prioritized finding a house zoned to West Springfield rather than settling for Lewis.

Second, you need to anticipate that there will be a lot of attrition, because just because someone gets redistricted to Lewis doesn't mean they will passively accept this and not explore other options.

Third, you need to acknowledge that there are possibilities other than the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario you outlined. Schools can improve if the county encourages development in the surrounding area, or the school does a better job of meeting the needs of the kids who are already zoned for the school. Rezoning - just like adding IB - can be a very crude and not necessarily effective tool for trying to enhance a school's perceived quality.

Oh I see. So, because we were priced out of neighborhoods zoned for WS, our kids don’t deserve an equivalent education? Got it.

To your second point, I guess you missed the part where I suggested that families like mine also have options, and we will continue to exercise them if the SB continues to neglect the needs of the students at Lewis. Trying to stop pupil placements as a retention method ain’t gonna fly!

And as to your third point, there is quite literally no action that the SB can take that will appease everyone. So yes, damned if you do/don’t still applies.

No one buys "priced out" of an entire pyramid area, much less the pyramids of several outstanding high schools in the county. 99% of us can't have it all when we make decisions about buying and renting. In my case we compromised on townhouse size so kids share rooms. In your case you chose to compromise on schools. Something made you choose to live in the Lewis pyramid, and you feel entitled to "options" for your kids to attend school elsewhere.

You have no idea what our living situation is or what we sacrificed to live here. Just more foaming at the mouth from someone worried about protecting their property value.

Yes, what a travesty that you were forced to live in Springfield, VA, in the Lewis pyramid. There were clearly no other options within Fairfax county, in adjacent counties, or in other parts of Virginia or the DMV.

Huh? We chose the best pyramid we could afford with the shortest commute to our jobs. But if I’m following your logic, since we couldn’t afford to be in your perfect community, we should simply accept our crappy high school and shouldn’t get excited about the possibility of improvements to it. Did I get that right?

PP. So there it is. You prioritized commute. No one forced you accept a crappy high school- you made that decision. There are plenty of parents who sacrificed their commute or other things to make sure they did not compromise on their kids' high school. You are not one of them. No one is arguing about you celebrating the prospect of the SB moving better performing populations into your high school boundary, but don't expect others to agree with your expectation that you should be entitled to options other than the high school zone that you chose so you could have an easy commute.

Yes, we prioritized short commutes to preserve family time. So that means we are dammed to a sucky school foreve, amirite?

Trust me, I have zero expectation that the people on this board would agree with anything I have to say. But like you, I have an opinion and the right to express it.

What’s really got you upset is that there are ppl who actually support what the board is doing.

No, the PP is calling out your blatant hypocrisy and trying to mooch off of your neighbors. You should have to give up your nice commute, because other people in the county have longer commutes. See what I did there? Equity.

Mooch off my neighbors? Lol. Otay. Well, I guess you got me. I guess we’ll both be the losers in this fight. How’s that for equity?

Oh no, you have it wrong, my dear. My kids are not in danger of having to go to school with your kids. I’m not anywhere close to your school.

Sounds like a win for us both!

I guess, but you are trying to bring other families like mine into your school system to help your kids. You can’t have it both ways. Do you love me or hate me?

I know, I know, you hate me and people like me, but man doesn’t that just show how gross you’re being?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can I ask a dumb question, why dos centreville get to build a 3,000 person school? Aren’t they so supposed to be exactly the same size, because equity?

Aren’t the same arguments that people are making for Lewis applicable across the county anytime there is a disparity in school size? The SB is hypocritical if it goes through with the centreville expansion.

Because the county failed to build the Western High School as planned. It was shut down due to some of the people here in this thread so afraid of the new boundaries it would necessitate. Now they get to deal with the consequences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of assumptions being made about who does and doesn't support adjustments. This is going to be akin to the common "boomer" vs. new generation conflict. As usual, older folks want to maintain what they feel they rightfully deserve, and younger families want a slice of the same pie.

There are a lot of young, very well-educated families who are completely priced out of top 10 schools. You bet they support boundary changes that make more schools acceptable and affordable. You'd be crazy not to in that position.

spot on! Especially in 22153 (Saratoga/Newington). I’ve talked to many families over the years who either moved or are planning to move/pupil place/private school before HS. Unfortunately our little community of students isn’t large enough to help Lewis get on equal footing with other FCPS schools. Geographically, im not even sure why we are in the Lewis pyramid given that South County is closer in distance and ease of transportation. I wholeheartedly support the SB’s efforts to reasses boundaries and bring more kids to Lewis.

Why would you want people to suffer with you? You gotta sell. Luckily Saratoga is fairly desirable - decent housing stock, community pools and amenities, and convenient. And there’s plenty of “dog mom/dad” DINK buyers who like having more space vs. a condo in Arlington, as well as empty nesters, families with babies who will move out when their kid hits 1st grade, and Catholic school families, not to mention FCPS teachers who pupil place where mom or dad works. Or you could list for rent and get a nice military family to rent for a few years. Just sell and move to the other side of Pohick and your kids could be in bounds for Newington Forest and South County. Or move up the parkway to West Springfield! There’s nothing much that can help Lewis at this point as almost every other school surrounding it is high poverty or also under enrolled.

