FCPS Boundary Review Updates

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP- to clarify- the McLean families are not unhappy with the split, they are upset with the reasoning to FCHS.

The pro boundary change/SJW folks are tripping all over themselves on this one.

“Hell, no, no addition for McLean! Redistrict those kids (again) and eliminate the attendance islands and split feeders!”

“You mean we’re sending most of the FARMS kids there to Falls Church and slashing the FARMS rate at McLean? Hell, no!”

“You mean if we want to keep those FARMS kids at McLean, we have to create a new split feeder at Shrevewood so we don’t have a terrible, awful, very bad attendance island? Hell, no!”

McLean: “How about you just leave our families alone for now and let us know when you’re finally going to renovate our school?”

Ha. Yep. Sniveling Sandy’s incompetency laid bare for all to see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am most worried about my middle and high schooler who have long since done the split - and now have to be moved. Kids splitting at es level is far less disruptive than moving kids in middle/high.

This shouldn’t be us vs them. If FCPS can’t support grandfathering due to the extent of the changes, they should phase in the changes, either by grade level (adjust elementary boundaries first, then adjust middle school the following year, then high school over the next 3 years) or by region/magisterial/pyramid clusters. I don’t like all the split feeders but I don’t like uprooting high schoolers either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:holy shit, the single family homes in timberlane going from longfellow/mclean high to falls church are going to plumet, the neighborhood is livid

https://timberlanemcleanpyramid.com/

I’m skeptical of the 20% comment. The Westwood Park neighborhood is split between Marshall and McLean and there is no McLean premium. The gap to Falls Church is bigger, but it doesn’t make a $1M house $800k.

There's a premium for being zoned to Longfellow/McLean and a discount for being zoned to Timber Lane, so it cancels out. The part of Westwood Park that feeds to Marshall doesn't feed to a Title I elementary school.

GreatSchools (I know, but idiots use it) has Timber Lane as a 5 and Shrevewood as a 3.

GreatSchools is worthless. Timber Lane is probably higher because it has smaller class sizes since it is Title I. Also, Shrevewood no longer has a LLIV class, so all of it's AAP students go to the Center, bringing test scores down.

Not long ago, Shrevewood was over capacity. They lost many families to private school and the AAP center. Scores dropped but they are no longer facing capacity issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are at Timber Lane ES which has been a recent topic of conversation, we are in the section that has always been zoned to go to Jackson/FCHS. I always thought the split feeder stunk because the kids they were friends with would not all continue on together. But anyhow, I never cared that the other kids went to McLean, it’s just the way it has been set up. But what I have found interesting, is some of the families on the McLean side who are unhappy with the split have been arguing on how it tears their community apart. This makes sense for families that have already started middle school and high school, but some of the loudest voices still just have elementary aged students. It’s like, all the sudden the “community” they had with the families across Lee Hwy that have been with their kids for years does not matter. And they make arguments about what sports teams they join (we still live in the same area, we all join the same teams) and their sudden deep concern for the education of their title 1 neighbors. Now, I want nothing more for them to be zoned back out of FCHS because I find the parents to be pretty insufferable and cannot believe the level of entitlement. I would much rather not have to have these people in my life after my kids finish elementary school.

I don’t think many people understand how many of these entitled send their kids to private to avoid the riff raff at Timberlane. They are the same group who are now claiming to care about those same students. Looking at you, St. James, families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are at Timber Lane ES which has been a recent topic of conversation, we are in the section that has always been zoned to go to Jackson/FCHS. I always thought the split feeder stunk because the kids they were friends with would not all continue on together. But anyhow, I never cared that the other kids went to McLean, it’s just the way it has been set up. But what I have found interesting, is some of the families on the McLean side who are unhappy with the split have been arguing on how it tears their community apart. This makes sense for families that have already started middle school and high school, but some of the loudest voices still just have elementary aged students. It’s like, all the sudden the “community” they had with the families across Lee Hwy that have been with their kids for years does not matter. And they make arguments about what sports teams they join (we still live in the same area, we all join the same teams) and their sudden deep concern for the education of their title 1 neighbors. Now, I want nothing more for them to be zoned back out of FCHS because I find the parents to be pretty insufferable and cannot believe the level of entitlement. I would much rather not have to have these people in my life after my kids finish elementary school.

