FCPS comprehensive boundary review

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You sound like you are responding for FCPS or the board. These don’t appear to be “routine” or just “adjustments”. As stated throughout, this is intended to impact every pyramid in a hugh county. Several of the suggestions in the leaked map are contrary their own data. You may be right about the board’s political calculations, but if the last few weeks have taught us anything, it’s that being out of step with families or people’s real interests may actually have some political consequences for them.

The events of the last few weeks are likely to make local residents more supportive of Democrats, not less. Even if you’re frustrated with some of their decisions, they start to look better by comparison. They may deprive you of the public school you were hoping for; the Republicans may take away your job or gut the local economy in ways that would have far more impact on your housing equity than a mere reassignment to Herndon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You really need to educate yourself on how the boundaries of schools like Langley, Annandale, and Lewis ended up drawn as they currently are before you go off pontificating at such lengths.

+1

Herndon's boundaries are pretty much the same as they have been for a very long time. No one complained about Herndon twenty years ago. It is the population that has changed--not the boundaries. No one and no developer "did this."

Google Herndon High and gangs and see what you get back.

Don’t pretend Herndon was this sterling school tears ago.

I don’t have an issue with carve outs for the developers, but when there is a bait and switch then families are left holding the bag. These families likely would not have bought those homes if zoned to Herndon High.

The school board is taking from those families. Let’s call it what it is.

No one is guaranteed assignment to a specific school in a county-wide school system. You cannot be deprived of something that was never yours in the first place.

+1

[Anonymous]

Ok SB member. Keep on thinking that way. I think that is a gross miscalculation. The democrats have failed so many people so badly and the SB is the example of this, and most directly affects much of the community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You really need to educate yourself on how the boundaries of schools like Langley, Annandale, and Lewis ended up drawn as they currently are before you go off pontificating at such lengths.

+1

Herndon's boundaries are pretty much the same as they have been for a very long time. No one complained about Herndon twenty years ago. It is the population that has changed--not the boundaries. No one and no developer "did this."

Google Herndon High and gangs and see what you get back.

Don’t pretend Herndon was this sterling school tears ago.

I don’t have an issue with carve outs for the developers, but when there is a bait and switch then families are left holding the bag. These families likely would not have bought those homes if zoned to Herndon High.

The school board is taking from those families. Let’s call it what it is.

No one is guaranteed assignment to a specific school in a county-wide school system. You cannot be deprived of something that was never yours in the first place.

+1

“You cannot be deprived of something that was never yours?” That is some backwards logic there. Sure you can in fact, the school board is using that reasoning to say kids are getting equal access to programming. IF they aren’t’ accessing classes and never were, how can the kids be deprived of equal access to programming?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok SB member. Keep on thinking that way. I think that is a gross miscalculation. The democrats have failed so many people so badly and the SB is the example of this, and most directly affects much of the community.

Yep. Agree with this. The best way to make enemies is to F with kids’ education. Not even DOGE has gone that far. And if it does, it’ll be a push for vouchers, which I’d gladly accept.

Centrist families are united in opposition to the boundary changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You sound like you are responding for FCPS or the board. These don’t appear to be “routine” or just “adjustments”. As stated throughout, this is intended to impact every pyramid in a hugh county. Several of the suggestions in the leaked map are contrary their own data. You may be right about the board’s political calculations, but if the last few weeks have taught us anything, it’s that being out of step with families or people’s real interests may actually have some political consequences for them.

The events of the last few weeks are likely to make local residents more supportive of Democrats, not less. Even if you’re frustrated with some of their decisions, they start to look better by comparison. They may deprive you of the public school you were hoping for; the Republicans may take away your job or gut the local economy in ways that would have far more impact on your housing equity than a mere reassignment to Herndon.

This is 💯 false. I hate what Trump is doing to our country and would never vote for any MAGA supporter, but I voted Republican for our school board and will continue to vote Republican in the future. The current school board is completely out of line and not representing their constituents who OVERWHELMINGLY do not want their kids to be redistricted away from the schools and friends that they have grown up with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why they didn't build a middle and high school in central GF. Then they could have pulled in areas of Herndon and Reston.

It would have been a better location in theory, but isn't that area on septic? Great Falls is largely designed to keep development out, not bring it in.

The mistake was expanding Langley to almost 2400 seats during its renovation, when its enrollment had been steady at around 2000 for years. By adding capacity, they played into the hands of people living miles away and closer to other schools who continued to say "someone needs to go there."

At the time, they defended the expansion and said it was prudent for FCPS to expand any school getting renovated, even if the current enrollment didn't justify it. Their problem is that FCPS followed the same approach with Herndon, which now is projected to have more vacant seats than Langley. It was easy enough to justify bussing kids long distances to Langley when Herndon was overcrowded. When the opposite is the case, people will ask why they should have to continue to subsidize the long bus trips to Langley.

Has anyone quantified the supposed subside that you claim exists? It’s either close to zero or likely non-existent.

