FCPS HS Boundary

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The solution for Lewis is to make it a CTE trade school and allow everyone who wants a more academic path to transfer out. That’s basically what’s happening now, but they need to stop even attempting to make Lewis fit all types of students when it’s so heavily FARMS and 1st gen. Put the resources there to serve that population and let those who don’t fit go elsewhere.

I agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The solution for Lewis is to make it a CTE trade school and allow everyone who wants a more academic path to transfer out. That’s basically what’s happening now, but they need to stop even attempting to make Lewis fit all types of students when it’s so heavily FARMS and 1st gen. Put the resources there to serve that population and let those who don’t fit go elsewhere.

You do have to ask though - How did it get to this point? Why was it allowed to happen? Why were decisions made that hastened the demise?

That's what happens when you concentrate poverty. MVHS should get similar treatment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The solution for Lewis is to make it a CTE trade school and allow everyone who wants a more academic path to transfer out. That’s basically what’s happening now, but they need to stop even attempting to make Lewis fit all types of students when it’s so heavily FARMS and 1st gen. Put the resources there to serve that population and let those who don’t fit go elsewhere.

You do have to ask though - How did it get to this point? Why was it allowed to happen? Why were decisions made that hastened the demise?

It’s been a death by 1000 cuts: Zoning and land use policies that concentrated low income housing in the central Springfield area vs spreading it countywide, moving higher income neighborhoods out of the Lewis pyramid, making Lewis an IB school that no one wanted, an influx of immigrants, lack of variety in the academic classes that other schools have, etc. Only a radical change will solve the problem. For instance, FCPS could move the CTE academies to Lewis and make it the TJ of trade schools. Give the Lewis students what they need to be successful and students more interested in traditional college prep could be absorbed by surrounding high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The solution for Lewis is to make it a CTE trade school and allow everyone who wants a more academic path to transfer out. That’s basically what’s happening now, but they need to stop even attempting to make Lewis fit all types of students when it’s so heavily FARMS and 1st gen. Put the resources there to serve that population and let those who don’t fit go elsewhere.

You do have to ask though - How did it get to this point? Why was it allowed to happen? Why were decisions made that hastened the demise?

That's what happens when you concentrate poverty. MVHS should get similar treatment

People move where they want to live. Families, job, cheaper houses, commute, walkable neighborhood, ethnic communities...

Recent immigrants have always chosen to live in communities with similar religious and cultural ties. Where I grew up in the midwest, the Irish, Italians, Polish and Germans all had consentrated residential areas where they chose to live. There was comfort and community in being around their native language, cultures, food and extended families.

That seems to be largely what is happening in some areas of ffx county. It is a natural part of immigration, and one that I and many other first and second generation immigrants experienced as a member of an immigrant family.

It just seems laughable that you want to blame FCPS for what is a very natural process of immigrating and intergrating to a new society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The solution for Lewis is to make it a CTE trade school and allow everyone who wants a more academic path to transfer out. That’s basically what’s happening now, but they need to stop even attempting to make Lewis fit all types of students when it’s so heavily FARMS and 1st gen. Put the resources there to serve that population and let those who don’t fit go elsewhere.

You do have to ask though - How did it get to this point? Why was it allowed to happen? Why were decisions made that hastened the demise?

That's what happens when you concentrate poverty. MVHS should get similar treatment

People move where they want to live. Families, job, cheaper houses, commute, walkable neighborhood, ethnic communities...

Recent immigrants have always chosen to live in communities with similar religious and cultural ties. Where I grew up in the midwest, the Irish, Italians, Polish and Germans all had consentrated residential areas where they chose to live. There was comfort and community in being around their native language, cultures, food and extended families.

That seems to be largely what is happening in some areas of ffx county. It is a natural part of immigration, and one that I and many other first and second generation immigrants experienced as a member of an immigrant family.

It just seems laughable that you want to blame FCPS for what is a very natural process of immigrating and intergrating to a new society.

People live where they can afford to live. In Fairfax, that is a couple of small areas that sit within a few pyramids. The county caused it by zoning and policy that concentres poverty

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The solution for Lewis is to make it a CTE trade school and allow everyone who wants a more academic path to transfer out. That’s basically what’s happening now, but they need to stop even attempting to make Lewis fit all types of students when it’s so heavily FARMS and 1st gen. Put the resources there to serve that population and let those who don’t fit go elsewhere.

