South West County HS?

[Anonymous]

Stop with the myth that Herndon parents want to boot low SES kids out. Also, the Hutchison site has been named in FCPS documentation after it sold property by Rachel Carson for the Saudi school.

Interesting. Probably, just to justify selling Carson site. Funny, Carson was pushing the envelope and was on the edge of where the school should be located. At least, it was in Sully where the need is for a new school.

I suspect that the BOS put great pressure on the School Board to let the Carson site go to the Saudis as the original site had great protests against it by the local community. It would have been a great location traffic wise--unlike Hutchison which is not in the right place to relieve the overcrowded schools and would create a traffic nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe they find a way to connect Parcher to Herndon Parkway, or come up with something else like Lions Run near Fairfax or Jaguar Trail near Falls Church.

But as PP pointed out, sometimes you work with what’s available. I’ve heard the traffic near Langley on Georgetown Pike can be a PITA but they cope.

In any event, the objections to the site and even the need for a new school aren’t new. I guess you don’t have much pull with Pekarsky or Tholen if you haven’t gotten them to convince FCPS staff to revise the 2021 bond and now the CIP to remove the references to the new western high school. I’m sure people could find other uses for the $23.5M previously allocated for acquisition costs if the money were available.

Does the CIP mention the Hutchison site? Pekarsky is my SB rep. Since both schools needing relief are attended by Sully kids, I doubt seriously that she would think the Hutchison site would work. As for Tholen, why would she want the school at all?
If they did put the school at Hutchison, there would be a lot of Hunter Mill kids pulled for it--and I seriously doubt that Mehren would people be happy with that. You do realize that Dranesville and Hunter Mill are the closest districts to Hutchison?

And, since Pekarsky lives in Centreville area, I'm pretty sure that would not be her solution.

That’s the point. If you think these School Board members and their constituents would oppose a new school, why aren’t you inveighing upon them to get FCPS to exclude reference to the “Western HS” from the CIP and descriptions of the intended use of bond proceeds.

The draft 2023-27 CIP refers to the future western high school at pp. 40, 41, 54 and 206, indicating as noted earlier in the thread that the final site is TBD.

OP here.

Actually if compare 2023-2027 draft CIP with 2022-2026 final CIP, the new CIP mentions less about the new Western high school (such as it would provide a relief to nearby high schools) and brings up this South West HS. You won’t be able to find South West HS in the older CIP.

It indicates that the school was identified as the South West HS in the 2013 bond and the Western HS in the 2021 bond. There are surely references to the South West HS in older CIPs closer to the 2013 bond.

I am not disputing that. But why did they bring up the South West HS from the dead? Why does the new CIP stop saying that the new Western HS progide the relief to nearby schools?

I am speculating here but knowing the FCPS board, I expect that they are going to say they will evaluate BOTH areas while they already know exactly where it is going to be built.

Seems like they were simply setting forth the money previously earmarked for site acquisition for the new school, as previously described in 2013 and 2021 documents:

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/2013%20Bond%20Referendum%20Facts_0.pdf

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/FTS-Bond-Referendum-2021-Booklet.pdf

If you look at p. 40 of the draft CIP, it indicates they plan to spend this money on site acquisition in 2024 and 2025.

You are right that the latest draft CIP excluded language about which schools would receive relief if and when the new school is built. Maybe they did that because some of those schools have lost students since Covid. Maybe it’s just consistent with their general trend of increasing the amount of data and reducing the amount of analysis in the CIP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where is Hutchison named? I keep hearing but have seen nothing in writing.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Adopted%20FY%202019-23%20CIP_0.pdf - look at p. 120

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is Hutchison named? I keep hearing but have seen nothing in writing.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Adopted%20FY%202019-23%20CIP_0.pdf - look at p. 120

It is identified by name elsewhere but you’d need to look at the long Langley/Herndon threads in the past year to find the link(s). I’ve seen it, but I’m not doing the work for you today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is Hutchison named? I keep hearing but have seen nothing in writing.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Adopted%20FY%202019-23%20CIP_0.pdf - look at p. 120

Thanks. That map shows another possible school site, which is interesting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is Hutchison named? I keep hearing but have seen nothing in writing.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Adopted%20FY%202019-23%20CIP_0.pdf - look at p. 120

Thanks. That map shows another possible school site, which is interesting

Not for a high school in western Fairfax. It does identify a potential "Westfield E.S. Site" a good bit south of the "Western H.S. Site" near Hutchison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is Hutchison named? I keep hearing but have seen nothing in writing.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Adopted%20FY%202019-23%20CIP_0.pdf - look at p. 120

Thanks. That map shows another possible school site, which is interesting

Not for a high school in western Fairfax. It does identify a potential "Westfield E.S. Site" a good bit south of the "Western H.S. Site" near Hutchison.

