FCPS comprehensive boundary review

[Anonymous]

Some of these proposed changes look like political suicide for the SB. Odd fight to pick. I guess some folks are happy with their current SB position being their last job in politics

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The “leaked” map creates even more high school attendance islands. Moving Waples Mill severs Oakton’s boundaries to Crossfield/Navy and Oakview to Robinson cuts off Woodson from Fairfax Villa. Also, why move Fairhill from newly expanded Falls Church HS (which also would be an attendance island to Fairfax HS?)

They’d need to drastically shift elementary school boundaries for any of this to make sense.

Hunt Valley is the farthest WSHS school from Lewis.

This leaked map just does not make sense.

It's also the farthest from WSHS.....

It doesn't make sense to me either, but if they are really looking to move a whole elementary school out of WSHS, Hunt Valley is the only option. I think there are better ways to alleviate the "crowding" (which I'm not fully convinced of) at WSHS, but nonetheless, if a whole elementary is gonna go, it's gonna be HV.

You really aren't making any sense.

If you were arguing to move HV to South County or Keene Mill to Lewis, you might have credibility.

But arguing that Hunt Valley should be moved past 5 other WSHS zoned elementary schools all the way to Lewis completely destroys any argument you have.

Makes perfect sense. The farthest school from WSHS should move to Lewis . How does that not make sense. We need more kids at Lewis, not South County. Stop with this argument.

No it doesn't.

They are the farthest elementary school to Lewis.

The person who is insistent on this has argued it for months and says that the entirety of the HV boundary should be bussed to key and Lewis because they are out of walking zone to WSHS and Irving.

I am a HV parent and plan to move but I’m thinking SC.

But I also don’t trust or believe Reid and I’m sure she already has a plan and will do what she wants.

I actually believe it’s more that there are a few school board members (Sandy Anderson, St John Cunning, McDaniel) who want to stick it to certain schools. I’m thinking that Reid and other school board members are just negligent bystanders. Though Robyn Lady is likely looking to get a boost in her own property value.

I really believe that the SB member’s kids should all be required to move schools as part of this process. Since they don’t see any downside to the changes they should be fine with this.

Sandy Anderson is not looking to stick it to HV. If anything, she reassured the dozens of HV parents who contacted her after that fake news article published last Summer about HVES moving to Lewis. Her office created a statement to the effect of "Lewis is not the closest or second closest HS to HVES, and HVES is not the closest or second closest WSHS pyramid ES to Lewis, so it would not make sense to move it to Lewis."

Honestly don’t know why the HVES rumor started. It physically cannot be all of HVES.

Lewis has ~230 extra seats right now. HVES is the largest ES in the WSHS pyramid and contributes ~500 HS students to WSHS. They are not going to move 500 kids into 230 seats.

It’s that simple.

Lewis current enrollment - 1631
Lewis design capacity (CIP) - 2139

Room for 508 more students. The number you are using is Program Capacity (the one that gives you 230 available seats), but that can grow or shrink.

The design capacity was expanded in the 2005 timeframe at the same time they ended up moving out over three hundred students in the wake of South County opening. In the 2005 timeframe Lee had around 2100 students. So they expanded it and then immediately moved out students so that the expansion was wasted. But they can fix that now.

County did a similar thing with Springfield Estates. It was overcrowded because of the AAP program. They expanded it to hold all of those students, then turned around and opened another AAP center in the Edison pyramid and pulling students away from Springfield Estates, wasting the expansion. This county has been a terrible steward of our tax dollars.

My point is that moving the entirety of HVES is not feasible.

Adding 500 kids to Lewis puts it at 113% program capacity and 100% design capacity. Why set up overcrowding? They’re more likely to nibble at the edges. Or move a smaller, closer school like WSES.

Despite what some CIP report says there’s not room for 500 more students at Lewis. 200-250 maybe but not 500.

But that’s the problem when you have internet experts who’ve never actually set foot in the spaces in question, I guess.

