Voting Against 2017 FCPS School Bond

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The above is just a small example of why the SB does not want to touch redistricting that would likely impact Westfield, Chantilly, SLHS, Oakton, Herndon, possibly Centreville and Langley. Maybe more.

Because yes. Everyone is in favor of someone else being redistricted to bring their kids school down.

Besides, the Western county is only going to keep growing. It is not build out, by any stretch. The Western County Expansions are buying time before a new Western high school is needed. But unltimately it will be built. And it will be large too.

Wrong. All the expansions are intended to give FCPS an option never to build that school. Maybe you're OK sending your kid to some ridiculously large high school with over 2600 kids. We are not. Loudoun looks better all the time.

Then vote with your feet.

We may yet. For now, we'll just vote no on the 2017 bond.

[Anonymous]

It's crazy to demand smaller schools, including a new high school, and then to shrug and say no when the county attempts to fix overcrowding by using the capacity that it already has.

The new high school will probably be built because the demand's there. But FCPS would be crazy to just leave hundreds of empty seats in various high schools while having other schools hundreds of seats over capacity. That's the definition of poor stewarship. So, if we want a new high school, we have to accept a fairly large re-districting. People won't do that, so FCPS is just expanding capacity until people get on board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's crazy to demand smaller schools, including a new high school, and then to shrug and say no when the county attempts to fix overcrowding by using the capacity that it already has.

The new high school will probably be built because the demand's there. But FCPS would be crazy to just leave hundreds of empty seats in various high schools while having other schools hundreds of seats over capacity. That's the definition of poor stewarship. So, if we want a new high school, we have to accept a fairly large re-districting. People won't do that, so FCPS is just expanding capacity until people get on board.

'

No one is demanding smaller schools. People are fighting expansions of schools that have already had multiple expansions. You are also wrong to state that the people fighting expansion are against redistricting. Maybe you are against redistricting.

[Anonymous]

9:19 What "capacity it already has" are you talking about? There are no metrics that determine how large FCPS makes their schools. They just expand them until people complain. That is obvious since that high school has been planned for decades and yet they expand other schools sometimes 3 times during that same time period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's crazy to demand smaller schools, including a new high school, and then to shrug and say no when the county attempts to fix overcrowding by using the capacity that it already has.

The new high school will probably be built because the demand's there. But FCPS would be crazy to just leave hundreds of empty seats in various high schools while having other schools hundreds of seats over capacity. That's the definition of poor stewarship. So, if we want a new high school, we have to accept a fairly large re-districting. People won't do that, so FCPS is just expanding capacity until people get on board.

'

No one is demanding smaller schools. People are fighting expansions of schools that have already had multiple expansions. You are also wrong to state that the people fighting expansion are against redistricting. Maybe you are against redistricting.

+1. Most likely a new high school in that area would have lower FARMS than Herndon and higher FARMS than Chantilly or Oakton (i.e., would be similar to Westfield or South Lakes).

It doesn't take much imagination to figure out who might oppose that and then claim that the schools keep getting bigger because everyone else also supposedly opposes redistricting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:9:19 What "capacity it already has" are you talking about? There are no metrics that determine how large FCPS makes their schools. They just expand them until people complain. That is obvious since that high school has been planned for decades and yet they expand other schools sometimes 3 times during that same time period.

Oakton is larger. South Lakes is larger. Westfield is larger. Centreville and Chantilly are larger. And so on. A new high school is going to pull from these schools and leave open seats. To then say, leave them open while not addressing overcrowding is hypocritical, particularly from people who like to talk about being good stewart's of funds.

People want a new high school, but they do not want to deal with the consequences of opening a new high school. Particularly, if it means they might be moved to a different pyramid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Madison and West Potomac do not need to be expanded

I cannot vote for a school bond to expand West Potomac knowing that Mount Vernon is under-enrolled and the SB hasn't lifted a finger to redistrict or consider whether IB depresses the enrollment at MV.