True. I’m just wondering out loud why the site is noted but not as any specific type of school.

Maybe just something they are keeping in mind for future growth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is Hutchison named? I keep hearing but have seen nothing in writing.

https://www.fcps/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Adopted%20FY%202019-23%20CIP_0.pdf - look at p. 120

It is identified by name elsewhere but you’d need to look at the long Langley/Herndon threads in the past year to find the link(s). I’ve seen it, but I’m not doing the work for you today.

The only place I have seen it identified in this link--which, admittedly, I just skimmed- was a dot on a map at the Hutcheson site. The link is from 2017--and while the Innovation Station Metro was projected, it was not yet built.

I think I read somewhere that the Facilities Planning Committee had recommended it. I don't know how anyone could think that site would work. I doubt they went on a field trip to view the location and see what a traffic mess it would bring.

[Anonymous]

Op here again.

I had also thought that the new HS would be built on a Hutchison site.

But let’s look at the CIPs.

2021-2025 CIP: the new Western HS was clearly marked above 267 near Hutchison in Additional Maps
2022-2026 CIP: the HS mark was gone in Additional Maps. It still says the new HS will be built in Region 1.
2023-2027 CIP: the Addtional Maps say the location for the new HS is NOT determined. .

I don’t know the future, but if you ask my opinion, I think it will be built in South West area. If it were going to be built on the Hutchison site, there is no reason to say that the location is undermined and no need to bring back the mention of South West HS.

In additon, one of the PPs who actually atteneded the board meeting said that the debate on the location would go on. The board will keep two options open and maybe even hire an outside consultant group. But at the end of the day, we all know which location the Langley parents do not want. So I would bet against the Hutchison site.

Personally I prefer the original Carson site but if that’s not possible, I rather want to have a new school in South West. Hutchison location is not good logistically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here again.

I had also thought that the new HS would be built on a Hutchison site.

But let’s look at the CIPs.

2021-2025 CIP: the new Western HS was clearly marked above 267 near Hutchison in Additional Maps
2022-2026 CIP: the HS mark was gone in Additional Maps. It still says the new HS will be built in Region 1.
2023-2027 CIP: the Addtional Maps say the location for the new HS is NOT determined. .

I don’t know the future, but if you ask my opinion, I think it will be built in South West area. If it were going to be built on the Hutchison site, there is no reason to say that the location is undermined and no need to bring back the mention of South West HS.

In additon, one of the PPs who actually atteneded the board meeting said that the debate on the location would go on. The board will keep two options open and maybe even hire an outside consultant group. But at the end of the day, we all know which location the Langley parents do not want. So I would bet against the Hutchison site.

Personally I prefer the original Carson site but if that’s not possible, I rather want to have a new school in South West. Hutchison location is not good logistically.

I am a Sully parent. I do not want it. Giving relief to Chantilly and Centreville has nothing to do with Langley and the Hutcheson site will not solve the problem.

[Anonymous]

If they have $23.5 million already set aside to acquire land for a school few now seem to want built, could the money be used instead for the overdue addition to McLean? McLean has a higher than average enrollment (2367 students) and less current/planned instructional space than any other high school in the county:

Mount Vernon: 458,181 SF
West Potomac: 432,450 SF
Fairfax: 431,954 SF
Westfield: 431,638 SF
Falls Church: 429,956 SF
Lake Braddock: 418,336 SF [space at SS allocated to HS]
Herndon: 415,722 SF
Oakton: 409,661 SF
Chantilly: 402,883 SF
Robinson: 391,082 SF [space at SS allocated to HS]
TJHSST: 388,767 SF
West Springfield: 387,429 SF
South County: 385,732 SF
South Lakes: 366,295 SF
Edison: 359,470 SF
Woodson: 373,849 SF
Marshall: 372,343 SF
Madison: 347,588 SF
Centreville: 345,951 SF
Annandale: 342,935 SF
Hayfield: 340,199 SF [space at SS allocated to HS]
Langley: 337,966 SF
Lewis: 310,405 SF
Justice: 306,667 SF [does not include upcoming addition]
McLean: 303, 578 SF

Or is Elaine Tholen just too lazy to pay attention?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here again.