I used to teach at Lewis in the mid-2000s when they were at their peak size of 2100+ kids for a few years, before the first boundary change to remove Daventry. Has something changed about the building? Did some wings get permanently closed off or converted? Lewis currently has 1630 kids, and has definitely held it's building capacity above 2100.

Many classrooms have been changed to offices, Leadership academy, interagency and other programs. They had to put all the theater costumes and supplies in shipping container outside because of lack of space.

Also the place is falling apart. It hasn’t had a substantial “renovation” since who knows when, cracks on the walls, buckled tiles, plumbing that’s as likely to squirt you as it is to work properly and when I was there last year I felt sick every day I was in the building and miraculously better when not in the building, but any mention of mold in the clearly dirty air vent got shut down immediately.

Tl;dr it’s not the mid-2000s anymore.

Annandale and McLean are older than Lewis and their next renovations should precede Lewis. Lewis shouldn’t leapfrog them in the next queue just because it might make the school more palatable to West Springfield families. All three got cheap “renovations” around 2005 that were far less extensive than the later renovations of schools built in the 1960s.

Honestly, sending some WS families to Lewis so they can experience those conditions first-hand might have a silver lining. Maybe then more people would object when dolts on the School Board like Karl Frisch want to waste $85 million on a new school in Dunn Loring for which there is no need - all while the needs of existing schools go unmet.

I don’t see anyone advocating that it leapfrog anyone else, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a dump that last had substantial work done on it when the year started with a 1. Slapping some soundproofing up in 2005 and calling it a “renovation” doesn’t make it so.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The “leaked” map creates even more high school attendance islands. Moving Waples Mill severs Oakton’s boundaries to Crossfield/Navy and Oakview to Robinson cuts off Woodson from Fairfax Villa. Also, why move Fairhill from newly expanded Falls Church HS (which also would be an attendance island to Fairfax HS?)

They’d need to drastically shift elementary school boundaries for any of this to make sense.

Hunt Valley is the farthest WSHS school from Lewis.

This leaked map just does not make sense.

It's also the farthest from WSHS.....

It doesn't make sense to me either, but if they are really looking to move a whole elementary school out of WSHS, Hunt Valley is the only option. I think there are better ways to alleviate the "crowding" (which I'm not fully convinced of) at WSHS, but nonetheless, if a whole elementary is gonna go, it's gonna be HV.

You really aren't making any sense.

If you were arguing to move HV to South County or Keene Mill to Lewis, you might have credibility.

But arguing that Hunt Valley should be moved past 5 other WSHS zoned elementary schools all the way to Lewis completely destroys any argument you have.

Makes perfect sense. The farthest school from WSHS should move to Lewis . How does that not make sense. We need more kids at Lewis, not South County. Stop with this argument.

No it doesn't.

They are the farthest elementary school to Lewis.

The person who is insistent on this has argued it for months and says that the entirety of the HV boundary should be bussed to key and Lewis because they are out of walking zone to WSHS and Irving.

I am a HV parent and plan to move but I’m thinking SC.

But I also don’t trust or believe Reid and I’m sure she already has a plan and will do what she wants.

I actually believe it’s more that there are a few school board members (Sandy Anderson, St John Cunning, McDaniel) who want to stick it to certain schools. I’m thinking that Reid and other school board members are just negligent bystanders. Though Robyn Lady is likely looking to get a boost in her own property value.

I really believe that the SB member’s kids should all be required to move schools as part of this process. Since they don’t see any downside to the changes they should be fine with this.

Sandy Anderson is not looking to stick it to HV. If anything, she reassured the dozens of HV parents who contacted her after that fake news article published last Summer about HVES moving to Lewis. Her office created a statement to the effect of "Lewis is not the closest or second closest HS to HVES, and HVES is not the closest or second closest WSHS pyramid ES to Lewis, so it would not make sense to move it to Lewis."

