FCPS Boundary Review Updates

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:We should add capacity where needed based on a demonstrated need, not blind speculation about future growth. Otherwise we waste capital dollars.

Do you have any idea how long it takes to "catch up" by building a school?

It would be wise to expand Centreville. That neighborhood behind Centreville should be there--not in Fairfax.

It would be foolish to expand Centreville beyond 2500 seats, just as it was foolish to expand West Potomac to 3000. If you want Willow Springs at Centreville then figure out if it’s going to push Centreville above 2500 and, if so, make the case that other schools should be redistricted to take advantage of the hundreds of empty seats at Herndon.

Let us know as well who you’re planning to send to Fairfax in lieu of the Willow Springs kids or if you’re arguing for FCPS to repudiate its longstanding arrangement with Fairfax City and just leave Fairfax as a school for Fairfax City kids.

Herndon High School is 17 miles from Centreville. Fairfax can easily afford to lose Willow Springs. Remember, there is a large residential development going up nearby.

You don’t deserve a massive addition when actual overcrowding at other schools remains unaddressed just because you want an insurance policy that Willow Springs will get moved.

Messed up last response:

Herndon High School is 17 miles from Centreville. Fairfax can easily afford to lose Willow Springs. Remember, there is a large residential development going up nearby.

They can move Centreville kids to Westfield or Chantilly and then ultimately move other kids to Herndon. They wouldn’t move from Centreville directly to Herndon.

Moving Willow Springs out of Fairfax would leave it with only three ES in its pyramid and some other kids from split feeders. Not enough for a viable FCPS HS without other moves.

Expanding Centreville to 3000 is a ridiculous waste of money when there are hundreds of empty seats at Herndon.

A majority of Willow Springs kids can bike to Centreville. That’s how close it is. I don’t think you know the area

I think the anti-expansion person is Herndon mom who thinks that they can just bump kids over to Herndon. It doesn't work that way. And, by the way, the last time Herndon was looked at in a boundary study, they turned down kids on the 20171 side of the DTR because they didn't like who they would get.

But, an easy--and money savings solution--would be to begin by eliminating IB. That would likely bring back 160 kids to Herndon who are likely not FARMS--which is what Herndon is seeking.

You are wrong on every count. Not anti-expansion, just against wasting money on expanding Centreville all the way to 3000 when boundaries can be adjusted to take advantage of the seats already added at Herndon.

And just because they refuse to eliminate IB does not mean we have to waste even more money at Centreville, which is simply doubling down on unnecessary spending.

I remember seeing something about having schools with 3000 students is very limiting to the opportunities available because of the sheer number of kids competing for spots in clubs and sports. I think it was in reference to WSHS and Chantilly being so overcrowded. Meanwhile, they want to create a 3000 person HS in centreville. It doesn’t make sense.

They don’t want 3000 kids at their school. They want a 3000-seat school that can accommodate Willow Springs and all the current Centreville feeders with hundreds of empty seats as a buffer.

Oink, oink.

I want a 3,000 seat school that can remove the academies from Chantilly. I think some families are nervous about expanding Centreville because their kids might have to back-fill Fairfax from Woodson and Robinson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should add capacity where needed based on a demonstrated need, not blind speculation about future growth. Otherwise we waste capital dollars.

Do you have any idea how long it takes to "catch up" by building a school?

It would be wise to expand Centreville. That neighborhood behind Centreville should be there--not in Fairfax.

It would be foolish to expand Centreville beyond 2500 seats, just as it was foolish to expand West Potomac to 3000. If you want Willow Springs at Centreville then figure out if it’s going to push Centreville above 2500 and, if so, make the case that other schools should be redistricted to take advantage of the hundreds of empty seats at Herndon.

Let us know as well who you’re planning to send to Fairfax in lieu of the Willow Springs kids or if you’re arguing for FCPS to repudiate its longstanding arrangement with Fairfax City and just leave Fairfax as a school for Fairfax City kids.

