Future Western High School

[Anonymous]

It seems fraudulent to say $13.5 million in a bond for which FCPS is seeking approval this fall would go towards site acquisition for a new western high school if they don’t really intend to build it. Shouldn’t School Board members be prosecuted if they perpetuate a fraud?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Starting to build in 2029?

So if my kids will graduate from Langley in 2032, 2033, 2034, should I worry about redistricting?

If you plan on staying in the same house until then, you may be affected. I don’t know how long a new build takes from approval to opening.

Also consider how close you are to your current zoned HS. We are walking distance to ours, so there’s no way the HS would change for our kids. It might affect their friends though.

We are GFES

If you’re on the edge of the pyramid boundary, you might see a change. Though people like Elaine Tholen wants to keep GF together, but since this is a county school system that may not make sense. Additionally, GF is an unincorporated area without defined boundaries. I mean, some people in Loudon Co. bordering on GF say they live in Great Falls. There is a rumor that some part of GF that was once part of the Herndon pyramid 30 years ago may land up in that pyramid again. Until a full study is done it is all speculation.

That’s more than a rumor. I had went to school with kids at Herndon High who lived on Seneca Road. I am still in touch with one.

Yes, its a fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Starting to build in 2029?

So if my kids will graduate from Langley in 2032, 2033, 2034, should I worry about redistricting?

If you plan on staying in the same house until then, you may be affected. I don’t know how long a new build takes from approval to opening.

Also consider how close you are to your current zoned HS. We are walking distance to ours, so there’s no way the HS would change for our kids. It might affect their friends though.

We are GFES

If you’re on the edge of the pyramid boundary, you might see a change. Though people like Elaine Tholen wants to keep GF together, but since this is a county school system that may not make sense. Additionally, GF is an unincorporated area without defined boundaries. I mean, some people in Loudon Co. bordering on GF say they live in Great Falls. There is a rumor that some part of GF that was once part of the Herndon pyramid 30 years ago may land up in that pyramid again. Until a full study is done it is all speculation.

Even if the new HS is ever built, it will be many, many years before it is built and open. If you currently have a child in elementary school, he/she will be in high school (at least!) before it opens.

It is also unlikely that GEFS would be redistricted away from Langley. It’s even unlikely that Forestville would be moved. Even with expected Tysons growth, Langley is not the school that needs capacity relief. Cooper MS also doesn’t need relief, so there is no reason to move students away from there (and even FCPS wouldn’t send students on a long bus ride in one direction for MS and then a long bus ride in the other direction for HS).

That all said, the “most” at risk part of GF (relatively and far in the future) would presumably be west of Springvale — i.e., Forestville south of Georgetown Pike and that part of the GEFS boundary north of Georgetown Pike.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Starting to build in 2029?

So if my kids will graduate from Langley in 2032, 2033, 2034, should I worry about redistricting?

If you plan on staying in the same house until then, you may be affected. I don’t know how long a new build takes from approval to opening.

Also consider how close you are to your current zoned HS. We are walking distance to ours, so there’s no way the HS would change for our kids. It might affect their friends though.

We are GFES

If you’re on the edge of the pyramid boundary, you might see a change. Though people like Elaine Tholen wants to keep GF together, but since this is a county school system that may not make sense. Additionally, GF is an unincorporated area without defined boundaries. I mean, some people in Loudon Co. bordering on GF say they live in Great Falls. There is a rumor that some part of GF that was once part of the Herndon pyramid 30 years ago may land up in that pyramid again. Until a full study is done it is all speculation.

Even if the new HS is ever built, it will be many, many years before it is built and open. If you currently have a child in elementary school, he/she will be in high school (at least!) before it opens.

It is also unlikely that GEFS would be redistricted away from Langley. It’s even unlikely that Forestville would be moved. Even with expected Tysons growth, Langley is not the school that needs capacity relief. Cooper MS also doesn’t need relief, so there is no reason to move students away from there (and even FCPS wouldn’t send students on a long bus ride in one direction for MS and then a long bus ride in the other direction for HS).

That all said, the “most” at risk part of GF (relatively and far in the future) would presumably be west of Springvale — i.e., Forestville south of Georgetown Pike and that part of the GEFS boundary north of Georgetown Pike.

Kids already travel far in one direction for Franklin MS and far in the other direction to Oakton HS.

They should build the new high school and then redistrict as much of the county as they need to in order to reduce travel times and balance the enrollments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I did some more research on this.

According to Facility Planning Advisory Council 2016-2016 Annual Report:

 FCPS specifically designate the site where Hutchison Elementary School is located as the site for the new western high school in the next CIP, and include the western high school in the 2019 school bond referendum.
 Beginning with the 2019-2023 CIP, the actual capital requirements for additional capacity and renovations be quantified to demonstrate that the annual bond debt limit of $155 million/year imposed by the Board of Supervisors is inadequate to meet FCPS’ needs, and to illustrate the need to increase that current limitation on capital spending.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Annual%20Report%20-%20July%2010%2C%202017.pdf

So it looks like the board planned all this long time ago but delayed for two years.

