King Abdullah Academy Closing: FCPS Buy for HS?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Ya'all should be concerned over the lack of transparency over this sale. Guaranteed it was an inside job for a long time coming and you should be holding your fcps people responsible because there were many bids even higher than fcps that were denied and turned down with legitimate funds in place. this was absolutely not a sale that happened by luck in the past few weeks. and if that is the inside dealing i would be concerned about the transparency of fcps to begin with.

Who knows, maybe the agreement was due to the fact that the County sold the land to the Saudi's with no real discussion to build the school many years back. Maybe the sale to FCPS was a return the favor. the article I just read said that the others bidding for the land where data centers and private users. I am fine with FCPS getting the school, especially since there should have been a HS built there over 10 years ago.

DP.

Rubber stamps are a big problem in this country, at all layers of government.

This is a lot less expensive then buying land and building a new building. And it is significantly faster. So the process saved time and money and we ended up with a new HS right were one was planned to be built years ago. I can see why you are concerned....

Sure, but with a lacking process it’s worth asking some questions about the $150 million transaction that just popped up out of nowhere and approved with little discussion.

Not really. A property unexpectedly became available that almost perfectly suited FCPS's needs, and they made an offer for it. There's nothing shady about it. Its actually one of the only smart things FCPS has done in quite some time.

Unquestioning buffoons get the government they deserve.

I think it is safe to say that this board has had plenty of people questioning FCPS decisions. The fact that most of the people on the board seem to be on board with the purchase of a pre built high school in one of the most crowded school areas in the county is a minor miracle. The only thing less surprising is that the Great Falls families are complaining about said purchase.

DP. Seems to me the county-wide win-win is if they pursue the new HS near Carson but also commit to expanding McLean and say that removing the bulk of the $450M currently allocated to a western HS from FCPS’s cash flow projections makes that possible in another decade or so.

Until that happens Great Falls will assume, and perhaps justifiably so, that the plan is to favor the Carson area with a new school, continue to move McLean kids into Langley, and eventually move part of Great Falls into Herndon. They don’t want that, and while you can insult them for their views, I don’t recall seeing people at Westfield or South Lakes keen to get moved into Herndon or people at Chantilly keen to move to Westfield.

This could be a great opportunity to engage in some longer-term planning that would make a lot of people happy, or it could turn out to be incredibly polarizing.

It sounds like a case could be made for McLean HS to jump the queue and get an out-of-cycle expansion, and that would assuage the fears of Great Falls parents having to associate with lowly Herndon. However, taking a stance against this much needed school as they have for the better part of the last two decades has turned many against them. They are actively trying to sabotage other communities rather than advocate for their own.

If you take Great Falls out of the picture you still have McLean overcrowded for a decade, already recently redistricted, and sitting with the smallest capacity of any HS in the county, even though only Marshall has more enrollment growth potential.

The party line has been there’s no money for an expansion and they should just suck it up and expect more boundary changes with Langley, Falls Church, and Marshall.

But now they are prepared to build a new school in western Fairfax when they could have said the moment has passed and people there should just accept getting redistricted without any new high school. And they are also saying the KAA acquisition frees up about $280M in money that otherwise would have eventually been spent on the western HS.

I don’t know that McLean jumps the queue, because there are still some renovations left in the queue. As it turns out, however, almost all of those renovations are of schools in western Fairfax. It wouldn’t be crazy to say that, if western Fairfax is getting a new HS, some of the ES in western Fairfax are going to see their renovations deferred and McLean (in eastern Fairfax) is going to jump the queue ahead of them. But I don’t see that happening. More likely, they could just agree that some of the money budgeted for a western HS will get spent on McLean later. Either way, Great Falls would be an indirect beneficiary, not the primary beneficiary.

Or, maybe they just hate both McLean and Great Falls so much that they invest nothing in McLean, keep moving kids to Langley, and eventually trigger a Langley-to-Herndon move. It’s not like Robyn Lady cares much about either McLean or Langley. But an approach of caviar for the folks near Carson, crumbs for McLean, and uncertainty for Great Falls is something that would result in continued sniping, yet could be avoided with some deft planning and messaging.