The only way Saratoga is getting out of Lewis is if ALL the development zoned for Edison comes to pass, and they decide to revisit the Lewis/Edison borders and end up shunting off Saratoga to South County, or if Lewis is closed entirely. Either scenario is AT LEAST 10 years off, conservatively.

I don’t view this as us “suffering together” rather bringing in more students and families like us, to help bring more balance (and thus, opportunities) to Lewis.

Our kids aren’t close to HS age yet, but this boundary assessment will definitely influence whether we join our neighbors in moving/pupil place/go private or if stick around and see if anything can be done to improve Lewis.

This seems like a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation for the SB. If they move kids, people will leave. If they don’t move kids, people will move. They can’t win either way.

Aha.

Well, first, you need to disabuse yourself of the notion that those being redistricted to Lewis are "families like us." They aren't, because they prioritized finding a house zoned to West Springfield rather than settling for Lewis.

Second, you need to anticipate that there will be a lot of attrition, because just because someone gets redistricted to Lewis doesn't mean they will passively accept this and not explore other options.

Third, you need to acknowledge that there are possibilities other than the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario you outlined. Schools can improve if the county encourages development in the surrounding area, or the school does a better job of meeting the needs of the kids who are already zoned for the school. Rezoning - just like adding IB - can be a very crude and not necessarily effective tool for trying to enhance a school's perceived quality.

Oh I see. So, because we were priced out of neighborhoods zoned for WS, our kids don’t deserve an equivalent education? Got it.

To your second point, I guess you missed the part where I suggested that families like mine also have options, and we will continue to exercise them if the SB continues to neglect the needs of the students at Lewis. Trying to stop pupil placements as a retention method ain’t gonna fly!

And as to your third point, there is quite literally no action that the SB can take that will appease everyone. So yes, damned if you do/don’t still applies.

No one buys "priced out" of an entire pyramid area, much less the pyramids of several outstanding high schools in the county. 99% of us can't have it all when we make decisions about buying and renting. In my case we compromised on townhouse size so kids share rooms. In your case you chose to compromise on schools. Something made you choose to live in the Lewis pyramid, and you feel entitled to "options" for your kids to attend school elsewhere.

You have no idea what our living situation is or what we sacrificed to live here. Just more foaming at the mouth from someone worried about protecting their property value.

Yes, what a travesty that you were forced to live in Springfield, VA, in the Lewis pyramid. There were clearly no other options within Fairfax county, in adjacent counties, or in other parts of Virginia or the DMV.

Huh? We chose the best pyramid we could afford with the shortest commute to our jobs. But if I’m following your logic, since we couldn’t afford to be in your perfect community, we should simply accept our crappy high school and shouldn’t get excited about the possibility of improvements to it. Did I get that right?

PP. So there it is. You prioritized commute. No one forced you accept a crappy high school- you made that decision. There are plenty of parents who sacrificed their commute or other things to make sure they did not compromise on their kids' high school. You are not one of them. No one is arguing about you celebrating the prospect of the SB moving better performing populations into your high school boundary, but don't expect others to agree with your expectation that you should be entitled to options other than the high school zone that you chose so you could have an easy commute.

Yes, we prioritized short commutes to preserve family time. So that means we are dammed to a sucky school foreve, amirite?

Trust me, I have zero expectation that the people on this board would agree with anything I have to say. But like you, I have an opinion and the right to express it.

What’s really got you upset is that there are ppl who actually support what the board is doing.

No, the PP is calling out your blatant hypocrisy and trying to mooch off of your neighbors. You should have to give up your nice commute, because other people in the county have longer commutes. See what I did there? Equity.

Mooch off my neighbors? Lol. Otay. Well, I guess you got me. I guess we’ll both be the losers in this fight. How’s that for equity?

Oh no, you have it wrong, my dear. My kids are not in danger of having to go to school with your kids. I’m not anywhere close to your school.

Sounds like a win for us both!

I guess, but you are trying to bring other families like mine into your school system to help your kids. You can’t have it both ways. Do you love me or hate me?

I know, I know, you hate me and people like me, but man doesn’t that just show how gross you’re being?

And therein lies the problem. It’s OUR school system, and yes, I support moving kids from overcrowded schools to under crowded ones.

I don’t know you and don’t care to, so I most certainly couldn’t hate you or hate on you. Stop being weird, if you can help it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Lots of assumptions being made about who does and doesn't support adjustments. This is going to be akin to the common "boomer" vs. new generation conflict. As usual, older folks want to maintain what they feel they rightfully deserve, and younger families want a slice of the same pie.