You do have to ask though - How did it get to this point? Why was it allowed to happen? Why were decisions made that hastened the demise?

That's what happens when you concentrate poverty. MVHS should get similar treatment

People move where they want to live. Families, job, cheaper houses, commute, walkable neighborhood, ethnic communities...

Recent immigrants have always chosen to live in communities with similar religious and cultural ties. Where I grew up in the midwest, the Irish, Italians, Polish and Germans all had consentrated residential areas where they chose to live. There was comfort and community in being around their native language, cultures, food and extended families.

That seems to be largely what is happening in some areas of ffx county. It is a natural part of immigration, and one that I and many other first and second generation immigrants experienced as a member of an immigrant family.

It just seems laughable that you want to blame FCPS for what is a very natural process of immigrating and intergrating to a new society.

True, people want to live near people who are like them. The problem is when FCPS is expected to educate and provide support services to a large population of newcomers, many who don’t speak English or understand the culture. I understand that people come here wanting to provide a better life for their family, but mass immigration is affecting the quality of life of families who have lived here for generations - and that’s a huge problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the extreme political backlash would only happen if the School Board goes for massive changes across the county under the banner of equity.

If, for example, they only moved students from overcrowded WS to under utilized Lewis, I don't think you would get much political support outside of WS. There is a legitimate justification to make this change. The county board certainly would not get involved. And voters across the county wouldn't rally to elect a bunch of conservatives because of proper space and resource utilization.

There is no justification for this change.

Other people's kids are not your pawns.

Stop being obtuse. There is plenty of justification as has already been discussed ad nauseam. Zones are not guaranteed, and everyone agrees the existing zones and associated policies are outdated. Your anger should be directed at the past school boards who failed to manage the situation properly.

Before we start moving a bunch of WS kids around, why don't we transition Lewis to AP, add a STEM lab there and stop kids WHO ARE ZONED FOR LEWIS from getting pupil placed at other schools. You could have 15 elementary schools rezoned for Key and Lewis but you still wouldn't be able to fill it up. You need to add something to that school that kids would find useful.

+1. Much better idea than just dumping neighborhoods of kids who wouldn’t actually attend Lewis now into its catchment area.

It is possible to redistrict where needed AND adjust offerings as needed. Why do people act as if this is an either-or situation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The solution for Lewis is to make it a CTE trade school and allow everyone who wants a more academic path to transfer out. That’s basically what’s happening now, but they need to stop even attempting to make Lewis fit all types of students when it’s so heavily FARMS and 1st gen. Put the resources there to serve that population and let those who don’t fit go elsewhere.

You do have to ask though - How did it get to this point? Why was it allowed to happen? Why were decisions made that hastened the demise?

That's what happens when you concentrate poverty. MVHS should get similar treatment

People move where they want to live. Families, job, cheaper houses, commute, walkable neighborhood, ethnic communities...

Recent immigrants have always chosen to live in communities with similar religious and cultural ties. Where I grew up in the midwest, the Irish, Italians, Polish and Germans all had consentrated residential areas where they chose to live. There was comfort and community in being around their native language, cultures, food and extended families.

That seems to be largely what is happening in some areas of ffx county. It is a natural part of immigration, and one that I and many other first and second generation immigrants experienced as a member of an immigrant family.

It just seems laughable that you want to blame FCPS for what is a very natural process of immigrating and intergrating to a new society.

LOL choice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the extreme political backlash would only happen if the School Board goes for massive changes across the county under the banner of equity.

If, for example, they only moved students from overcrowded WS to under utilized Lewis, I don't think you would get much political support outside of WS. There is a legitimate justification to make this change. The county board certainly would not get involved. And voters across the county wouldn't rally to elect a bunch of conservatives because of proper space and resource utilization.

There is no justification for this change.

Other people's kids are not your pawns.

Stop being obtuse. There is plenty of justification as has already been discussed ad nauseam. Zones are not guaranteed, and everyone agrees the existing zones and associated policies are outdated. Your anger should be directed at the past school boards who failed to manage the situation properly.

