Boundary Review Meetings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be upset with that last minute change to increase capacity. They do have all the reasons to be frustrated. That being said, many of their grievances spiraled into things that appear to be school admin specific decisions.

I agree. Cardinal Forest has had trouble getting kids through the lunch line during lunch for years even when it wasn't overcrowded. While overcrowding certainly doesn't help, the fact that a 102% CFES can't provide lunches during lunch while a 107% KMES can suggests that Cardinal Forest is perhaps not run well. Which was reinforced by the discussion about the Cardinal Forest principal stating that they could not hire a permanent 5th grade teacher due to a hiring freeze, which Dr. Reid said was not actually true.

The whole description of the boundary review process is just frustrating. 18 months of community input and BRAC leads to a series of proposals that eliminate a split-feeder attendance island while evening out attendance for three elementaries, which Dr. Reid then alters at the last minute to drastically increase Cardinal Forest students and drastically decrease Keene Mill students. A BRAC rep last night stated that she had no input in and was surprised by Dr. Reid's change, and Dr. Reid didn't seem to know why she made that change, other than some Cardinal Forest walkers were displaced (who might well have also been Keene Mill walkers). As a result, FCPS and the Board is just going to study the issue for a year, which is likely going to result in Cardinal Forest suffering the exact same problems for another year.

And if Dr. Reid is just going to change recommendations at the last minute on a whim, what even is the point of BRAC or community involvement? It just seems like FCPS is doing whatever it feels like under the veneer of community involvement, while also annoying its families by creating an extended time period of uncertainty.

In January 2027, Shannon Station should be moved from Keene Mill Elementary to White Oaks/Lake Braddock as presented in Map 4.

Of all the changes recommended across all schools in FCPS, Shannon Station to White Oaks/Lake Braddock is one of the few changes that should without a doubt made it to the final maps.

That the Shannon Station neighborhood rezoning not only did not happen, but also that it was rezoned to CF resulting in much closer walkers getting rezoned out of CF is absolutely ridiculous.

Are you advocating for Shannon Station to move to CF for one year then move again to White Oaks the next year, given the current status of the maps?

No.

It sounds like there are no changes to Shannon Station in Reid's map.

Shannon Station should get moved in Jan 2027.

Thank you. The whole thing is so confusing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will Wolftrap level IV students now be eligible for Luther Jackson or will it be an option to go to Kilmer?

Are the AAP centers associated with the home address or the base school?

I'm sure everything has been figured out so they can implement next year. This school board and administration are top notch. With scheduling underway at the middle and high school levels they of course have a detailed plan in place to handle course selection, specifics on how transportation will work, and a plan to make sure kids don't have to decide between sitting out a year to play sports at the school they've been at or go to a school with some random kids they knew from elementary school. Communications will go out on January 23 to every family impacted; heck it may even go out right after the vote tonight. Let's all remember schools are just buildings and shifting our students around is all about logistics. Well actually not really - it is about loud well connected voices that want their way - not what I needed from an overall perspective or generally even capacity reasons. Current elementary school families are the priority with no care for middle or high school students or those with children not yet at school age. Children are resilient and can learn anywhere. As long as there buddy they haven't played with since 3rd grade is being moved too not an issue being moved around to different schools during their middle school and high school years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My favorite part of the evening was a Cardinal Forest mom who complained that everyone looks down on Cardinal Forest (?) and that the community would not support residency checks (??).

Arguing in favor of residency fraud in an open meeting with FCPS staff and school board members is a real choice.

It wasn’t a bad meeting. There’s just a lot of upset Cardinal Forest moms.

I agree with you on the CF mom, but disagree that it wasn't a bad meeting. Sandy totally avoided a question on Rolling Valley, jumped all over a mom who held up a sign (and then Kyle jumped in to mansplain his kids were there and no one should shout (no one was), told the room to stop shitting on other schools (which no one was doing), and I walked away thinking-what the heck is going to happen in 27 and then again in 2030. At one point Sandy said if you want equity 'sell your house to a minority'. I heard nothing about how the school board is actually helping out kids.

I can’t believe I’m here defending Sandy. But she was responding to a speaker complaining that the school board didnt use economic inequalities as a basis for boundary changes and moving middle class and poor kids around to accomplish equity goals. And Sandy said that wasn’t legal. Which is true.

