FCPS HS Boundary

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Anonymous wrote:What exactly is involved in a "residency check?"

Many schools across the country do this.

You bring in a current copy of a utility bill, car tax statement, personal property tax statement, mortgage statement, or signed current lease to the office when you register your kid in FCPS. The address must be located within the school zone and have one parent or guardian's name on it.

A residency check would require parents do this each year, or the year before any rezoning is implemented.

Addresses that do not match must return to their zoned school.

Grandma's address does not work unless she is the legal guardian.

All of my kids knew of several kids attending our high school (one discussed extensively on this thread as a rezoning target) who lived in houses zoned for neighboring schools. One of my kid's friends moved during middle school from their small townhouse in zone, to a very big, nice, newer house zoned for one of the low performing schools discusses in this thread.

Their family moved in 7th grade. The kid graduated with my kid. The kid spend 8th-12th grade attending our school instead of their zoned middle and high school.

Another one of my kids friends moved at the end of elementary school from a nice house in our neighborhood to a huge house zoned for a nearby high school discussed on this thread as a good school with lower enrollment.

That family used a family member's address to stay in our middle and high school for all of 7th through 12th grade graduation. They used this address even after the house was sold to a family with kids.

Every school year my kids end up at a team party or social event at a house not zoned for our high school. Different kids, different grades, different families.

They are able to do this because FCPS only checks residency 1 time.

You could easily register your kid in kindergarten at one address, move to another pyramid in 1st grade, and stay in the original pyramid through high school graduation by not changing your address. I am sure there are plenty of families that do this, especially for middle and high school.

Perhaps the problem is not as big as it seems to me, but I think it is far bigger than FCPS wants to admit.

If they are going to rezone our high school, then they owe it to the families to 1) use accurate numbers, not inflated projections, to justify the rezoning and 2) do a full residency check prior to rezoning so affected families and the district are certain that the school is overcrowded with residents, and not falsely inflated by kids who are zoned to other high schools.

You can require proof of residency to enroll a kid. Once enrolled, it gets a lot more questionable especially if they don't have a plan for what happens if the parents don't bring documents. Regardless of whether or not the parents provide anything, the kid is already enrolled and entitled to a public education.

They could reassign the student to another school that has a lower enrollment.

In what policy is that allowed? And they would have to send a one off bus for that student.

Keep dreaming.

My point is, that WOULD BE the policy. And no, they don't have to send a "one off" bus-especially because if the parent told them where to send the bus, that would make it obvious where the student actually lives.
Parent is to provide transportation to school if the parent fails to produce proof of residence so that a school bus stop can be assigned. Simple.

Oh I see, so you’re advocating for a theoretical policy. What happens when you send the person without a car to a different school as punishment for the infraction?

Gotta think before you post.

Being removed to go to your assigned school is not a punishment.

Correct, if they were at their assigned school they would get bus service or be within the walk zone. Whereas at the out of boundary school they have to have someone drive them. One of the biggest contributors to absenteeism is the parent not getting the kid to school/to school on time, so a kid getting on the bus to their assigned school should help with the all important attendance.

Sorry maybe we’re talking past each other. I understood the original post to say someone caught skirting the rules would have their kids sent to an under enrolled school, not their base school. That’s the genesis of my pushback.

Ultimately, this seems more of an academic exercise than anything. There are just too many reasons to maintain the status quo, despite Herndon and Lewis zoned families taking advantage of it.

Anyone with $24k-$30k could probably take the rental approach with little risk.

I'm not the pp you quoted, but I believe it might be my post you are referring to?

Someone posted that "they don't have a plan for what happens if the parents don't bring documents." My response was that if parents don't have proof of residency in a school zone, the kid should be assigned to a school with the lowest enrollment.

Parent: I'm here to register my child at X high school We live at 123 Elm st., which is in the boundaries
School Registrar: Great! Do you have a lease or utility bill or other proof of residence?
Parent: No, I don't
School Registrar: Ok, then. We'll just take your word for it, even though X high school is already 20% over capacity....


vs.

Parent; I'm here to register my child at X high School. We live at 123 Elm St. which is in the boundaries
School Registrar: Great! Do you have a lease or utility bill or other proof of residence?
Parent: No, I don't
School Registrar: Well, I'm sorry but we require proof of residence. X high school is already 20% over capacity and we need to ensure we are only enrolling students who live within the boundaries. If you could, please come back with proof of residence, or we could enroll your child at Y high school because they are 15% under capacity right now. You would be responsible for providing transportation to Y High for your child.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Herndon mom here. I hope my children never have to interact with kids whose parents are happy to bend the rules for their advantage. Is that how the rich get ahead? If that is the case, I will happily stay poor, but honest. Go Herndon Hornets!

Some bend rules to get the perceived advantage of a certain school.

Some break laws to get the advantages of a certain country.

Hey Herndon mom, what do you think about the football players

exploiting the rules to attend Hayfield while living in PWC? Does it bother you, or is it okay because they are minorities and not high SES?

Herndon mom here. Not sure what you are talking about. I would say 70% of football team is White. Many play multiple sports as well. Our Hispanic community does not /cannot participate in athletics as much as the White kids.

Oh right. It probably didn't hit your radar about disadvantaged minorities bending the rules to attend a HS out of both their district and their county. Look it up. Please elaborate on why the hispanic community does not/cannot participate in athletics as much as the white kids. My son was not selected for the Lewis varsity soccer team, comprised of almost exclusively hispanic students, that recently made it to the state championships. Where is my outlet to cry about injustice?

I am sorry to hear about your son not making the boys soccer team. That is tough. Soccer, of course is huge among the Hispanic MALE community. It is a relatively inexpensive sport to play, a flat surface and a ball. Many Hispanic boys grow up playing against their older relatives in Sunday leagues. Yes, they will dominate the boys soccer rosters. However, how many Latinos do you see playing the other sports? Yes, I know about baseball, but we do not have a sizeable Caribbean diaspora in this area. Central American immigrants tend to be on the shorter size. They often won’t make the basketball or football teams. Add to that, rarely do they play on club teams in these sports. Most have to rush to a job after school or take care of their younger siblings.

About Hispanic kids getting rides to a “better” high school to cheat the system? That is a stretch.

This is obviously another equity item FFX needs to address after boundaries. All ethnic populations should be represented across football and basketball teams irrespective of physiological status. If hispanic boys want to play football or soccer someone should create an opportunity, it’s not fair they are limited to soccer. Also what is this nonsense about after school jobs and taking care of siblings? Hispanic families with 4+ kids should have some support system provided by FFX county so the oldest children can do more after school activities. There should be a law that requires only children or children with 1 sibling to provide childcare to families with 4+ children.

Regarding the athletics portion of this post: it is called “tryouts”. You make the team if you are good enough regardless of race or family imcome. Full stop!

Regarding the second issue: elementary school kids go home on the bus. There needs to be a responsible person at home to take care of them. That responsonbility often falls on an older sister. This older sister cannot participate in afterschool activities.

Oh, and then about kids having to work after school… hmm, that is quite normal for families that struggle financially. Yeah, and that kid working from 4-10 after school to help pay rent, just might “bring down” scores for the school.

There is no support system. These kids are forced to grow up before their peers.

You might ask, where are the parents? Well, they are probably cleaning your office building, after having put in a full day of work at another site.

I just cannot with the lack of empathy among some in these discussion boards.

Life is all about choices, whether it’s trying out for a sports team or not, having no children or having 10, or choosing to live in a certain area. I grew up poor and am thankful my parents *chose* to raise me outside of fairfax county so I did not have to help pay rent and instead could focus on school and sports. Who is forcing these families you describe above to live in fairfax? Are there no options for jobs and living outside of fairfax?