Isn't there a scenario in which the growth in Tysons requires both--that McLean does get expanded, and some McLean kids move to Langley and trigger a Langley-to-Herndon move?

I don't think this is a caviar and crumbs issue fueled by hate for McLean and Great Falls. Growth is hard to predict. Sure, Tysons believes they will expand majorly, and clearly are to a large degree. Exactly how much more growth will happen, and how many public school students that will add to FCPS is less clear.

You can look at both sides of the equation. Looking back McLean has been overcrowded for the past decade, and looking forward Marshall and McLean are the two high schools that the county has consistently said could see the most additional growth from potential development, much of which isn’t yet reflected in FCPS’s official forecasts.

If you want to take the position that we’re cash-strapped and the only sensible approach is to change boundaries to avail of capacity wherever located, then fine, but in that case we should also be looking at ways to move kids in western Fairfax into Herndon and not acquiring the KAA, even at what may seem like a bargain price.

Conversely, if we’re getting a bargain with the KAA deal and that frees up money down the road for a McLean expansion then it also seems prudent to start planning accordingly.

I don’t know at what point continued McLean/Langley boundary changes would tip part of Great Falls into Herndon. It hasn’t happened yet, but it’s fairly obvious that keeping more McLean kids at Longfellow/McLean eases the potential pressure on Langley (and, even more so, on Cooper).

[Anonymous]

If you want to take the position that we’re cash-strapped and the only sensible approach is to change boundaries to avail of capacity wherever located, then fine, but in that case we should also be looking at ways to move kids in western Fairfax into Herndon and not acquiring the KAA, even at what may seem like a bargain price.

Herndon High is not near the area of KAA. The only school that would likely be close to Herndon High would be Coates. I don't see the School Board sending Coates to Herndon.

Get rid of IB at South Lakes. Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

[b]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How does the is impact boundary rewrites or just something new in mix?

The School Board is having a work session tomorrow afternoon on the status of the boundary review. The impact of the KAA deal will surely come up.

It would be great if they could modify the boundary planning to include this so it could take effect in fall 2026 as originally planned. I'd suggest just starting with 9th graders while they make any modifications. Then kids are grandfathered too. Though perhaps time is running short at this point for that.

[Anonymous]

And KAA families are heartbroken. over a thousand of them in fact.

keep in mind there is evidence of this being an entirely underhanded deal. saudi money is not tax payer money. but the way that fcps went about this with your taxpayer dollars in a sneaky way is concerning. there was no transparency. even the latest ffx article says this. it was sneaky and id be concerned what else they did or might do with this property with your tax payer dollars.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ya'all should be concerned over the lack of transparency over this sale. Guaranteed it was an inside job for a long time coming and you should be holding your fcps people responsible because there were many bids even higher than fcps that were denied and turned down with legitimate funds in place. this was absolutely not a sale that happened by luck in the past few weeks. and if that is the inside dealing i would be concerned about the transparency of fcps to begin with.

Who knows, maybe the agreement was due to the fact that the County sold the land to the Saudi's with no real discussion to build the school many years back. Maybe the sale to FCPS was a return the favor. the article I just read said that the others bidding for the land where data centers and private users. I am fine with FCPS getting the school, especially since there should have been a HS built there over 10 years ago.

DP.

Rubber stamps are a big problem in this country, at all layers of government.

This is a lot less expensive then buying land and building a new building. And it is significantly faster. So the process saved time and money and we ended up with a new HS right were one was planned to be built years ago. I can see why you are concerned....

Sure, but with a lacking process it’s worth asking some questions about the $150 million transaction that just popped up out of nowhere and approved with little discussion.

Not really. A property unexpectedly became available that almost perfectly suited FCPS's needs, and they made an offer for it. There's nothing shady about it. Its actually one of the only smart things FCPS has done in quite some time.

Unquestioning buffoons get the government they deserve.