Honestly don’t know why the HVES rumor started. It physically cannot be all of HVES.

Lewis has ~230 extra seats right now. HVES is the largest ES in the WSHS pyramid and contributes ~500 HS students to WSHS. They are not going to move 500 kids into 230 seats.

It’s that simple.

Lewis current enrollment - 1631
Lewis design capacity (CIP) - 2139

Room for 508 more students. The number you are using is Program Capacity (the one that gives you 230 available seats), but that can grow or shrink.

The design capacity was expanded in the 2005 timeframe at the same time they ended up moving out over three hundred students in the wake of South County opening. In the 2005 timeframe Lee had around 2100 students. So they expanded it and then immediately moved out students so that the expansion was wasted. But they can fix that now.

County did a similar thing with Springfield Estates. It was overcrowded because of the AAP program. They expanded it to hold all of those students, then turned around and opened another AAP center in the Edison pyramid and pulling students away from Springfield Estates, wasting the expansion. This county has been a terrible steward of our tax dollars.

My point is that moving the entirety of HVES is not feasible.

Adding 500 kids to Lewis puts it at 113% program capacity and 100% design capacity. Why set up overcrowding? They’re more likely to nibble at the edges. Or move a smaller, closer school like WSES.

Despite what some CIP report says there’s not room for 500 more students at Lewis. 200-250 maybe but not 500.

But that’s the problem when you have internet experts who’ve never actually set foot in the spaces in question, I guess.

I used to teach at Lewis in the mid-2000s when they were at their peak size of 2100+ kids for a few years, before the first boundary change to remove Daventry. Has something changed about the building? Did some wings get permanently closed off or converted? Lewis currently has 1630 kids, and has definitely held it's building capacity above 2100.

Many classrooms have been changed to offices, Leadership academy, interagency and other programs. They had to put all the theater costumes and supplies in shipping container outside because of lack of space.

Also the place is falling apart. It hasn’t had a substantial “renovation” since who knows when, cracks on the walls, buckled tiles, plumbing that’s as likely to squirt you as it is to work properly and when I was there last year I felt sick every day I was in the building and miraculously better when not in the building, but any mention of mold in the clearly dirty air vent got shut down immediately.

Tl;dr it’s not the mid-2000s anymore.

Annandale and McLean are older than Lewis and their next renovations should precede Lewis. Lewis shouldn’t leapfrog them in the next queue just because it might make the school more palatable to West Springfield families. All three got cheap “renovations” around 2005 that were far less extensive than the later renovations of schools built in the 1960s.

Honestly, sending some WS families to Lewis so they can experience those conditions first-hand might have a silver lining. Maybe then more people would object when dolts on the School Board like Karl Frisch want to waste $85 million on a new school in Dunn Loring for which there is no need - all while the needs of existing schools go unmet.

I don’t see anyone advocating that it leapfrog anyone else, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a dump that last had substantial work done on it when the year started with a 1. Slapping some soundproofing up in 2005 and calling it a “renovation” doesn’t make it so.

That was the case for all the high schools built in the 1950s - Annandale, McLean, Lewis, Madison, and Justice - that got cheap renovations @ 2005. They did more than just add soundproofing, but they didn't upgrade the schools like they did with the later renovations, which is why they have recurring maintenance issues. They did build additions to Madison and Justice recently, but without renovating the rest of the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Draft resolution


Resolution No.
A Resolution to Limit School Transfers Based on Program Preference and Foreign Language Curriculum Offerings

WHEREAS, the Fairfax County School Board is committed to ensuring that all students have access to a high-quality, equitable education that prepares them for success in their academic and post-secondary endeavors;

WHEREAS, the current policy permitting high school students to transfer between schools based on program preference (e.g., International Baccalaureate (IB) vs. Advanced Placement (AP)) or foreign language curriculum offerings has resulted in an unsustainable volume of transfers, often used by students to avoid schools with lower performance rather than for legitimate academic needs;