I don’t think many people understand how many of these entitled send their kids to private to avoid the riff raff at Timberlane. They are the same group who are now claiming to care about those same students. Looking at you, St. James, families.

The banner on their website isn’t even hiding it anymore. They’re just worried about their property values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are at Timber Lane ES which has been a recent topic of conversation, we are in the section that has always been zoned to go to Jackson/FCHS. I always thought the split feeder stunk because the kids they were friends with would not all continue on together. But anyhow, I never cared that the other kids went to McLean, it’s just the way it has been set up. But what I have found interesting, is some of the families on the McLean side who are unhappy with the split have been arguing on how it tears their community apart. This makes sense for families that have already started middle school and high school, but some of the loudest voices still just have elementary aged students. It’s like, all the sudden the “community” they had with the families across Lee Hwy that have been with their kids for years does not matter. And they make arguments about what sports teams they join (we still live in the same area, we all join the same teams) and their sudden deep concern for the education of their title 1 neighbors. Now, I want nothing more for them to be zoned back out of FCHS because I find the parents to be pretty insufferable and cannot believe the level of entitlement. I would much rather not have to have these people in my life after my kids finish elementary school.

I don’t think many people understand how many of these entitled send their kids to private to avoid the riff raff at Timberlane. They are the same group who are now claiming to care about those same students. Looking at you, St. James, families.

Sounds like if those folks get moved they will send their kids to O’Connell or Ireton, too = even fewer kids in FCPS. Is that the goal here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are at Timber Lane ES which has been a recent topic of conversation, we are in the section that has always been zoned to go to Jackson/FCHS. I always thought the split feeder stunk because the kids they were friends with would not all continue on together. But anyhow, I never cared that the other kids went to McLean, it’s just the way it has been set up. But what I have found interesting, is some of the families on the McLean side who are unhappy with the split have been arguing on how it tears their community apart. This makes sense for families that have already started middle school and high school, but some of the loudest voices still just have elementary aged students. It’s like, all the sudden the “community” they had with the families across Lee Hwy that have been with their kids for years does not matter. And they make arguments about what sports teams they join (we still live in the same area, we all join the same teams) and their sudden deep concern for the education of their title 1 neighbors. Now, I want nothing more for them to be zoned back out of FCHS because I find the parents to be pretty insufferable and cannot believe the level of entitlement. I would much rather not have to have these people in my life after my kids finish elementary school.

I don’t think many people understand how many of these entitled send their kids to private to avoid the riff raff at Timberlane. They are the same group who are now claiming to care about those same students. Looking at you, St. James, families.

Sounds like if those folks get moved they will send their kids to O’Connell or Ireton, too = even fewer kids in FCPS. Is that the goal here?

Would certainly solve some problems!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are at Timber Lane ES which has been a recent topic of conversation, we are in the section that has always been zoned to go to Jackson/FCHS. I always thought the split feeder stunk because the kids they were friends with would not all continue on together. But anyhow, I never cared that the other kids went to McLean, it’s just the way it has been set up. But what I have found interesting, is some of the families on the McLean side who are unhappy with the split have been arguing on how it tears their community apart. This makes sense for families that have already started middle school and high school, but some of the loudest voices still just have elementary aged students. It’s like, all the sudden the “community” they had with the families across Lee Hwy that have been with their kids for years does not matter. And they make arguments about what sports teams they join (we still live in the same area, we all join the same teams) and their sudden deep concern for the education of their title 1 neighbors. Now, I want nothing more for them to be zoned back out of FCHS because I find the parents to be pretty insufferable and cannot believe the level of entitlement. I would much rather not have to have these people in my life after my kids finish elementary school.

I don’t think many people understand how many of these entitled send their kids to private to avoid the riff raff at Timberlane. They are the same group who are now claiming to care about those same students. Looking at you, St. James, families.

There is only a handful of kids who leave at middle school to go back to public. The vast majority of kids continue on for Catholic High School. I don’t think kids that go to Catholic school in any part of Fairfax are the people who as invested in what is going on with the boundary changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am most worried about my middle and high schooler who have long since done the split - and now have to be moved. Kids splitting at es level is far less disruptive than moving kids in middle/high.