Where can the people who make minimum wage and do all the jobs that most of us don't want to do, yard work, cleaning houses, cleaning office buildings, child care, working at grocery stores, and the like live that is affordable? I mean, the families that choose to live off of those wages would be living a long commute away and then they need more time to get to work, reliable public transportation or a car and all the costs that go into that. And then they need older siblings home to watch younger ones because Mom and Dad or Mom or Dad are out working further away. Or they live in the area and have to work more jobs to pay the rent and utilities. Sometimes older kids take jobs to help pay those bills. They can't afford child care so siblings step in.

It is not just families living in FCPS, this is an issue across the country. And it is not poor African american or Hispanic families, there are large white families in rural areas that rely on donations from friends and the community to feed and clothe their kids. Look at the families whoa re applying for disability payments for their kids in rural America or the rust belt because they need that disability check to make ends meet.

The income gap is growing. The people you are disparaging for making poor choices have to live some where and they will pay for it in commute costs or higher rent. Either way, their kids are not going to be as focused on school and there are going to be lower test scores and programs implemented to try and help those kids in some school district.

People don't care whether or not they are focused on school. People care when there are disciplinary problems that effect other students

Langley 2022-23

Relationship Behaviors without Physical Harm 19
Behaviors of a Safety Concern 31
Behaviors that Endanger the Health, Safety, or Welfare of Self or Others 21

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/langley-high#fndtn-desktopTabs-climate

Herndon

Relationship Behaviors without Physical Harm 375
Behaviors of a Safety Concern 204
Behaviors that Endanger the Health, Safety, or Welfare of Self or Others 36

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/herndon-high#fndtn-desktopTabs-climate

And the other hot boundary topic:

West Springfield High School
2022-2023 Offenses
Number of Offenses
Behaviors that Impede Academic Progress 71
Behaviors related to School Operations 65
Relationship Behaviors without Physical Harm 35
Behaviors of a Safety Concern 78
Behaviors that Endanger the Health, Safety, or Welfare of Self or Others 29


Lewis HS
2022-2023 Offenses
Number of Offenses
Behaviors that Impede Academic Progress 140 (+100%)
Behaviors related to School Operations 463 (+750%)
Relationship Behaviors without Physical Harm 191 (+550%)
Behaviors of a Safety Concern 177 (+150%)
Behaviors that Endanger the Health, Safety, or Welfare of Self or Others 74 (+250%)

Your percentages should be adjusted for population size.

Lol, that's too much math for a Monday morning but great point, those are awful numbers considering the small Lewis population size.

Yikes

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Anonymous wrote:Interesting civil war taking place now on the FairFACTS Matters page on FB between Langley parents who are trying to protect Langley's boundaries under the guise of doing what's best for everyone in the county and hard-core conservatives like Luke Rosiak who are vocally advocating for the group to adopt an anti-immigrant stance, vote for Republican candidates, pull their kids ASAP from FCPS, and advocate for vouchers and other private school subsidies.

Not surprisingly, the insurgents (Rosiak and his sympathizers) get the support of a lot of the local parents, who are already quite conservative and have been confused by statements from FairFACTS Matters leaders suggesting that FCPS should look at public-private partnerships in Detroit as a model. Great Falls residents aren't very used to seeing Detroit held out as a useful model for their community.

If he is just pointing out what we all know— that it’s democrats who oppose school choice, favor “surging” to the border and on the county level are the ones who began working on boundary policy with an “equal outcomes for all” aim, he’s not wrong.

That group is free to prioritize other school board values like standards-based grading (another policy designed to make outcomes equal), graphic books in school libraries and boys who feel like a girl today having access to spaces meant for females OVER and above keeping their community school.

What goes on in schools is way more important than which child/neighborhood goes to which building.

In the end, most of them are democrats and will come around to the school board’s way of thinking. You’ll see.

Here’s where we will see if the rich 🤑 liberals of Great Falls really have enough money to exit the school system.

They are reacting like the rich liberals of Martha’s Vineyard when the poor brown illegals whose arrival to America they supported actually showed up in their town.
They pouted and protested and paid good money to send them away (after they gave them some sandwiches and iced tea)

What about it, Great Falls? You have enough to buy your way out of the “problem” you helped create?

It doesn’t take Martha’s Vineyard money to rent an apartment in a different school district for a few years. In fact most of us paid more in daycare for our kids than that would cost.

It’ll crowd out other families who need that housing, but that’s the law of unintended consequences.

Where there is a will, there is a way.

Where are the apartments in Langley’s district?

None yet, but that will change.

Pp swearing 100s of families are going to rent apartments to stay at Langley is pretty funny.

Well, for the mathematically challenged SJW, you just said that apartments will get moved to Langley. Unless they are apartments that are designated affordable housing, those will rent out somewhere around 2,000-2,500 per apartment. That’s 24,000 to 30,000 per year. Not a small amount of money, but less than 50-60k for elite private, and no application required.

Now, what will happen? Rents will go up pricing some LMC families out of the market and even if they don’t, these families would have to compete for those houses against Great Falls neighbors with likely higher income and credit scores. It’s no question who will get rented to. (No not because the landlords are racist, it’s just that a 750+ credit score and 200,000 per year beats 650+ and 50,000.

In summary, 24k - 30k will buy you entry into any public school that’s drivable, not even just Langley! Will everyone go this route? Surely not. But you are underestimating the willingness to pay 25k/30k for a desired school situation.

Nope. Once boundaries are changed from elementary to high school with the promise that they will be redone every five years, those people who can spare the extra tens of thousands will co op homeschool and go private.
Langley Madison Oakton McLean all the schools will be entirely new.

Renting makes sense if the boundary change is small and stable. Renting after a massive boundary change that entirely recomposes a school and that will change every few years is dumb (unless you are just really attached to the building itself).

And don’t think that the school board won’t be conducting residency checks if a school is suddenly overcrowded. Especially for Great Falls and McLean, who we all know they have deep affection for.

You think hundreds will actually rent, furnish and live in a 1,000 sq ft apartment Monday through Friday rather than stay comfortable in a 5,000 sq foot house with a backyard fire pit a short drive from Riverbend and send their kids private (or for the littles join up with other parents for co-ops)?

Nope.

Look at Langley on the map, there’s only so many farms kids that they can bring in.

Also, who said anything about living full time in those apartments?

If they move the Marshall/Langley line such that Langley now has the lower income apartments currently being built at The Exchange, but not other apartment buildings, there will not be any apartments for those families to rent inside of Langley’s district.

The Exchange is currently zoned to Westbriar/Kilmer/Marshall.

Marshall is somewhat overcrowded, but not like McLean, and Westbriar also has an attendance island in western Vienna near Reston.

If they prioritize what they are claiming to prioritize, they'd eliminate the Westbriar island, in which case it wouldn't make sense to move the Exchange out of Westbriar to Spring Hill, which already has an expanding enrollment. On the other hand, it might make sense to move the Longfellow/McLean part of Spring Hill (other Tysons apartments and condos on the other side of Route 7 from the Exchange) to Cooper/Langley to alleviate the overcrowding at McLean. Those are the apartments the Langley poster is suggesting would be purchased or rented by some seeking to avoid reassignment to Herndon.

Makes no sense. Some of Westbriar is slated for Madison. Maybe they would have part of Vienna (Wolftrap) that goes to Marshall go to Madison? Which is would increase the number of FARMS at Marshall but I doubt the SB cares.

The area where the Exchange is getting built is on the Vienna side of Tysons in the contiguous part of the Westbriar boundary, as opposed to the Westbriar attendance island.

Not sure what doesn’t make sense to you. Both Westbriar and Wolftrap are currently split feeders to Marshall and Madison. Maybe they make all of Westbriar (minus the reassigned attendance island) feed to Marshall and all of Wolftrap feed to Madison at some point.

It doesn’t make sense to have it go to Marshall which is already over capacity.

To be clear, the Exchange is getting built in an area already zoned to Westbriar/Kilmer/Marshall. It's not like they are just deciding now to assign that area off Spring Hill Road in Tysons/Vienna to those schools.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:What exactly is involved in a "residency check?"

Many schools across the country do this.