Before we start moving a bunch of WS kids around, why don't we transition Lewis to AP, add a STEM lab there and stop kids WHO ARE ZONED FOR LEWIS from getting pupil placed at other schools. You could have 15 elementary schools rezoned for Key and Lewis but you still wouldn't be able to fill it up. You need to add something to that school that kids would find useful.

+1. Much better idea than just dumping neighborhoods of kids who wouldn’t actually attend Lewis now into its catchment area.

It is possible to redistrict where needed AND adjust offerings as needed. Why do people act as if this is an either-or situation?

People should have proof they’ve done what they’ve said they’ll do. Otherwise they can make promises they never keep. And FCPS could also gauge the impact of the changes on enrollment within the current boundaries before moving any kids from other schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the extreme political backlash would only happen if the School Board goes for massive changes across the county under the banner of equity.

If, for example, they only moved students from overcrowded WS to under utilized Lewis, I don't think you would get much political support outside of WS. There is a legitimate justification to make this change. The county board certainly would not get involved. And voters across the county wouldn't rally to elect a bunch of conservatives because of proper space and resource utilization.

There is no justification for this change.

Other people's kids are not your pawns.

Stop being obtuse. There is plenty of justification as has already been discussed ad nauseam. Zones are not guaranteed, and everyone agrees the existing zones and associated policies are outdated. Your anger should be directed at the past school boards who failed to manage the situation properly.

Before we start moving a bunch of WS kids around, why don't we transition Lewis to AP, add a STEM lab there and stop kids WHO ARE ZONED FOR LEWIS from getting pupil placed at other schools. You could have 15 elementary schools rezoned for Key and Lewis but you still wouldn't be able to fill it up. You need to add something to that school that kids would find useful.

+1. Much better idea than just dumping neighborhoods of kids who wouldn’t actually attend Lewis now into its catchment area.

It is possible to redistrict where needed AND adjust offerings as needed. Why do people act as if this is an either-or situation?

People should have proof they’ve done what they’ve said they’ll do. Otherwise they can make promises they never keep. And FCPS could also gauge the impact of the changes on enrollment within the current boundaries before moving any kids from other schools.

Heaven forbid my little snookums be redistricted from WS to Lewis, am I right? <clutches pearls>

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the extreme political backlash would only happen if the School Board goes for massive changes across the county under the banner of equity.

If, for example, they only moved students from overcrowded WS to under utilized Lewis, I don't think you would get much political support outside of WS. There is a legitimate justification to make this change. The county board certainly would not get involved. And voters across the county wouldn't rally to elect a bunch of conservatives because of proper space and resource utilization.

There is no justification for this change.

Other people's kids are not your pawns.

Stop being obtuse. There is plenty of justification as has already been discussed ad nauseam. Zones are not guaranteed, and everyone agrees the existing zones and associated policies are outdated. Your anger should be directed at the past school boards who failed to manage the situation properly.

Before we start moving a bunch of WS kids around, why don't we transition Lewis to AP, add a STEM lab there and stop kids WHO ARE ZONED FOR LEWIS from getting pupil placed at other schools. You could have 15 elementary schools rezoned for Key and Lewis but you still wouldn't be able to fill it up. You need to add something to that school that kids would find useful.

+1. Much better idea than just dumping neighborhoods of kids who wouldn’t actually attend Lewis now into its catchment area.

It is possible to redistrict where needed AND adjust offerings as needed. Why do people act as if this is an either-or situation?

People should have proof they’ve done what they’ve said they’ll do. Otherwise they can make promises they never keep. And FCPS could also gauge the impact of the changes on enrollment within the current boundaries before moving any kids from other schools.

Heaven forbid my little snookums be redistricted from WS to Lewis, am I right? <clutches pearls>

It won't be your kids moving from WS to Lewis. If they were, you wouldn't find this so hilarious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the extreme political backlash would only happen if the School Board goes for massive changes across the county under the banner of equity.

If, for example, they only moved students from overcrowded WS to under utilized Lewis, I don't think you would get much political support outside of WS. There is a legitimate justification to make this change. The county board certainly would not get involved. And voters across the county wouldn't rally to elect a bunch of conservatives because of proper space and resource utilization.

There is no justification for this change.

Other people's kids are not your pawns.

Stop being obtuse. There is plenty of justification as has already been discussed ad nauseam. Zones are not guaranteed, and everyone agrees the existing zones and associated policies are outdated. Your anger should be directed at the past school boards who failed to manage the situation properly.