Meren is very much on board with making all things equitable, she isn’t happy with the new school because it is new and nice and shiny and other schools are not. She has complained that the boundary review did nothing for equity and complained about the different language programs that are not equally available. She didn’t mention the IB/AP inequity, which is used to move out of poorer schools to better off schools.

Oh, please. If Meren was in favor of making all things equitable, she would be objecting to making Thoreau and Madison wealthier at the expense of Kilmer and Marshall. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seemed like she is a cheerleader for the wealthy parents wanting to bail on Kilmer and Marshall.

Meren speaks equity and practices self-interest. You think she’s an equity warrior because she wants to protect South Lakes, but that doesn’t mean she cares about equity across the board.

Absolutely. Meren is a joke who is just out to win votes and the expense of what is best for all students.

Agree! This is her letter she is sending around.

As the Superintendent works to conclude the 18-month long comprehensive boundary review work, I recognize that much attention is on the forthcoming January 22 School Board vote on the recommendation changes. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the school boundary proposal. Allow me to share these thoughts:

I plan to support the recommended changes shared by the Superintendent publicly at the January 8 School Board meeting. I do not plan to bring any amendments to the Superintendent’s final proposal. To do so at this time would be too last-minute.

I think the recommended changes do a good job of reducing split feeders and addressing some overcapacity issues within Hunter Mill District. I am glad a slower approach to change is being utilized by the Superintendent. I’ve maintained throughout this process that changes should avoid creating massive amounts of anxiety and last-minute change for students and families.

Of note:

By including Wolftrap neighborhoods and SPA 3914 (Tysons Woods Park) into Thoreau Middle School and Madison High School, school capacity is more balanced throughout the area. This also adjusts a long-time desire for Wolftrap ES students to be fully in the Madison pyramid. I’m really pleased about this!

The proposal will reduce split feeders at Westbriar, Colvin Run, and Crossfield elementary schools. Reducing split feeders is what is best for kids, year over year. Town of Vienna addresses remain zoned for Madison HS, an important factor for the community.

Regarding Oakton Elementary School and Flint Hill Elementary School with the Wayside and Tamarack neighborhoods: the Superintendent did not adopt my recommendation to adjust these attendance islands. I continue to hear mixed feelings on this from residents, but the proposed boundary map is what I expect will stand.

Lastly, Coates Elementary School was severely over capacity, and these changes will alleviate that problem by utilizing open capacity at the Floris, Herndon, and the McNair elementary schools.

I seriously hate that all the SB members keep pushing the narrative that ALL spilt feeders are bad. The narrative is used to try to force changes that are not needed. I live in a split feeder that remained such(thank goodness) because of its geographic location and community ties. Closing split feeders was at the bottom of the priority list for parents per the county-wide survey. Many communities, like ours, value our split feeder. I get that some communities may feel that there split feeder is problematic, but that is not the case for all splits!!

If they are all about reducing split feeders, then they should have done the Western boundaries earlier than June and fixed Hughes, Franklin and Carson middle school boundaries.

Exactly. They only use spilt feeders as an excuse when it benefits a move they want to make. How about they actually listen to their constituents before they come up with what's "bad" for our kids.

I think though that the feelings on split feeders are actually much more divided than this perspective.

I know in our area, there was a very organized contingent of people who successfully fought having their lopsided split feeder fixed.

But there were plenty of people who lived in that neighborhood, especially older elementary parents who were facing having their kids split from all their friends, and families who did not have the option of choosing between the 2 middle school options, who wanted the split feeder closed. They simply didn't want to express their contrary view point because the people who wanted to keep the split feeder were so loud. But it you talked to them privately, they either welcome the elimination of their split feeder, or were neutral as long as the middle schoolers already in the system were grandfathered.

I don't think you can definitely say that there was not support for eliminating the split feeders. There were plenty of people living in split feeders who wanted their kids to go to the same middle school/high school as the rest of their school friends. It is just that the passion behind those who wanted to keep the split feeders was so loud that it was difficult to publicly state they wanted the split feeder eliminated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will Wolftrap level IV students now be eligible for Luther Jackson or will it be an option to go to Kilmer?

Are the AAP centers associated with the home address or the base school?

The AAP boundaries aren’t changing.

They are in some areas. WSHS pyramid, for example. Middle school AAP boundaries are changing too. Fcps is adding AAP to dvery modfle school do there will be mo more transfers between pyramids for middle school AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will Wolftrap level IV students now be eligible for Luther Jackson or will it be an option to go to Kilmer?

Are the AAP centers associated with the home address or the base school?