If it gets built as planned, my guess is that Carson will become a feeder middle school. Currently Carson kids go to three high schools: Westfield, Oakton, and South Lakes. Westfield is not at capacity so it would be able to take some Chantilly and Centerville kids. In addition, I expect Hutchison and potentially other Herdnon elementary school kids will attend this new school.

I can see some opposition from Carson families, especially from people in Carson/Oakton district.

But the real hot potato would be whether this would induce further boundary changes for Herndon/Langley/McLean. If only Hutchison kids get to attend the new high school, I don’t think Herndon High would have enough capacity to take any kids from Langley. But moving kids from Langley to Herndon has been a dream scenario for One Fairfax crowd / liberals so this is going to be real ugly.

Hutchinson is far and away the biggest feeder to Herndon Middle school and eventually HHS - IF they take away Hutchinson students- and don't add anyone else. Herndon HS will look like Langley HS- as far as utilization and enrollment #s look like.

[Anonymous]

Not to be flippant, but the Facilities Planning Advisory Committee (FPAC) is an advisory committee whose recommendations generally don't carry a lot of weight with the School Board. At times FPAC recommendations align with what you might consider better planning principles; at other times, they reflect the agenda of its members. FPAC did have the insight to advise FCPS that, if they really plan to build a new western high school, Hutchison appears to be the most viable site and should be identified as such in future Capital Improvement Programs.

If they build at Hutchison, then obviously Hutchison gets pulled out of Herndon along with some areas currently zoned to Westfield and likely Chantilly and South Lakes. That might mean part of Centreville could move to Westfield, part of Oakton could move to South Lakes, and part of Langley could move to Herndon. It is premature to say any of this will come to pass, and it is also premature to say none of this should ever happen.

The Great Falls parents can harass Elaine Tholen and make her their lapdog for a few more years, but she'll be gone from the School Board by the time any decisions are actually made.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not to be flippant, but the Facilities Planning Advisory Committee (FPAC) is an advisory committee whose recommendations generally don't carry a lot of weight with the School Board. At times FPAC recommendations align with what you might consider better planning principles; at other times, they reflect the agenda of its members. FPAC did have the insight to advise FCPS that, if they really plan to build a new western high school, Hutchison appears to be the most viable site and should be identified as such in future Capital Improvement Programs.

If they build at Hutchison, then obviously Hutchison gets pulled out of Herndon along with some areas currently zoned to Westfield and likely Chantilly and South Lakes. That might mean part of Centreville could move to Westfield, part of Oakton could move to South Lakes, and part of Langley could move to Herndon. It is premature to say any of this will come to pass, and it is also premature to say none of this should ever happen.

The Great Falls parents can harass Elaine Tholen and make her their lapdog for a few more years, but she'll be gone from the School Board by the time any decisions are actually made.

I agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not to be flippant, but the Facilities Planning Advisory Committee (FPAC) is an advisory committee whose recommendations generally don't carry a lot of weight with the School Board. At times FPAC recommendations align with what you might consider better planning principles; at other times, they reflect the agenda of its members. FPAC did have the insight to advise FCPS that, if they really plan to build a new western high school, Hutchison appears to be the most viable site and should be identified as such in future Capital Improvement Programs.

If they build at Hutchison, then obviously Hutchison gets pulled out of Herndon along with some areas currently zoned to Westfield and likely Chantilly and South Lakes. That might mean part of Centreville could move to Westfield, part of Oakton could move to South Lakes, and part of Langley could move to Herndon. It is premature to say any of this will come to pass, and it is also premature to say none of this should ever happen.

The Great Falls parents can harass Elaine Tholen and make her their lapdog for a few more years, but she'll be gone from the School Board by the time any decisions are actually made.

So, you are saying the purpose of the new high school is for equity and not to relieve Chantilly and Centreville? Got it.

[Anonymous]

The problem with Hutchinson is its not close to the most overcrowded high schools-centreville, westfield and chantilly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not to be flippant, but the Facilities Planning Advisory Committee (FPAC) is an advisory committee whose recommendations generally don't carry a lot of weight with the School Board. At times FPAC recommendations align with what you might consider better planning principles; at other times, they reflect the agenda of its members. FPAC did have the insight to advise FCPS that, if they really plan to build a new western high school, Hutchison appears to be the most viable site and should be identified as such in future Capital Improvement Programs.

If they build at Hutchison, then obviously Hutchison gets pulled out of Herndon along with some areas currently zoned to Westfield and likely Chantilly and South Lakes. That might mean part of Centreville could move to Westfield, part of Oakton could move to South Lakes, and part of Langley could move to Herndon. It is premature to say any of this will come to pass, and it is also premature to say none of this should ever happen.