There are a lot of young, very well-educated families who are completely priced out of top 10 schools. You bet they support boundary changes that make more schools acceptable and affordable. You'd be crazy not to in that position.


spot on! Especially in 22153 (Saratoga/Newington). I’ve talked to many families over the years who either moved or are planning to move/pupil place/private school before HS. Unfortunately our little community of students isn’t large enough to help Lewis get on equal footing with other FCPS schools. Geographically, im not even sure why we are in the Lewis pyramid given that South County is closer in distance and ease of transportation. I wholeheartedly support the SB’s efforts to reasses boundaries and bring more kids to Lewis.


Why would you want people to suffer with you? You gotta sell. Luckily Saratoga is fairly desirable - decent housing stock, community pools and amenities, and convenient. And there’s plenty of “dog mom/dad” DINK buyers who like having more space vs. a condo in Arlington, as well as empty nesters, families with babies who will move out when their kid hits 1st grade, and Catholic school families, not to mention FCPS teachers who pupil place where mom or dad works. Or you could list for rent and get a nice military family to rent for a few years. Just sell and move to the other side of Pohick and your kids could be in bounds for Newington Forest and South County. Or move up the parkway to West Springfield! There’s nothing much that can help Lewis at this point as almost every other school surrounding it is high poverty or also under enrolled.

The only way Saratoga is getting out of Lewis is if ALL the development zoned for Edison comes to pass, and they decide to revisit the Lewis/Edison borders and end up shunting off Saratoga to South County, or if Lewis is closed entirely. Either scenario is AT LEAST 10 years off, conservatively.


I don’t view this as us “suffering together” rather bringing in more students and families like us, to help bring more balance (and thus, opportunities) to Lewis.

Our kids aren’t close to HS age yet, but this boundary assessment will definitely influence whether we join our neighbors in moving/pupil place/go private or if stick around and see if anything can be done to improve Lewis.

This seems like a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation for the SB. If they move kids, people will leave. If they don’t move kids, people will move. They can’t win either way.


Aha.

Well, first, you need to disabuse yourself of the notion that those being redistricted to Lewis are "families like us." They aren't, because they prioritized finding a house zoned to West Springfield rather than settling for Lewis.

Second, you need to anticipate that there will be a lot of attrition, because just because someone gets redistricted to Lewis doesn't mean they will passively accept this and not explore other options.

Third, you need to acknowledge that there are possibilities other than the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario you outlined. Schools can improve if the county encourages development in the surrounding area, or the school does a better job of meeting the needs of the kids who are already zoned for the school. Rezoning - just like adding IB - can be a very crude and not necessarily effective tool for trying to enhance a school's perceived quality.


Oh I see. So, because we were priced out of neighborhoods zoned for WS, our kids don’t deserve an equivalent education? Got it.

To your second point, I guess you missed the part where I suggested that families like mine also have options, and we will continue to exercise them if the SB continues to neglect the needs of the students at Lewis. Trying to stop pupil placements as a retention method ain’t gonna fly!

And as to your third point, there is quite literally no action that the SB can take that will appease everyone. So yes, damned if you do/don’t still applies.

Why isn’t it an equivalent education? I guess I don’t understand that. How can FCPS not provide the same classes as WSHS for 1500 kids at Lewis?


DP

For one, as the school shrinks it can't offer the same classes, specifically the number of instances of a class. Can't fit calculus into 3rd period - sucks to be you because that is the only period we are offering it.


Well I mean, that’s how I grew up going to a smaller yet fairly high performing HS in the Midwest. If your school offers a full set of AP’s at all, you’re doing better than most schools. It was always known that some classes would create a conflict with each other and kids would just have to choose.

So just let those specific kids pupil place at WSHS so that they can get the classes they want . . . just like other kids do. Equity issue solved. Perhaps this is already happening?

WSHS is closed to transfers.

The only Lewis students attending WSHS are the ones using fake addresses to enroll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of assumptions being made about who does and doesn't support adjustments. This is going to be akin to the common "boomer" vs. new generation conflict. As usual, older folks want to maintain what they feel they rightfully deserve, and younger families want a slice of the same pie.

There are a lot of young, very well-educated families who are completely priced out of top 10 schools. You bet they support boundary changes that make more schools acceptable and affordable. You'd be crazy not to in that position.

spot on! Especially in 22153 (Saratoga/Newington). I’ve talked to many families over the years who either moved or are planning to move/pupil place/private school before HS. Unfortunately our little community of students isn’t large enough to help Lewis get on equal footing with other FCPS schools. Geographically, im not even sure why we are in the Lewis pyramid given that South County is closer in distance and ease of transportation. I wholeheartedly support the SB’s efforts to reasses boundaries and bring more kids to Lewis.