The AAP boundaries aren’t changing.

They are in some areas. WSHS pyramid, for example. Middle school AAP boundaries are changing too. Fcps is adding AAP to dvery modfle school do there will be mo more transfers between pyramids for middle school AAP.

They aren’t changing under the recommendation being passed today for the 2026-27 school year, though.

[Anonymous]

Ok so Kilmer will still be full and kids will still attend a school where most of their peers will go to another high school. Because people don’t really care about split feeders. They just want to go to the schools they think are best.

Yes I’m talking about the wolftrap parents that still send their students to Kilmer instead of Thoreau.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok so Kilmer will still be full and kids will still attend a school where most of their peers will go to another high school. Because people don’t really care about split feeders. They just want to go to the schools they think are best.

Yes I’m talking about the wolftrap parents that still send their students to Kilmer instead of Thoreau.

Kilmer will not be full because the boundary review was based on bad data. Kilmer is said to be at 118% with modulars and 153% without. However, the program capacity dipped from 1227 to 1023 between the 2023-24 and 2204-25 school year. It has since returned to a capacity of 1277 for the 2025-26 school year. The 1023 capacity was what was used for the boundary review.

If you look at the Capacity Overview dashboard, the school is now at 92% capacity before the boundary changes will be enacted. The boundary recommends moving 174 middle school students from Kilmer to Madison. Let’s say 30% of the kids are AAP and decide to stay at Kilmer. That’s 120 kids leaving
Kilmer, which will put the school at 85%. The school will drop to 78% when AAP transfers leave. The silver lining is the modular can be removed, but even then, the school will be at 87%.

Nobody cares though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok so Kilmer will still be full and kids will still attend a school where most of their peers will go to another high school. Because people don’t really care about split feeders. They just want to go to the schools they think are best.

Yes I’m talking about the wolftrap parents that still send their students to Kilmer instead of Thoreau.

I'm not sure that will be possible anymore or are 5th or 6th graders grandfathered and can decide to go to Kilmer but they would then have to go Madison for high school - correct? Does grandfathering extend across school level changes - i.e. elementary to middle; middle to high?

[Anonymous]

^^Madison = Thoreau in the previous post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My favorite part of the evening was a Cardinal Forest mom who complained that everyone looks down on Cardinal Forest (?) and that the community would not support residency checks (??).

Arguing in favor of residency fraud in an open meeting with FCPS staff and school board members is a real choice.

It wasn’t a bad meeting. There’s just a lot of upset Cardinal Forest moms.

I agree with you on the CF mom, but disagree that it wasn't a bad meeting. Sandy totally avoided a question on Rolling Valley, jumped all over a mom who held up a sign (and then Kyle jumped in to mansplain his kids were there and no one should shout (no one was), told the room to stop shitting on other schools (which no one was doing), and I walked away thinking-what the heck is going to happen in 27 and then again in 2030. At one point Sandy said if you want equity 'sell your house to a minority'. I heard nothing about how the school board is actually helping out kids.

I can’t believe I’m here defending Sandy. But she was responding to a speaker complaining that the school board didnt use economic inequalities as a basis for boundary changes and moving middle class and poor kids around to accomplish equity goals. And Sandy said that wasn’t legal. Which is true.

Meren is very much on board with making all things equitable, she isn’t happy with the new school because it is new and nice and shiny and other schools are not. She has complained that the boundary review did nothing for equity and complained about the different language programs that are not equally available. She didn’t mention the IB/AP inequity, which is used to move out of poorer schools to better off schools.

Oh, please. If Meren was in favor of making all things equitable, she would be objecting to making Thoreau and Madison wealthier at the expense of Kilmer and Marshall. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seemed like she is a cheerleader for the wealthy parents wanting to bail on Kilmer and Marshall.

Meren speaks equity and practices self-interest. You think she’s an equity warrior because she wants to protect South Lakes, but that doesn’t mean she cares about equity across the board.

Absolutely. Meren is a joke who is just out to win votes and the expense of what is best for all students.

Agree! This is her letter she is sending around.

As the Superintendent works to conclude the 18-month long comprehensive boundary review work, I recognize that much attention is on the forthcoming January 22 School Board vote on the recommendation changes. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the school boundary proposal. Allow me to share these thoughts:

I plan to support the recommended changes shared by the Superintendent publicly at the January 8 School Board meeting. I do not plan to bring any amendments to the Superintendent’s final proposal. To do so at this time would be too last-minute.