I had also thought that the new HS would be built on a Hutchison site.

But let’s look at the CIPs.

2021-2025 CIP: the new Western HS was clearly marked above 267 near Hutchison in Additional Maps
2022-2026 CIP: the HS mark was gone in Additional Maps. It still says the new HS will be built in Region 1.
2023-2027 CIP: the Addtional Maps say the location for the new HS is NOT determined. .

I don’t know the future, but if you ask my opinion, I think it will be built in South West area. If it were going to be built on the Hutchison site, there is no reason to say that the location is undermined and no need to bring back the mention of South West HS.

In additon, one of the PPs who actually atteneded the board meeting said that the debate on the location would go on. The board will keep two options open and maybe even hire an outside consultant group. But at the end of the day, we all know which location the Langley parents do not want. So I would bet against the Hutchison site.

Personally I prefer the original Carson site but if that’s not possible, I rather want to have a new school in South West. Hutchison location is not good logistically.

I am a Sully parent. I do not want it. Giving relief to Chantilly and Centreville has nothing to do with Langley and the Hutcheson site will not solve the problem.

It seems reasonably clear they might expand Centreville to at least 2500 during its upcoming renovation, maybe more (Oakton is being built out to 2625). If they did that, and used some of the existing surplus capacity at Westfield, how much of the needed relief at Centreville would that provide? It seems like Robinson and Lake Braddock also are projected to have some capacity.

Or is your point that people should hold out for a new high school closer to Chantilly and Centreville - maybe in the western part of the current Oakton district? If so, that would suggest Centreville shouldn't be expanded as much during its renovation.

It also seems like FCPS needs to decide what it's future relationship with the City of Fairfax will be. It seems many people in the Fairfax HS island in the county further west would rather be at Centreville or Chantilly. That might be a good location for a school as well, if they could find the land. But then Fairfax would end up about 50% capacity if the island were attending a different school.

It's crazy how boxed in we seem to be when discussing different options due to the haphazard FCPS planning over the years.

[Anonymous]

Wow westpotomac and mtvernon are huge.

Do they have indoor pools?

[Anonymous]

It seems reasonably clear they might expand Centreville to at least 2500 during its upcoming renovation, maybe more (Oakton is being built out to 2625). If they did that, and used some of the existing surplus capacity at Westfield, how much of the needed relief at Centreville would that provide? It seems like Robinson and Lake Braddock also are projected to have some capacity.

Or is your point that people should hold out for a new high school closer to Chantilly and Centreville - maybe in the western part of the current Oakton district? If so, that would suggest Centreville shouldn't be expanded as much during its renovation.

It also seems like FCPS needs to decide what it's future relationship with the City of Fairfax will be. It seems many people in the Fairfax HS island in the county further west would rather be at Centreville or Chantilly. That might be a good location for a school as well, if they could find the land. But then Fairfax would end up about 50% capacity if the island were attending a different school.

It's crazy how boxed in we seem to be when discussing different options due to the haphazard FCPS planning over the years.

Bingo!

The Hutchison site would be full with the closest elementary schools without even touching Chantilly kids. So, there would necessarily have to be major redistricting to include South Lakes, Westfield, and Herndon, Oakton, Langley, McLean, etc, in addition to Chantilly and Centreville. This would involve many additional split feeder middle schools.

Somehow, I am not sure the SB really wants to deal with this large a boundary issue. Find another site that gives direct relief to the schools that need it most. The Fairfax families in Centreville's backyard want to be redistricted to Centreville. There would be plenty of students to fill a school in that area with Centreville, Chantilly, and Fairfax.

[Anonymous]

What was the wording on the last school bond we voted on?