Herndon High School is 17 miles from Centreville. Fairfax can easily afford to lose Willow Springs. Remember, there is a large residential development going up nearby.

You don’t deserve a massive addition when actual overcrowding at other schools remains unaddressed just because you want an insurance policy that Willow Springs will get moved.

Messed up last response:

Herndon High School is 17 miles from Centreville. Fairfax can easily afford to lose Willow Springs. Remember, there is a large residential development going up nearby.

They can move Centreville kids to Westfield or Chantilly and then ultimately move other kids to Herndon. They wouldn’t move from Centreville directly to Herndon.

Moving Willow Springs out of Fairfax would leave it with only three ES in its pyramid and some other kids from split feeders. Not enough for a viable FCPS HS without other moves.

Expanding Centreville to 3000 is a ridiculous waste of money when there are hundreds of empty seats at Herndon.

A majority of Willow Springs kids can bike to Centreville. That’s how close it is. I don’t think you know the area

I think the anti-expansion person is Herndon mom who thinks that they can just bump kids over to Herndon. It doesn't work that way. And, by the way, the last time Herndon was looked at in a boundary study, they turned down kids on the 20171 side of the DTR because they didn't like who they would get.

But, an easy--and money savings solution--would be to begin by eliminating IB. That would likely bring back 160 kids to Herndon who are likely not FARMS--which is what Herndon is seeking.

You are wrong on every count. Not anti-expansion, just against wasting money on expanding Centreville all the way to 3000 when boundaries can be adjusted to take advantage of the seats already added at Herndon.

And just because they refuse to eliminate IB does not mean we have to waste even more money at Centreville, which is simply doubling down on unnecessary spending.

I remember seeing something about having schools with 3000 students is very limiting to the opportunities available because of the sheer number of kids competing for spots in clubs and sports. I think it was in reference to WSHS and Chantilly being so overcrowded. Meanwhile, they want to create a 3000 person HS in centreville. It doesn’t make sense.

They don’t want 3000 kids at their school. They want a 3000-seat school that can accommodate Willow Springs and all the current Centreville feeders with hundreds of empty seats as a buffer.

Oink, oink.

I want a 3,000 seat school that can remove the academies from Chantilly. I think some families are nervous about expanding Centreville because their kids might have to back-fill Fairfax from Woodson and Robinson.

Doesn’t Clifton really want to stay at Robinson too? That would be another obvious move to Centreville since Union Mill is a split feeder and that area is so close to Liberty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Part of the capacity problem goes back to the baby bomb and post war eras and so many schools built in the eastern and central part of the county. Capacity was needed then the boomers grew up and capacity was way down due to less kids and the younger families moving west. In Central Fairfax you could almost walk between Madison, Oakton, Fairfax and Woodson. There is about 2 miles between Madison, Oakton and Fairfax and 3 miles between Fairfax and Woodson if you use local streets.

You can absolutely walk between those four schools. They are closer if you the trails.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should add capacity where needed based on a demonstrated need, not blind speculation about future growth. Otherwise we waste capital dollars.

Do you have any idea how long it takes to "catch up" by building a school?

It would be wise to expand Centreville. That neighborhood behind Centreville should be there--not in Fairfax.

It would be foolish to expand Centreville beyond 2500 seats, just as it was foolish to expand West Potomac to 3000. If you want Willow Springs at Centreville then figure out if it’s going to push Centreville above 2500 and, if so, make the case that other schools should be redistricted to take advantage of the hundreds of empty seats at Herndon.

Let us know as well who you’re planning to send to Fairfax in lieu of the Willow Springs kids or if you’re arguing for FCPS to repudiate its longstanding arrangement with Fairfax City and just leave Fairfax as a school for Fairfax City kids.

Herndon High School is 17 miles from Centreville. Fairfax can easily afford to lose Willow Springs. Remember, there is a large residential development going up nearby.

