FCPS comprehensive boundary review

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would love to know more about the $$$being spent on the boundary review.

$500K for a contractor to draw lines. I'd like to know a lot more about that contract. Is there a "costplus"? Overrun charges?? etc.
and, this doesn't cover the cost of all the meetings at night--custodians, staffers, etc. working overtime. How much was put aside for that?
Someone has to run the remote meetings, too.

The input at the meetings are clear: the community does not want this. They want to stay where they are.

Here is a fact: school systems were formed to educate our children. Drawing boundary lines does not do that.

And, while there may be a school here and there that benefits from this, the overall outcome will scare people away from FCPS.

They have a whole facilities planning department. Full-time employees with benefits who can and have done boundary changes in the past. Smaller school systems do not have this and can make a much better case for hiring outside consultants. Wasteful.

To be fair, the facilities staff totally screwed up a number of its recent boundary changes. Not that outside consultants with no real familiarity with the county will do better. They just add a layer of deniability for the results. For politicians like Karl Frisch that’s easily worth at least $500K of someone else’s money.

I have never seen a boundary study (and I have been involved in at least three) that did not come down to what the SB members had predetermined. A few adjustments here and there, but pretty much predetermined by politics. In other words, V's neighborhood will get what she demands.

Hey, years of abjectly kissing the ass of School Board members at board meetings has to count for something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where are some of you getting the rumors or how it work?

I checked the FCPS website on redistricting - most of what's presented on this thread is not mentioned.

The rules of redistricting for example someone mentioned: Rising Seniors are exempt - how would buses work?

Stating Language exceptions - they are using Virtual if your school doesn't offer not only the language but almost any other class not offered in the HS.

Trying to fact-check to prepare for the future - is there a source of truth?

The website is not accurate.

Go watch the daytime work sessions. They are mostly available online.

The daytime meetings paint a very different picture than the website explaining rezoning.

The redistricting webpage is designed to minimize upset parents calling and emailing their school board reps.

The daytime work sessions and summer school board meetings show a more accurate picture of all the things left out of the webpage

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are some of you getting the rumors or how it work?

I checked the FCPS website on redistricting - most of what's presented on this thread is not mentioned.

The rules of redistricting for example someone mentioned: Rising Seniors are exempt - how would buses work?

Stating Language exceptions - they are using Virtual if your school doesn't offer not only the language but almost any other class not offered in the HS.

Trying to fact-check to prepare for the future - is there a source of truth?

The website is not accurate.

Go watch the daytime work sessions. They are mostly available online.

The daytime meetings paint a very different picture than the website explaining rezoning.

The redistricting webpage is designed to minimize upset parents calling and emailing their school board reps.

The daytime work sessions and summer school board meetings show a more accurate picture of all the things left out of the webpage

Also, some of SB members meetings/townhalls with parents. Robyn Lady has a couple of choice meetings posted online. Troubling. She's not my SB member. but she is quite influential.

[Anonymous]

So they are trying to increase our tax rate again while they jam through these immensely unpopular boundary changes?

GD, our county government is nothing if not bold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So they are trying to increase our tax rate again while they jam through these immensely unpopular boundary changes?

GD, our county government is nothing if not bold.

Well, with the boundary mess and layoffs, value will go down. This is a way to recover the funds lost by our esteemed SB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are some of you getting the rumors or how it work?

I checked the FCPS website on redistricting - most of what's presented on this thread is not mentioned.

The rules of redistricting for example someone mentioned: Rising Seniors are exempt - how would buses work?

Stating Language exceptions - they are using Virtual if your school doesn't offer not only the language but almost any other class not offered in the HS.

Trying to fact-check to prepare for the future - is there a source of truth?

The website is not accurate.

Go watch the daytime work sessions. They are mostly available online.

The daytime meetings paint a very different picture than the website explaining rezoning.

The redistricting webpage is designed to minimize upset parents calling and emailing their school board reps.

The daytime work sessions and summer school board meetings show a more accurate picture of all the things left out of the webpage

This was true in 2019, and it's true now.

I remember Voices of Fairfax at back-to-school nights handing out flyers with links.

It was a little bit of a pain to have to type them in, but if you were too lazy as a voter to look it up after being notified of the issue...

[Anonymous]

Reid has really ruined FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reid has really ruined FCPS.

Brabrand was the Superintendent when the School Board started to talk about the "nuclear option," which is the county-wide boundary review.

They backed off to get re-elected in 2019, and then Covid and TJ admissions reform got more attention, but the comprehensive review has long been a goal of the Democrats running the School Board. They are beholden to the UMC parents at the low-performing schools who want more white/Asian kids at their schools and fewer Black/Hispanic kids (and, if that's no longer feasible, simply more white/Asian kids at their schools).

Karen Keys Gamarra told people in 2019 that Langley residents needed to be "taught a lesson" since they did not want to move to Herndon. She's moved on to the state legislature, but those there now think just like she does.