Why would you want people to suffer with you? You gotta sell. Luckily Saratoga is fairly desirable - decent housing stock, community pools and amenities, and convenient. And there’s plenty of “dog mom/dad” DINK buyers who like having more space vs. a condo in Arlington, as well as empty nesters, families with babies who will move out when their kid hits 1st grade, and Catholic school families, not to mention FCPS teachers who pupil place where mom or dad works. Or you could list for rent and get a nice military family to rent for a few years. Just sell and move to the other side of Pohick and your kids could be in bounds for Newington Forest and South County. Or move up the parkway to West Springfield! There’s nothing much that can help Lewis at this point as almost every other school surrounding it is high poverty or also under enrolled.

The only way Saratoga is getting out of Lewis is if ALL the development zoned for Edison comes to pass, and they decide to revisit the Lewis/Edison borders and end up shunting off Saratoga to South County, or if Lewis is closed entirely. Either scenario is AT LEAST 10 years off, conservatively.

I don’t view this as us “suffering together” rather bringing in more students and families like us, to help bring more balance (and thus, opportunities) to Lewis.

Our kids aren’t close to HS age yet, but this boundary assessment will definitely influence whether we join our neighbors in moving/pupil place/go private or if stick around and see if anything can be done to improve Lewis.

This seems like a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation for the SB. If they move kids, people will leave. If they don’t move kids, people will move. They can’t win either way.

Aha.

Well, first, you need to disabuse yourself of the notion that those being redistricted to Lewis are "families like us." They aren't, because they prioritized finding a house zoned to West Springfield rather than settling for Lewis.

Second, you need to anticipate that there will be a lot of attrition, because just because someone gets redistricted to Lewis doesn't mean they will passively accept this and not explore other options.

Third, you need to acknowledge that there are possibilities other than the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario you outlined. Schools can improve if the county encourages development in the surrounding area, or the school does a better job of meeting the needs of the kids who are already zoned for the school. Rezoning - just like adding IB - can be a very crude and not necessarily effective tool for trying to enhance a school's perceived quality.

Oh I see. So, because we were priced out of neighborhoods zoned for WS, our kids don’t deserve an equivalent education? Got it.

To your second point, I guess you missed the part where I suggested that families like mine also have options, and we will continue to exercise them if the SB continues to neglect the needs of the students at Lewis. Trying to stop pupil placements as a retention method ain’t gonna fly!

And as to your third point, there is quite literally no action that the SB can take that will appease everyone. So yes, damned if you do/don’t still applies.

You were never going to get an equivalent education at Lewis and WS, starting with the fact that Lewis has a leadership program that WS doesn't have and WS has an AP curriculum that Lewis hasn't had.

So tell us again, what is it that you really want? Do you think a few hundred WS kids will put Lewis on the same footing as WS, or will it just make you feel better about having bought in the Lewis district if a few hundred more kids are similarly stranded there?

Not sure what you are getting at. I don’t need to “feel better about buying in the Lewis pyramid. I love my home and we bought before we had children. And yes, we knew how the school was rated back then but like many in our community, we figured we’d evaluate when the time came for our kids to attend HS. So yes, I am enthusiastic about the boards interest in improving the conditions at Lewis. And if that means adding a few hundred students from other schools to make it happen, so be it.

Other people's kids are not your pawns to raise your property value.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of assumptions being made about who does and doesn't support adjustments. This is going to be akin to the common "boomer" vs. new generation conflict. As usual, older folks want to maintain what they feel they rightfully deserve, and younger families want a slice of the same pie.

There are a lot of young, very well-educated families who are completely priced out of top 10 schools. You bet they support boundary changes that make more schools acceptable and affordable. You'd be crazy not to in that position.

spot on! Especially in 22153 (Saratoga/Newington). I’ve talked to many families over the years who either moved or are planning to move/pupil place/private school before HS. Unfortunately our little community of students isn’t large enough to help Lewis get on equal footing with other FCPS schools. Geographically, im not even sure why we are in the Lewis pyramid given that South County is closer in distance and ease of transportation. I wholeheartedly support the SB’s efforts to reasses boundaries and bring more kids to Lewis.

Why would you want people to suffer with you? You gotta sell. Luckily Saratoga is fairly desirable - decent housing stock, community pools and amenities, and convenient. And there’s plenty of “dog mom/dad” DINK buyers who like having more space vs. a condo in Arlington, as well as empty nesters, families with babies who will move out when their kid hits 1st grade, and Catholic school families, not to mention FCPS teachers who pupil place where mom or dad works. Or you could list for rent and get a nice military family to rent for a few years. Just sell and move to the other side of Pohick and your kids could be in bounds for Newington Forest and South County. Or move up the parkway to West Springfield! There’s nothing much that can help Lewis at this point as almost every other school surrounding it is high poverty or also under enrolled.

The only way Saratoga is getting out of Lewis is if ALL the development zoned for Edison comes to pass, and they decide to revisit the Lewis/Edison borders and end up shunting off Saratoga to South County, or if Lewis is closed entirely. Either scenario is AT LEAST 10 years off, conservatively.

