McLean to Explore Separating from FC & FCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It would be interesting to see the % of the population that are students by each ES. It isn’t just the amount each household pays in taxes, it is how many students per household are in public school. I live in the MHS and our local neighborhood of 50 houses has always averaged more than one student per household in 5e schools since we moved here in 1997. There is no way our property tax dollars pay for the cost of the schools and let alone all the other county services- even though our houses are assessed at well above the average for the county.

If McLean separates and more people move to McLean for the schools that ratio will only get worse.

The last time I checked (and it has been a few years) Arlington had about 10% of its population in the public schools and Fairfax County had about 17%. Arlington did well with its planning out the Orange line corridor where it created housing for adults with 0-1 children. This discrepancy accounts for about of Fairfax’s funding issues.

Very interesting observation! I wonder where the greatest density of families with school age children is in FC? The Orange Lines in FC are pretty family housing heavy, other than maybe Dunn Loring with the nice condos complexes/Mosaic, compared to Arlington. We need more old people or DINKS to keep the schools well funded.

I've seen maps where it shows how many kids per population live in Fairfax County per zip code and even little dots showing where each child lives who attends school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would be interesting to see the % of the population that are students by each ES. It isn’t just the amount each household pays in taxes, it is how many students per household are in public school. I live in the MHS and our local neighborhood of 50 houses has always averaged more than one student per household in 5e schools since we moved here in 1997. There is no way our property tax dollars pay for the cost of the schools and let alone all the other county services- even though our houses are assessed at well above the average for the county.

If McLean separates and more people move to McLean for the schools that ratio will only get worse.

The last time I checked (and it has been a few years) Arlington had about 10% of its population in the public schools and Fairfax County had about 17%. Arlington did well with its planning out the Orange line corridor where it created housing for adults with 0-1 children. This discrepancy accounts for about of Fairfax’s funding issues.

It might spur a real focus on what type of development should be in central McLean and near the WFC Metro, which already have some multi-family housing, rather than the sporadic, half-hearted attention of county officials. Falls Church City has the same issues; that's why they are promoting growth along Broad Street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think this is the data you are talking about -

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fairfaxcountyvirginia

FC is over 23% school age, but does not break down by area.

There are lots of hurdles to overcome for Mclean to leave FCPS- the law has to allow it- being the starter. Keep in mind we are on a VA public school forum. Lets say 23% of the New McLean city has school age kids- even though all won't go to public school. I would think most of that percentage would be willing to pay the substantive start up costs of a new city- However, I don't think you are going to get enough others to go on board. McLean HS is already highly ranked compared to its peers in the area. In theory the New HS will educate the students better- but is it worth it to triple my taxes to go from the 2nd or 3rd best FCPS school to the 2nd or 3rd best FCPS HS. The cost benefit analysis for the community at large - already located in prime real estate - does not seem to add up- for those who would not read this forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think this is the data you are talking about -

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fairfaxcountyvirginia

FC is over 23% school age, but does not break down by area.

You are asserting everyone under 18 is school age? A better quick number might be the age 5-17 population, which is 17% in Fairfax, 11.6% in Arlington, and 19.7% in Falls Church City.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is the data you are talking about -

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fairfaxcountyvirginia

FC is over 23% school age, but does not break down by area.

There are lots of hurdles to overcome for Mclean to leave FCPS- the law has to allow it- being the starter. Keep in mind we are on a VA public school forum. Lets say 23% of the New McLean city has school age kids- even though all won't go to public school. I would think most of that percentage would be willing to pay the substantive start up costs of a new city- However, I don't think you are going to get enough others to go on board. McLean HS is already highly ranked compared to its peers in the area. In theory the New HS will educate the students better- but is it worth it to triple my taxes to go from the 2nd or 3rd best FCPS school to the 2nd or 3rd best FCPS HS. The cost benefit analysis for the community at large - already located in prime real estate - does not seem to add up- for those who would not read this forum.

Of course there are hurdles. You have to have the vision to see how the county, left to its own devices, will continue to let community assets such as McLean HS and the McLean CBD degrade.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the kind correction!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is the data you are talking about -

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fairfaxcountyvirginia

FC is over 23% school age, but does not break down by area.

You are asserting everyone under 18 is school age? A better quick number might be the age 5-17 population, which is 17% in Fairfax, 11.6% in Arlington, and 19.7% in Falls Church City.

I thought the law was that students have a right to try for a high school diploma up to age 23? That certainly was the case for many ESOL learners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is the data you are talking about -

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fairfaxcountyvirginia

FC is over 23% school age, but does not break down by area.

You are asserting everyone under 18 is school age? A better quick number might be the age 5-17 population, which is 17% in Fairfax, 11.6% in Arlington, and 19.7% in Falls Church City.

Ii is this easy to figure out. Take the population of students that the FCPS lists on its website and divided by the estimated population of the county by the US Census. Same can be done for Arlington.

[Anonymous]

I think, if you take out the kids at both Langley and McLean that are not in the McLean Community Center tax district, you may only need one HS. Then FCPS could keep the other one, for the other students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think, if you take out the kids at both Langley and McLean that are not in the McLean Community Center tax district, you may only need one HS. Then FCPS could keep the other one, for the other students.

Same for the middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think, if you take out the kids at both Langley and McLean that are not in the McLean Community Center tax district, you may only need one HS. Then FCPS could keep the other one, for the other students.

Same for the middle school.

ES would be Churchill Road, Springhill Road, Chesterbrook, Franklin Sherman, Kent Gardens and Haycock. Six ES to one MS and one HS.

[Anonymous]

At least two problems with that (probably more)...

1) Langley would need to expand capacity to support the enrollments from those six feeder ES

2) MHS facility would be used by FCPS, but inside the McLean City boundaries, meaning few of the students attending would live anywhere near MHS and have a domino effect on the attendance zones for Marshall, Madison, and adjoining regions, pushing boundary zones south and east, and further increasing busing requirements, etc.

3) Similar major boundary impacts in the western region, as Herndon could not simply absorb all of Forestville and Great Falls ES... likewise resulting in greater average travel distances between students and the schools they are zoned for.

[Anonymous]

OK at least three, lol, as I thought of another while I was writing. Overall, it's just not a realistic approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK at least three, lol, as I thought of another while I was writing. Overall, it's just not a realistic approach.

Agreed. If there were to be a new jurisdiction it would need to include almost everything currently zoned to McLean and Langley, except for perhaps the small parts of Herndon and Reston zoned to Langley and the Timber Lane island in Falls Church zoned to McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At least two problems with that (probably more)...

1) Langley would need to expand capacity to support the enrollments from those six feeder ES

2) MHS facility would be used by FCPS, but inside the McLean City boundaries, meaning few of the students attending would live anywhere near MHS and have a domino effect on the attendance zones for Marshall, Madison, and adjoining regions, pushing boundary zones south and east, and further increasing busing requirements, etc.

3) Similar major boundary impacts in the western region, as Herndon could not simply absorb all of Forestville and Great Falls ES... likewise resulting in greater average travel distances between students and the schools they are zoned for.

Uh Oh- Great Falls to Herndon listed in #3--