Don’t be selfish though. Understand that most families don’t want to be moved - for whatever reason.

Don’t throw your neighbors under the bus.

Agreed. Let's get rid of split feeders so kids can have stability. So they don't have to be moved from one community to another. That's not being selfish. It's maximizing stability for the most number of kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are at Timber Lane ES which has been a recent topic of conversation, we are in the section that has always been zoned to go to Jackson/FCHS. I always thought the split feeder stunk because the kids they were friends with would not all continue on together. But anyhow, I never cared that the other kids went to McLean, it’s just the way it has been set up. But what I have found interesting, is some of the families on the McLean side who are unhappy with the split have been arguing on how it tears their community apart. This makes sense for families that have already started middle school and high school, but some of the loudest voices still just have elementary aged students. It’s like, all the sudden the “community” they had with the families across Lee Hwy that have been with their kids for years does not matter. And they make arguments about what sports teams they join (we still live in the same area, we all join the same teams) and their sudden deep concern for the education of their title 1 neighbors. Now, I want nothing more for them to be zoned back out of FCHS because I find the parents to be pretty insufferable and cannot believe the level of entitlement. I would much rather not have to have these people in my life after my kids finish elementary school.

I don’t think many people understand how many of these entitled send their kids to private to avoid the riff raff at Timberlane. They are the same group who are now claiming to care about those same students. Looking at you, St. James, families.

There is only a handful of kids who leave at middle school to go back to public. The vast majority of kids continue on for Catholic High School. I don’t think kids that go to Catholic school in any part of Fairfax are the people who as invested in what is going on with the boundary changes.

Their website seems to be down now, but there was a very clear message on the front page. Something along the lines of: “Protect our children’s education. Protect our property values.” There were claims that redistricting could impact their property values by 20%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am most worried about my middle and high schooler who have long since done the split - and now have to be moved. Kids splitting at es level is far less disruptive than moving kids in middle/high.

Don’t be selfish though. Understand that most families don’t want to be moved - for whatever reason.

Don’t throw your neighbors under the bus.

Agreed. Let's get rid of split feeders so kids can have stability. So they don't have to be moved from one community to another. That's not being selfish. It's maximizing stability for the most number of kids.

As pointed out earlier, eliminating split feeders will result in longer commutes for some kids and actually break up rather than unite some long-established communities at the MS and HS level.

It’s easy to talk about this stuff at the 50,000 feet level. It’s when you get into the details that you realize the proposed solutions often create new problems. It’s Boundary Whack-A-Mole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are at Timber Lane ES which has been a recent topic of conversation, we are in the section that has always been zoned to go to Jackson/FCHS. I always thought the split feeder stunk because the kids they were friends with would not all continue on together. But anyhow, I never cared that the other kids went to McLean, it’s just the way it has been set up. But what I have found interesting, is some of the families on the McLean side who are unhappy with the split have been arguing on how it tears their community apart. This makes sense for families that have already started middle school and high school, but some of the loudest voices still just have elementary aged students. It’s like, all the sudden the “community” they had with the families across Lee Hwy that have been with their kids for years does not matter. And they make arguments about what sports teams they join (we still live in the same area, we all join the same teams) and their sudden deep concern for the education of their title 1 neighbors. Now, I want nothing more for them to be zoned back out of FCHS because I find the parents to be pretty insufferable and cannot believe the level of entitlement. I would much rather not have to have these people in my life after my kids finish elementary school.

I don’t think many people understand how many of these entitled send their kids to private to avoid the riff raff at Timberlane. They are the same group who are now claiming to care about those same students. Looking at you, St. James, families.

There is only a handful of kids who leave at middle school to go back to public. The vast majority of kids continue on for Catholic High School. I don’t think kids that go to Catholic school in any part of Fairfax are the people who as invested in what is going on with the boundary changes.

Their website seems to be down now, but there was a very clear message on the front page. Something along the lines of: “Protect our children’s education. Protect our property values.” There were claims that redistricting could impact their property values by 20%.