I don’t view this as us “suffering together” rather bringing in more students and families like us, to help bring more balance (and thus, opportunities) to Lewis.

Our kids aren’t close to HS age yet, but this boundary assessment will definitely influence whether we join our neighbors in moving/pupil place/go private or if stick around and see if anything can be done to improve Lewis.

This seems like a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation for the SB. If they move kids, people will leave. If they don’t move kids, people will move. They can’t win either way.

Aha.

Well, first, you need to disabuse yourself of the notion that those being redistricted to Lewis are "families like us." They aren't, because they prioritized finding a house zoned to West Springfield rather than settling for Lewis.

Second, you need to anticipate that there will be a lot of attrition, because just because someone gets redistricted to Lewis doesn't mean they will passively accept this and not explore other options.

Third, you need to acknowledge that there are possibilities other than the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario you outlined. Schools can improve if the county encourages development in the surrounding area, or the school does a better job of meeting the needs of the kids who are already zoned for the school. Rezoning - just like adding IB - can be a very crude and not necessarily effective tool for trying to enhance a school's perceived quality.

Oh I see. So, because we were priced out of neighborhoods zoned for WS, our kids don’t deserve an equivalent education? Got it.

To your second point, I guess you missed the part where I suggested that families like mine also have options, and we will continue to exercise them if the SB continues to neglect the needs of the students at Lewis. Trying to stop pupil placements as a retention method ain’t gonna fly!

And as to your third point, there is quite literally no action that the SB can take that will appease everyone. So yes, damned if you do/don’t still applies.

You were never going to get an equivalent education at Lewis and WS, starting with the fact that Lewis has a leadership program that WS doesn't have and WS has an AP curriculum that Lewis hasn't had.

So tell us again, what is it that you really want? Do you think a few hundred WS kids will put Lewis on the same footing as WS, or will it just make you feel better about having bought in the Lewis district if a few hundred more kids are similarly stranded there?

Not sure what you are getting at. I don’t need to “feel better about buying in the Lewis pyramid. I love my home and we bought before we had children. And yes, we knew how the school was rated back then but like many in our community, we figured we’d evaluate when the time came for our kids to attend HS. So yes, I am enthusiastic about the boards interest in improving the conditions at Lewis. And if that means adding a few hundred students from other schools to make it happen, so be it.

Again, tell that to my child. Thank her for her service to your child. Her college applications will be less robust, the next few years will be one change after another. One high school freshman year, a different one the following. All to boost up your child’s chances of getting a better class schedule.

Don’t expect us to cheer this as you throw our kids under the bus.

I don’t expect you to do anything but cry and complain as you’ve been doing for the last 300 pages.

And quite frankly, I couldn’t care less about your kid. In the same way that you clearly don’t care about mine.

What a wonderful welcome to the Lewis community. I’m not throwing your kid under, you bought your house knowing you were going to revisit in the high school years. We didn’t. You ARE actively throwing our kids and community under to boost up your own. That is much more malicious than you dealing with consequences you already knew when you bought your house.

^^^^^^^^^^
THIS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of assumptions being made about who does and doesn't support adjustments. This is going to be akin to the common "boomer" vs. new generation conflict. As usual, older folks want to maintain what they feel they rightfully deserve, and younger families want a slice of the same pie.

There are a lot of young, very well-educated families who are completely priced out of top 10 schools. You bet they support boundary changes that make more schools acceptable and affordable. You'd be crazy not to in that position.

spot on! Especially in 22153 (Saratoga/Newington). I’ve talked to many families over the years who either moved or are planning to move/pupil place/private school before HS. Unfortunately our little community of students isn’t large enough to help Lewis get on equal footing with other FCPS schools. Geographically, im not even sure why we are in the Lewis pyramid given that South County is closer in distance and ease of transportation. I wholeheartedly support the SB’s efforts to reasses boundaries and bring more kids to Lewis.

Why would you want people to suffer with you? You gotta sell. Luckily Saratoga is fairly desirable - decent housing stock, community pools and amenities, and convenient. And there’s plenty of “dog mom/dad” DINK buyers who like having more space vs. a condo in Arlington, as well as empty nesters, families with babies who will move out when their kid hits 1st grade, and Catholic school families, not to mention FCPS teachers who pupil place where mom or dad works. Or you could list for rent and get a nice military family to rent for a few years. Just sell and move to the other side of Pohick and your kids could be in bounds for Newington Forest and South County. Or move up the parkway to West Springfield! There’s nothing much that can help Lewis at this point as almost every other school surrounding it is high poverty or also under enrolled.

The only way Saratoga is getting out of Lewis is if ALL the development zoned for Edison comes to pass, and they decide to revisit the Lewis/Edison borders and end up shunting off Saratoga to South County, or if Lewis is closed entirely. Either scenario is AT LEAST 10 years off, conservatively.

I don’t view this as us “suffering together” rather bringing in more students and families like us, to help bring more balance (and thus, opportunities) to Lewis.