WHEREAS, these transfers undermine efforts to create stable learning environments and equitable opportunities for all students, and may exacerbate the academic challenges faced by underperforming schools;

WHEREAS, the Fairfax County School Board believes that all schools should be supported to provide rigorous academic programs and equitable access to high-quality instruction, regardless of their program offerings;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that effective [Insert Date], the Fairfax County School Board will limit student transfers between schools based solely on program preference (e.g., IB vs. AP) or foreign language curriculum offerings. Transfers may only be granted under the following circumstances:
• Documented academic deficiencies or special educational needs that cannot be addressed at the assigned school;
• A family hardship that requires a change in school assignment, as determined by the regional superintendent;
• Other exceptions as deemed necessary by the regional superintendents.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Fairfax County School Board directs the superintendent to enforce this policy and to provide the necessary resources to support underperforming schools in meeting the academic needs of all students, including the development of targeted intervention programs.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the superintendent shall prepare a comprehensive communication plan to inform students, parents, and the community of this policy change, and to outline available academic support programs at each school.

If this goes into place Herndon won’t be so below capacity with students returning from south lakes for IB. I assume it will affect tons to schools. So are they doing this and putting every student back where they are zoned before they work boundaries?

FCPS needs to get rid of IB and make all schools AP schools (this would provide equitable access to the same program for all high schools). IB should be phased out over the next two to three years. Sophomores that have already started taking IB classes would have time to finish out, and current Freshman/lower grades can take AP classes going forward. Language transfers should be limited to students in the Language Immersion Program (unless FCPS does away with this as well). All middle and elementary schools should offer level IV AAP.

[Anonymous]

So many responses focus around kids moving to schools with less options/underperforming schools. Can’t anyone see that this is in fact the problem? That within one school district there are schools like Langley and schools like Lewis? This is why this is being done and needs to be drastic, and needs to be done every 5 years, because we can’t let there continue to be this level of disparity within one district. If this process goes intended to plan the schools will improve, as they should. Because public education should be as equal as it can be within one district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Draft resolution


Resolution No.
A Resolution to Limit School Transfers Based on Program Preference and Foreign Language Curriculum Offerings

WHEREAS, the Fairfax County School Board is committed to ensuring that all students have access to a high-quality, equitable education that prepares them for success in their academic and post-secondary endeavors;

WHEREAS, the current policy permitting high school students to transfer between schools based on program preference (e.g., International Baccalaureate (IB) vs. Advanced Placement (AP)) or foreign language curriculum offerings has resulted in an unsustainable volume of transfers, often used by students to avoid schools with lower performance rather than for legitimate academic needs;

WHEREAS, these transfers undermine efforts to create stable learning environments and equitable opportunities for all students, and may exacerbate the academic challenges faced by underperforming schools;

WHEREAS, the Fairfax County School Board believes that all schools should be supported to provide rigorous academic programs and equitable access to high-quality instruction, regardless of their program offerings;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that effective [Insert Date], the Fairfax County School Board will limit student transfers between schools based solely on program preference (e.g., IB vs. AP) or foreign language curriculum offerings. Transfers may only be granted under the following circumstances:
• Documented academic deficiencies or special educational needs that cannot be addressed at the assigned school;
• A family hardship that requires a change in school assignment, as determined by the regional superintendent;
• Other exceptions as deemed necessary by the regional superintendents.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Fairfax County School Board directs the superintendent to enforce this policy and to provide the necessary resources to support underperforming schools in meeting the academic needs of all students, including the development of targeted intervention programs.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the superintendent shall prepare a comprehensive communication plan to inform students, parents, and the community of this policy change, and to outline available academic support programs at each school.

If this goes into place Herndon won’t be so below capacity with students returning from south lakes for IB. I assume it will affect tons to schools. So are they doing this and putting every student back where they are zoned before they work boundaries?