Before we start moving a bunch of WS kids around, why don't we transition Lewis to AP, add a STEM lab there and stop kids WHO ARE ZONED FOR LEWIS from getting pupil placed at other schools. You could have 15 elementary schools rezoned for Key and Lewis but you still wouldn't be able to fill it up. You need to add something to that school that kids would find useful.

+1. Much better idea than just dumping neighborhoods of kids who wouldn’t actually attend Lewis now into its catchment area.

It is possible to redistrict where needed AND adjust offerings as needed. Why do people act as if this is an either-or situation?

People should have proof they’ve done what they’ve said they’ll do. Otherwise they can make promises they never keep. And FCPS could also gauge the impact of the changes on enrollment within the current boundaries before moving any kids from other schools.

Heaven forbid my little snookums be redistricted from WS to Lewis, am I right? <clutches pearls>

It won't be your kids moving from WS to Lewis. If they were, you wouldn't find this so hilarious.

Don’t mistake her caustic bitterness for an attempt at hilarity. She posts like this fairly regularly in an attempt to minimize the legitimate concerns of parents on DCUM (although we had a refreshing break recently). She straight up hates your kid if he/she attends one of the better schools in the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, the Springfield district folks were fools in the past school board election when they voted Schultz out of office over national issues.

Schultz was the one who helped and supported the Daventry parents with their split feeder elimination. She worked diligently with them, even though they were mostly not from her political party, because she treated them as her constituents even though they were from opposing political groups. She worked for her constituents on school issues, and would have been counted on to fight like a bobcat if the school board started pushing to rezone her neighborhoods out of the pyramid to use the kids as political pawns. She was awfully trumpy, but on school issues, particularly rezoning issues, Schultz put constituency over party. Fighting political rezoning was one of her issues.

Now they lost that kind of representation on the school board, followed by redistricting thanks to McKay and the board of supervisors, that split their representation from Springfield district to Providence, where the primary school board representation is on Lewis and not their zoned high school, West Springfield.

I think many in that part of West Springfield are going to end up regretting the day they voted on local offices because of national politics. They basically voted against their own interests, particularly with regards to school rezoning.

Fair enough, but, just to reiterate:

Not a single school board candidate ran on a redistricting platform. That they feel they somehow have a mandate to do this is very misplaced.

No school board candidate anywhere would get elected by running on a redistricting platform. It is a necessary evil that school boards loathe to do - everywhere. FCPS punting it down the road for so many decades, it is now needed. An overall comprehensive change makes the most sense. It will not be popular - they never are.

We should ask Terry McAuliffe how successful your line of thinking is: Parents and constituents don’t want redistricting? Well, I’m smarter than they are and I know better than they do, so I’m just going to do it anyway.

Also, you say redistricting is now needed. Your view is in the extreme minority in the county.

Let's assume that parents keep stuffing their kids into West Springfield (already over capacity). Should we expand WS again before using the available
Space at Lewis? That is not a reasonable thing to do and parents don't get everything they want.

Surely you have this all figured out. I bestow on you the title of FCPS emperor to do your will over the objection of any and all FCPS parents and constituents.

You sound exactly like McAuliffe.

It's just simple logic and fiscal responsibility. Would you have a cap on how big WS could become?

Since you aren't zoned for West Springfield, it doesn't really matter or affect you as to how big the school is.

It is weird to have a fixation on the size of a school you are not zoned for, which doesn't affect you in any way, and where parents of students actually attending the school are not complaining aboht the size or asking to be rezoned.

At some point, your obsession with that school sounds a lot like vengeance and wanting to stick it to people who made other choices with their housing purchases, as well as wanting to disrupt the lives of other people's kids for something that does not affect you one iota.

Answer the question, how large should the enrollment at West Springfield be allowed to become before the decision is made to use the space at Lewis? Or should they just enlarge WS again? When they enlarged it several years ago they started with one number for the increase in size in the CIP and over the next two CIPs it increased twice. This was specifically to try to avoid ever moving students to Lewis. I mean some people on here have argued that the really huge schools are more efficient. Why not close Lewis and send some number of the students to West Springfield? Bigger is better after all!