Madison is overcrowded now but why expand it to 2500 kids or more when FCPS already has plans to expand both South Lakes and Oakton? I guess to take kids from Marshall so Marshall can become more Tysons-centric?

Marshall just finished a massive renovation and expansion and is already overcrowded. There is a modular in the back parking lot they just added.

This! All the schools that my DC attend in the Marshall pyramid are busting at the seams, and it is the only pyramid in FCPS to be projected to be at 120% capacity in just 5 years. (Shrevewood, Kilmer, Marshall) There needs to be redistricting soon since none of these schools are even on the CIP, bc this growth with nowhere to go is unsustainable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:9:19 What "capacity it already has" are you talking about? There are no metrics that determine how large FCPS makes their schools. They just expand them until people complain. That is obvious since that high school has been planned for decades and yet they expand other schools sometimes 3 times during that same time period.

Oakton is larger. South Lakes is larger. Westfield is larger. Centreville and Chantilly are larger. And so on. A new high school is going to pull from these schools and leave open seats. To then say, leave them open while not addressing overcrowding is hypocritical, particularly from people who like to talk about being good stewart's of funds.

People want a new high school, but they do not want to deal with the consequences of opening a new high school. Particularly, if it means they might be moved to a different pyramid.

You do not speak for all "people." There are plenty of folks in the Floris/Oak Hill area who have advocated for many years for a new school, only to see FCPS kick the can down the road for decades. Even when they identify the school on the CIP, they keep extending and obfuscating the dates for planning and construction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Madison and West Potomac do not need to be expanded

I cannot vote for a school bond to expand West Potomac knowing that Mount Vernon is under-enrolled and the SB hasn't lifted a finger to redistrict or consider whether IB depresses the enrollment at MV.

Madison is overcrowded now but why expand it to 2500 kids or more when FCPS already has plans to expand both South Lakes and Oakton? I guess to take kids from Marshall so Marshall can become more Tysons-centric?

Marshall just finished a massive renovation and expansion and is already overcrowded. There is a modular in the back parking lot they just added.

This! All the schools that my DC attend in the Marshall pyramid are busting at the seams, and it is the only pyramid in FCPS to be projected to be at 120% capacity in just 5 years. (Shrevewood, Kilmer, Marshall) There needs to be redistricting soon since none of these schools are even on the CIP, bc this growth with nowhere to go is unsustainable.

Kilmer's enrollment is down this year, with the AAP kids from the Langley pyramid returning to Cooper.

At the elementary level, the options include converting Dunn Loring or Pimmit Hills back to full-time elementary schools. Part of Marshall can be reassigned to under-enrolled Langley (for example, FCPS could move some of the apartments in Tysons there to create a bit of diversity at Langley - it's nuts that Langley is 1.5% FARMS and Marshall is close to 20%).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:9:19 What "capacity it already has" are you talking about? There are no metrics that determine how large FCPS makes their schools. They just expand them until people complain. That is obvious since that high school has been planned for decades and yet they expand other schools sometimes 3 times during that same time period.

Oakton is larger. South Lakes is larger. Westfield is larger. Centreville and Chantilly are larger. And so on. A new high school is going to pull from these schools and leave open seats. To then say, leave them open while not addressing overcrowding is hypocritical, particularly from people who like to talk about being good stewart's of funds.

People want a new high school, but they do not want to deal with the consequences of opening a new high school. Particularly, if it means they might be moved to a different pyramid.

You do not speak for all "people." There are plenty of folks in the Floris/Oak Hill area who have advocated for many years for a new school, only to see FCPS kick the can down the road for decades. Even when they identify the school on the CIP, they keep extending and obfuscating the dates for planning and construction.

See, people? You just made my point. You want a new high school. You clearly dodged mentioning that it's going to come with consequences like redistricting.