I think the recommended changes do a good job of reducing split feeders and addressing some overcapacity issues within Hunter Mill District. I am glad a slower approach to change is being utilized by the Superintendent. I’ve maintained throughout this process that changes should avoid creating massive amounts of anxiety and last-minute change for students and families.

Of note:

By including Wolftrap neighborhoods and SPA 3914 (Tysons Woods Park) into Thoreau Middle School and Madison High School, school capacity is more balanced throughout the area. This also adjusts a long-time desire for Wolftrap ES students to be fully in the Madison pyramid. I’m really pleased about this!

The proposal will reduce split feeders at Westbriar, Colvin Run, and Crossfield elementary schools. Reducing split feeders is what is best for kids, year over year. Town of Vienna addresses remain zoned for Madison HS, an important factor for the community.

Regarding Oakton Elementary School and Flint Hill Elementary School with the Wayside and Tamarack neighborhoods: the Superintendent did not adopt my recommendation to adjust these attendance islands. I continue to hear mixed feelings on this from residents, but the proposed boundary map is what I expect will stand.

Lastly, Coates Elementary School was severely over capacity, and these changes will alleviate that problem by utilizing open capacity at the Floris, Herndon, and the McNair elementary schools.

I agree with this - I think those in split feeders who have kids in the schools that would be impacted by a sudden shift were very anti correcting the feeder (e.g. kid now in middle and might be switched to different middle, or to different highschool than their current peer group). Those who have yet to have their kids go to middle school or high school would be more likely to support correcting the feeder.

I seriously hate that all the SB members keep pushing the narrative that ALL spilt feeders are bad. The narrative is used to try to force changes that are not needed. I live in a split feeder that remained such(thank goodness) because of its geographic location and community ties. Closing split feeders was at the bottom of the priority list for parents per the county-wide survey. Many communities, like ours, value our split feeder. I get that some communities may feel that there split feeder is problematic, but that is not the case for all splits!!

If they are all about reducing split feeders, then they should have done the Western boundaries earlier than June and fixed Hughes, Franklin and Carson middle school boundaries.

Exactly. They only use spilt feeders as an excuse when it benefits a move they want to make. How about they actually listen to their constituents before they come up with what's "bad" for our kids.

I think though that the feelings on split feeders are actually much more divided than this perspective.

I know in our area, there was a very organized contingent of people who successfully fought having their lopsided split feeder fixed.

But there were plenty of people who lived in that neighborhood, especially older elementary parents who were facing having their kids split from all their friends, and families who did not have the option of choosing between the 2 middle school options, who wanted the split feeder closed. They simply didn't want to express their contrary view point because the people who wanted to keep the split feeder were so loud. But it you talked to them privately, they either welcome the elimination of their split feeder, or were neutral as long as the middle schoolers already in the system were grandfathered.

I don't think you can definitely say that there was not support for eliminating the split feeders. There were plenty of people living in split feeders who wanted their kids to go to the same middle school/high school as the rest of their school friends. It is just that the passion behind those who wanted to keep the split feeders was so loud that it was difficult to publicly state they wanted the split feeder eliminated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My favorite part of the evening was a Cardinal Forest mom who complained that everyone looks down on Cardinal Forest (?) and that the community would not support residency checks (??).

Arguing in favor of residency fraud in an open meeting with FCPS staff and school board members is a real choice.

It wasn’t a bad meeting. There’s just a lot of upset Cardinal Forest moms.

I agree with you on the CF mom, but disagree that it wasn't a bad meeting. Sandy totally avoided a question on Rolling Valley, jumped all over a mom who held up a sign (and then Kyle jumped in to mansplain his kids were there and no one should shout (no one was), told the room to stop shitting on other schools (which no one was doing), and I walked away thinking-what the heck is going to happen in 27 and then again in 2030. At one point Sandy said if you want equity 'sell your house to a minority'. I heard nothing about how the school board is actually helping out kids.

I can’t believe I’m here defending Sandy. But she was responding to a speaker complaining that the school board didnt use economic inequalities as a basis for boundary changes and moving middle class and poor kids around to accomplish equity goals. And Sandy said that wasn’t legal. Which is true.

Meren is very much on board with making all things equitable, she isn’t happy with the new school because it is new and nice and shiny and other schools are not. She has complained that the boundary review did nothing for equity and complained about the different language programs that are not equally available. She didn’t mention the IB/AP inequity, which is used to move out of poorer schools to better off schools.

