FCPS comprehensive boundary review

[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.

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.

Can you show me your source? This is the only one I could find: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/high2019-20.pdf

I know mine is 5 years old but that's all I could find on the web-site.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Herndon HS just got a big expansion. Moving Langley kids to Herndon wouldn’t require them to move Herndon kids anywhere.

Of course they are not going to say they are changing boundaries now for explicit racial balancing.

[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.

Which is why a boundary change between McLean and Langley was not timed to coincide with the completion of Langley's expansion/renovation. The schools are 2 miles apart and it was an obvious change to relieve overcrowding at McLean.

[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.

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.

Can you show me your source? This is the only one I could find: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/high2019-20.pdf

I know mine is 5 years old but that's all I could find on the web-site.

You are looking at an old document with capacity numbers that predate Herndon’s expansion.

The latest: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Draft-Proposed-CIP-FY2026-30.pdf

[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.

Which is why a boundary change between McLean and Langley was not timed to coincide with the completion of Langley's expansion/renovation. The schools are 2 miles apart and it was an obvious change to relieve overcrowding at McLean.

McLean was already overcrowded when Langley’s renovation was completed in 2018.

Janie Strauss wanted to get the Langley/McLean boundaries adjusted to coincide with the completion of Langley’s renovation. The other School Board members wouldn’t go along because they were already toying with the idea of the “nuclear option” - the county-wide review now taking place.

They temporarily dropped the “nuclear option” during Covid and Strauss’s successor, Elaine Tholen, went ahead and got them to do a one-off Langley/McLean adjustment in 2021. It wasn’t a long-term fix but it provided some relief.

[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.

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.

Can you show me your source? This is the only one I could find: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/high2019-20.pdf

I know mine is 5 years old but that's all I could find on the web-site.

You are looking at an old document with capacity numbers that predate Herndon’s expansion.

The latest: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Draft-Proposed-CIP-FY2026-30.pdf

Thx. This document goes wildly the other way - Centerville/Chantilly boxed in Wakefield. They need to go North to Herndon/South Lakes/ Oakton/ Madison. Not sure about the racial-balancing conspiracy. You have your hands full just balancing capacity.

If you target Langley to Herndon that would be at the expense of Centerville and Chantilly. If these are the numbers they are going by then no-choice. Madison and Herndon are the only path for these schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

Can you show me your source? This is the only one I could find: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/high2019-20.pdf

I know mine is 5 years old but that's all I could find on the web-site.

You are looking at an old document with capacity numbers that predate Herndon’s expansion.

The latest: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Draft-Proposed-CIP-FY2026-30.pdf

Thx. This document goes wildly the other way - Centerville/Chantilly boxed in Wakefield. They need to go North to Herndon/South Lakes/ Oakton/ Madison. Not sure about the racial-balancing conspiracy. You have your hands full just balancing capacity.

If you target Langley to Herndon that would be at the expense of Centerville and Chantilly. If these are the numbers they are going by then no-choice. Madison and Herndon are the only path for these schools.

The CIP they just approved provided for a major expansion of Centreville to 3000 seats.

Chantilly families are in no rush to move and the enrollment is projected to decline.

There are some parents absolutely obsessed with filling up Herndon with kids from schools other than Langley.

[Anonymous]

No Chantilly feeders share a boundary with Herndon. They could send Coates (Westfield), but they won't do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

Can you show me your source? This is the only one I could find: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/high2019-20.pdf

I know mine is 5 years old but that's all I could find on the web-site.

You are looking at an old document with capacity numbers that predate Herndon’s expansion.

The latest: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Draft-Proposed-CIP-FY2026-30.pdf

Thx. This document goes wildly the other way - Centerville/Chantilly boxed in Wakefield. They need to go North to Herndon/South Lakes/ Oakton/ Madison. Not sure about the racial-balancing conspiracy. You have your hands full just balancing capacity.

If you target Langley to Herndon that would be at the expense of Centerville and Chantilly. If these are the numbers they are going by then no-choice. Madison and Herndon are the only path for these schools.

The CIP they just approved provided for a major expansion of Centreville to 3000 seats.

Chantilly families are in no rush to move and the enrollment is projected to decline.

There are some parents absolutely obsessed with filling up Herndon with kids from schools other than Langley.

DP. When will the centreville expansion be complete? I don’t remember a bond referendum approving that construction. Is it funded or unfunded?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

Can you show me your source? This is the only one I could find: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/high2019-20.pdf

I know mine is 5 years old but that's all I could find on the web-site.

You are looking at an old document with capacity numbers that predate Herndon’s expansion.

The latest: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Draft-Proposed-CIP-FY2026-30.pdf

Thx. This document goes wildly the other way - Centerville/Chantilly boxed in Wakefield. They need to go North to Herndon/South Lakes/ Oakton/ Madison. Not sure about the racial-balancing conspiracy. You have your hands full just balancing capacity.

If you target Langley to Herndon that would be at the expense of Centerville and Chantilly. If these are the numbers they are going by then no-choice. Madison and Herndon are the only path for these schools.

The CIP they just approved provided for a major expansion of Centreville to 3000 seats.

Chantilly families are in no rush to move and the enrollment is projected to decline.

There are some parents absolutely obsessed with filling up Herndon with kids from schools other than Langley.

DP. When will the centreville expansion be complete? I don’t remember a bond referendum approving that construction. Is it funded or unfunded?

It’s been partially funded for the planning, design, and permitting. The construction would start next year and be the biggest single line item on the fall 2025 school bond.

[Anonymous]

I have no dog in the Langley vs. Herndon fight, but there is SO much construction in that area. The Herndon area around the Air and Space museum and all along route 28, and in Chantilly around EC Lawrence Park, Wegmans, and Target, and another townhouse development right next to Westfield (which already has too many students!). And probably more developments I haven't noticed.

I just don't have confidence that FCPS has considered all these new townhous developments into their projections. It would be foolish to blow up the boundaries based on faulty capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no dog in the Langley vs. Herndon fight, but there is SO much construction in that area. The Herndon area around the Air and Space museum and all along route 28, and in Chantilly around EC Lawrence Park, Wegmans, and Target, and another townhouse development right next to Westfield (which already has too many students!). And probably more developments I haven't noticed.

I just don't have confidence that FCPS has considered all these new townhous developments into their projections. It would be foolish to blow up the boundaries based on faulty capacity.

What construction around Air and Space Museum?

[Anonymous]

Westfield was built out to 3000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no dog in the Langley vs. Herndon fight, but there is SO much construction in that area. The Herndon area around the Air and Space museum and all along route 28, and in Chantilly around EC Lawrence Park, Wegmans, and Target, and another townhouse development right next to Westfield (which already has too many students!). And probably more developments I haven't noticed.

I just don't have confidence that FCPS has considered all these new townhous developments into their projections. It would be foolish to blow up the boundaries based on faulty capacity.

In the 2022 CIP FCPS was projecting Herndon to grow from 2346 to 2585 students. In the current CIP, they are projecting Herndon to shrink from 2230 to 1888 students. Somehow, their projections can swing by 30% or more. There is no rational basis or accountability for these projections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Westfield was built out to 3000.

It was not. An additional hallway of classrooms was added hastily shortly after it opened but the common areas were not expanded. It is packed right now at 2800 students. The hallways are jam packed, there aren't enough seats in the lunchroom. It was not built for 3000.

The SB has repeatedly said that their preference is for smaller high schools. No one wants a 3000 student high school. It is already impossible to participate in many activities there.