You bring in a current copy of a utility bill, car tax statement, personal property tax statement, mortgage statement, or signed current lease to the office when you register your kid in FCPS. The address must be located within the school zone and have one parent or guardian's name on it.

A residency check would require parents do this each year, or the year before any rezoning is implemented.

Addresses that do not match must return to their zoned school.

Grandma's address does not work unless she is the legal guardian.

All of my kids knew of several kids attending our high school (one discussed extensively on this thread as a rezoning target) who lived in houses zoned for neighboring schools. One of my kid's friends moved during middle school from their small townhouse in zone, to a very big, nice, newer house zoned for one of the low performing schools discusses in this thread.

Their family moved in 7th grade. The kid graduated with my kid. The kid spend 8th-12th grade attending our school instead of their zoned middle and high school.

Another one of my kids friends moved at the end of elementary school from a nice house in our neighborhood to a huge house zoned for a nearby high school discussed on this thread as a good school with lower enrollment.

That family used a family member's address to stay in our middle and high school for all of 7th through 12th grade graduation. They used this address even after the house was sold to a family with kids.

Every school year my kids end up at a team party or social event at a house not zoned for our high school. Different kids, different grades, different families.

They are able to do this because FCPS only checks residency 1 time.

You could easily register your kid in kindergarten at one address, move to another pyramid in 1st grade, and stay in the original pyramid through high school graduation by not changing your address. I am sure there are plenty of families that do this, especially for middle and high school.

Perhaps the problem is not as big as it seems to me, but I think it is far bigger than FCPS wants to admit.

If they are going to rezone our high school, then they owe it to the families to 1) use accurate numbers, not inflated projections, to justify the rezoning and 2) do a full residency check prior to rezoning so affected families and the district are certain that the school is overcrowded with residents, and not falsely inflated by kids who are zoned to other high schools.

You can require proof of residency to enroll a kid. Once enrolled, it gets a lot more questionable especially if they don't have a plan for what happens if the parents don't bring documents. Regardless of whether or not the parents provide anything, the kid is already enrolled and entitled to a public education.

They could reassign the student to another school that has a lower enrollment.

In what policy is that allowed? And they would have to send a one off bus for that student.

Keep dreaming.

My point is, that WOULD BE the policy. And no, they don't have to send a "one off" bus-especially because if the parent told them where to send the bus, that would make it obvious where the student actually lives.
Parent is to provide transportation to school if the parent fails to produce proof of residence so that a school bus stop can be assigned. Simple.

Oh I see, so you’re advocating for a theoretical policy. What happens when you send the person without a car to a different school as punishment for the infraction?

Gotta think before you post.

Being removed to go to your assigned school is not a punishment.

Correct, if they were at their assigned school they would get bus service or be within the walk zone. Whereas at the out of boundary school they have to have someone drive them. One of the biggest contributors to absenteeism is the parent not getting the kid to school/to school on time, so a kid getting on the bus to their assigned school should help with the all important attendance.

Sorry maybe we’re talking past each other. I understood the original post to say someone caught skirting the rules would have their kids sent to an under enrolled school, not their base school. That’s the genesis of my pushback.

Ultimately, this seems more of an academic exercise than anything. There are just too many reasons to maintain the status quo, despite Herndon and Lewis zoned families taking advantage of it.

Anyone with $24k-$30k could probably take the rental approach with little risk.

I'm not the pp you quoted, but I believe it might be my post you are referring to?

Someone posted that "they don't have a plan for what happens if the parents don't bring documents." My response was that if parents don't have proof of residency in a school zone, the kid should be assigned to a school with the lowest enrollment.

Parent: I'm here to register my child at X high school We live at 123 Elm st., which is in the boundaries
School Registrar: Great! Do you have a lease or utility bill or other proof of residence?
Parent: No, I don't
School Registrar: Ok, then. We'll just take your word for it, even though X high school is already 20% over capacity....


vs.

Parent; I'm here to register my child at X high School. We live at 123 Elm St. which is in the boundaries
School Registrar: Great! Do you have a lease or utility bill or other proof of residence?
Parent: No, I don't
School Registrar: Well, I'm sorry but we require proof of residence. X high school is already 20% over capacity and we need to ensure we are only enrolling students who live within the boundaries. If you could, please come back with proof of residence, or we could enroll your child at Y high school because they are 15% under capacity right now. You would be responsible for providing transportation to Y High for your child.

No, they get sent to the schools zoned for 123 Elm St. Whatever those are. Not “oh you tried to get into school A without proof, now we’re sending you to school
B because it’s below capacity, but you should really be at school C by your address.” None of that. Unless you’re talking about the families specifically claiming to be “homeless” for the football situation described in another thread, which is a separate whole ass mess.

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Anonymous wrote:Herndon mom here. I hope my children never have to interact with kids whose parents are happy to bend the rules for their advantage. Is that how the rich get ahead? If that is the case, I will happily stay poor, but honest. Go Herndon Hornets!

Some bend rules to get the perceived advantage of a certain school.

Some break laws to get the advantages of a certain country.

Hey Herndon mom, what do you think about the football players

exploiting the rules to attend Hayfield while living in PWC? Does it bother you, or is it okay because they are minorities and not high SES?

Herndon mom here. Not sure what you are talking about. I would say 70% of football team is White. Many play multiple sports as well. Our Hispanic community does not /cannot participate in athletics as much as the White kids.

Oh right. It probably didn't hit your radar about disadvantaged minorities bending the rules to attend a HS out of both their district and their county. Look it up. Please elaborate on why the hispanic community does not/cannot participate in athletics as much as the white kids. My son was not selected for the Lewis varsity soccer team, comprised of almost exclusively hispanic students, that recently made it to the state championships. Where is my outlet to cry about injustice?

I am sorry to hear about your son not making the boys soccer team. That is tough. Soccer, of course is huge among the Hispanic MALE community. It is a relatively inexpensive sport to play, a flat surface and a ball. Many Hispanic boys grow up playing against their older relatives in Sunday leagues. Yes, they will dominate the boys soccer rosters. However, how many Latinos do you see playing the other sports? Yes, I know about baseball, but we do not have a sizeable Caribbean diaspora in this area. Central American immigrants tend to be on the shorter size. They often won’t make the basketball or football teams. Add to that, rarely do they play on club teams in these sports. Most have to rush to a job after school or take care of their younger siblings.

About Hispanic kids getting rides to a “better” high school to cheat the system? That is a stretch.

This is obviously another equity item FFX needs to address after boundaries. All ethnic populations should be represented across football and basketball teams irrespective of physiological status. If hispanic boys want to play football or soccer someone should create an opportunity, it’s not fair they are limited to soccer. Also what is this nonsense about after school jobs and taking care of siblings? Hispanic families with 4+ kids should have some support system provided by FFX county so the oldest children can do more after school activities. There should be a law that requires only children or children with 1 sibling to provide childcare to families with 4+ children.

Regarding the athletics portion of this post: it is called “tryouts”. You make the team if you are good enough regardless of race or family imcome. Full stop!

Regarding the second issue: elementary school kids go home on the bus. There needs to be a responsible person at home to take care of them. That responsonbility often falls on an older sister. This older sister cannot participate in afterschool activities.

Oh, and then about kids having to work after school… hmm, that is quite normal for families that struggle financially. Yeah, and that kid working from 4-10 after school to help pay rent, just might “bring down” scores for the school.

There is no support system. These kids are forced to grow up before their peers.

You might ask, where are the parents? Well, they are probably cleaning your office building, after having put in a full day of work at another site.

I just cannot with the lack of empathy among some in these discussion boards.

Life is all about choices, whether it’s trying out for a sports team or not, having no children or having 10, or choosing to live in a certain area. I grew up poor and am thankful my parents *chose* to raise me outside of fairfax county so I did not have to help pay rent and instead could focus on school and sports. Who is forcing these families you describe above to live in fairfax? Are there no options for jobs and living outside of fairfax?