I think it is safe to say that this board has had plenty of people questioning FCPS decisions. The fact that most of the people on the board seem to be on board with the purchase of a pre built high school in one of the most crowded school areas in the county is a minor miracle. The only thing less surprising is that the Great Falls families are complaining about said purchase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If you want to take the position that we’re cash-strapped and the only sensible approach is to change boundaries to avail of capacity wherever located, then fine, but in that case we should also be looking at ways to move kids in western Fairfax into Herndon and not acquiring the KAA, even at what may seem like a bargain price.

Herndon High is not near the area of KAA. The only school that would likely be close to Herndon High would be Coates. I don't see the School Board sending Coates to Herndon.

Get rid of IB at South Lakes. Problem solved.

KAA is about 6.5 miles from HHS, which is less than a lot of kids travel now to Oakton and Langley.

They may have had reservations about sending Coates to Herndon but Thru proposed to pull low-income kids out of Fort Hunt and send them to Hybla Valley and to move kids at a Title I school from McLean to Falls Church, so who knows. It’s moot if Coates ends up at the new school.

People have been suggesting that FCPS eliminate IB at various schools for years and the only thing that’s ever happened is that they’ve added some AP courses at Lewis. I understand the suggestion that it would reduce pupil placements out of Herndon, but good luck convincing them to eliminate it at South Lakes.

[Anonymous]

Uhh, Saudi money is not taxpayer dollars. The existence of KAA has brought economic opportunities and much more to your county. You are missing the bigger picture here. Let alone if everyone here is a parent, now 1100 displaced kids.

There are numerous studies on this topic, which I am familiar with in my field of work. Private schools, and I suppose applicable to KAA, appear to have done many things that benefit:

1. from basic research i see on kaa it has high performing students as well as competitive team sports (i think they won a few of their league championships this year) which creates necessary competition in sports and after school activities (i see in my kids model un competitions kaa is often represented too and they often win). Private schools often serve as innovation hubs, introducing new curricula, technologies, or teaching models. Their presence creates a higher education standard in the area, indirectly encouraging local public schools to innovate or improve to stay competitive. Frankly, I am all for new and innovative ideas, and I think FCPS can benefit from that. On top of that a vibrant international community.

2. Economic stimuls: Families often spend money in the county when they drop off or pick up their children: on gas, restaurants, coffee shops, retail, or extracurricular activities or tutors near the school. This directly supports small businesses and local employment. In addition, private schools tend to become civically engaged and in philanthropy, which benefits the county in many ways. If, in the instance that KAA brings out-of-county families, they bring spending dollars. There are actual case studies on this, where, in multiple U.S. counties, the closure of a single private school led to the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual local commerce.  Think about the taxes the Saudis were paying that benefited your country.

3. Employment: Private schools are employers. Based on initial research, KAA employed several hundred employees. I imagine many of them will not be unemployed.

4. Private schools drive future real estate demand. Families may relocate to the county to be closer to the school, which raises property values and local tax bases. According to a previous post, many new families have moved to Fairfax County, even from other states.

5. High-performing or prestigious private schools can elevate the perceived status of a county. This can attract investment, development, and higher-income families, including those without school-age children.  I can gather that KAA would have brought families and new businesses to Fairfax County and can continue to. High-quality private schools attract professionals and individuals with high incomes.  In addition, if KAA attracted students from a wide radius, it probably brought different cultural, professional, and social perspectives to the area. This can enrich the local community fabric and foster regional connections.

6. What sounds like the alumni of Kaa were trying to do, if they could save the property, was to turn it also into a community-wide benefit too. Traditionally, private schools often host sports events, concerts, lectures, and other activities, drawing visitors into the community. This boosts the hospitality, transportation, and tourism sectors. I imagine this was not allowed before because it was a Saudi property with needs for high security.

7. FCPS will relocate to the new campus, but this will incur new operational costs.  In addition, public schools can't replicate the flexibility or programs that attracted families to the private school in the first place.  It could increase the taxpayer burden. 