FCPS needs to get rid of IB and make all schools AP schools (this would provide equitable access to the same program for all high schools). IB should be phased out over the next two to three years. Sophomores that have already started taking IB classes would have time to finish out, and current Freshman/lower grades can take AP classes going forward. Language transfers should be limited to students in the Language Immersion Program (unless FCPS does away with this as well). All middle and elementary schools should offer level IV AAP.

IB classes are generally offered in 11th and 12th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many responses focus around kids moving to schools with less options/underperforming schools. Can’t anyone see that this is in fact the problem? That within one school district there are schools like Langley and schools like Lewis? This is why this is being done and needs to be drastic, and needs to be done every 5 years, because we can’t let there continue to be this level of disparity within one district. If this process goes intended to plan the schools will improve, as they should. Because public education should be as equal as it can be within one district.

Should everyone have to contribute the same amount for their kids too? Or are you just advocating for mooching?

It’s not a grand conspiracy, people just choose where they live based on preference and what they can afford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many responses focus around kids moving to schools with less options/underperforming schools. Can’t anyone see that this is in fact the problem? That within one school district there are schools like Langley and schools like Lewis? This is why this is being done and needs to be drastic, and needs to be done every 5 years, because we can’t let there continue to be this level of disparity within one district. If this process goes intended to plan the schools will improve, as they should. Because public education should be as equal as it can be within one district.

If you stuck an Academy at Langley with vo-tech courses, it would be undersubscribed. If you offered all the language electives offered at Langley at Lewis, they would be under-subscribed.

Stop pretending you can make every school the same. You can't, because the student populations differ.

They could improve the baseline for courses and electives offered at every school, and that would start with getting rid of IB, which costs more than it's worth, and replacing it with AP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many responses focus around kids moving to schools with less options/underperforming schools. Can’t anyone see that this is in fact the problem? That within one school district there are schools like Langley and schools like Lewis? This is why this is being done and needs to be drastic, and needs to be done every 5 years, because we can’t let there continue to be this level of disparity within one district. If this process goes intended to plan the schools will improve, as they should. Because public education should be as equal as it can be within one district.

Should everyone have to contribute the same amount for their kids too? Or are you just advocating for mooching?

It’s not a grand conspiracy, people just choose where they live based on preference and what they can afford.

If the schools were more equal property across the county would be more comparable. It would actually help the county at large, not just make the wealthy wealthier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many responses focus around kids moving to schools with less options/underperforming schools. Can’t anyone see that this is in fact the problem? That within one school district there are schools like Langley and schools like Lewis? This is why this is being done and needs to be drastic, and needs to be done every 5 years, because we can’t let there continue to be this level of disparity within one district. If this process goes intended to plan the schools will improve, as they should. Because public education should be as equal as it can be within one district.

I'd say this is a recipe for a race to the bottom, but FCPS is too lazy, cumbersome and bureaucratic to race to anything. So it's more like a slow job to the bottom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many responses focus around kids moving to schools with less options/underperforming schools. Can’t anyone see that this is in fact the problem? That within one school district there are schools like Langley and schools like Lewis? This is why this is being done and needs to be drastic, and needs to be done every 5 years, because we can’t let there continue to be this level of disparity within one district. If this process goes intended to plan the schools will improve, as they should. Because public education should be as equal as it can be within one district.

Or, more likely, you'll have a MC and UMC flight away from Fairfax County public schools and/or Fairfax County itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many responses focus around kids moving to schools with less options/underperforming schools. Can’t anyone see that this is in fact the problem? That within one school district there are schools like Langley and schools like Lewis? This is why this is being done and needs to be drastic, and needs to be done every 5 years, because we can’t let there continue to be this level of disparity within one district. If this process goes intended to plan the schools will improve, as they should. Because public education should be as equal as it can be within one district.