You don’t deserve a massive addition when actual overcrowding at other schools remains unaddressed just because you want an insurance policy that Willow Springs will get moved.

Messed up last response:

Herndon High School is 17 miles from Centreville. Fairfax can easily afford to lose Willow Springs. Remember, there is a large residential development going up nearby.

They can move Centreville kids to Westfield or Chantilly and then ultimately move other kids to Herndon. They wouldn’t move from Centreville directly to Herndon.

Moving Willow Springs out of Fairfax would leave it with only three ES in its pyramid and some other kids from split feeders. Not enough for a viable FCPS HS without other moves.

Expanding Centreville to 3000 is a ridiculous waste of money when there are hundreds of empty seats at Herndon.

A majority of Willow Springs kids can bike to Centreville. That’s how close it is. I don’t think you know the area

I think the anti-expansion person is Herndon mom who thinks that they can just bump kids over to Herndon. It doesn't work that way. And, by the way, the last time Herndon was looked at in a boundary study, they turned down kids on the 20171 side of the DTR because they didn't like who they would get.

But, an easy--and money savings solution--would be to begin by eliminating IB. That would likely bring back 160 kids to Herndon who are likely not FARMS--which is what Herndon is seeking.

I am a different anti-expansion person. The County is running a deficiet. Why are we spending additional money on an expansion when there are seats at other schools that are close by? And when we know that the enrollment is going to drop in the next few years, so those extra seats are not going to be needed?

I am totally fine with eliminating IB and saving money there as well. I think that is a great idea. You can also save money by eliminating the AAP centers, both MS and ES. Smaller schools can use the cluster model with additional pullouts like other schools have started to do. The reality is that Advanced Math is about the only area of acceleration in AAP and every ES should be able to set up an Advanced Math class/group even if it starts in 5th grade.

All of those changes save millions of dollars, which we can put into keeping monitors and Aides at the schools to help the Teachers with their planning and grading time.

Renovate the buildings but you don't have to expand them. There is a reason why Loundon County adjust borders regularly, they are shifting kids based on population changes. They have more space to build new buildings, which also requires boundary adjustments. Lots of areas adjust boundaries based on poulation shifts. The only places that are adding extentions are places without land and without schools that have seats.

I would get every high school up to the same baseline of 2500 permanent seats, especially at schools like Chantilly and McLean where there is a demonstrated need. I would not go above 2500 just because they've expanded some schools over 2700 or even to 3000 like Westfield and West Potomac.

Then, once we have every school at a reasonable baseline for its enrollment, redistrict as needed.

Do not play winners and losers where schools that just happened to get fancy renovations and additions get to sit pretty and the schools that haven't come up get the shaft yet again.

Rezoning creates winners and losers.

Leave kids where they are and where their parents purchased homes, put AAP in every middle school to stop AAP related transfers at the high school level, then look at the 3 or 4 struggling high schools with a magnifying glass to see what kind of changes need to be made to fix those handfuls of schools without tezoning everyone else.

Eliminating transfers using the IB loophole would probably fix a lot of issues at those schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Fairfax City agreement dates to 1978 versus the 60s. The city has a lot of county kids in it's schools. The county needs the seats at least until they expand Centerville or build the pi in the sky western high school. Another issue possibly larger more immediate problem is seats in Elementary school, Providence ES is at least 1/3 county kids including two large relatively low-income apartments on the city side of 66 but not in the city. If you kill the city agreement those kids need to go to Oakton or Mosaic and that would be an immediate issue. I think it's three loaded buses from those two complexes alone, never mind the neighborhoods across the street from Oakmont Rec and Flint High Upper School. Also the county is redeveloping an office building to townhouse across from Oakmont and the site work is in progress and the AT&T project of hundreds of town houses and condos. Of course, if Karl Firsch hadn't killed the Blake Lane School for the dog park and his Dunn Loring boondoggle the looming elementary capacity problem wouldn't be an issue. The City is not going to add more trailers to Providence beyond the two mostly used for specials. THe City and the County basically need each other, the City needs county kids to not have a crazy small high school and the county especially needs Providence and Katherine Johnson for seats.