Mark my words, the devastation from this will be felt economically and in other ways as well. Kaa was an advantage to the area by a wide margin. Professionally I hope the deal doesnt go through. And personallly after reading many of your heartless comments about not caring for the broken school community I have my feelings even stronger.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ya'all should be concerned over the lack of transparency over this sale. Guaranteed it was an inside job for a long time coming and you should be holding your fcps people responsible because there were many bids even higher than fcps that were denied and turned down with legitimate funds in place. this was absolutely not a sale that happened by luck in the past few weeks. and if that is the inside dealing i would be concerned about the transparency of fcps to begin with.

Well I'm just happy that FCPS was able to right the wrong they did in selling both this property years ago and in selling the land in the Fairfax/ Fair Lakes area. It was their land to begin with. Now we can stop worrying about aquiring the last high school property needed in Fairfax for some time.

Exactly. The shady dealings were whatever transpired for KAA to get this land in the first place when it had already been earmarked for the future western HS. It was a gut punch when it was taken away with no input from the community. I don't care how the county got it back, I'm just glad they did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If you want to take the position that we’re cash-strapped and the only sensible approach is to change boundaries to avail of capacity wherever located, then fine, but in that case we should also be looking at ways to move kids in western Fairfax into Herndon and not acquiring the KAA, even at what may seem like a bargain price.

Herndon High is not near the area of KAA. The only school that would likely be close to Herndon High would be Coates. I don't see the School Board sending Coates to Herndon.

Get rid of IB at South Lakes. Problem solved.

KAA is about 6.5 miles from HHS, which is less than a lot of kids travel now to Oakton and Langley.

They may have had reservations about sending Coates to Herndon but Thru proposed to pull low-income kids out of Fort Hunt and send them to Hybla Valley and to move kids at a Title I school from McLean to Falls Church, so who knows. It’s moot if Coates ends up at the new school.

People have been suggesting that FCPS eliminate IB at various schools for years and the only thing that’s ever happened is that they’ve added some AP courses at Lewis. I understand the suggestion that it would reduce pupil placements out of Herndon, but good luck convincing them to eliminate it at South Lakes.

Just because Langley parents want to keep their long commute does not mean everyone is willing to do that.
Forestville is 4 miles from Herndon.

[Anonymous]

The people from KAA should go whine to their facebook friends. No one cares and frankly, your arguments are nonsensical.

[Anonymous]

We live nearby. KAA does nothing for the surrounding community. Their teens don't volunteer at our rec league, I never see them out doing food drives or anything. They charge fees to use their fields.

[Anonymous]

I think the KAA people have been complaining just to each other and don't realize how ridiculous their complaints are to non-KAA people.

[Anonymous]

The KAA folks can go complain in the private school forum. The school closed and the building was sold. This is done. I knew no one who attended that school. The Teachers and Admin can apply to work at FCPS. The parents can raise money to build a new school someplace else. They can complain to the Saudi’s about no longer funding it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the KAA people have been complaining just to each other and don't realize how ridiculous their complaints are to non-KAA people.

It is almost like they expect FCPS to run the school as an Islamic school. I have no idea what they want or why the one person keeps trying to promote the KAA agenda here.

If FCPS did not buy the building, someone else would. The other interested parties would tear it down and build something else. It is not FCPS’s fault that the Saudi government decided to no longer subsidize the school and it shut down. I understand being sad that it closed but the posts here are clueless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The KAA folks can go complain in the private school forum. The school closed and the building was sold. This is done. I knew no one who attended that school. The Teachers and Admin can apply to work at FCPS. The parents can raise money to build a new school someplace else. They can complain to the Saudi’s about no longer funding it.

The funniest thing is most of you writing here are clueless of how resourceful the KAA community actually is! You think Saudi money ran the school? In actuality, the non Saudi KAA community actively held this school up. They were the real resources way more than $150 million! Do you know this community has already come together to create another school? In a matter of months! Staff members have been hired and that new school is ready to start this fall! You guys are arguing about the county being able to start WH in a few years?! Imagine creating a school in a few months… can only money buy that type of resourcefulness?

[Anonymous]

They already have another school up?! How?! Well that’s very impressive if true!

[Anonymous]

Found this on KAA website:

https://bbk12e1-cdn.myschoolcdn.com/ftpimages/1197/misc/misc_228870.123dx