Our kids aren’t close to HS age yet, but this boundary assessment will definitely influence whether we join our neighbors in moving/pupil place/go private or if stick around and see if anything can be done to improve Lewis.

This seems like a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation for the SB. If they move kids, people will leave. If they don’t move kids, people will move. They can’t win either way.

Aha.

Well, first, you need to disabuse yourself of the notion that those being redistricted to Lewis are "families like us." They aren't, because they prioritized finding a house zoned to West Springfield rather than settling for Lewis.

Second, you need to anticipate that there will be a lot of attrition, because just because someone gets redistricted to Lewis doesn't mean they will passively accept this and not explore other options.

Third, you need to acknowledge that there are possibilities other than the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario you outlined. Schools can improve if the county encourages development in the surrounding area, or the school does a better job of meeting the needs of the kids who are already zoned for the school. Rezoning - just like adding IB - can be a very crude and not necessarily effective tool for trying to enhance a school's perceived quality.

Oh I see. So, because we were priced out of neighborhoods zoned for WS, our kids don’t deserve an equivalent education? Got it.

To your second point, I guess you missed the part where I suggested that families like mine also have options, and we will continue to exercise them if the SB continues to neglect the needs of the students at Lewis. Trying to stop pupil placements as a retention method ain’t gonna fly!

And as to your third point, there is quite literally no action that the SB can take that will appease everyone. So yes, damned if you do/don’t still applies.

You were never going to get an equivalent education at Lewis and WS, starting with the fact that Lewis has a leadership program that WS doesn't have and WS has an AP curriculum that Lewis hasn't had.

So tell us again, what is it that you really want? Do you think a few hundred WS kids will put Lewis on the same footing as WS, or will it just make you feel better about having bought in the Lewis district if a few hundred more kids are similarly stranded there?

Not sure what you are getting at. I don’t need to “feel better about buying in the Lewis pyramid. I love my home and we bought before we had children. And yes, we knew how the school was rated back then but like many in our community, we figured we’d evaluate when the time came for our kids to attend HS. So yes, I am enthusiastic about the boards interest in improving the conditions at Lewis. And if that means adding a few hundred students from other schools to make it happen, so be it.

Again, tell that to my child. Thank her for her service to your child. Her college applications will be less robust, the next few years will be one change after another. One high school freshman year, a different one the following. All to boost up your child’s chances of getting a better class schedule.

Don’t expect us to cheer this as you throw our kids under the bus.

I don’t expect you to do anything but cry and complain as you’ve been doing for the last 300 pages.

And quite frankly, I couldn’t care less about your kid. In the same way that you clearly don’t care about mine.

What a wonderful welcome to the Lewis community. I’m not throwing your kid under, you bought your house knowing you were going to revisit in the high school years. We didn’t. You ARE actively throwing our kids and community under to boost up your own. That is much more malicious than you dealing with consequences you already knew when you bought your house.

YOU knew that boundaries were not guaranteed, and yet you still purchased your home. And now that the SB is exercising their right (and duty!) to make adjustments, you are howling about being thrown under the bus. Spare me.

Well, no.

You could not be more wrong if you tried.

Both of you bought your homes under the long standing rezoning process, that was triggered by local communities for their own school and was not occuring every 5 years, from the superintendent down.

Anyone who purchased their home under the existing policy had zero reason to expect that their children would get rezoned from their neighborhood schools, that they paid a premium for, potentially every five years, with no grandfathering of high school students, based on the political whims of one person, the superintendent.

This new policy is a tremendous bait and switch by the school board, using children as political pawns, and destroying people's biggest financial investment, their home property value.

Your glee over messing with other people's kids is a pretty awful reaction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of assumptions being made about who does and doesn't support adjustments. This is going to be akin to the common "boomer" vs. new generation conflict. As usual, older folks want to maintain what they feel they rightfully deserve, and younger families want a slice of the same pie.

There are a lot of young, very well-educated families who are completely priced out of top 10 schools. You bet they support boundary changes that make more schools acceptable and affordable. You'd be crazy not to in that position.

spot on! Especially in 22153 (Saratoga/Newington). I’ve talked to many families over the years who either moved or are planning to move/pupil place/private school before HS. Unfortunately our little community of students isn’t large enough to help Lewis get on equal footing with other FCPS schools. Geographically, im not even sure why we are in the Lewis pyramid given that South County is closer in distance and ease of transportation. I wholeheartedly support the SB’s efforts to reasses boundaries and bring more kids to Lewis.

Why would you want people to suffer with you? You gotta sell. Luckily Saratoga is fairly desirable - decent housing stock, community pools and amenities, and convenient. And there’s plenty of “dog mom/dad” DINK buyers who like having more space vs. a condo in Arlington, as well as empty nesters, families with babies who will move out when their kid hits 1st grade, and Catholic school families, not to mention FCPS teachers who pupil place where mom or dad works. Or you could list for rent and get a nice military family to rent for a few years. Just sell and move to the other side of Pohick and your kids could be in bounds for Newington Forest and South County. Or move up the parkway to West Springfield! There’s nothing much that can help Lewis at this point as almost every other school surrounding it is high poverty or also under enrolled.

