King Abdullah Academy Closing: FCPS Buy for HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All he was saying in that WTOP article was that it “could be” a specialty HS. Maybe FCPS is looking at the facility and thinking it’s too small for a 2000 student neighborhood HS and they don’t want to open it any smaller because reasons.

Don’t they need some kind of approval from the state to open another Governor’s school like TJ?

God I hope not. We live near this site and really want our children to go to a closer high school than Oakton, which is so far away and a real pain in the butt to get to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The GF people are smart enough to realize that merely objecting to the possibility of GF getting moved to Herndon isn't a winning strategy. So they've very sensibly framed their concerns in broader terms that appeal to people in other pyramids AND they've been more than willing to continue to do legwork on behalf of others even when the boundary consultant's recommendations didn't include moving anyone out of Langley. If they were your School Board representative or member of Congress you'd say they are very good at constituent service.

I would contrast that with the attitude of the those near KAA who, once they got wind of the KAA acquisition, have made it clear they only care about getting a new school in their neighborhood and don't care about anyone else. They don't care if other renovation projects now get deferred. They don't care if other areas with facilities needs continue to get ignored. They don't care if there is already excess capacity at some schools in western Fairfax. They don't want to hear any questions that the utlimate price tag could be well in excess of $150M. All they want is their new school and they want it NOW.

Wow! I live in the KAA area.

Where has it been said that we don't care about others?

Contrast Great Falls with the KAA area. Great Falls has been untouched by THRU. That is fine with me. I've said from the beginning and I still think this county-wide boundary study is ridiculous. If they want their thirty minute bus ride when there is a much closer school, that is fine with me.

As for the renovation projects--this school has been promised for years. And, a bond was passed. Other schools may have to wait a year, but this is a relatively inexpensive opportunity. We all know that. You know that and I know that.
Centreville will still get a renovation--but, maybe, it will be scaled back from the 3000 member school planned. Take this into consideration, this school will ultimately help Centreville and the Centreville neighbors who have to go on a long bus ride to Fairfax. (You might want to note the VERY expensive renovation there which is way more than what is being paid for KAA.)

Why do we want this school?
Our area has been split in pieces for years. One by one, they have kicked neighborhoods out of Chantilly and sent them to Oakton because of overcrowding at Chantilly (which we love). THRU plans to kick additional students out.
Some neighborhoods have gone through three high school changes in recent history. This means kids in two different high schools at the same time--not out of choice.
We have seen no hope for this to change with this School Board. And, now, we have a wonderful opportunity to solve this problem NOW--while waiting for years.

Oakton is a thirty minute bus ride over winding back roads or rush hour I66. Oakton is a good school, but most would rather be at Chantilly which is close by.

Other neighborhoods in the area are bused over to Westfield. This area is essentially an attendance island--a big one. If you look at a map, you won't notice it because all the area between our neighborhoods and Westfield is commercial and industrial. And, Dulles airport. Not conducive to a community feel.

Then, there are the neighborhoods pretty close to Westfield that are sent to Centreville because of the high membership at Westfield.

And, you think WE are the selfish ones?

DP. To answer the question at the end of your post: Yes. Not the end of the world, but yeah, you’re pretty focused on yourself.

Improvement for the students in five or six high schools is selfish?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The GF people are smart enough to realize that merely objecting to the possibility of GF getting moved to Herndon isn't a winning strategy. So they've very sensibly framed their concerns in broader terms that appeal to people in other pyramids AND they've been more than willing to continue to do legwork on behalf of others even when the boundary consultant's recommendations didn't include moving anyone out of Langley. If they were your School Board representative or member of Congress you'd say they are very good at constituent service.

I would contrast that with the attitude of the those near KAA who, once they got wind of the KAA acquisition, have made it clear they only care about getting a new school in their neighborhood and don't care about anyone else. They don't care if other renovation projects now get deferred. They don't care if other areas with facilities needs continue to get ignored. They don't care if there is already excess capacity at some schools in western Fairfax. They don't want to hear any questions that the utlimate price tag could be well in excess of $150M. All they want is their new school and they want it NOW.

Wow! I live in the KAA area.

Where has it been said that we don't care about others?