The education offered should be equal, but that does not lead to equal outcomes. The inputs and atmosphere parents provide their children at home is the cause of the disparities. That can't be changed. Some parents will always be more available and involved with the upbringing of their children. Some parents read to their children every night from an early age, get them involved in sports and other socialization paths, and generally set a good example for valuing education. Some parents don't. Many of those parents scrimp and save for years to position their children for success. It's just the way it is and it leads to different results. The school system should not be expected to solve for disparities in how people raise their children.

[Anonymous]

[i]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Draft resolution


Resolution No.
A Resolution to Limit School Transfers Based on Program Preference and Foreign Language Curriculum Offerings

WHEREAS, the Fairfax County School Board is committed to ensuring that all students have access to a high-quality, equitable education that prepares them for success in their academic and post-secondary endeavors;

WHEREAS, the current policy permitting high school students to transfer between schools based on program preference (e.g., International Baccalaureate (IB) vs. Advanced Placement (AP)) or foreign language curriculum offerings has resulted in an unsustainable volume of transfers, often used by students to avoid schools with lower performance rather than for legitimate academic needs;

WHEREAS, these transfers undermine efforts to create stable learning environments and equitable opportunities for all students, and may exacerbate the academic challenges faced by underperforming schools;

WHEREAS, the Fairfax County School Board believes that all schools should be supported to provide rigorous academic programs and equitable access to high-quality instruction, regardless of their program offerings;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that effective [Insert Date], the Fairfax County School Board will limit student transfers between schools based solely on program preference (e.g., IB vs. AP) or foreign language curriculum offerings. Transfers may only be granted under the following circumstances:
• Documented academic deficiencies or special educational needs that cannot be addressed at the assigned school;
• A family hardship that requires a change in school assignment, as determined by the regional superintendent;
• Other exceptions as deemed necessary by the regional superintendents.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Fairfax County School Board directs the superintendent to enforce this policy and to provide the necessary resources to support underperforming schools in meeting the academic needs of all students, including the development of targeted intervention programs.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the superintendent shall prepare a comprehensive communication plan to inform students, parents, and the community of this policy change, and to outline available academic support programs at each school.

If this goes into place Herndon won’t be so below capacity with students returning from south lakes for IB. I assume it will affect tons to schools. So are they doing this and putting every student back where they are zoned before they work boundaries?

FCPS needs to get rid of IB and make all schools AP schools (this would provide equitable access to the same program for all high schools). IB should be phased out over the next two to three years. Sophomores that have already started taking IB classes would have time to finish out, and current Freshman/lower grades can take AP classes going forward. Language transfers should be limited to students in the Language Immersion Program (unless FCPS does away with this as well). All middle and elementary schools should offer level IV AAP.

This, plus offering the same three languages at every high school would also do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many responses focus around kids moving to schools with less options/underperforming schools. Can’t anyone see that this is in fact the problem? That within one school district there are schools like Langley and schools like Lewis? This is why this is being done and needs to be drastic, and needs to be done every 5 years, because we can’t let there continue to be this level of disparity within one district. If this process goes intended to plan the schools will improve, as they should. Because public education should be as equal as it can be within one district.

Or, more likely, you'll have a MC and UMC flight away from Fairfax County public schools and/or Fairfax County itself.

where would they go?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many responses focus around kids moving to schools with less options/underperforming schools. Can’t anyone see that this is in fact the problem? That within one school district there are schools like Langley and schools like Lewis? This is why this is being done and needs to be drastic, and needs to be done every 5 years, because we can’t let there continue to be this level of disparity within one district. If this process goes intended to plan the schools will improve, as they should. Because public education should be as equal as it can be within one district.

Should everyone have to contribute the same amount for their kids too? Or are you just advocating for mooching?

It’s not a grand conspiracy, people just choose where they live based on preference and what they can afford.

If the schools were more equal property across the county would be more comparable. It would actually help the county at large, not just make the wealthy wealthier.

Having uniformly below-average schools will translate into lower tax revenues for the county.