Oh, please. If Meren was in favor of making all things equitable, she would be objecting to making Thoreau and Madison wealthier at the expense of Kilmer and Marshall. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seemed like she is a cheerleader for the wealthy parents wanting to bail on Kilmer and Marshall.

Meren speaks equity and practices self-interest. You think she’s an equity warrior because she wants to protect South Lakes, but that doesn’t mean she cares about equity across the board.

Absolutely. Meren is a joke who is just out to win votes and the expense of what is best for all students.

Agree! This is her letter she is sending around.

As the Superintendent works to conclude the 18-month long comprehensive boundary review work, I recognize that much attention is on the forthcoming January 22 School Board vote on the recommendation changes. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the school boundary proposal. Allow me to share these thoughts:

I plan to support the recommended changes shared by the Superintendent publicly at the January 8 School Board meeting. I do not plan to bring any amendments to the Superintendent’s final proposal. To do so at this time would be too last-minute.

I think the recommended changes do a good job of reducing split feeders and addressing some overcapacity issues within Hunter Mill District. I am glad a slower approach to change is being utilized by the Superintendent. I’ve maintained throughout this process that changes should avoid creating massive amounts of anxiety and last-minute change for students and families.

Of note:

By including Wolftrap neighborhoods and SPA 3914 (Tysons Woods Park) into Thoreau Middle School and Madison High School, school capacity is more balanced throughout the area. This also adjusts a long-time desire for Wolftrap ES students to be fully in the Madison pyramid. I’m really pleased about this!

The proposal will reduce split feeders at Westbriar, Colvin Run, and Crossfield elementary schools. Reducing split feeders is what is best for kids, year over year. Town of Vienna addresses remain zoned for Madison HS, an important factor for the community.

Regarding Oakton Elementary School and Flint Hill Elementary School with the Wayside and Tamarack neighborhoods: the Superintendent did not adopt my recommendation to adjust these attendance islands. I continue to hear mixed feelings on this from residents, but the proposed boundary map is what I expect will stand.

Lastly, Coates Elementary School was severely over capacity, and these changes will alleviate that problem by utilizing open capacity at the Floris, Herndon, and the McNair elementary schools.

I seriously hate that all the SB members keep pushing the narrative that ALL spilt feeders are bad. The narrative is used to try to force changes that are not needed. I live in a split feeder that remained such(thank goodness) because of its geographic location and community ties. Closing split feeders was at the bottom of the priority list for parents per the county-wide survey. Many communities, like ours, value our split feeder. I get that some communities may feel that there split feeder is problematic, but that is not the case for all splits!!

If they are all about reducing split feeders, then they should have done the Western boundaries earlier than June and fixed Hughes, Franklin and Carson middle school boundaries.

Exactly. They only use spilt feeders as an excuse when it benefits a move they want to make. How about they actually listen to their constituents before they come up with what's "bad" for our kids.

I think though that the feelings on split feeders are actually much more divided than this perspective.

I know in our area, there was a very organized contingent of people who successfully fought having their lopsided split feeder fixed.

But there were plenty of people who lived in that neighborhood, especially older elementary parents who were facing having their kids split from all their friends, and families who did not have the option of choosing between the 2 middle school options, who wanted the split feeder closed. They simply didn't want to express their contrary view point because the people who wanted to keep the split feeder were so loud. But it you talked to them privately, they either welcome the elimination of their split feeder, or were neutral as long as the middle schoolers already in the system were grandfathered.

I don't think you can definitely say that there was not support for eliminating the split feeders. There were plenty of people living in split feeders who wanted their kids to go to the same middle school/high school as the rest of their school friends. It is just that the passion behind those who wanted to keep the split feeders was so loud that it was difficult to publicly state they wanted the split feeder eliminated.

I agree with this - I think those in split feeders who have kids in the schools that would be impacted by a sudden shift were very anti correcting the feeder (e.g. kid now in middle and might be switched to different middle, or to different highschool than their current peer group). Those who have yet to have their kids go to middle school or high school would be more likely to support correcting the feeder.

For the Sangster split feeder specifically, it's a difficult choice between WSHS and LBSS because of the enormous size of LBSS and combination 7-12 bussing vs having kids stay with their peer group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My favorite part of the evening was a Cardinal Forest mom who complained that everyone looks down on Cardinal Forest (?) and that the community would not support residency checks (??).