FCPS is kicking the can down the road because it can't make people like the PP happy. It's never going to build the new school without redistricting a fairly large number of schools beyond the new school's feeders. Since people will complain and fight this, the easiest thing to do is expand capacity (which is cheaper and doesn't require the Board approval a mass redistricting would). This pisses people off because the schools get larger. But what they don't understand is that if you want that new high school, it's going to come at the cost of agreeing to a large redistricting. Since redistricting is unpopular, the high school is stalled and FCPS just keeps on with its expansions, people complain about the large size of schools, and the world keeps on spinning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Madison and West Potomac do not need to be expanded

I cannot vote for a school bond to expand West Potomac knowing that Mount Vernon is under-enrolled and the SB hasn't lifted a finger to redistrict or consider whether IB depresses the enrollment at MV.

Madison is overcrowded now but why expand it to 2500 kids or more when FCPS already has plans to expand both South Lakes and Oakton? I guess to take kids from Marshall so Marshall can become more Tysons-centric?

Marshall just finished a massive renovation and expansion and is already overcrowded. There is a modular in the back parking lot they just added.

This! All the schools that my DC attend in the Marshall pyramid are busting at the seams, and it is the only pyramid in FCPS to be projected to be at 120% capacity in just 5 years. (Shrevewood, Kilmer, Marshall) There needs to be redistricting soon since none of these schools are even on the CIP, bc this growth with nowhere to go is unsustainable.

Kilmer's enrollment is down this year, with the AAP kids from the Langley pyramid returning to Cooper.

At the elementary level, the options include converting Dunn Loring or Pimmit Hills back to full-time elementary schools. Part of Marshall can be reassigned to under-enrolled Langley (for example, FCPS could move some of the apartments in Tysons there to create a bit of diversity at Langley - it's nuts that Langley is 1.5% FARMS and Marshall is close to 20%).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:9:19 What "capacity it already has" are you talking about? There are no metrics that determine how large FCPS makes their schools. They just expand them until people complain. That is obvious since that high school has been planned for decades and yet they expand other schools sometimes 3 times during that same time period.

Oakton is larger. South Lakes is larger. Westfield is larger. Centreville and Chantilly are larger. And so on. A new high school is going to pull from these schools and leave open seats. To then say, leave them open while not addressing overcrowding is hypocritical, particularly from people who like to talk about being good stewart's of funds.

People want a new high school, but they do not want to deal with the consequences of opening a new high school. Particularly, if it means they might be moved to a different pyramid.

You do not speak for all "people." There are plenty of folks in the Floris/Oak Hill area who have advocated for many years for a new school, only to see FCPS kick the can down the road for decades. Even when they identify the school on the CIP, they keep extending and obfuscating the dates for planning and construction.

See, people? You just made my point. You want a new high school. You clearly dodged mentioning that it's going to come with consequences like redistricting.

FCPS is kicking the can down the road because it can't make people like the PP happy. It's never going to build the new school without redistricting a fairly large number of schools beyond the new school's feeders. Since people will complain and fight this, the easiest thing to do is expand capacity (which is cheaper and doesn't require the Board approval a mass redistricting would). This pisses people off because the schools get larger. But what they don't understand is that if you want that new high school, it's going to come at the cost of agreeing to a large redistricting. Since redistricting is unpopular, the high school is stalled and FCPS just keeps on with its expansions, people complain about the large size of schools, and the world keeps on spinning.

You just keep repeating yourself with absolutely nothing new to add. It is entirely possible, and in fact the typical practice, to build a new school without redistricting a large number of schools besides the new school's feeders, especially where, as here, the new school's feeders are themselves overcrowded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:9:19 What "capacity it already has" are you talking about? There are no metrics that determine how large FCPS makes their schools. They just expand them until people complain. That is obvious since that high school has been planned for decades and yet they expand other schools sometimes 3 times during that same time period.