This is the Facebook group website that was created after the changes that is made by a handful of people. It doesn’t mean everyone in the neighborhood agrees with what they are writing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am most worried about my middle and high schooler who have long since done the split - and now have to be moved. Kids splitting at es level is far less disruptive than moving kids in middle/high.

Don’t be selfish though. Understand that most families don’t want to be moved - for whatever reason.

Don’t throw your neighbors under the bus.

Agreed. Let's get rid of split feeders so kids can have stability. So they don't have to be moved from one community to another. That's not being selfish. It's maximizing stability for the most number of kids.

As pointed out earlier, eliminating split feeders will result in longer commutes for some kids and actually break up rather than unite some long-established communities at the MS and HS level.

It’s easy to talk about this stuff at the 50,000 feet level. It’s when you get into the details that you realize the proposed solutions often create new problems. It’s Boundary Whack-A-Mole.

Having been through some boundary studies, I believe this to be true. I haven't always liked the decisions made, but there were reasons the SB made them.
The most egregious, however, was the 2008 South Lakes study. The South Lakes PTA ran that one. My neighborhood was not affected, but I live nearby and watched.
That attitude of the School Board towards people who wanted their kids to stay put was egregious. The community begged for a change to AP (particularly Asian American parents). They were rudely ignored.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am most worried about my middle and high schooler who have long since done the split - and now have to be moved. Kids splitting at es level is far less disruptive than moving kids in middle/high.

Moving kids at any age would be disruptive. They should confront split feeders at the middle school levels where it would only affect 1 class vs the elementary school where it could affect up to 6. In any case, FCPS should consider grandfathering or at least be upfront/clear and state their grandfathering policy. It could help calm the ire and help us all work towards solutions to tackle the real problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are at Timber Lane ES which has been a recent topic of conversation, we are in the section that has always been zoned to go to Jackson/FCHS. I always thought the split feeder stunk because the kids they were friends with would not all continue on together. But anyhow, I never cared that the other kids went to McLean, it’s just the way it has been set up. But what I have found interesting, is some of the families on the McLean side who are unhappy with the split have been arguing on how it tears their community apart. This makes sense for families that have already started middle school and high school, but some of the loudest voices still just have elementary aged students. It’s like, all the sudden the “community” they had with the families across Lee Hwy that have been with their kids for years does not matter. And they make arguments about what sports teams they join (we still live in the same area, we all join the same teams) and their sudden deep concern for the education of their title 1 neighbors. Now, I want nothing more for them to be zoned back out of FCHS because I find the parents to be pretty insufferable and cannot believe the level of entitlement. I would much rather not have to have these people in my life after my kids finish elementary school.

I don’t think many people understand how many of these entitled send their kids to private to avoid the riff raff at Timberlane. They are the same group who are now claiming to care about those same students. Looking at you, St. James, families.

There is only a handful of kids who leave at middle school to go back to public. The vast majority of kids continue on for Catholic High School. I don’t think kids that go to Catholic school in any part of Fairfax are the people who as invested in what is going on with the boundary changes.

Their website seems to be down now, but there was a very clear message on the front page. Something along the lines of: “Protect our children’s education. Protect our property values.” There were claims that redistricting could impact their property values by 20%.

I don’t know where they got 20% but I recall property values declining when Madison neighborhoods got rezoned to South Lakes years ago.

I guess we’re supposed to pretend people shouldn’t care about their property values, but a house is the primary asset for a lot of people. Those of us who own mutual funds in our 401Ks weren’t exactly oblivious when Trump’s tariff policies caused the markets to decline sharply. It’s human nature for families to care about their financial position.

It’s a common trope that it’s not the School Board’s job to protect property values, and I agree with that, but I’m not sure that it’s the School Board’s job to fund additions to schools that don’t need them, while ignoring those that do, and then backfill the former with kids from other schools to justify their allocation of capital resources.

In any case, you can build up a head of steam to support moving these kids out of McLean, and the net result may be that more families go private, Falls Church picks up a higher percentage of the FARMS kids at Timber Lane north of Route 29 than it does of the kids from the higher-income families, and McLean emerges smaller but wealthier. If that’s the juice you think is worth the squeeze, plow ahead.