Where can the people who make minimum wage and do all the jobs that most of us don't want to do, yard work, cleaning houses, cleaning office buildings, child care, working at grocery stores, and the like live that is affordable? I mean, the families that choose to live off of those wages would be living a long commute away and then they need more time to get to work, reliable public transportation or a car and all the costs that go into that. And then they need older siblings home to watch younger ones because Mom and Dad or Mom or Dad are out working further away. Or they live in the area and have to work more jobs to pay the rent and utilities. Sometimes older kids take jobs to help pay those bills. They can't afford child care so siblings step in.

It is not just families living in FCPS, this is an issue across the country. And it is not poor African american or Hispanic families, there are large white families in rural areas that rely on donations from friends and the community to feed and clothe their kids. Look at the families whoa re applying for disability payments for their kids in rural America or the rust belt because they need that disability check to make ends meet.

The income gap is growing. The people you are disparaging for making poor choices have to live some where and they will pay for it in commute costs or higher rent. Either way, their kids are not going to be as focused on school and there are going to be lower test scores and programs implemented to try and help those kids in some school district.

People don't care whether or not they are focused on school. People care when there are disciplinary problems that effect other students

Langley 2022-23

Relationship Behaviors without Physical Harm 19
Behaviors of a Safety Concern 31
Behaviors that Endanger the Health, Safety, or Welfare of Self or Others 21

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/langley-high#fndtn-desktopTabs-climate

Herndon

Relationship Behaviors without Physical Harm 375
Behaviors of a Safety Concern 204
Behaviors that Endanger the Health, Safety, or Welfare of Self or Others 36

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/herndon-high#fndtn-desktopTabs-climate

And the other hot boundary topic:

West Springfield High School
2022-2023 Offenses
Number of Offenses
Behaviors that Impede Academic Progress 71
Behaviors related to School Operations 65
Relationship Behaviors without Physical Harm 35
Behaviors of a Safety Concern 78
Behaviors that Endanger the Health, Safety, or Welfare of Self or Others 29


Lewis HS
2022-2023 Offenses
Number of Offenses
Behaviors that Impede Academic Progress 140 (+100%)
Behaviors related to School Operations 463 (+750%)
Relationship Behaviors without Physical Harm 191 (+550%)
Behaviors of a Safety Concern 177 (+150%)
Behaviors that Endanger the Health, Safety, or Welfare of Self or Others 74 (+250%)

Your percentages should be adjusted for population size.

Oh yes they should LOL. Because WSHS has quite a few MORE students than Lewis. So “adjusted for population size” makes Lewis look even worse! LOLOL.

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Anonymous wrote:Where can we see the proposed boundary changes or is everything just speculation for now?

I have a kid at Langley and he said his friends from Great Falls may have to switch schools. I have heard about rezoning for years. These kids are smart and motivated. I don’t know how these smart kids would help the struggling kids at Herndon. On paper, the school would look better but all you are doing is moving smart white and Asian kids to Herndon. I actually think more parents would either move or switch to private before switching to Herndon. I know I would.

OMG. Herndon doesn’t care if those so-called superior kids come or not on the basis of their socio-economic basis. They don’t care if they come at all. They just want the government to make decisions without being bullied by the top 1-3% of households with high income in FCPS to do what is just in their best interest.

+1000. I helped pay for Herndon’s expansion so I expect kids who live two miles from Herndon and 10 miles from Langley to attend Herndon. Period.

They can be re-zoned there, sure. But there are already kids who live 2 miles from Herndon, are currently zoned to that school, and don’t attend.

There are also kids who live two miles from Langley who attend other schools, including Marshall and Potomac. We can’t always force kids to attend the public schools in their area, but we can at least have boundaries that aren’t obviously gerrymandered.

I’m with you. Clean up 🧹 the boundaries and motivate more parents to get their children out of FCPS.

If being zoned to the schools their kids should attend leads Great Falls parents to exit FCPS, good riddance.

+1. Herndon mom here. We don’t need disgruntled former Langley families complaining about being forced to move to FARMS school. Please go private, but continue paying those Fairfax taxes.

You don’t realize that you’re the problem, not your kids. You’re lazy and happy to take other people’s resources.

You keep saying you don’t need us, then make comments like this saying the exact opposite. Do you depend on us or do you want nothing to do with us?

I think the Herndon parents would be happy to welcome any family that attends HHS without the grumbling, kevetching, and calling the kids who attend the school gang bangers. They are less thrilled to have the families who seem to think that their kids will be attending a school that is inferior with kids that they look down on or are afraid of. To be frank, your attitude sucks. No one doubts the desire to want to provide the best you can for your child but in doing so you are spending a lot of time trashing another group of kids and their school. It is not a good look.

It may not be a good look but it reflects the attitude of Langley parents. As a group, and especially when they get together and work themselves into a collective frenzy, they are just awful.

I generally think Great Falls residents are amazing. It’s funny the SJWs in this site really have changed my political views, but not in the way that they would have hoped.

You just stereotyped all Great Falls as awful. Have fun working the PTA with people you dislike so much!

The critics forget themselves. McLean carries the financial weight of FCPS and can create its own school district, avoid this mess, preserve our home values, and ensure the richness of the schools and their programs. If we decide, what options do the critics have? In truth, nothing. McLean has all to gain and nothing to lose. It fundraises Fairfax Democrats, and any aspiring politician will toe the line. This current bunch has forgotten its place. People moved to McLean for a reason. Accept that reality and pick another target.

Go ahead. Try to incorporate McLean and create your own schools. We will get out the popcorn while we watch you make that happen. The headlines will be a fun read too.

[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:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where can we see the proposed boundary changes or is everything just speculation for now?

I have a kid at Langley and he said his friends from Great Falls may have to switch schools. I have heard about rezoning for years. These kids are smart and motivated. I don’t know how these smart kids would help the struggling kids at Herndon. On paper, the school would look better but all you are doing is moving smart white and Asian kids to Herndon. I actually think more parents would either move or switch to private before switching to Herndon. I know I would.

OMG. Herndon doesn’t care if those so-called superior kids come or not on the basis of their socio-economic basis. They don’t care if they come at all. They just want the government to make decisions without being bullied by the top 1-3% of households with high income in FCPS to do what is just in their best interest.

+1000. I helped pay for Herndon’s expansion so I expect kids who live two miles from Herndon and 10 miles from Langley to attend Herndon. Period.

They can be re-zoned there, sure. But there are already kids who live 2 miles from Herndon, are currently zoned to that school, and don’t attend.

There are also kids who live two miles from Langley who attend other schools, including Marshall and Potomac. We can’t always force kids to attend the public schools in their area, but we can at least have boundaries that aren’t obviously gerrymandered.

I’m with you. Clean up 🧹 the boundaries and motivate more parents to get their children out of FCPS.

If being zoned to the schools their kids should attend leads Great Falls parents to exit FCPS, good riddance.

+1. Herndon mom here. We don’t need disgruntled former Langley families complaining about being forced to move to FARMS school. Please go private, but continue paying those Fairfax taxes.

You don’t realize that you’re the problem, not your kids. You’re lazy and happy to take other people’s resources.

You keep saying you don’t need us, then make comments like this saying the exact opposite. Do you depend on us or do you want nothing to do with us?

I think the Herndon parents would be happy to welcome any family that attends HHS without the grumbling, kevetching, and calling the kids who attend the school gang bangers. They are less thrilled to have the families who seem to think that their kids will be attending a school that is inferior with kids that they look down on or are afraid of. To be frank, your attitude sucks. No one doubts the desire to want to provide the best you can for your child but in doing so you are spending a lot of time trashing another group of kids and their school. It is not a good look.

It may not be a good look but it reflects the attitude of Langley parents. As a group, and especially when they get together and work themselves into a collective frenzy, they are just awful.

I generally think Great Falls residents are amazing. It’s funny the SJWs in this site really have changed my political views, but not in the way that they would have hoped.

You just stereotyped all Great Falls as awful. Have fun working the PTA with people you dislike so much!