The agreement was signed in '62 and updated in '78. https://www.cityoffairfaxschools.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1662459&type=d&pREC_ID=1810777

FCPS is definitely not in a position to walk away. There are over 1,500 county kids at Fairfax High school and probably a similar number across the lower schools. But Fairfax City would also lose out. Their website: "By welcoming county kids into our city schools, we are able to offer a number of academic, athletic and extra-curricular opportunities we would not be able to offer independently." With both sides having something to gain, it seems reasonable to open the discussion. That's what happened in 1978 - both sides felt the need to renegotiate as they went from Baby Boom to Baby Bust populations.

[Anonymous]

This discussion is convincing me the arrangement with Fairfax City is mutually beneficial and we should not be expanding Centreville based on assumptions that we’re going to leave Fairfax without county kids, leave Herndon with hundreds of empty seat indefinitely, or relocate the successful academy program at Chantilly to Centreville.

Give Centreville a nice renovation but cap the expansion to 2500 seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should add capacity where needed based on a demonstrated need, not blind speculation about future growth. Otherwise we waste capital dollars.

Adding capacity when a renovation is necessary and then adjusting boundaries is far more cost-effective than trying to play whack-a-mole with expansions.

Size of new square footage can be an issue. Scoping on Mclean study had Herndon HS at getting expanded to 2500 and it ended up at >2700. Falls Church was a CIP constant build to 2500. given the huge inknown of acadeies taking up square footage at Chantilly it is reasonable to assume some could spin off to the huge new Herndon HS plus the mega site to be built at Centreville.

It is ridiculous that Liberty and Stone have AAP Level IV yet students are given the AAP Level iv transfer option to Rocky Run. Each of those sites has significant AAP Level iv and significant offloads to Rocky Run. That distorts the base school capacity for Rocky Run which could then get a boundary change for some from Franklin. Carson is so huge it likely will always be a split but the feed for the split should be from the Herndon pyramid due to the capacities of it's MS/HS.

When did these schools get local. I don’t think so.

FCPS School profile demographics are based on June membership. There's a lag from Facilities dashboard which is Sept. The dashboad includes total transfers for AAP [bus], sped [bus], immersion, student transfer regulation. The 2nd transfer data set is again Sept membership and shows the actual count per site transferring in. If <10 it shows 1.

School Profiles average AAP level iv for SY21-22, 22-23,23-24/SY24-25 AAP total transfer in, per school:
Carson : oakton 807 / SY24-25 266 AAP transfer in, total from Franklin 273-
Franklin : chantilly 203
Liberty : centreville 181
Rocky Run : chantilly 544/ SY24-25 225 AAP transfer in, totals from Franklin 29+Liberty 124 + Stone 86
Stone : westfield 150

So is this the type of stuff that should be looked at in what is supposed to be a comprehensive review? Check the numbers on the 2 FCPS sources-school profiles and facilities dashboard. Year opened: Liberty [serve Centreville/Clifton area as per FCPS] 2002 Carson 1998, Stone 1991

The numbers are so high from liberty and stone because they don’t have Local Level IV.

Franklin has AAP and sends more kids than Stone and Liberty combined. The Franklin kids should not be at Carson, there are then enough to have a robust program at Franklin.

+1

Having sent kids through both Franklin's AAP program and Carson's AAP program, I'd choose Franklin 100% of the time now. It would be even better if the program were larger than it is as long as the strongest teachers in the program (all three of the seventh grade core AAP teachers and two of the eighth grade core AAP teachers) stay the same. What made the program so strong was the strength of those teachers.

[Anonymous]

So what are the next steps after these community meetings? Does BRAC continue to meet and review anything?