Arguing in favor of residency fraud in an open meeting with FCPS staff and school board members is a real choice.

It wasn’t a bad meeting. There’s just a lot of upset Cardinal Forest moms.

I agree with you on the CF mom, but disagree that it wasn't a bad meeting. Sandy totally avoided a question on Rolling Valley, jumped all over a mom who held up a sign (and then Kyle jumped in to mansplain his kids were there and no one should shout (no one was), told the room to stop shitting on other schools (which no one was doing), and I walked away thinking-what the heck is going to happen in 27 and then again in 2030. At one point Sandy said if you want equity 'sell your house to a minority'. I heard nothing about how the school board is actually helping out kids.

I can’t believe I’m here defending Sandy. But she was responding to a speaker complaining that the school board didnt use economic inequalities as a basis for boundary changes and moving middle class and poor kids around to accomplish equity goals. And Sandy said that wasn’t legal. Which is true.

Meren is very much on board with making all things equitable, she isn’t happy with the new school because it is new and nice and shiny and other schools are not. She has complained that the boundary review did nothing for equity and complained about the different language programs that are not equally available. She didn’t mention the IB/AP inequity, which is used to move out of poorer schools to better off schools.

Oh, please. If Meren was in favor of making all things equitable, she would be objecting to making Thoreau and Madison wealthier at the expense of Kilmer and Marshall. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seemed like she is a cheerleader for the wealthy parents wanting to bail on Kilmer and Marshall.

Meren speaks equity and practices self-interest. You think she’s an equity warrior because she wants to protect South Lakes, but that doesn’t mean she cares about equity across the board.

Absolutely. Meren is a joke who is just out to win votes and the expense of what is best for all students.

Agree! This is her letter she is sending around.

As the Superintendent works to conclude the 18-month long comprehensive boundary review work, I recognize that much attention is on the forthcoming January 22 School Board vote on the recommendation changes. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the school boundary proposal. Allow me to share these thoughts:

I plan to support the recommended changes shared by the Superintendent publicly at the January 8 School Board meeting. I do not plan to bring any amendments to the Superintendent’s final proposal. To do so at this time would be too last-minute.

I think the recommended changes do a good job of reducing split feeders and addressing some overcapacity issues within Hunter Mill District. I am glad a slower approach to change is being utilized by the Superintendent. I’ve maintained throughout this process that changes should avoid creating massive amounts of anxiety and last-minute change for students and families.

Of note:

By including Wolftrap neighborhoods and SPA 3914 (Tysons Woods Park) into Thoreau Middle School and Madison High School, school capacity is more balanced throughout the area. This also adjusts a long-time desire for Wolftrap ES students to be fully in the Madison pyramid. I’m really pleased about this!

The proposal will reduce split feeders at Westbriar, Colvin Run, and Crossfield elementary schools. Reducing split feeders is what is best for kids, year over year. Town of Vienna addresses remain zoned for Madison HS, an important factor for the community.

Regarding Oakton Elementary School and Flint Hill Elementary School with the Wayside and Tamarack neighborhoods: the Superintendent did not adopt my recommendation to adjust these attendance islands. I continue to hear mixed feelings on this from residents, but the proposed boundary map is what I expect will stand.

Lastly, Coates Elementary School was severely over capacity, and these changes will alleviate that problem by utilizing open capacity at the Floris, Herndon, and the McNair elementary schools.

I seriously hate that all the SB members keep pushing the narrative that ALL spilt feeders are bad. The narrative is used to try to force changes that are not needed. I live in a split feeder that remained such(thank goodness) because of its geographic location and community ties. Closing split feeders was at the bottom of the priority list for parents per the county-wide survey. Many communities, like ours, value our split feeder. I get that some communities may feel that there split feeder is problematic, but that is not the case for all splits!!

If they are all about reducing split feeders, then they should have done the Western boundaries earlier than June and fixed Hughes, Franklin and Carson middle school boundaries.

Exactly. They only use spilt feeders as an excuse when it benefits a move they want to make. How about they actually listen to their constituents before they come up with what's "bad" for our kids.

I think though that the feelings on split feeders are actually much more divided than this perspective.

I know in our area, there was a very organized contingent of people who successfully fought having their lopsided split feeder fixed.

But there were plenty of people who lived in that neighborhood, especially older elementary parents who were facing having their kids split from all their friends, and families who did not have the option of choosing between the 2 middle school options, who wanted the split feeder closed. They simply didn't want to express their contrary view point because the people who wanted to keep the split feeder were so loud. But it you talked to them privately, they either welcome the elimination of their split feeder, or were neutral as long as the middle schoolers already in the system were grandfathered.