The critics forget themselves. McLean carries the financial weight of FCPS and can create its own school district, avoid this mess, preserve our home values, and ensure the richness of the schools and their programs. If we decide, what options do the critics have? In truth, nothing. McLean has all to gain and nothing to lose. It fundraises Fairfax Democrats, and any aspiring politician will toe the line. This current bunch has forgotten its place. People moved to McLean for a reason. Accept that reality and pick another target.

They actually can't

If they can't follow suit as Fairfax City and Falls Church has done (hard to believe why they couldn't secede), they could just take over the party with candidates of their choosing.

Current state law says they can't. They can try to take over the party, but good luck with that

Shhhh. This has been pointed out several times. Just sit back and watch how it goes. I’ll pass the popcorn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What exactly is involved in a "residency check?"

Many schools across the country do this.

You bring in a current copy of a utility bill, car tax statement, personal property tax statement, mortgage statement, or signed current lease to the office when you register your kid in FCPS. The address must be located within the school zone and have one parent or guardian's name on it.

A residency check would require parents do this each year, or the year before any rezoning is implemented.

Addresses that do not match must return to their zoned school.

Grandma's address does not work unless she is the legal guardian.

All of my kids knew of several kids attending our high school (one discussed extensively on this thread as a rezoning target) who lived in houses zoned for neighboring schools. One of my kid's friends moved during middle school from their small townhouse in zone, to a very big, nice, newer house zoned for one of the low performing schools discusses in this thread.

Their family moved in 7th grade. The kid graduated with my kid. The kid spend 8th-12th grade attending our school instead of their zoned middle and high school.

Another one of my kids friends moved at the end of elementary school from a nice house in our neighborhood to a huge house zoned for a nearby high school discussed on this thread as a good school with lower enrollment.

That family used a family member's address to stay in our middle and high school for all of 7th through 12th grade graduation. They used this address even after the house was sold to a family with kids.

Every school year my kids end up at a team party or social event at a house not zoned for our high school. Different kids, different grades, different families.

They are able to do this because FCPS only checks residency 1 time.

You could easily register your kid in kindergarten at one address, move to another pyramid in 1st grade, and stay in the original pyramid through high school graduation by not changing your address. I am sure there are plenty of families that do this, especially for middle and high school.

Perhaps the problem is not as big as it seems to me, but I think it is far bigger than FCPS wants to admit.

If they are going to rezone our high school, then they owe it to the families to 1) use accurate numbers, not inflated projections, to justify the rezoning and 2) do a full residency check prior to rezoning so affected families and the district are certain that the school is overcrowded with residents, and not falsely inflated by kids who are zoned to other high schools.

You can require proof of residency to enroll a kid. Once enrolled, it gets a lot more questionable especially if they don't have a plan for what happens if the parents don't bring documents. Regardless of whether or not the parents provide anything, the kid is already enrolled and entitled to a public education.

They could reassign the student to another school that has a lower enrollment.

In what policy is that allowed? And they would have to send a one off bus for that student.

Keep dreaming.

My point is, that WOULD BE the policy. And no, they don't have to send a "one off" bus-especially because if the parent told them where to send the bus, that would make it obvious where the student actually lives.
Parent is to provide transportation to school if the parent fails to produce proof of residence so that a school bus stop can be assigned. Simple.

Oh I see, so you’re advocating for a theoretical policy. What happens when you send the person without a car to a different school as punishment for the infraction?

Gotta think before you post.

Being removed to go to your assigned school is not a punishment.

Correct, if they were at their assigned school they would get bus service or be within the walk zone. Whereas at the out of boundary school they have to have someone drive them. One of the biggest contributors to absenteeism is the parent not getting the kid to school/to school on time, so a kid getting on the bus to their assigned school should help with the all important attendance.

Sorry maybe we’re talking past each other. I understood the original post to say someone caught skirting the rules would have their kids sent to an under enrolled school, not their base school. That’s the genesis of my pushback.

Ultimately, this seems more of an academic exercise than anything. There are just too many reasons to maintain the status quo, despite Herndon and Lewis zoned families taking advantage of it.

Anyone with $24k-$30k could probably take the rental approach with little risk.

Rental? There are cheap apartments near some decent schools (Madison for one). Parents can buy them as investment properties, use the address for their kid, and rent them out

So you’re suggesting fraud?

[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:What exactly is involved in a "residency check?"

Many schools across the country do this.

You bring in a current copy of a utility bill, car tax statement, personal property tax statement, mortgage statement, or signed current lease to the office when you register your kid in FCPS. The address must be located within the school zone and have one parent or guardian's name on it.

A residency check would require parents do this each year, or the year before any rezoning is implemented.

Addresses that do not match must return to their zoned school.

Grandma's address does not work unless she is the legal guardian.

All of my kids knew of several kids attending our high school (one discussed extensively on this thread as a rezoning target) who lived in houses zoned for neighboring schools. One of my kid's friends moved during middle school from their small townhouse in zone, to a very big, nice, newer house zoned for one of the low performing schools discusses in this thread.

Their family moved in 7th grade. The kid graduated with my kid. The kid spend 8th-12th grade attending our school instead of their zoned middle and high school.

Another one of my kids friends moved at the end of elementary school from a nice house in our neighborhood to a huge house zoned for a nearby high school discussed on this thread as a good school with lower enrollment.

That family used a family member's address to stay in our middle and high school for all of 7th through 12th grade graduation. They used this address even after the house was sold to a family with kids.

Every school year my kids end up at a team party or social event at a house not zoned for our high school. Different kids, different grades, different families.

They are able to do this because FCPS only checks residency 1 time.

You could easily register your kid in kindergarten at one address, move to another pyramid in 1st grade, and stay in the original pyramid through high school graduation by not changing your address. I am sure there are plenty of families that do this, especially for middle and high school.

Perhaps the problem is not as big as it seems to me, but I think it is far bigger than FCPS wants to admit.

If they are going to rezone our high school, then they owe it to the families to 1) use accurate numbers, not inflated projections, to justify the rezoning and 2) do a full residency check prior to rezoning so affected families and the district are certain that the school is overcrowded with residents, and not falsely inflated by kids who are zoned to other high schools.

You can require proof of residency to enroll a kid. Once enrolled, it gets a lot more questionable especially if they don't have a plan for what happens if the parents don't bring documents. Regardless of whether or not the parents provide anything, the kid is already enrolled and entitled to a public education.

They could reassign the student to another school that has a lower enrollment.

In what policy is that allowed? And they would have to send a one off bus for that student.

Keep dreaming.

My point is, that WOULD BE the policy. And no, they don't have to send a "one off" bus-especially because if the parent told them where to send the bus, that would make it obvious where the student actually lives.
Parent is to provide transportation to school if the parent fails to produce proof of residence so that a school bus stop can be assigned. Simple.

Oh I see, so you’re advocating for a theoretical policy. What happens when you send the person without a car to a different school as punishment for the infraction?

Gotta think before you post.

Being removed to go to your assigned school is not a punishment.

Correct, if they were at their assigned school they would get bus service or be within the walk zone. Whereas at the out of boundary school they have to have someone drive them. One of the biggest contributors to absenteeism is the parent not getting the kid to school/to school on time, so a kid getting on the bus to their assigned school should help with the all important attendance.

Sorry maybe we’re talking past each other. I understood the original post to say someone caught skirting the rules would have their kids sent to an under enrolled school, not their base school. That’s the genesis of my pushback.

Ultimately, this seems more of an academic exercise than anything. There are just too many reasons to maintain the status quo, despite Herndon and Lewis zoned families taking advantage of it.

Anyone with $24k-$30k could probably take the rental approach with little risk.

I'm not the pp you quoted, but I believe it might be my post you are referring to?

Someone posted that "they don't have a plan for what happens if the parents don't bring documents." My response was that if parents don't have proof of residency in a school zone, the kid should be assigned to a school with the lowest enrollment.