Not the poster to whom you’re responding, but what’s your proof for the assertion that the bump-up in West Springfield’s capacity was “specifically to try and avoid ever moving students to Lewis”? It may have been based on an assessment at the time that economic conditions were favorable to adding more capacity without incurring huge incremental costs. In West Springfield’s case, at least, that may have been a good call.

I live in the area (not zoned for WSHS but very nearby and do a lot of shopping in WS) and I want to touch on something. With real estate prices skyrocketing, families are staying in the densely packed townhome neighborhoods a lot longer. In previous generations those were starter homes and you’d de-camp to a larger home zoned for Woodson when your oldest was early elementary age, or one of the large home neighborhoods along the parkway zoned for Lake Braddock. Some did stay in WS too, of course. But if you could afford it, the houses were almost always nicer elsewhere. Now I see middle and high school students in the townhomes and young families in the condos, because people can’t really afford to trade up as much. So I can see their initial predictions of enrollment being too low and then having to do even more capacity work to increase the size of WSHS even further because the older students aren’t leaving as much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:According to the FCPS, there are 226 students who transferred out of Lewis this past year.

226 students.

Let that sink in.

Rezoning Daventry or part of any other WSHS neighborhood to Lewis will not match the sheer numbers of students transferring out of Lewis. It would only be a spite rezoning to appease a small subset of people who are upset with their home purchase and want to stick it to someone else's kids.

Before FCPS even thinks about rezoning kids to Lewis, they need to close every loophole that is allowing hundreds of zoned to Lewis families to transfer out of their zoned school.

Start there.

Not with spite rezoning adjacent schools and disrupting students attending their neighborhood schools who are not complaining about wanting to be redistricted.

Here is the link to the dashboard for Lewis:

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/fcps.fts/viz/SY2023-24StudentTransfersDashboard/ReadMe

Membership 1653
Transfer in 17
Transfer Out 226
Net transfers 209 loss of students.

Rezoning mom is barking up the wrong tree.

She needs to start advocating to make changes to Lewis that close the transfer loop holes.

Thank you for sending the link above, I hadn’t seen it before. I took a look at Herndon High, and, if I’m reading it right the net transfer out is a little less than 300. Even taking TJ out of the equation, that is a lot of kids, like in the wheelhouse of 10% of the school. If the SB is worried about efficient use of existing facilities, it’s a no-brainer to curtail transfers between schools first. Let me be clear that I don’t support that approach, but if the board insists on pressing reset, then this should absolutely be the first step in the process before any redistricting occurs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the extreme political backlash would only happen if the School Board goes for massive changes across the county under the banner of equity.

If, for example, they only moved students from overcrowded WS to under utilized Lewis, I don't think you would get much political support outside of WS. There is a legitimate justification to make this change. The county board certainly would not get involved. And voters across the county wouldn't rally to elect a bunch of conservatives because of proper space and resource utilization.

There is no justification for this change.

Other people's kids are not your pawns.

Stop being obtuse. There is plenty of justification as has already been discussed ad nauseam. Zones are not guaranteed, and everyone agrees the existing zones and associated policies are outdated. Your anger should be directed at the past school boards who failed to manage the situation properly.

Before we start moving a bunch of WS kids around, why don't we transition Lewis to AP, add a STEM lab there and stop kids WHO ARE ZONED FOR LEWIS from getting pupil placed at other schools. You could have 15 elementary schools rezoned for Key and Lewis but you still wouldn't be able to fill it up. You need to add something to that school that kids would find useful.

+1. Much better idea than just dumping neighborhoods of kids who wouldn’t actually attend Lewis now into its catchment area.

It is possible to redistrict where needed AND adjust offerings as needed. Why do people act as if this is an either-or situation?

People should have proof they’ve done what they’ve said they’ll do. Otherwise they can make promises they never keep. And FCPS could also gauge the impact of the changes on enrollment within the current boundaries before moving any kids from other schools.

Heaven forbid my little snookums be redistricted from WS to Lewis, am I right? <clutches pearls>

It won't be your kids moving from WS to Lewis. If they were, you wouldn't find this so hilarious.

Don’t mistake her caustic bitterness for an attempt at hilarity. She posts like this fairly regularly in an attempt to minimize the legitimate concerns of parents on DCUM (although we had a refreshing break recently). She straight up hates your kid if he/she attends one of the better schools in the county.

+1.