School Board is Failing – Central High with 80% Poverty is Blowing McLean and Langley Out of the Water

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US News College Readiness Index/National Ranking:

Langley High: 72.6 /148

McLean High: 71.7 /218

Central High: N/A (due to absence of advanced courses) /6067

Be gone, troll.

While Langley and McLean rank highly on the US News College Readiness Index, comparing them directly to Central High doesn’t paint the full picture. Central High's lack of advanced courses does affect its ranking, but my point was about SOL performance and resource management, not advanced coursework. FCPS schools have significantly more resources yet still face academic struggles. The rankings don’t change the fact that FCPS is underperforming given its funding and resources. Let's focus on fixing what’s wrong rather than dismissing valid concerns.

You’re comparing apples to oranges.

And VA high schools, including FCPS, are UNDERfunded.

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/virginias-largest-school-district-faces-budget-shortfall-teacher-raises-at-risk.amp

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously this OP is a dedicated troll who doesn't understand vaseox economics like cost of living and purchasing power parity.

For some strange reason, she'd rather sacrificing her children's education (based on whatever secret metrkcs are showing failure) than move to the utopia of Wise County.

Calling me a "dedicated troll" just dodges the issue and doesn’t contribute to the conversation. I’m not here to make anyone mad—I'm raising real concerns about FCPS underperforming relative to its resources. Ignoring the fact that FCPS spends far more per student than places like Wise County, yet some schools still struggle, is worth discussing.

Yes, Fairfax County has a higher cost of living, but that doesn’t excuse the lack of results. The point isn't about moving somewhere else; it's about holding FCPS accountable for how it uses its resources and why it isn’t doing better. Shutting down this conversation with insults won’t solve the problem.

No one is saying anyone needs to move anywhere, just explaining the disparity in school funding. It costs more to run a school in an expensive area.

Do you understand? Or do you need any additional explanation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fairfax County median income is 3x Wise County

Paying only 2x for schools is an incredible bargain! Our wealthier residence can afford to pay more, and are getting fantastic results for their money, for their own kids and for the less wealthy neighbors they are honored to give a hand up to.

Fairfax County’s median income is about 3x higher than Wise County ($144,814 vs. $48,516), but Fairfax is only spending double on students compared to Wise ($10,176 vs. $5,947). So while wealthier families can afford to pay more, the proportional benefit isn’t as big as you’d expect.

Even with all that extra funding, Fairfax schools aren't delivering better outcomes across the board. Schools like Langley and McLean do well, but many FCPS schools are underperforming, showing that money isn’t being used efficiently. If anything, the gap suggests mismanagement, not a fantastic deal for taxpayers.

The question isn't how much Fairfax can pay—it's why that money isn't translating into better results across all schools.

Yes, FCPS is underfunded given the COL, as well as the number of EL and SN kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US News College Readiness Index/National Ranking:

Langley High: 72.6 /148

McLean High: 71.7 /218

Central High: N/A (due to absence of advanced courses) /6067

Be gone, troll.

While Langley and McLean rank highly on the US News College Readiness Index, comparing them directly to Central High doesn’t paint the full picture. Central High's lack of advanced courses does affect its ranking, but my point was about SOL performance and resource management, not advanced coursework. FCPS schools have significantly more resources yet still face academic struggles. The rankings don’t change the fact that FCPS is underperforming given its funding and resources. Let's focus on fixing what’s wrong rather than dismissing valid concerns.

Why do you keep repeating the same debunked lies?

1) It’s an election year
2) Republicans push lies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously this OP is a dedicated troll who doesn't understand vaseox economics like cost of living and purchasing power parity.

For some strange reason, she'd rather sacrificing her children's education (based on whatever secret metrkcs are showing failure) than move to the utopia of Wise County.

Calling me a "dedicated troll" just dodges the issue and doesn’t contribute to the conversation. I’m not here to make anyone mad—I'm raising real concerns about FCPS underperforming relative to its resources. Ignoring the fact that FCPS spends far more per student than places like Wise County, yet some schools still struggle, is worth discussing.

Yes, Fairfax County has a higher cost of living, but that doesn’t excuse the lack of results. The point isn't about moving somewhere else; it's about holding FCPS accountable for how it uses its resources and why it isn’t doing better. Shutting down this conversation with insults won’t solve the problem.