Oakton is larger. South Lakes is larger. Westfield is larger. Centreville and Chantilly are larger. And so on. A new high school is going to pull from these schools and leave open seats. To then say, leave them open while not addressing overcrowding is hypocritical, particularly from people who like to talk about being good stewart's of funds.

People want a new high school, but they do not want to deal with the consequences of opening a new high school. Particularly, if it means they might be moved to a different pyramid.

You do not speak for all "people." There are plenty of folks in the Floris/Oak Hill area who have advocated for many years for a new school, only to see FCPS kick the can down the road for decades. Even when they identify the school on the CIP, they keep extending and obfuscating the dates for planning and construction.

See, people? You just made my point. You want a new high school. You clearly dodged mentioning that it's going to come with consequences like redistricting.

FCPS is kicking the can down the road because it can't make people like the PP happy. It's never going to build the new school without redistricting a fairly large number of schools beyond the new school's feeders. Since people will complain and fight this, the easiest thing to do is expand capacity (which is cheaper and doesn't require the Board approval a mass redistricting would). This pisses people off because the schools get larger. But what they don't understand is that if you want that new high school, it's going to come at the cost of agreeing to a large redistricting. Since redistricting is unpopular, the high school is stalled and FCPS just keeps on with its expansions, people complain about the large size of schools, and the world keeps on spinning.

Give me a break. The school board does not need to wait until everyone is in agreement regarding redistricting. They are elected to do a job, not to appease everyone to get reelected. If appeasing people is what an increase to a school board's salary does, we need to rethink giving them more money.

[Anonymous]

Boundaries need to be shifted. There's excess capacity at schools like Lee and Mount Vernon, while nearby schools like West Potomac and West Springfield are crowded. Hayfield, Lee, and Edison are in very close geographic proximity. I can't stand hearing School Board members beg for funding when money is being wasted to expand the popular, higher performing AP schools while nearby IB schools sit practically empty. Vote no on the bond issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:9:19 What "capacity it already has" are you talking about? There are no metrics that determine how large FCPS makes their schools. They just expand them until people complain. That is obvious since that high school has been planned for decades and yet they expand other schools sometimes 3 times during that same time period.

Oakton is larger. South Lakes is larger. Westfield is larger. Centreville and Chantilly are larger. And so on. A new high school is going to pull from these schools and leave open seats. To then say, leave them open while not addressing overcrowding is hypocritical, particularly from people who like to talk about being good stewart's of funds.

People want a new high school, but they do not want to deal with the consequences of opening a new high school. Particularly, if it means they might be moved to a different pyramid.

You do not speak for all "people." There are plenty of folks in the Floris/Oak Hill area who have advocated for many years for a new school, only to see FCPS kick the can down the road for decades. Even when they identify the school on the CIP, they keep extending and obfuscating the dates for planning and construction.

See, people? You just made my point. You want a new high school. You clearly dodged mentioning that it's going to come with consequences like redistricting.

FCPS is kicking the can down the road because it can't make people like the PP happy. It's never going to build the new school without redistricting a fairly large number of schools beyond the new school's feeders. Since people will complain and fight this, the easiest thing to do is expand capacity (which is cheaper and doesn't require the Board approval a mass redistricting would). This pisses people off because the schools get larger. But what they don't understand is that if you want that new high school, it's going to come at the cost of agreeing to a large redistricting. Since redistricting is unpopular, the high school is stalled and FCPS just keeps on with its expansions, people complain about the large size of schools, and the world keeps on spinning.

You just keep repeating yourself with absolutely nothing new to add. It is entirely possible, and in fact the typical practice, to build a new school without redistricting a large number of schools besides the new school's feeders, especially where, as here, the new school's feeders are themselves overcrowded.

But that's the entire point. If you expect the school board to green light a new high school, leave several high schools with hundreds of seats in capacity, and then ignore the schools that are massively oversubscribed, you are basically the prime example of a person who wants what they want and doesn't give a crap about the greater FCPS system.