It's taken years, but they are now doing what they wanted to do back in 2018. Reid puts a happy face on the chaos, but she's not the architect of this review. It's the Democrats like Frisch, Lady, Meren, Sizemore-Heizer, etc.

And, yes, I stress that this is a Democratic initiative because people need to understand that they have no grounds to object to what's coming down the pike if they keep voting the same people into office.

[Anonymous]

So - I checked the calendar; We should be ending "Data Collection" phase and begin the "Draft Analysis and Draft Scenarios" phase;

June 2025 is the "Community Engagement";

So - the items I'm reading on the thread seem to be more speculation? what am I missing?

I'm looking at HS utilization - Herndon is at 114% and Langley is at 90%. McLean and Marshall are at 128% and 119%. Why is there so much talk about moving kids from Langley to Herndon? You are going to move from a less utilized to over utilized school to teach Langley parents a lesson? I can see moving kids from McLean to Langley the schools are close to each other. Marshall to Falls Church. Falls Church to Annandale;

South Fairfax has the greatest capacity. Logic would indicate shift of students north to south.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So - I checked the calendar; We should be ending "Data Collection" phase and begin the "Draft Analysis and Draft Scenarios" phase;

June 2025 is the "Community Engagement";

So - the items I'm reading on the thread seem to be more speculation? what am I missing?

I'm looking at HS utilization - Herndon is at 114% and Langley is at 90%. McLean and Marshall are at 128% and 119%. Why is there so much talk about moving kids from Langley to Herndon? You are going to move from a less utilized to over utilized school to teach Langley parents a lesson? I can see moving kids from McLean to Langley the schools are close to each other. Marshall to Falls Church. Falls Church to Annandale;

South Fairfax has the greatest capacity. Logic would indicate shift of students north to south.

Because this boundary plan was never about capacity and utilization. It is about One Fairfax and socioeconomic rebalancing, even if the SB is trying to rebrand it now. They were explicit about One Fairfax driving the bus until the lawyers told them to be quiet. Moving kids from McLean to Langley does not achieve any One Fairfax objectives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reid has really ruined FCPS.

Brabrand was the Superintendent when the School Board started to talk about the "nuclear option," which is the county-wide boundary review.

They backed off to get re-elected in 2019, and then Covid and TJ admissions reform got more attention, but the comprehensive review has long been a goal of the Democrats running the School Board. They are beholden to the UMC parents at the low-performing schools who want more white/Asian kids at their schools and fewer Black/Hispanic kids (and, if that's no longer feasible, simply more white/Asian kids at their schools).

Karen Keys Gamarra told people in 2019 that Langley residents needed to be "taught a lesson" since they did not want to move to Herndon. She's moved on to the state legislature, but those there now think just like she does.

It's taken years, but they are now doing what they wanted to do back in 2018. Reid puts a happy face on the chaos, but she's not the architect of this review. It's the Democrats like Frisch, Lady, Meren, Sizemore-Heizer, etc.

And, yes, I stress that this is a Democratic initiative because people need to understand that they have no grounds to object to what's coming down the pike if they keep voting the same people into office.

Correct. Reid is just a puppet for the school board, She is hired by the Board, reports to the Board, is evaluated by the Board, and can be removed by the Board. She is merely there to implement school board policy and guidance. If you have issues, it should be with the school board that the people elected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So - I checked the calendar; We should be ending "Data Collection" phase and begin the "Draft Analysis and Draft Scenarios" phase;

June 2025 is the "Community Engagement";

So - the items I'm reading on the thread seem to be more speculation? what am I missing?

I'm looking at HS utilization - Herndon is at 114% and Langley is at 90%. McLean and Marshall are at 128% and 119%. Why is there so much talk about moving kids from Langley to Herndon? You are going to move from a less utilized to over utilized school to teach Langley parents a lesson? I can see moving kids from McLean to Langley the schools are close to each other. Marshall to Falls Church. Falls Church to Annandale;

South Fairfax has the greatest capacity. Logic would indicate shift of students north to south.

Because this boundary plan was never about capacity and utilization. It is about One Fairfax and socioeconomic rebalancing, even if the SB is trying to rebrand it now. They were explicit about One Fairfax driving the bus until the lawyers told them to be quiet. Moving kids from McLean to Langley does not achieve any One Fairfax objectives.

I also checked the "One Fairfax" policy - I didn't see how moving kids from Langley to Herndon would help? Are you saying in layman's terms: they want to mix rich and poor or one race with another? If that's the case - they need to move kids to Langley. As is Herndon is very diverse from the range of: rich to poor. The homes closer to Langley are probably on the higher end which probably wont help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So - I checked the calendar; We should be ending "Data Collection" phase and begin the "Draft Analysis and Draft Scenarios" phase;

June 2025 is the "Community Engagement";

So - the items I'm reading on the thread seem to be more speculation? what am I missing?