The Great Falls parents can harass Elaine Tholen and make her their lapdog for a few more years, but she'll be gone from the School Board by the time any decisions are actually made.

So, you are saying the purpose of the new high school is for equity and not to relieve Chantilly and Centreville? Got it.

Who said that? I read PP to mean a new high school in western Fairfax could relieve overcrowding at those two schools AND allow Great Falls students to attend a high school closer to where they live.

[Anonymous]

With all APS is going through on HS site acquisition, I cant believe they gave the Carson site away. Great location. Easy to pull from Westfield and Chantilly, quit splitting Carson in 4 directions (Chantilly, Oakton, SLHS and Westfield). Move some Cenntreville into Chantilly and Westfield. Keep all of Franklin Farm in one school.

Just maddening

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With all APS is going through on HS site acquisition, I cant believe they gave the Carson site away. Great location. Easy to pull from Westfield and Chantilly, quit splitting Carson in 4 directions (Chantilly, Oakton, SLHS and Westfield). Move some Cenntreville into Chantilly and Westfield. Keep all of Franklin Farm in one school.

Just maddening

There really ought to be an investigation into how the county BOS and FCPS went along with such a stupid decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not to be flippant, but the Facilities Planning Advisory Committee (FPAC) is an advisory committee whose recommendations generally don't carry a lot of weight with the School Board. At times FPAC recommendations align with what you might consider better planning principles; at other times, they reflect the agenda of its members. FPAC did have the insight to advise FCPS that, if they really plan to build a new western high school, Hutchison appears to be the most viable site and should be identified as such in future Capital Improvement Programs.

If they build at Hutchison, then obviously Hutchison gets pulled out of Herndon along with some areas currently zoned to Westfield and likely Chantilly and South Lakes. That might mean part of Centreville could move to Westfield, part of Oakton could move to South Lakes, and part of Langley could move to Herndon. It is premature to say any of this will come to pass, and it is also premature to say none of this should ever happen.

The Great Falls parents can harass Elaine Tholen and make her their lapdog for a few more years, but she'll be gone from the School Board by the time any decisions are actually made.

So, you are saying the purpose of the new high school is for equity and not to relieve Chantilly and Centreville? Got it.

Who said that? I read PP to mean a new high school in western Fairfax could relieve overcrowding at those two schools AND allow Great Falls students to attend a high school closer to where they live.

To be accurate, Hutchison is farther than Langley, by driving distance, for a good part of Great Falls (mainly the areas in the GFES boundary).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not to be flippant, but the Facilities Planning Advisory Committee (FPAC) is an advisory committee whose recommendations generally don't carry a lot of weight with the School Board. At times FPAC recommendations align with what you might consider better planning principles; at other times, they reflect the agenda of its members. FPAC did have the insight to advise FCPS that, if they really plan to build a new western high school, Hutchison appears to be the most viable site and should be identified as such in future Capital Improvement Programs.

If they build at Hutchison, then obviously Hutchison gets pulled out of Herndon along with some areas currently zoned to Westfield and likely Chantilly and South Lakes. That might mean part of Centreville could move to Westfield, part of Oakton could move to South Lakes, and part of Langley could move to Herndon. It is premature to say any of this will come to pass, and it is also premature to say none of this should ever happen.

The Great Falls parents can harass Elaine Tholen and make her their lapdog for a few more years, but she'll be gone from the School Board by the time any decisions are actually made.

So, you are saying the purpose of the new high school is for equity and not to relieve Chantilly and Centreville? Got it.

That is not what was said at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not to be flippant, but the Facilities Planning Advisory Committee (FPAC) is an advisory committee whose recommendations generally don't carry a lot of weight with the School Board. At times FPAC recommendations align with what you might consider better planning principles; at other times, they reflect the agenda of its members. FPAC did have the insight to advise FCPS that, if they really plan to build a new western high school, Hutchison appears to be the most viable site and should be identified as such in future Capital Improvement Programs.

If they build at Hutchison, then obviously Hutchison gets pulled out of Herndon along with some areas currently zoned to Westfield and likely Chantilly and South Lakes. That might mean part of Centreville could move to Westfield, part of Oakton could move to South Lakes, and part of Langley could move to Herndon. It is premature to say any of this will come to pass, and it is also premature to say none of this should ever happen.

The Great Falls parents can harass Elaine Tholen and make her their lapdog for a few more years, but she'll be gone from the School Board by the time any decisions are actually made.

So, you are saying the purpose of the new high school is for equity and not to relieve Chantilly and Centreville? Got it.

Who said that? I read PP to mean a new high school in western Fairfax could relieve overcrowding at those two schools AND allow Great Falls students to attend a high school closer to where they live.

To be accurate, Hutchison is farther than Langley, by driving distance, for a good part of Great Falls (mainly the areas in the GFES boundary).

.

???? GF would feed into Herndon not a school on the Hutchison site.