Does Thru take allll the feedback from this spring and make an updated tool? Then another round of community meetings in the Fall?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what are the next steps after these community meetings? Does BRAC continue to meet and review anything?

Does Thru take allll the feedback from this spring and make an updated tool? Then another round of community meetings in the Fall?

If this goes anything like prior boundary studies, it will turn into neighborhood against neighborhood. Neighborhood groups will organize to get their district SB member on their side. Other neighborhoods will do the same.
Will probably boil down to what that member likes, and who he/she likes best. Also, where they feel they can get the most votes for their next election.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what are the next steps after these community meetings? Does BRAC continue to meet and review anything?

Does Thru take allll the feedback from this spring and make an updated tool? Then another round of community meetings in the Fall?

If this goes anything like prior boundary studies, it will turn into neighborhood against neighborhood. Neighborhood groups will organize to get their district SB member on their side. Other neighborhoods will do the same.
Will probably boil down to what that member likes, and who he/she likes best. Also, where they feel they can get the most votes for their next election.

I hate that the school board pits neighborhood against neighborhood. It’s the exact opposite of what they should actually be doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what are the next steps after these community meetings? Does BRAC continue to meet and review anything?

Does Thru take allll the feedback from this spring and make an updated tool? Then another round of community meetings in the Fall?

If this goes anything like prior boundary studies, it will turn into neighborhood against neighborhood. Neighborhood groups will organize to get their district SB member on their side. Other neighborhoods will do the same.
Will probably boil down to what that member likes, and who he/she likes best. Also, where they feel they can get the most votes for their next election.

I hate that the school board pits neighborhood against neighborhood. It’s the exact opposite of what they should actually be doing.

I think they like to do it. It makes them feel more important when everyone comes running to them trying to get them to intervene on their behalf.

[Anonymous]

I’m in a small old long-established low-density neighborhood that is being rezoned from Chantilly (CHS) to Westfields. We have residents that sent their kids to CHS when it was first opened. Newer neighborhoods that are closer to Westfields will remain at CHS. Our three adjoining neighborhoods will remain at CHS. They’re placing us in an isolated attendance island.

To make matters worse, the FCPS new residential development dashboard shows Westfield projected student yield at 1,597 while CHS is at 185. No one should be rezoned to Westfield HS! That area is still rapidly growing while CHS boundary area is stagnant..

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/08eca5b417f94ca09dc6c384db28c764

CHS needs to stop allowing transfer-in students whose parents are not FCPS employees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in a small old long-established low-density neighborhood that is being rezoned from Chantilly (CHS) to Westfields. We have residents that sent their kids to CHS when it was first opened. Newer neighborhoods that are closer to Westfields will remain at CHS. Our three adjoining neighborhoods will remain at CHS. They’re placing us in an isolated attendance island.

To make matters worse, the FCPS new residential development dashboard shows Westfield projected student yield at 1,597 while CHS is at 185. No one should be rezoned to Westfield HS! That area is still rapidly growing while CHS boundary area is stagnant..

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/08eca5b417f94ca09dc6c384db28c764

CHS needs to stop allowing transfer-in students whose parents are not FCPS employees.

The 1597 is the entire Westfield pyramid if all this development were to occur. It’s not just Westfield HS.

[Anonymous]

https://www.ffxnow.com/2025/06/03/community-concerns-crop-up-with-initial-fcps-boundary-rewrite-proposals/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.ffxnow.com/2025/06/03/community-concerns-crop-up-with-initial-fcps-boundary-rewrite-proposals/

That article implies that part of the Emerald Chase neighborhood currently feeds to Chantilly. I didn’t think that was the case. The biggest sticking point is that Chantilly is shedding existing students who live closer to Chantilly than Emerald Chase. They’re campaigning to displace 50-some additional students who don’t want to move, but that’s being glossed over in their cheerful bike to school campaign.