No one is saying anyone needs to move anywhere, just explaining the disparity in school funding. It costs more to run a school in an expensive area.

Do you understand? Or do you need any additional explanation?

Saying average test scores are meaningless just isn’t true. They’re a valid way to see how well a school is teaching its students, especially in key subjects. Sure, no single number tells the whole story, but test scores are a big part of how schools, districts, and even states measure success.

Dismissing these numbers ignores how education is evaluated at every level. Plus, if schools are spending more but still scoring low, that’s a red flag about how resources are being used. It’s not "bad data"—it’s real info showing where things aren’t working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The FCPS school board is failing miserably. They’re throwing money at failing schools like Falls Church and Justice, reducing teacher ratios, yet no results. Meanwhile, McLean and Langley, some of the top schools in the state, are being ignored. It’s time for Fairfax County taxpayers to demand better! Why are we funding failure and letting our best schools suffer? Here's the comparison:

Central High: 80.7% poverty, 83.27 score, $5,947 per pupil
McLean High: 12.2% poverty, 78.63 score, $8,768 per pupil
Langley High: 3.9% poverty, 82.25 score, $8,882 per pupil
Falls Church High: 61.4% poverty, 28.94 score, $11,958 per pupil
Justice High: 66.8% poverty, 33.12 score, $11,096 per pupil
It’s time to hold the school board accountable! What are your thoughts?

SchoolDigger Links:
Central High: www.schooldigger.com/go/VA/schools/0408001789/school.aspx
Falls Church High: www.schooldigger.com/go/VA/schools/0126000505/school.aspx
McLean High: www.schooldigger.com/go/VA/schools/0126000517/school.aspx
Langley High: www.schooldigger.com/go/VA/schools/0126000468/school.aspx

This is a very interesting thread with lots of people providing relevant data and thoughts. Thank you. I just looked back at the OP post and wondered why OP said "McLean and Langley are being ignored." Serious question - Other than the long-standing need for renovation at McLean, which is absolutely a legitimate concern and a failure by FCPS, how is FCPS ignoring these two high performing schools? What else should FCPS be doing for Langley and McLean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously this OP is a dedicated troll who doesn't understand vaseox economics like cost of living and purchasing power parity.

For some strange reason, she'd rather sacrificing her children's education (based on whatever secret metrkcs are showing failure) than move to the utopia of Wise County.

Calling me a "dedicated troll" just dodges the issue and doesn’t contribute to the conversation. I’m not here to make anyone mad—I'm raising real concerns about FCPS underperforming relative to its resources. Ignoring the fact that FCPS spends far more per student than places like Wise County, yet some schools still struggle, is worth discussing.

Yes, Fairfax County has a higher cost of living, but that doesn’t excuse the lack of results. The point isn't about moving somewhere else; it's about holding FCPS accountable for how it uses its resources and why it isn’t doing better. Shutting down this conversation with insults won’t solve the problem.

No one is saying anyone needs to move anywhere, just explaining the disparity in school funding. It costs more to run a school in an expensive area.

Do you understand? Or do you need any additional explanation?

Saying average test scores are meaningless just isn’t true. They’re a valid way to see how well a school is teaching its students, especially in key subjects. Sure, no single number tells the whole story, but test scores are a big part of how schools, districts, and even states measure success.

Dismissing these numbers ignores how education is evaluated at every level. Plus, if schools are spending more but still scoring low, that’s a red flag about how resources are being used. It’s not "bad data"—it’s real info showing where things aren’t working.

Yes, it costs more to run schools in expensive areas like Fairfax County, but proportionally, FCPS still receives more funding per student. Fairfax spends $10,176 per student compared to Wise County's $5,947. Even with the higher cost of living, Fairfax County has significantly higher resources. The issue is why FCPS, with all that extra funding, isn’t producing better results across the board. Cost alone doesn’t explain the disparity in outcomes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you're a troll if you can't see why schools with a large percentage of students living in poverty would need more funding than schools with high SES.

You are missing the point, Central high has 80% poverty and has higher test scores than mclean and langley.

They must have a stronger principal, teachers and parents all working togther.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously this OP is a dedicated troll who doesn't understand vaseox economics like cost of living and purchasing power parity.

For some strange reason, she'd rather sacrificing her children's education (based on whatever secret metrkcs are showing failure) than move to the utopia of Wise County.