The only way Saratoga is getting out of Lewis is if ALL the development zoned for Edison comes to pass, and they decide to revisit the Lewis/Edison borders and end up shunting off Saratoga to South County, or if Lewis is closed entirely. Either scenario is AT LEAST 10 years off, conservatively.

I don’t view this as us “suffering together” rather bringing in more students and families like us, to help bring more balance (and thus, opportunities) to Lewis.

Our kids aren’t close to HS age yet, but this boundary assessment will definitely influence whether we join our neighbors in moving/pupil place/go private or if stick around and see if anything can be done to improve Lewis.

This seems like a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation for the SB. If they move kids, people will leave. If they don’t move kids, people will move. They can’t win either way.

Aha.

Well, first, you need to disabuse yourself of the notion that those being redistricted to Lewis are "families like us." They aren't, because they prioritized finding a house zoned to West Springfield rather than settling for Lewis.

Second, you need to anticipate that there will be a lot of attrition, because just because someone gets redistricted to Lewis doesn't mean they will passively accept this and not explore other options.

Third, you need to acknowledge that there are possibilities other than the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario you outlined. Schools can improve if the county encourages development in the surrounding area, or the school does a better job of meeting the needs of the kids who are already zoned for the school. Rezoning - just like adding IB - can be a very crude and not necessarily effective tool for trying to enhance a school's perceived quality.

Oh I see. So, because we were priced out of neighborhoods zoned for WS, our kids don’t deserve an equivalent education? Got it.

To your second point, I guess you missed the part where I suggested that families like mine also have options, and we will continue to exercise them if the SB continues to neglect the needs of the students at Lewis. Trying to stop pupil placements as a retention method ain’t gonna fly!

And as to your third point, there is quite literally no action that the SB can take that will appease everyone. So yes, damned if you do/don’t still applies.

No one buys "priced out" of an entire pyramid area, much less the pyramids of several outstanding high schools in the county. 99% of us can't have it all when we make decisions about buying and renting. In my case we compromised on townhouse size so kids share rooms. In your case you chose to compromise on schools. Something made you choose to live in the Lewis pyramid, and you feel entitled to "options" for your kids to attend school elsewhere.

You have no idea what our living situation is or what we sacrificed to live here. Just more foaming at the mouth from someone worried about protecting their property value.

Yes, what a travesty that you were forced to live in Springfield, VA, in the Lewis pyramid. There were clearly no other options within Fairfax county, in adjacent counties, or in other parts of Virginia or the DMV.

Huh? We chose the best pyramid we could afford with the shortest commute to our jobs. But if I’m following your logic, since we couldn’t afford to be in your perfect community, we should simply accept our crappy high school and shouldn’t get excited about the possibility of improvements to it. Did I get that right?

Other peoples kids are not "improvements" for you to move around at will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of assumptions being made about who does and doesn't support adjustments. This is going to be akin to the common "boomer" vs. new generation conflict. As usual, older folks want to maintain what they feel they rightfully deserve, and younger families want a slice of the same pie.

There are a lot of young, very well-educated families who are completely priced out of top 10 schools. You bet they support boundary changes that make more schools acceptable and affordable. You'd be crazy not to in that position.

spot on! Especially in 22153 (Saratoga/Newington). I’ve talked to many families over the years who either moved or are planning to move/pupil place/private school before HS. Unfortunately our little community of students isn’t large enough to help Lewis get on equal footing with other FCPS schools. Geographically, im not even sure why we are in the Lewis pyramid given that South County is closer in distance and ease of transportation. I wholeheartedly support the SB’s efforts to reasses boundaries and bring more kids to Lewis.

Why would you want people to suffer with you? You gotta sell. Luckily Saratoga is fairly desirable - decent housing stock, community pools and amenities, and convenient. And there’s plenty of “dog mom/dad” DINK buyers who like having more space vs. a condo in Arlington, as well as empty nesters, families with babies who will move out when their kid hits 1st grade, and Catholic school families, not to mention FCPS teachers who pupil place where mom or dad works. Or you could list for rent and get a nice military family to rent for a few years. Just sell and move to the other side of Pohick and your kids could be in bounds for Newington Forest and South County. Or move up the parkway to West Springfield! There’s nothing much that can help Lewis at this point as almost every other school surrounding it is high poverty or also under enrolled.

The only way Saratoga is getting out of Lewis is if ALL the development zoned for Edison comes to pass, and they decide to revisit the Lewis/Edison borders and end up shunting off Saratoga to South County, or if Lewis is closed entirely. Either scenario is AT LEAST 10 years off, conservatively.

I don’t view this as us “suffering together” rather bringing in more students and families like us, to help bring more balance (and thus, opportunities) to Lewis.