I'm looking at HS utilization - Herndon is at 114% and Langley is at 90%. McLean and Marshall are at 128% and 119%. Why is there so much talk about moving kids from Langley to Herndon? You are going to move from a less utilized to over utilized school to teach Langley parents a lesson? I can see moving kids from McLean to Langley the schools are close to each other. Marshall to Falls Church. Falls Church to Annandale;

South Fairfax has the greatest capacity. Logic would indicate shift of students north to south.

No idea where you’re getting these Herndon numbers from. FCPS has Herndon HS at 69% capacity in 2029-30.

And no one wants to be shifted south into low performing schools that often have unattractive IB programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So - I checked the calendar; We should be ending "Data Collection" phase and begin the "Draft Analysis and Draft Scenarios" phase;

June 2025 is the "Community Engagement";

So - the items I'm reading on the thread seem to be more speculation? what am I missing?

I'm looking at HS utilization - Herndon is at 114% and Langley is at 90%. McLean and Marshall are at 128% and 119%. Why is there so much talk about moving kids from Langley to Herndon? You are going to move from a less utilized to over utilized school to teach Langley parents a lesson? I can see moving kids from McLean to Langley the schools are close to each other. Marshall to Falls Church. Falls Church to Annandale;

South Fairfax has the greatest capacity. Logic would indicate shift of students north to south.

Because this boundary plan was never about capacity and utilization. It is about One Fairfax and socioeconomic rebalancing, even if the SB is trying to rebrand it now. They were explicit about One Fairfax driving the bus until the lawyers told them to be quiet. Moving kids from McLean to Langley does not achieve any One Fairfax objectives.

I also checked the "One Fairfax" policy - I didn't see how moving kids from Langley to Herndon would help? Are you saying in layman's terms: they want to mix rich and poor or one race with another? If that's the case - they need to move kids to Langley. As is Herndon is very diverse from the range of: rich to poor. The homes closer to Langley are probably on the higher end which probably wont help.

They can move kids from Tysons apartments to Langley (including some of the affordable housing complexes zoned to Marshall) and move western Great Falls to Herndon if they want. Would add some greater economic diversity to Langley and reduce the concentration of poverty at Herndon. And they can justify it as relieving current/future overcrowding at McLean and Marshall and reducing transportation times for kids in western Great Falls.

Will they do this? Who knows. Are there other possibilities? Certainly. But you have not been paying attention if you don’t know there’s a path to moving Langley kids to Herndon if they are so inclined that would survive legal scrutiny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So - I checked the calendar; We should be ending "Data Collection" phase and begin the "Draft Analysis and Draft Scenarios" phase;

June 2025 is the "Community Engagement";

So - the items I'm reading on the thread seem to be more speculation? what am I missing?

I'm looking at HS utilization - Herndon is at 114% and Langley is at 90%. McLean and Marshall are at 128% and 119%. Why is there so much talk about moving kids from Langley to Herndon? You are going to move from a less utilized to over utilized school to teach Langley parents a lesson? I can see moving kids from McLean to Langley the schools are close to each other. Marshall to Falls Church. Falls Church to Annandale;

South Fairfax has the greatest capacity. Logic would indicate shift of students north to south.

Because this boundary plan was never about capacity and utilization. It is about One Fairfax and socioeconomic rebalancing, even if the SB is trying to rebrand it now. They were explicit about One Fairfax driving the bus until the lawyers told them to be quiet. Moving kids from McLean to Langley does not achieve any One Fairfax objectives.

I also checked the "One Fairfax" policy - I didn't see how moving kids from Langley to Herndon would help? Are you saying in layman's terms: they want to mix rich and poor or one race with another? If that's the case - they need to move kids to Langley. As is Herndon is very diverse from the range of: rich to poor. The homes closer to Langley are probably on the higher end which probably wont help.

They can move kids from Tysons apartments to Langley (including some of the affordable housing complexes zoned to Marshall) and move western Great Falls to Herndon if they want. Would add some greater economic diversity to Langley and reduce the concentration of poverty at Herndon. And they can justify it as relieving current/future overcrowding at McLean and Marshall and reducing transportation times for kids in western Great Falls.

Will they do this? Who knows. Are there other possibilities? Certainly. But you have not been paying attention if you don’t know there’s a path to moving Langley kids to Herndon if they are so inclined that would survive legal scrutiny.

I've been paying attention and looked for some confirming documentation, meeting recordings, etc. Space and Distance constraints are a reality. Even if you double the busses the schools wont be able to open on time. The only way I see the dominos falling are north to south. Like I said - moving kids from Langley to Herndon would make Herndon kids move to somewhere else. Ok where? South Lakes has capacity. The homes between Langley and HHS are not in poverty.

If you are thinking a 1960s style bussing between White and Black HS - I just don't see that happening. The Supreme Court already ruled against it and this was during Bush Jr's term. Take a look at "Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1". The reality is that the distance to schools(and school capacity) are a major factor. If you can't work that out first then it gets stricken down by every Federal Court. Just don't see the same conservative Court overturning it's own ruling or the new conservative judges going the other way.