Calling me a "dedicated troll" just dodges the issue and doesn’t contribute to the conversation. I’m not here to make anyone mad—I'm raising real concerns about FCPS underperforming relative to its resources. Ignoring the fact that FCPS spends far more per student than places like Wise County, yet some schools still struggle, is worth discussing.

Yes, Fairfax County has a higher cost of living, but that doesn’t excuse the lack of results. The point isn't about moving somewhere else; it's about holding FCPS accountable for how it uses its resources and why it isn’t doing better. Shutting down this conversation with insults won’t solve the problem.

No one is saying anyone needs to move anywhere, just explaining the disparity in school funding. It costs more to run a school in an expensive area.

Do you understand? Or do you need any additional explanation?

Saying average test scores are meaningless just isn’t true. They’re a valid way to see how well a school is teaching its students, especially in key subjects. Sure, no single number tells the whole story, but test scores are a big part of how schools, districts, and even states measure success.

Dismissing these numbers ignores how education is evaluated at every level. Plus, if schools are spending more but still scoring low, that’s a red flag about how resources are being used. It’s not "bad data"—it’s real info showing where things aren’t working.

So that’s a yes, you do need more explanation to understand the fundamentals here.

Or maybe are you going with the willful ignorance approach? If so, I’ll save myself some time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you're a troll if you can't see why schools with a large percentage of students living in poverty would need more funding than schools with high SES.

You are missing the point, Central high has 80% poverty and has higher test scores than mclean and langley.

They must have a stronger principal, teachers and parents all working togther.

No. You cannot make that conclusion based on any data presented.

Troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US News College Readiness Index/National Ranking:

Langley High: 72.6 /148

McLean High: 71.7 /218

Central High: N/A (due to absence of advanced courses) /6067

Be gone, troll.

While Langley and McLean rank highly on the US News College Readiness Index, comparing them directly to Central High doesn’t paint the full picture. Central High's lack of advanced courses does affect its ranking, but my point was about SOL performance and resource management, not advanced coursework. FCPS schools have significantly more resources yet still face academic struggles. The rankings don’t change the fact that FCPS is underperforming given its funding and resources. Let's focus on fixing what’s wrong rather than dismissing valid concerns.

You’re comparing apples to oranges.

And VA high schools, including FCPS, are UNDERfunded.

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/virginias-largest-school-district-faces-budget-shortfall-teacher-raises-at-risk.amp

You’re claiming VA high schools, including FCPS, are underfunded, but that doesn't hold up when Fairfax County has a $260 million budget surplus for 2024 https://www.ffxnow.com/2024/08/08/fairfax-county-executive-unveils-proposal-for-260-million-budget-surplus/. The issue isn’t a lack of funding—it's how the money is being managed. FCPS has plenty of resources, yet many schools are still struggling, so it's not just about funding but effective allocation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously this OP is a dedicated troll who doesn't understand vaseox economics like cost of living and purchasing power parity.

For some strange reason, she'd rather sacrificing her children's education (based on whatever secret metrkcs are showing failure) than move to the utopia of Wise County.

Calling me a "dedicated troll" just dodges the issue and doesn’t contribute to the conversation. I’m not here to make anyone mad—I'm raising real concerns about FCPS underperforming relative to its resources. Ignoring the fact that FCPS spends far more per student than places like Wise County, yet some schools still struggle, is worth discussing.

Yes, Fairfax County has a higher cost of living, but that doesn’t excuse the lack of results. The point isn't about moving somewhere else; it's about holding FCPS accountable for how it uses its resources and why it isn’t doing better. Shutting down this conversation with insults won’t solve the problem.

No one is saying anyone needs to move anywhere, just explaining the disparity in school funding. It costs more to run a school in an expensive area.

Do you understand? Or do you need any additional explanation?

Saying average test scores are meaningless just isn’t true. They’re a valid way to see how well a school is teaching its students, especially in key subjects. Sure, no single number tells the whole story, but test scores are a big part of how schools, districts, and even states measure success.

Dismissing these numbers ignores how education is evaluated at every level. Plus, if schools are spending more but still scoring low, that’s a red flag about how resources are being used. It’s not "bad data"—it’s real info showing where things aren’t working.

Yes, it costs more to run schools in expensive areas like Fairfax County, but proportionally, FCPS still receives more funding per student. Fairfax spends $10,176 per student compared to Wise County's $5,947. Even with the higher cost of living, Fairfax County has significantly higher resources. The issue is why FCPS, with all that extra funding, isn’t producing better results across the board. Cost alone doesn’t explain the disparity in outcomes.