Parent: I'm here to register my child at X high school We live at 123 Elm st., which is in the boundaries
School Registrar: Great! Do you have a lease or utility bill or other proof of residence?
Parent: No, I don't
School Registrar: Ok, then. We'll just take your word for it, even though X high school is already 20% over capacity....


vs.

Parent; I'm here to register my child at X high School. We live at 123 Elm St. which is in the boundaries
School Registrar: Great! Do you have a lease or utility bill or other proof of residence?
Parent: No, I don't
School Registrar: Well, I'm sorry but we require proof of residence. X high school is already 20% over capacity and we need to ensure we are only enrolling students who live within the boundaries. If you could, please come back with proof of residence, or we could enroll your child at Y high school because they are 15% under capacity right now. You would be responsible for providing transportation to Y High for your child.

No, they get sent to the schools zoned for 123 Elm St. Whatever those are. Not “oh you tried to get into school A without proof, now we’re sending you to school
B because it’s below capacity, but you should really be at school C by your address.” None of that. Unless you’re talking about the families specifically claiming to be “homeless” for the football situation described in another thread, which is a separate whole ass mess.

Maybe that's what they are doing now and that's why some schools are overcrowded, but they shouldn't do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am sure many Great Falls parents are amazing, but there are also many loud ones who assume Herndon High School is a gang infested hell-hole. Seems like stereotyping to me. Despite having fewer legacy students, and parents with deep pockets to get their kids into all the right activities, we at Herndon, continue to send a good number of high achieving students to amazing universities.

My kid went to UVA, which may not be an Ivy league school, but from what I hear, is sought after at Langley and Mclean parents.

As I mentioned, I never thought about Herndon one way or another until this. You all are the ones putting words in our mouths calling your own school a “gang infested hell-hole”. I chose my words carefully and would never say that, in fact, I literally said a couple pages back that I’m sure there are good kids there. I also said I’ve read the articles, and from the face of it, there appears to be gang problems at the school. Call me racist or whatever you will, but we plan to avoid that dynamic for our kids - I’m still amazed that you all think that this is controversial.

I’m thrilled for you that you chose to go to Herndon and it worked out for your kids. I hope it works out for all kids at Herndon. But it isn’t the school that we signed up for, nor plan to attend. I’ll leave those UVA spots for whoever redistricting brings your way.

The time for average kids being able to get into a private high school was prior to covid. There aren't enough seats now so even the schools that used to take everyone are being choosy. If every kid in great falls starts trying to get out following a boundary change, lots of parents who thought they could choose private will be disappointed.

I think the board will catch most of the Langley kids rezoned to Herndon and West Springfield kids to Lewis.

It’s a financial hit that not everyone can take to go private unplanned. Not many people can just sell a classic car and give up their Istanbul trip and make the finances work so close to having to shell out for college. Of course, some people will opt for some kind of online high school/private tutor combination, pooling funds especially those who will refuse for safety reasons.

It’s the elementary level that will set the trends. Parents who don’t want to or can’t get into private but feel the new public school’s academics aren’t up to standard will refuse.
They can more easily and readily set up pods and co-ops, choosing good curriculums and deciding what style (Montessori, Waldorf, Classical etc) they will go with and sharing costs of supplies and deciding who has the best lower level/backyard for classes etc.
Bet you they start competing to see which co-op scores higher on yearly testing and have spelling contests and geography bees.
Those parents have years to make the finances work for private high schools, which in the meantime will have those years to expand/plan expansions.

[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:What exactly is involved in a "residency check?"

Many schools across the country do this.

You bring in a current copy of a utility bill, car tax statement, personal property tax statement, mortgage statement, or signed current lease to the office when you register your kid in FCPS. The address must be located within the school zone and have one parent or guardian's name on it.

A residency check would require parents do this each year, or the year before any rezoning is implemented.

Addresses that do not match must return to their zoned school.

Grandma's address does not work unless she is the legal guardian.

All of my kids knew of several kids attending our high school (one discussed extensively on this thread as a rezoning target) who lived in houses zoned for neighboring schools. One of my kid's friends moved during middle school from their small townhouse in zone, to a very big, nice, newer house zoned for one of the low performing schools discusses in this thread.

Their family moved in 7th grade. The kid graduated with my kid. The kid spend 8th-12th grade attending our school instead of their zoned middle and high school.

Another one of my kids friends moved at the end of elementary school from a nice house in our neighborhood to a huge house zoned for a nearby high school discussed on this thread as a good school with lower enrollment.

That family used a family member's address to stay in our middle and high school for all of 7th through 12th grade graduation. They used this address even after the house was sold to a family with kids.

Every school year my kids end up at a team party or social event at a house not zoned for our high school. Different kids, different grades, different families.

They are able to do this because FCPS only checks residency 1 time.

You could easily register your kid in kindergarten at one address, move to another pyramid in 1st grade, and stay in the original pyramid through high school graduation by not changing your address. I am sure there are plenty of families that do this, especially for middle and high school.

Perhaps the problem is not as big as it seems to me, but I think it is far bigger than FCPS wants to admit.

If they are going to rezone our high school, then they owe it to the families to 1) use accurate numbers, not inflated projections, to justify the rezoning and 2) do a full residency check prior to rezoning so affected families and the district are certain that the school is overcrowded with residents, and not falsely inflated by kids who are zoned to other high schools.

You can require proof of residency to enroll a kid. Once enrolled, it gets a lot more questionable especially if they don't have a plan for what happens if the parents don't bring documents. Regardless of whether or not the parents provide anything, the kid is already enrolled and entitled to a public education.

They could reassign the student to another school that has a lower enrollment.

In what policy is that allowed? And they would have to send a one off bus for that student.

Keep dreaming.

My point is, that WOULD BE the policy. And no, they don't have to send a "one off" bus-especially because if the parent told them where to send the bus, that would make it obvious where the student actually lives.
Parent is to provide transportation to school if the parent fails to produce proof of residence so that a school bus stop can be assigned. Simple.

Oh I see, so you’re advocating for a theoretical policy. What happens when you send the person without a car to a different school as punishment for the infraction?

Gotta think before you post.

Being removed to go to your assigned school is not a punishment.

Correct, if they were at their assigned school they would get bus service or be within the walk zone. Whereas at the out of boundary school they have to have someone drive them. One of the biggest contributors to absenteeism is the parent not getting the kid to school/to school on time, so a kid getting on the bus to their assigned school should help with the all important attendance.

Sorry maybe we’re talking past each other. I understood the original post to say someone caught skirting the rules would have their kids sent to an under enrolled school, not their base school. That’s the genesis of my pushback.

Ultimately, this seems more of an academic exercise than anything. There are just too many reasons to maintain the status quo, despite Herndon and Lewis zoned families taking advantage of it.

Anyone with $24k-$30k could probably take the rental approach with little risk.

Rental? There are cheap apartments near some decent schools (Madison for one). Parents can buy them as investment properties, use the address for their kid, and rent them out

So you’re suggesting fraud?

DP. No one is suggesting anyone do anything. She’s just pointing out a path to residency in a different school pyramid. To exist within the confines of the rules is adhering to the letter of the law, if not the equity spirit that you adamantly believe in.

[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:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where can we see the proposed boundary changes or is everything just speculation for now?

I have a kid at Langley and he said his friends from Great Falls may have to switch schools. I have heard about rezoning for years. These kids are smart and motivated. I don’t know how these smart kids would help the struggling kids at Herndon. On paper, the school would look better but all you are doing is moving smart white and Asian kids to Herndon. I actually think more parents would either move or switch to private before switching to Herndon. I know I would.

OMG. Herndon doesn’t care if those so-called superior kids come or not on the basis of their socio-economic basis. They don’t care if they come at all. They just want the government to make decisions without being bullied by the top 1-3% of households with high income in FCPS to do what is just in their best interest.

+1000. I helped pay for Herndon’s expansion so I expect kids who live two miles from Herndon and 10 miles from Langley to attend Herndon. Period.