Pretty insane of you to claim that others subsidize Langley when tax dollars clearly flow the other way. But I guess this is one of those situations where the school board is going to FAFO how much support it’s going to lose from the professional families.

The extreme left deserves everything they got coming to them.

They aren’t going to design policy based on an assumption that “professional families” will leave unless they can attend segregated schools. To do so would be to embrace a far-right agenda and, in any event, they know there are already lots of professional families at Herndon, too.

That, in a nutshell, is why you are consistently wrong. It’s not far right to want to stay in the school pyramid that families choose. Even families in mediocre schools want their kids to stay in pyramid.

You and the school board assume differently and put the country at risk of a death spiral.

Good luck with your pending DOGE cuts. Seems like you’ve brought them on yourself with your head in the sand and being ridiculously out of step with the average parent.

You’re getting a bit ahead of yourself, given that no changes have yet been proposed.

It’s the non-stop fretting over changes that haven’t even been proposed yet that shows that you’re claiming you have a right to a particular school assignment in perpetuity, when you simply don’t. As someone else noted, if you’re not prepared to accept even the possibility of a boundary change, maybe you need to live in FCC.

At least I’m fighting for my neighborhood’s kids. You’re fighting for an increase to your property values.

I’d be open to a move to a school of similar quality. Tbh, maybe this administration deporting gang members will change Herndon for the better. You should be rooting the administration on.

Are you saying Herndon will have even more open seats? Hmm, interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why they didn't build a middle and high school in central GF. Then they could have pulled in areas of Herndon and Reston.

It would have been a better location in theory, but isn't that area on septic? Great Falls is largely designed to keep development out, not bring it in.

The mistake was expanding Langley to almost 2400 seats during its renovation, when its enrollment had been steady at around 2000 for years. By adding capacity, they played into the hands of people living miles away and closer to other schools who continued to say "someone needs to go there."

At the time, they defended the expansion and said it was prudent for FCPS to expand any school getting renovated, even if the current enrollment didn't justify it. Their problem is that FCPS followed the same approach with Herndon, which now is projected to have more vacant seats than Langley. It was easy enough to justify bussing kids long distances to Langley when Herndon was overcrowded. When the opposite is the case, people will ask why they should have to continue to subsidize the long bus trips to Langley.

Has anyone quantified the supposed subside that you claim exists? It’s either close to zero or likely non-existent.

Pretty insane of you to claim that others subsidize Langley when tax dollars clearly flow the other way. But I guess this is one of those situations where the school board is going to FAFO how much support it’s going to lose from the professional families.

The extreme left deserves everything they got coming to them.

They aren’t going to design policy based on an assumption that “professional families” will leave unless they can attend segregated schools. To do so would be to embrace a far-right agenda and, in any event, they know there are already lots of professional families at Herndon, too.

That, in a nutshell, is why you are consistently wrong. It’s not far right to want to stay in the school pyramid that families choose. Even families in mediocre schools want their kids to stay in pyramid.

You and the school board assume differently and put the country at risk of a death spiral.

Good luck with your pending DOGE cuts. Seems like you’ve brought them on yourself with your head in the sand and being ridiculously out of step with the average parent.

You’re getting a bit ahead of yourself, given that no changes have yet been proposed.

It’s the non-stop fretting over changes that haven’t even been proposed yet that shows that you’re claiming you have a right to a particular school assignment in perpetuity, when you simply don’t. As someone else noted, if you’re not prepared to accept even the possibility of a boundary change, maybe you need to live in FCC.

At least I’m fighting for my neighborhood’s kids. You’re fighting for an increase to your property values.

I’d be open to a move to a school of similar quality. Tbh, maybe this administration deporting gang members will change Herndon for the better. You should be rooting the administration on.

Are you saying Herndon will have even more open seats? Hmm, interesting.

Probably not, because once the gangs were gone a lot of those 400 kids fleeing the school (mostly for IB) would come back.

[Anonymous]

The only people who appear to be for new boundaries are the people who hate Langley and want to see families who go there now suffer. I can’t for the life of me understand how so many people whose kids don’t go to Forestville could possibly care where Forestville students go to high school. Some people are super passionate about this particular boundary change possibility.

Don’t expect a bunch of students from Forestville to show up at Herndon High School if boundaries change. A majority of the families will send their kids to private after elementary school or use the transfer process to attend Langley.

**My kids do not attend Forestville, but are in the Langley district. Great Falls is united as a community. We want our kids to stay together. These kids are all friends and have been playing sports together in Great Falls for years. We don’t want to see our community torn apart. ESPECIALLY considering Langley is not at capacity (and the even has availability to admit a ton of transfer kids).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only people who appear to be for new boundaries are the people who hate Langley and want to see families who go there now suffer. I can’t for the life of me understand how so many people whose kids don’t go to Forestville could possibly care where Forestville students go to high school. Some people are super passionate about this particular boundary change possibility.