What is the COL of Wise vs Fairfax? You still aren’t taking that into consideration.

You are making a great case to INCREASE funding for FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US News College Readiness Index/National Ranking:

Langley High: 72.6 /148

McLean High: 71.7 /218

Central High: N/A (due to absence of advanced courses) /6067

Be gone, troll.

While Langley and McLean rank highly on the US News College Readiness Index, comparing them directly to Central High doesn’t paint the full picture. Central High's lack of advanced courses does affect its ranking, but my point was about SOL performance and resource management, not advanced coursework. FCPS schools have significantly more resources yet still face academic struggles. The rankings don’t change the fact that FCPS is underperforming given its funding and resources. Let's focus on fixing what’s wrong rather than dismissing valid concerns.

You’re comparing apples to oranges.

And VA high schools, including FCPS, are UNDERfunded.

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/virginias-largest-school-district-faces-budget-shortfall-teacher-raises-at-risk.amp

You’re claiming VA high schools, including FCPS, are underfunded, but that doesn't hold up when Fairfax County has a $260 million budget surplus for 2024 https://www.ffxnow.com/2024/08/08/fairfax-county-executive-unveils-proposal-for-260-million-budget-surplus/. The issue isn’t a lack of funding—it's how the money is being managed. FCPS has plenty of resources, yet many schools are still struggling, so it's not just about funding but effective allocation.

The county having a surplus isn’t the same thing as FCPS funding.

Troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you're a troll if you can't see why schools with a large percentage of students living in poverty would need more funding than schools with high SES.

You are missing the point, Central high has 80% poverty and has higher test scores than mclean and langley.

They must have a stronger principal, teachers and parents all working togther.

NO, they offer general education classes to a small group of students who speak English. They should be able to pass the SOL.

They don't offer AP/IB classes. They don't have students scoring pass advanced on the SOL, so they are basically doing the bare minimum. They don't have the issues that come with teaching kids who are not fluent in English. I would guess that they don't have an issue of kids coming from generational poverty with families who have a history of dropping out of school.

So they are doing the bare minimum to a population of students who have parents not worried about the lack of advanced classes or better then just good enough results.

No one wants that in FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The FCPS school board is failing miserably. They’re throwing money at failing schools like Falls Church and Justice, reducing teacher ratios, yet no results. Meanwhile, McLean and Langley, some of the top schools in the state, are being ignored. It’s time for Fairfax County taxpayers to demand better! Why are we funding failure and letting our best schools suffer? Here's the comparison:

Central High: 80.7% poverty, 83.27 score, $5,947 per pupil
McLean High: 12.2% poverty, 78.63 score, $8,768 per pupil
Langley High: 3.9% poverty, 82.25 score, $8,882 per pupil
Falls Church High: 61.4% poverty, 28.94 score, $11,958 per pupil
Justice High: 66.8% poverty, 33.12 score, $11,096 per pupil
It’s time to hold the school board accountable! What are your thoughts?

SchoolDigger Links:
Central High: www.schooldigger.com/go/VA/schools/0408001789/school.aspx
Falls Church High: www.schooldigger.com/go/VA/schools/0126000505/school.aspx
McLean High: www.schooldigger.com/go/VA/schools/0126000517/school.aspx
Langley High: www.schooldigger.com/go/VA/schools/0126000468/school.aspx

This is a very interesting thread with lots of people providing relevant data and thoughts. Thank you. I just looked back at the OP post and wondered why OP said "McLean and Langley are being ignored." Serious question - Other than the long-standing need for renovation at McLean, which is absolutely a legitimate concern and a failure by FCPS, how is FCPS ignoring these two high performing schools? What else should FCPS be doing for Langley and McLean?

Thanks for the thoughtful questions! Aside from McLean’s renovation issues, McLean and Langley are underfunded compared to other schools. For example, Falls Church High gets $11,958 per student, and Justice High receives $11,096, while McLean only gets $8,768 and Langley receives $8,882.

Despite being top performers, these schools are receiving significantly less funding compared to others, which raises concerns about how FCPS allocates resources. FCPS should prioritize fairer funding and address the needs of these schools to maintain their success long-term.

Appreciate the civil discussion, and it’s clear FCPS needs to do better overall.