McLean to Explore Separating from FC & FCPS

[Anonymous]

Great idea. Our kids will be all almost out of high school when and if this ever happens. We are in Vienna and would have considered a move if McLean can pull this off and if our children were younger.

[Anonymous]

Between this and driving people into private schools who never planned to be there, FCPS is gutting itself. So foolish.

[Anonymous]

People are already attracted to mclean for their schools. Will only be better if we can break from fcps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone saying they move move to McLean when they could actually move to FCCPS today and get this? If you think because McLean is cheaper, it won't be once that actually happens...

FCCPS is too small and is focused on IB and MYP. We want our children to attend a high school with AP classes and are not interested in the IB diploma or program. We looked at houses there and researched both IB and AP. We prefer AP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Between this and driving people into private schools who never planned to be there, FCPS is gutting itself. So foolish.

If you mean for this school year, it won't last. Private school is very expensive and, in this area, finite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think McLean should do it.

Same!

+2 and we would seriously consider moving to McLean if they pulled that off.

Former McLean resident who moved a few miles down the road to Town of Vienna...I fully support this and would move back if this goes forward.

[Anonymous]

This is going to get an overwhelming amount of support. There are a lot of smart people living Mclean. I hope we can make this happen!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Between this and driving people into private schools who never planned to be there, FCPS is gutting itself. So foolish.

If you mean for this school year, it won't last. Private school is very expensive and, in this area, finite.

Perhaps. But perhaps not. In Florida, a lot of kids go to religious schools that tend to be more reasonably priced. People are being somewhat understanding this school year, but if things aren’t back to business as usual next year, I think you’ll see the “supply” come up to meet the “demand.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the town of Vienna should do this too. We already pay so much in town taxes.

This is how local government is structured in every other state in which I’ve ever lived. It’s at the city or town level, not the county level. You pay your property taxes to the town and that money stays in your town to support the local services - police and fire, schools, etc. It does not support the big, bloated, inefficient bureaucracy that is Fairfax County.

Bloated and inefficient? Do you have a complaint about police or fire?

It's just schools. And the schools are good, so you want to make good better by ... something. Staying open when there's snow on the ground in Chantilly?

It’s not just schools. The attention the county devoted to the redevelopment of the central area is sporadic at best. And why should someone in Annandale or Mount Vernon necessarily be making zoning decisions for McLean or Great Falls? They want more density and low-income housing in the northern part of the county but they invest the bare minimum in our schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the town of Vienna should do this too. We already pay so much in town taxes.

This is how local government is structured in every other state in which I’ve ever lived. It’s at the city or town level, not the county level. You pay your property taxes to the town and that money stays in your town to support the local services - police and fire, schools, etc. It does not support the big, bloated, inefficient bureaucracy that is Fairfax County.

Bloated and inefficient? Do you have a complaint about police or fire?

It's just schools. And the schools are good, so you want to make good better by ... something. Staying open when there's snow on the ground in Chantilly?

It’s not just schools. The attention the county devoted to the redevelopment of the central area is sporadic at best. And why should someone in Annandale or Mount Vernon necessarily be making zoning decisions for McLean or Great Falls? They want more density and low-income housing in the northern part of the county but they invest the bare minimum in our schools.

This is so true. Why should McLean school decisions be made by others who seem to be overly focused on equity.

Even before the pandemic, everything was about equity. Now even more so evidenced by all the changes for AAP and TJ.

[Anonymous]

I don't live in McLean (grew up there though) and I am in favor of this. How do people hold FCPS accountable otherwise?

It's time for accountability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Adorable. More segregation. But this time, let’s make it official.

For a long time, I felt like there was valor in having a big county-wide system that spread the money around. But it's become fairly obvious that FCPS is just too big to administer fairly or efficiently The amount of time that it takes to get common-sense things done, if ever, in FCPS now is just flat-out absurd.

Sign me up.

No, your first thought was the right one. Everyone who has come here from the small-and-segregated school districts know this.

It seems like well over half the people who come to Fairfax County from jurisdictions with smaller school systems are nostalgic for those smaller districts.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s a good idea.
Schools and services will be better, even if we have to pay more taxes we will see the investments.

[Anonymous]

If you’ve tried to work within the system to get FCPS to do the right thing by the McLean schools, only to be met with the dull-eyed stares, the inane remarks about how nothing can be done without a “holistic review” with an “equity-based lens” that then never occurs, and other excuses about how “complicated” everything is within FCPS, this is very good news.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't live in McLean (grew up there though) and I am in favor of this. How do people hold FCPS accountable otherwise?

It's time for accountability.

I’ve been having a similar thought about Burke. I think it’s time for lots of areas to consider separating from FCPS to enhance accountability, flexibility, and (most of all) our kids’ education. I think the most complicated issue will be staffing/ pensions/ benefits, but I would 100% support exploring the options.