I don't think you can definitely say that there was not support for eliminating the split feeders. There were plenty of people living in split feeders who wanted their kids to go to the same middle school/high school as the rest of their school friends. It is just that the passion behind those who wanted to keep the split feeders was so loud that it was difficult to publicly state they wanted the split feeder eliminated.

I agree with this - I think those in split feeders who have kids in the schools that would be impacted by a sudden shift were very anti correcting the feeder (e.g. kid now in middle and might be switched to different middle, or to different highschool than their current peer group). Those who have yet to have their kids go to middle school or high school would be more likely to support correcting the feeder.

For the Sangster split feeder specifically, it's a difficult choice between WSHS and LBSS because of the enormous size of LBSS and combination 7-12 bussing vs having kids stay with their peer group.

This is somewhat accurate - we are a family with students in high school so don't want the switch. However, we would have been against it even if kids in elementary school as we bought knowing about the spit and chose our home in part because of the assigned high school. It just would not have had the academic and emotional impact on our children as this timing does. If groups within split feeders are small such as the Thoreau / Marshall split than it makes sense to adjust but if a split population has at least 25 - 33 percent representation than it is less impactful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will Wolftrap level IV students now be eligible for Luther Jackson or will it be an option to go to Kilmer?

Are the AAP centers associated with the home address or the base school?

The AAP boundaries aren’t changing.

The AAP boundaries for middle schools will change in a year or two once they finish adding AAP to every middle school.

They are also adding AAP level 4 to more elementary schools to reduce transfers between pyramids to make future rezoning more streamlined.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My favorite part of the evening was a Cardinal Forest mom who complained that everyone looks down on Cardinal Forest (?) and that the community would not support residency checks (??).

Arguing in favor of residency fraud in an open meeting with FCPS staff and school board members is a real choice.

It wasn’t a bad meeting. There’s just a lot of upset Cardinal Forest moms.

I agree with you on the CF mom, but disagree that it wasn't a bad meeting. Sandy totally avoided a question on Rolling Valley, jumped all over a mom who held up a sign (and then Kyle jumped in to mansplain his kids were there and no one should shout (no one was), told the room to stop shitting on other schools (which no one was doing), and I walked away thinking-what the heck is going to happen in 27 and then again in 2030. At one point Sandy said if you want equity 'sell your house to a minority'. I heard nothing about how the school board is actually helping out kids.

I can’t believe I’m here defending Sandy. But she was responding to a speaker complaining that the school board didnt use economic inequalities as a basis for boundary changes and moving middle class and poor kids around to accomplish equity goals. And Sandy said that wasn’t legal. Which is true.

Meren is very much on board with making all things equitable, she isn’t happy with the new school because it is new and nice and shiny and other schools are not. She has complained that the boundary review did nothing for equity and complained about the different language programs that are not equally available. She didn’t mention the IB/AP inequity, which is used to move out of poorer schools to better off schools.

Oh, please. If Meren was in favor of making all things equitable, she would be objecting to making Thoreau and Madison wealthier at the expense of Kilmer and Marshall. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seemed like she is a cheerleader for the wealthy parents wanting to bail on Kilmer and Marshall.

Meren speaks equity and practices self-interest. You think she’s an equity warrior because she wants to protect South Lakes, but that doesn’t mean she cares about equity across the board.

Absolutely. Meren is a joke who is just out to win votes and the expense of what is best for all students.

Agree! This is her letter she is sending around.

As the Superintendent works to conclude the 18-month long comprehensive boundary review work, I recognize that much attention is on the forthcoming January 22 School Board vote on the recommendation changes. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the school boundary proposal. Allow me to share these thoughts:

I plan to support the recommended changes shared by the Superintendent publicly at the January 8 School Board meeting. I do not plan to bring any amendments to the Superintendent’s final proposal. To do so at this time would be too last-minute.

I think the recommended changes do a good job of reducing split feeders and addressing some overcapacity issues within Hunter Mill District. I am glad a slower approach to change is being utilized by the Superintendent. I’ve maintained throughout this process that changes should avoid creating massive amounts of anxiety and last-minute change for students and families.