They can be re-zoned there, sure. But there are already kids who live 2 miles from Herndon, are currently zoned to that school, and don’t attend.

There are also kids who live two miles from Langley who attend other schools, including Marshall and Potomac. We can’t always force kids to attend the public schools in their area, but we can at least have boundaries that aren’t obviously gerrymandered.

I’m with you. Clean up 🧹 the boundaries and motivate more parents to get their children out of FCPS.

If being zoned to the schools their kids should attend leads Great Falls parents to exit FCPS, good riddance.

+1. Herndon mom here. We don’t need disgruntled former Langley families complaining about being forced to move to FARMS school. Please go private, but continue paying those Fairfax taxes.

You don’t realize that you’re the problem, not your kids. You’re lazy and happy to take other people’s resources.

You keep saying you don’t need us, then make comments like this saying the exact opposite. Do you depend on us or do you want nothing to do with us?

I think the Herndon parents would be happy to welcome any family that attends HHS without the grumbling, kevetching, and calling the kids who attend the school gang bangers. They are less thrilled to have the families who seem to think that their kids will be attending a school that is inferior with kids that they look down on or are afraid of. To be frank, your attitude sucks. No one doubts the desire to want to provide the best you can for your child but in doing so you are spending a lot of time trashing another group of kids and their school. It is not a good look.

It may not be a good look but it reflects the attitude of Langley parents. As a group, and especially when they get together and work themselves into a collective frenzy, they are just awful.

I generally think Great Falls residents are amazing. It’s funny the SJWs in this site really have changed my political views, but not in the way that they would have hoped.

You just stereotyped all Great Falls as awful. Have fun working the PTA with people you dislike so much!

The critics forget themselves. McLean carries the financial weight of FCPS and can create its own school district, avoid this mess, preserve our home values, and ensure the richness of the schools and their programs. If we decide, what options do the critics have? In truth, nothing. McLean has all to gain and nothing to lose. It fundraises Fairfax Democrats, and any aspiring politician will toe the line. This current bunch has forgotten its place. People moved to McLean for a reason. Accept that reality and pick another target.

Go ahead. Try to incorporate McLean and create your own schools. We will get out the popcorn while we watch you make that happen. The headlines will be a fun read too.

I think you've lost the plot.

McLean is largely sitting out this boundary discussion. If you live in McLean you're still going to end up at Langley, McLean, or Marshall (or TJ). You aren't agitated like the Great Falls posters, who are upset about the prospect of going to Herndon and in some cases blame McLean for (1) voting for Democrats and/or (2) having kids who might get rezoned from McLean to Langley (thus prompting the possible Langley-to-Herndon move).

No one in McLean thinks it's going to incorporate as a separate jurisdiction, especially with the recent extension of the moratorium through 2032. The MCA had a small committee looking at incorporation, which it disbanded once the state legislature extended the prohibition and Youngkin signed the bill.

[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:What exactly is involved in a "residency check?"

Many schools across the country do this.

You bring in a current copy of a utility bill, car tax statement, personal property tax statement, mortgage statement, or signed current lease to the office when you register your kid in FCPS. The address must be located within the school zone and have one parent or guardian's name on it.

A residency check would require parents do this each year, or the year before any rezoning is implemented.

Addresses that do not match must return to their zoned school.

Grandma's address does not work unless she is the legal guardian.

All of my kids knew of several kids attending our high school (one discussed extensively on this thread as a rezoning target) who lived in houses zoned for neighboring schools. One of my kid's friends moved during middle school from their small townhouse in zone, to a very big, nice, newer house zoned for one of the low performing schools discusses in this thread.

Their family moved in 7th grade. The kid graduated with my kid. The kid spend 8th-12th grade attending our school instead of their zoned middle and high school.

Another one of my kids friends moved at the end of elementary school from a nice house in our neighborhood to a huge house zoned for a nearby high school discussed on this thread as a good school with lower enrollment.

That family used a family member's address to stay in our middle and high school for all of 7th through 12th grade graduation. They used this address even after the house was sold to a family with kids.

Every school year my kids end up at a team party or social event at a house not zoned for our high school. Different kids, different grades, different families.

They are able to do this because FCPS only checks residency 1 time.

You could easily register your kid in kindergarten at one address, move to another pyramid in 1st grade, and stay in the original pyramid through high school graduation by not changing your address. I am sure there are plenty of families that do this, especially for middle and high school.

Perhaps the problem is not as big as it seems to me, but I think it is far bigger than FCPS wants to admit.

If they are going to rezone our high school, then they owe it to the families to 1) use accurate numbers, not inflated projections, to justify the rezoning and 2) do a full residency check prior to rezoning so affected families and the district are certain that the school is overcrowded with residents, and not falsely inflated by kids who are zoned to other high schools.

You can require proof of residency to enroll a kid. Once enrolled, it gets a lot more questionable especially if they don't have a plan for what happens if the parents don't bring documents. Regardless of whether or not the parents provide anything, the kid is already enrolled and entitled to a public education.

They could reassign the student to another school that has a lower enrollment.

In what policy is that allowed? And they would have to send a one off bus for that student.

Keep dreaming.

My point is, that WOULD BE the policy. And no, they don't have to send a "one off" bus-especially because if the parent told them where to send the bus, that would make it obvious where the student actually lives.
Parent is to provide transportation to school if the parent fails to produce proof of residence so that a school bus stop can be assigned. Simple.

Oh I see, so you’re advocating for a theoretical policy. What happens when you send the person without a car to a different school as punishment for the infraction?

Gotta think before you post.

Being removed to go to your assigned school is not a punishment.

Correct, if they were at their assigned school they would get bus service or be within the walk zone. Whereas at the out of boundary school they have to have someone drive them. One of the biggest contributors to absenteeism is the parent not getting the kid to school/to school on time, so a kid getting on the bus to their assigned school should help with the all important attendance.

Sorry maybe we’re talking past each other. I understood the original post to say someone caught skirting the rules would have their kids sent to an under enrolled school, not their base school. That’s the genesis of my pushback.

Ultimately, this seems more of an academic exercise than anything. There are just too many reasons to maintain the status quo, despite Herndon and Lewis zoned families taking advantage of it.

Anyone with $24k-$30k could probably take the rental approach with little risk.

Rental? There are cheap apartments near some decent schools (Madison for one). Parents can buy them as investment properties, use the address for their kid, and rent them out

So you’re suggesting fraud?

I don’t understand. If someone suggests renting a property in another district and claiming it as their residence that’s fraud and fcps will catch them in the act. Yet for the thousands of kids at schools where they don’t reside the school board can’t ask them to prove residency? If those same kids who currently aren’t at their zoned school are making schools over capacity why is it justified for them to stay and the school system look the other way and in the meantime we’ll blow up boundaries all over the county to accommodate them. And I’m not just talking about great falls WSHS. What about Chantilly. Woodson is also projected to remain over capacity. Marshall. Etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where can we see the proposed boundary changes or is everything just speculation for now?

I have a kid at Langley and he said his friends from Great Falls may have to switch schools. I have heard about rezoning for years. These kids are smart and motivated. I don’t know how these smart kids would help the struggling kids at Herndon. On paper, the school would look better but all you are doing is moving smart white and Asian kids to Herndon. I actually think more parents would either move or switch to private before switching to Herndon. I know I would.

OMG. Herndon doesn’t care if those so-called superior kids come or not on the basis of their socio-economic basis. They don’t care if they come at all. They just want the government to make decisions without being bullied by the top 1-3% of households with high income in FCPS to do what is just in their best interest.

+1000. I helped pay for Herndon’s expansion so I expect kids who live two miles from Herndon and 10 miles from Langley to attend Herndon. Period.

They can be re-zoned there, sure. But there are already kids who live 2 miles from Herndon, are currently zoned to that school, and don’t attend.

There are also kids who live two miles from Langley who attend other schools, including Marshall and Potomac. We can’t always force kids to attend the public schools in their area, but we can at least have boundaries that aren’t obviously gerrymandered.