Our kids aren’t close to HS age yet, but this boundary assessment will definitely influence whether we join our neighbors in moving/pupil place/go private or if stick around and see if anything can be done to improve Lewis.

This seems like a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation for the SB. If they move kids, people will leave. If they don’t move kids, people will move. They can’t win either way.

Aha.

Well, first, you need to disabuse yourself of the notion that those being redistricted to Lewis are "families like us." They aren't, because they prioritized finding a house zoned to West Springfield rather than settling for Lewis.

Second, you need to anticipate that there will be a lot of attrition, because just because someone gets redistricted to Lewis doesn't mean they will passively accept this and not explore other options.

Third, you need to acknowledge that there are possibilities other than the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario you outlined. Schools can improve if the county encourages development in the surrounding area, or the school does a better job of meeting the needs of the kids who are already zoned for the school. Rezoning - just like adding IB - can be a very crude and not necessarily effective tool for trying to enhance a school's perceived quality.

Oh I see. So, because we were priced out of neighborhoods zoned for WS, our kids don’t deserve an equivalent education? Got it.

To your second point, I guess you missed the part where I suggested that families like mine also have options, and we will continue to exercise them if the SB continues to neglect the needs of the students at Lewis. Trying to stop pupil placements as a retention method ain’t gonna fly!

And as to your third point, there is quite literally no action that the SB can take that will appease everyone. So yes, damned if you do/don’t still applies.

You were never going to get an equivalent education at Lewis and WS, starting with the fact that Lewis has a leadership program that WS doesn't have and WS has an AP curriculum that Lewis hasn't had.

So tell us again, what is it that you really want? Do you think a few hundred WS kids will put Lewis on the same footing as WS, or will it just make you feel better about having bought in the Lewis district if a few hundred more kids are similarly stranded there?

Not sure what you are getting at. I don’t need to “feel better about buying in the Lewis pyramid. I love my home and we bought before we had children. And yes, we knew how the school was rated back then but like many in our community, we figured we’d evaluate when the time came for our kids to attend HS. So yes, I am enthusiastic about the boards interest in improving the conditions at Lewis. And if that means adding a few hundred students from other schools to make it happen, so be it.

Again, tell that to my child. Thank her for her service to your child. Her college applications will be less robust, the next few years will be one change after another. One high school freshman year, a different one the following. All to boost up your child’s chances of getting a better class schedule.

Don’t expect us to cheer this as you throw our kids under the bus.

I don’t expect you to do anything but cry and complain as you’ve been doing for the last 300 pages.

And quite frankly, I couldn’t care less about your kid. In the same way that you clearly don’t care about mine.

What a wonderful welcome to the Lewis community. I’m not throwing your kid under, you bought your house knowing you were going to revisit in the high school years. We didn’t. You ARE actively throwing our kids and community under to boost up your own. That is much more malicious than you dealing with consequences you already knew when you bought your house.

YOU knew that boundaries were not guaranteed, and yet you still purchased your home. And now that the SB is exercising their right (and duty!) to make adjustments, you are howling about being thrown under the bus. Spare me.

Well, no.

You could not be more wrong if you tried.

Both of you bought your homes under the long standing rezoning process, that was triggered by local communities for their own school and was not occuring every 5 years, from the superintendent down.

Anyone who purchased their home under the existing policy had zero reason to expect that their children would get rezoned from their neighborhood schools, that they paid a premium for, potentially every five years, with no grandfathering of high school students, based on the political whims of one person, the superintendent.

This new policy is a tremendous bait and switch by the school board, using children as political pawns, and destroying people's biggest financial investment, their home property value.

Your glee over messing with other people's kids is a pretty awful reaction.

What did I get wrong?

“School boundaries are reevaluated each year and may be adjusted.”

This is on the FCPS website.

They SB has always maintained the right to make adjustments, they just rarely did it. But things have changed, so here we are.

If someone assumed that this would never happen, simply because it hadn’t happen in a long time, well, that’s on them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DP - I get what the Lewis parent is saying (and no, my kids are not in the Lewis boundaries nor is it possible they’ll go there). I think what s/he is saying is all FCPS schools should be good by meeting a minimum threshold. And in the case of Lewis, what it needs is a larger number of students so that it can offer a range of APs like other schools. The SB seems to want all of the schools to be desirable and successful, which is admirable and what they should be doing. I would hope we can all agree on that. Likewise, if there are schools that are overcrowded, it makes sense to draw new boundaries to relieve that overcrowding. Thing is, I would guess most would agree with this - until they think it might affect their kid in what they perceive to be a negative way. We can’t just keep building additions when there is space. Any money available should be spent on renovations so that all schools are on similar footing. And re-drawing boundaries makes that possible.

Lewis is an IB school.

You could import 400 West Springfield HS kids to Lewis this school year, and they would not have the same slate of AP classes, because Lewis is an IB school that just started to add a few AP classes the past year.