Of note:

By including Wolftrap neighborhoods and SPA 3914 (Tysons Woods Park) into Thoreau Middle School and Madison High School, school capacity is more balanced throughout the area. This also adjusts a long-time desire for Wolftrap ES students to be fully in the Madison pyramid. I’m really pleased about this!

The proposal will reduce split feeders at Westbriar, Colvin Run, and Crossfield elementary schools. Reducing split feeders is what is best for kids, year over year. Town of Vienna addresses remain zoned for Madison HS, an important factor for the community.

Regarding Oakton Elementary School and Flint Hill Elementary School with the Wayside and Tamarack neighborhoods: the Superintendent did not adopt my recommendation to adjust these attendance islands. I continue to hear mixed feelings on this from residents, but the proposed boundary map is what I expect will stand.

Lastly, Coates Elementary School was severely over capacity, and these changes will alleviate that problem by utilizing open capacity at the Floris, Herndon, and the McNair elementary schools.

I seriously hate that all the SB members keep pushing the narrative that ALL spilt feeders are bad. The narrative is used to try to force changes that are not needed. I live in a split feeder that remained such(thank goodness) because of its geographic location and community ties. Closing split feeders was at the bottom of the priority list for parents per the county-wide survey. Many communities, like ours, value our split feeder. I get that some communities may feel that there split feeder is problematic, but that is not the case for all splits!!

If they are all about reducing split feeders, then they should have done the Western boundaries earlier than June and fixed Hughes, Franklin and Carson middle school boundaries.

Exactly. They only use spilt feeders as an excuse when it benefits a move they want to make. How about they actually listen to their constituents before they come up with what's "bad" for our kids.

I think though that the feelings on split feeders are actually much more divided than this perspective.

I know in our area, there was a very organized contingent of people who successfully fought having their lopsided split feeder fixed.

But there were plenty of people who lived in that neighborhood, especially older elementary parents who were facing having their kids split from all their friends, and families who did not have the option of choosing between the 2 middle school options, who wanted the split feeder closed. They simply didn't want to express their contrary view point because the people who wanted to keep the split feeder were so loud. But it you talked to them privately, they either welcome the elimination of their split feeder, or were neutral as long as the middle schoolers already in the system were grandfathered.

I don't think you can definitely say that there was not support for eliminating the split feeders. There were plenty of people living in split feeders who wanted their kids to go to the same middle school/high school as the rest of their school friends. It is just that the passion behind those who wanted to keep the split feeders was so loud that it was difficult to publicly state they wanted the split feeder eliminated.

I agree with this - I think those in split feeders who have kids in the schools that would be impacted by a sudden shift were very anti correcting the feeder (e.g. kid now in middle and might be switched to different middle, or to different highschool than their current peer group). Those who have yet to have their kids go to middle school or high school would be more likely to support correcting the feeder.

For the Sangster split feeder specifically, it's a difficult choice between WSHS and LBSS because of the enormous size of LBSS and combination 7-12 bussing vs having kids stay with their peer group.

The Sangster rezoning to Lake Braddock actually had a lot of quiet support that did not speak up publicly because the opposition was so passionate. We had teammates, classmates and friends from Sangster who actually supported the maps that sent all of Sangster to Lake Braddock.

When Anderson mentioned silent support for rezoning WSHS, it is really safe to assume she was talking about support for sending all of Sangster to Lake Braddock.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think though that the feelings on split feeders are actually much more divided than this perspective.

I know in our area, there was a very organized contingent of people who successfully fought having their lopsided split feeder fixed.

But there were plenty of people who lived in that neighborhood, especially older elementary parents who were facing having their kids split from all their friends, and families who did not have the option of choosing between the 2 middle school options, who wanted the split feeder closed. They simply didn't want to express their contrary view point because the people who wanted to keep the split feeder were so loud. But it you talked to them privately, they either welcome the elimination of their split feeder, or were neutral as long as the middle schoolers already in the system were grandfathered.

I don't think you can definitely say that there was not support for eliminating the split feeders. There were plenty of people living in split feeders who wanted their kids to go to the same middle school/high school as the rest of their school friends. It is just that the passion behind those who wanted to keep the split feeders was so loud that it was difficult to publicly state they wanted the split feeder eliminated.

In this whole boundary study process, the loudest and most fervent voices often get their way, which just encourages more people to be loud and fervent. Meanwhile, like you said, who knows how representative the views of the loud are. But the whole thing basically creates a reward structure for acting obnoxiously.

Is there a single person that has a more positive view of FCPS or the school board as a result of this boundary process?