I’m with you. Clean up 🧹 the boundaries and motivate more parents to get their children out of FCPS.

If being zoned to the schools their kids should attend leads Great Falls parents to exit FCPS, good riddance.

+1. Herndon mom here. We don’t need disgruntled former Langley families complaining about being forced to move to FARMS school. Please go private, but continue paying those Fairfax taxes.

You don’t realize that you’re the problem, not your kids. You’re lazy and happy to take other people’s resources.

You keep saying you don’t need us, then make comments like this saying the exact opposite. Do you depend on us or do you want nothing to do with us?

I think the Herndon parents would be happy to welcome any family that attends HHS without the grumbling, kevetching, and calling the kids who attend the school gang bangers. They are less thrilled to have the families who seem to think that their kids will be attending a school that is inferior with kids that they look down on or are afraid of. To be frank, your attitude sucks. No one doubts the desire to want to provide the best you can for your child but in doing so you are spending a lot of time trashing another group of kids and their school. It is not a good look.

It may not be a good look but it reflects the attitude of Langley parents. As a group, and especially when they get together and work themselves into a collective frenzy, they are just awful.

I generally think Great Falls residents are amazing. It’s funny the SJWs in this site really have changed my political views, but not in the way that they would have hoped.

You just stereotyped all Great Falls as awful. Have fun working the PTA with people you dislike so much!

The critics forget themselves. McLean carries the financial weight of FCPS and can create its own school district, avoid this mess, preserve our home values, and ensure the richness of the schools and their programs. If we decide, what options do the critics have? In truth, nothing. McLean has all to gain and nothing to lose. It fundraises Fairfax Democrats, and any aspiring politician will toe the line. This current bunch has forgotten its place. People moved to McLean for a reason. Accept that reality and pick another target.

Go ahead. Try to incorporate McLean and create your own schools. We will get out the popcorn while we watch you make that happen. The headlines will be a fun read too.

I think you've lost the plot.

McLean is largely sitting out this boundary discussion. If you live in McLean you're still going to end up at Langley, McLean, or Marshall (or TJ). You aren't agitated like the Great Falls posters, who are upset about the prospect of going to Herndon and in some cases blame McLean for (1) voting for Democrats and/or (2) having kids who might get rezoned from McLean to Langley (thus prompting the possible Langley-to-Herndon move).

No one in McLean thinks it's going to incorporate as a separate jurisdiction, especially with the recent extension of the moratorium through 2032. The MCA had a small committee looking at incorporation, which it disbanded once the state legislature extended the prohibition and Youngkin signed the bill.

Most people are sitting this out. The only people who are really upset are the people who live in ares that are highly likely to be rezoned to schools they deem less desirable. We are mainly reading posts from people who are in Great Falls and know that they might be moved to Herndon and the WSHS families who might be moved to Lewis. I have not seen many posts from people coming out of Chantilly or Centerville probably because they know the schools need relief and most of the alternative HSs are solid schools. I am guessing parents would prefer not to move but they are less up in arms because where they might be moved is less objectionable and they know that the schools are crowded.

There are parents wh are happy with the upcoming changes because they hope that it will improve their school and help their kids. But most of the County knows that their kids are not in the margins that are going to be shifted and are not that worried about it. I don't think anyone really expects that the school board is going to shift boundaries every 5 years. Most people understand that more periodic reviews should help to decrease some of the utilization issues that exist now.

[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:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where can we see the proposed boundary changes or is everything just speculation for now?

I have a kid at Langley and he said his friends from Great Falls may have to switch schools. I have heard about rezoning for years. These kids are smart and motivated. I don’t know how these smart kids would help the struggling kids at Herndon. On paper, the school would look better but all you are doing is moving smart white and Asian kids to Herndon. I actually think more parents would either move or switch to private before switching to Herndon. I know I would.

OMG. Herndon doesn’t care if those so-called superior kids come or not on the basis of their socio-economic basis. They don’t care if they come at all. They just want the government to make decisions without being bullied by the top 1-3% of households with high income in FCPS to do what is just in their best interest.

+1000. I helped pay for Herndon’s expansion so I expect kids who live two miles from Herndon and 10 miles from Langley to attend Herndon. Period.

They can be re-zoned there, sure. But there are already kids who live 2 miles from Herndon, are currently zoned to that school, and don’t attend.

There are also kids who live two miles from Langley who attend other schools, including Marshall and Potomac. We can’t always force kids to attend the public schools in their area, but we can at least have boundaries that aren’t obviously gerrymandered.

I’m with you. Clean up 🧹 the boundaries and motivate more parents to get their children out of FCPS.

If being zoned to the schools their kids should attend leads Great Falls parents to exit FCPS, good riddance.

+1. Herndon mom here. We don’t need disgruntled former Langley families complaining about being forced to move to FARMS school. Please go private, but continue paying those Fairfax taxes.

You don’t realize that you’re the problem, not your kids. You’re lazy and happy to take other people’s resources.

You keep saying you don’t need us, then make comments like this saying the exact opposite. Do you depend on us or do you want nothing to do with us?

I think the Herndon parents would be happy to welcome any family that attends HHS without the grumbling, kevetching, and calling the kids who attend the school gang bangers. They are less thrilled to have the families who seem to think that their kids will be attending a school that is inferior with kids that they look down on or are afraid of. To be frank, your attitude sucks. No one doubts the desire to want to provide the best you can for your child but in doing so you are spending a lot of time trashing another group of kids and their school. It is not a good look.

It may not be a good look but it reflects the attitude of Langley parents. As a group, and especially when they get together and work themselves into a collective frenzy, they are just awful.

I generally think Great Falls residents are amazing. It’s funny the SJWs in this site really have changed my political views, but not in the way that they would have hoped.

You just stereotyped all Great Falls as awful. Have fun working the PTA with people you dislike so much!

The critics forget themselves. McLean carries the financial weight of FCPS and can create its own school district, avoid this mess, preserve our home values, and ensure the richness of the schools and their programs. If we decide, what options do the critics have? In truth, nothing. McLean has all to gain and nothing to lose. It fundraises Fairfax Democrats, and any aspiring politician will toe the line. This current bunch has forgotten its place. People moved to McLean for a reason. Accept that reality and pick another target.

Go ahead. Try to incorporate McLean and create your own schools. We will get out the popcorn while we watch you make that happen. The headlines will be a fun read too.

I think you've lost the plot.

McLean is largely sitting out this boundary discussion. If you live in McLean you're still going to end up at Langley, McLean, or Marshall (or TJ). You aren't agitated like the Great Falls posters, who are upset about the prospect of going to Herndon and in some cases blame McLean for (1) voting for Democrats and/or (2) having kids who might get rezoned from McLean to Langley (thus prompting the possible Langley-to-Herndon move).

No one in McLean thinks it's going to incorporate as a separate jurisdiction, especially with the recent extension of the moratorium through 2032. The MCA had a small committee looking at incorporation, which it disbanded once the state legislature extended the prohibition and Youngkin signed the bill.

Most people are sitting this out. The only people who are really upset are the people who live in ares that are highly likely to be rezoned to schools they deem less desirable. We are mainly reading posts from people who are in Great Falls and know that they might be moved to Herndon and the WSHS families who might be moved to Lewis. I have not seen many posts from people coming out of Chantilly or Centerville probably because they know the schools need relief and most of the alternative HSs are solid schools. I am guessing parents would prefer not to move but they are less up in arms because where they might be moved is less objectionable and they know that the schools are crowded.

There are parents wh are happy with the upcoming changes because they hope that it will improve their school and help their kids. But most of the County knows that their kids are not in the margins that are going to be shifted and are not that worried about it. I don't think anyone really expects that the school board is going to shift boundaries every 5 years. Most people understand that more periodic reviews should help to decrease some of the utilization issues that exist now.

Or, it just isn’t on a lot of people’s radar yet. When the maps come out is when the real outrage will begin.

Then repeat every five years.