FCPS Boundary Review Updates

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in Great Falls west of Springvale. Can someone update me on whether or not the newest scenarios include changes for Langley high school that would impact my kids? I know I should be paying more attention to this, but I haven’t.

No changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is great news. Really hoping that those of us in 20171 zoned to Oakton get to go to this school.

I would think all of the Crossfield/Carson kids would go to this new school. Rest of 20171 is anyone's guess. Wonder if it will be an AP or an IB school when it opens?

[Anonymous]

With the purchase of the new school, I can’t see how they maintain their current timeline. They need to reopen the Coates study because it will likely be assigned to this new high school, and they can’t let the capacity issues fester there for an extra year or two.

[Anonymous]

So, the plan is to have Carson be the feeder middle school to the new Western High?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, the plan is to have Carson be the feeder middle school to the new Western High?

There is no “plan” yet. That has the benefit of simplicity but then the school is mostly drawing from Westfield, Oakton, and South Lakes when Chantilly is the most overcrowded school in that area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, the plan is to have Carson be the feeder middle school to the new Western High?

It would make sense because it's right next door, but there's no plan. This is going to take several years to work out. That school is going to sit empty for at least two years, probably more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, the plan is to have Carson be the feeder middle school to the new Western High?

There is no “plan” yet. That has the benefit of simplicity but then the school is mostly drawing from Westfield, Oakton, and South Lakes when Chantilly is the most overcrowded school in that area.

Some Chantilly kids can now be rezoned to Westfield. They are very close to each other.

[Anonymous]

When is the School Board going to meet to talk about redoing the comprehensive the boundary study? This new acquisition changes everything in the western part of the county. For example, Emerald Chase is VERY close to this new site.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When is the School Board going to meet to talk about redoing the comprehensive the boundary study? This new acquisition changes everything in the western part of the county. For example, Emerald Chase is VERY close to this new site.

They should scrap any potential MS/HS changes that aren’t directly associated with the new HS. It’s going to be more than they can handle logistically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When is the School Board going to meet to talk about redoing the comprehensive the boundary study? This new acquisition changes everything in the western part of the county. For example, Emerald Chase is VERY close to this new site.

They should scrap any potential MS/HS changes that aren’t directly associated with the new HS. It’s going to be more than they can handle logistically.

There might be better grandfathering if they focus on only part of the county at a time. They should table the review of the western half until they have a facilities plan and a timeline for opening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When is the School Board going to meet to talk about redoing the comprehensive the boundary study? This new acquisition changes everything in the western part of the county. For example, Emerald Chase is VERY close to this new site.

They should scrap any potential MS/HS changes that aren’t directly associated with the new HS. It’s going to be more than they can handle logistically.

There might be better grandfathering if they focus on only part of the county at a time. They should table the review of the western half until they have a facilities plan and a timeline for opening.

They are claiming this acquisition will save FCPS hundreds of millions, so they can table the review of the eastern half too until they’ve come up with a plan to spend some of those savings there.

[Anonymous]

What’s pretty unsettling to me is the lack of public engagement on the school purchase - a hugely significant and consequential decision for the country’s . There was no mention that this was on the table until shortly before the vote yesterday and they quickly approved it with no actual discussion.

The school system really hurts their credibility when it jams something through this quickly without even raising the possibility of it to the public beforehand. So much for transparency and community engagement.

[Anonymous]

I would shift only the over-crowded ES right now and leave the rest alone. If they can buy the property, I would think they could move kids in in 2026-2027, I would imagine that there is some remodeling needed before moving kids into the new HS. Then shift the kids whose base MS is Carson into the HS. I think the building that can handle that group of kids immediately. Take the year to see how moving those kids out of their current base schools will impact those schools, then shift kids from Centerville to the now open spaces. South Lakes, Westfield and Oakton will have more space because they would lose kids to the new school. I suspect that Centerville families would prefer Westfield and Oakton to South Lakes because of the IB.

Carson would finally have a HS it feeds too and we can eliminate a massive split feeder.

And yes, I am excited because my kid would be affected. Right now, he wouldn't be moved, which was fine but it would be great if he could stay with his MS classmates instead of having them split into how many different HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s pretty unsettling to me is the lack of public engagement on the school purchase - a hugely significant and consequential decision for the country’s . There was no mention that this was on the table until shortly before the vote yesterday and they quickly approved it with no actual discussion.

The school system really hurts their credibility when it jams something through this quickly without even raising the possibility of it to the public beforehand. So much for transparency and community engagement.

They do not need public engagement for this! It’s been in the cip for decades and you can’t have public engagement while you’re trying to negotiate and purchase a property.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would shift only the over-crowded ES right now and leave the rest alone. If they can buy the property, I would think they could move kids in in 2026-2027, I would imagine that there is some remodeling needed before moving kids into the new HS. Then shift the kids whose base MS is Carson into the HS. I think the building that can handle that group of kids immediately. Take the year to see how moving those kids out of their current base schools will impact those schools, then shift kids from Centerville to the now open spaces. South Lakes, Westfield and Oakton will have more space because they would lose kids to the new school. I suspect that Centerville families would prefer Westfield and Oakton to South Lakes because of the IB.

Carson would finally have a HS it feeds too and we can eliminate a massive split feeder.

And yes, I am excited because my kid would be affected. Right now, he wouldn't be moved, which was fine but it would be great if he could stay with his MS classmates instead of having them split into how many different HS.

You don’t mention Chantilly and yet the overcrowding at that school was the prime justification offered last night for the purchase.

I agree with PP that the lack of public engagement is problematic. They are dragging communities through a lengthy boundary review process, only to pivot and buy a new school that will guarantee boundary changes with no public input and scant analysis. There’s no indication that anyone quantified the overcrowding in western Fairfax, weighed the alternatives, or considered the impact on other planned projects.

I’ve been around long enough to know the Oak Hill/Floris area has been redistricted frequently in the past and has long wanted its own school. So that perspective I’m happy they’ll get one. But from an overall management perspective I no longer have any confidence in this School Board to oversee a county-wide school system. You can get ignored, you can get effed, or you can get a windfall you weren’t even expecting, but what you won’t get is any transparency or consistency.