Don’t expect a bunch of students from Forestville to show up at Herndon High School if boundaries change. A majority of the families will send their kids to private after elementary school or use the transfer process to attend Langley.

**My kids do not attend Forestville, but are in the Langley district. Great Falls is united as a community. We want our kids to stay together. These kids are all friends and have been playing sports together in Great Falls for years. We don’t want to see our community torn apart. ESPECIALLY considering Langley is not at capacity (and the even has availability to admit a ton of transfer kids).

Thank you. We love our great falls community.

[Anonymous]

Why are people mad?

FCPS last summer when 8130 passed by the school board:

“There are no specific boundary changes under consideration as part of this policy work.This holistic policy review is designed to address the community's concerns about a host of issues, including temporary classrooms (trailers), instructional program locations, overcrowding, facility renovation timelines, and transportation. Comprehensive community engagement will take place before any potential future boundary changes are considered in boundaries.”

The map is leaked and the community says:
“These proposed changes are counter to your own data on which schools are affected by temporary classrooms (trailers), instructional program locations, overcrowding, facility renovation timelines, and transportation. You would send students from an at or below capacity school into an over-capacity school. Why? This approach is counter to your own data and recommendations set forth in your CIP. What gives?”

FCPS now:
We will do what we want, how we want, when we want. Deal with it.

So…this is addressing community concerns? This is the “Comprehensive community engagement will take place before any potential future boundary changes are considered in boundaries.”?

You can say you don’t care about lawsuits, but we’ll see…

[Anonymous]

I don’t think they will touch Langley/Herndon. Enrollment seems meh at both.

But they sure will move WSHS kids to Lewis. Enrollment numbers are too skewed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only people who appear to be for new boundaries are the people who hate Langley and want to see families who go there now suffer. I can’t for the life of me understand how so many people whose kids don’t go to Forestville could possibly care where Forestville students go to high school. Some people are super passionate about this particular boundary change possibility.

Don’t expect a bunch of students from Forestville to show up at Herndon High School if boundaries change. A majority of the families will send their kids to private after elementary school or use the transfer process to attend Langley.

**My kids do not attend Forestville, but are in the Langley district. Great Falls is united as a community. We want our kids to stay together. These kids are all friends and have been playing sports together in Great Falls for years. We don’t want to see our community torn apart. ESPECIALLY considering Langley is not at capacity (and the even has availability to admit a ton of transfer kids).

You do realize that many Herndon High athletes grew up playing youth/club sports in Great Falls, and vice-versa. Many, on my DD’s club sport team said they were glad to leave their Great Falls club team because the parents and the vibes were too toxic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You really need to educate yourself on how the boundaries of schools like Langley, Annandale, and Lewis ended up drawn as they currently are before you go off pontificating at such lengths.

+1

Herndon's boundaries are pretty much the same as they have been for a very long time. No one complained about Herndon twenty years ago. It is the population that has changed--not the boundaries. No one and no developer "did this."

Google Herndon High and gangs and see what you get back.

Don’t pretend Herndon was this sterling school tears ago.

I don’t have an issue with carve outs for the developers, but when there is a bait and switch then families are left holding the bag. These families likely would not have bought those homes if zoned to Herndon High.

The school board is taking from those families. Let’s call it what it is.

No one is guaranteed assignment to a specific school in a county-wide school system. You cannot be deprived of something that was never yours in the first place.

+1

“You cannot be deprived of something that was never yours?” That is some backwards logic there. Sure you can in fact, the school board is using that reasoning to say kids are getting equal access to programming. IF they aren’t’ accessing classes and never were, how can the kids be deprived of equal access to programming?

You might want to take a fresh look at this one in the morning and see if you can come up with something that starts to make the slightest bit of sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are people mad?

FCPS last summer when 8130 passed by the school board:

“There are no specific boundary changes under consideration as part of this policy work.This holistic policy review is designed to address the community's concerns about a host of issues, including temporary classrooms (trailers), instructional program locations, overcrowding, facility renovation timelines, and transportation. Comprehensive community engagement will take place before any potential future boundary changes are considered in boundaries.”

The map is leaked and the community says:
“These proposed changes are counter to your own data on which schools are affected by temporary classrooms (trailers), instructional program locations, overcrowding, facility renovation timelines, and transportation. You would send students from an at or below capacity school into an over-capacity school. Why? This approach is counter to your own data and recommendations set forth in your CIP. What gives?”

FCPS now:
We will do what we want, how we want, when we want. Deal with it.

So…this is addressing community concerns? This is the “Comprehensive community engagement will take place before any potential future boundary changes are considered in boundaries.”?

You can say you don’t care about lawsuits, but we’ll see…

And, interesting that one of the committee members who is on record arguing that her neighborhood stay in the current school (one of the least diverse in Fairfax County) was on Nextdoor this week. She posted about how well FCPS is doing at closing the minority achievement gap. It was then pointed out to her that they are closing it--from the top down.

Bottom line: Almost everyone wants to stay in their current school--no matter what the record is. Even those who are "progressive."