Contrast Great Falls with the KAA area. Great Falls has been untouched by THRU. That is fine with me. I've said from the beginning and I still think this county-wide boundary study is ridiculous. If they want their thirty minute bus ride when there is a much closer school, that is fine with me.

As for the renovation projects--this school has been promised for years. And, a bond was passed. Other schools may have to wait a year, but this is a relatively inexpensive opportunity. We all know that. You know that and I know that.
Centreville will still get a renovation--but, maybe, it will be scaled back from the 3000 member school planned. Take this into consideration, this school will ultimately help Centreville and the Centreville neighbors who have to go on a long bus ride to Fairfax. (You might want to note the VERY expensive renovation there which is way more than what is being paid for KAA.)

Why do we want this school?
Our area has been split in pieces for years. One by one, they have kicked neighborhoods out of Chantilly and sent them to Oakton because of overcrowding at Chantilly (which we love). THRU plans to kick additional students out.
Some neighborhoods have gone through three high school changes in recent history. This means kids in two different high schools at the same time--not out of choice.
We have seen no hope for this to change with this School Board. And, now, we have a wonderful opportunity to solve this problem NOW--while waiting for years.

Oakton is a thirty minute bus ride over winding back roads or rush hour I66. Oakton is a good school, but most would rather be at Chantilly which is close by.

Other neighborhoods in the area are bused over to Westfield. This area is essentially an attendance island--a big one. If you look at a map, you won't notice it because all the area between our neighborhoods and Westfield is commercial and industrial. And, Dulles airport. Not conducive to a community feel.

Then, there are the neighborhoods pretty close to Westfield that are sent to Centreville because of the high membership at Westfield.

And, you think WE are the selfish ones?

DP. To answer the question at the end of your post: Yes. Not the end of the world, but yeah, you’re pretty focused on yourself.

Improvement for the students in five or six high schools is selfish?

You pretend to care about those other schools, but your post made it clear you just care about you and yours. So, yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It also saves money for the County allowing for renovations because the cost is less than half the projected cost to build a new building. And it removes the need for expansions. It provides relief to Westfield and Oakton. It could provide relief to Chantilly and maybe SLHS. That means it is serving to help 4 large communities and save money.

Agree, but you left out Centreville. Big relief there--and they could take their neighbors who are bused to Fairfax. They've been clamoring for years to be sent to Centreville or Chantilly.

Yes, there are neighborhoods that practically back up to CVHS that are sent to Fairfax.

[Anonymous]

There really isn't any excess capacity at any of the HS that surround the KAA site. Westfield (2800+ kids), Chantilly (3000 kids) and Centreville (2600 kids) are full (and Westfield has a ton of multifamily projects being built in its borders). Herndon does have some space but again, that capacity will be eaten up by housing projects being built. South Lakes is further away, but also full. Oakton? Full.

The families in this area have put up with crowded schools and mega schools while other areas got nice renovations for schools that weren't even close to capacity, because they were promised a new high school 20 years ago and every year since in the budget.

This is a golden opportunity and FCPS was so smart to jump on it. I honestly can't believe they did something so smart.

[Anonymous]

I'm laughing at PP who claims that money saved from not expanding McLean High can be used to fund the new school.

They haven't budgeted anything for McLean since a modular was relocated there a few years ago. That cost about $2.5M. There's nothing in the existing capital plans to expand or renovate the school, so they can't reallocate non-existent money to KAA. They could cancel Dunn Loring or scale back the Centreville expansion. That would free up some money. Otherwise I think they just end up deferring a slew of elementary and middle school renovations that are in the CIP. Franklin MS is one school that could see its renovation postponed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am going to be so pissed if some political operative from a community totally unaffected by this new school finds a way to derail this purchase. I have the feeling this is already in the works - it's like we're back in 2021 with Rory Cooper pulling all the strings.

Yup.

Three board members didn’t vote for the purchase: At-Large Representative Ilryong Moon, Rachna Sizemore Heizer (Braddock District) and Melanie Meren (Hunter Mill). I live in Hunter Mill district and I am not going to vote for Moon and Meren next time.

And then there’s the Great Falls group, which seems to oppose anything that remotely threatens their school boundary.

Watch out!

Vanessa has entered the chat.

She doesn't live in Hunter Mill.

DP. That's true, but then the poster who claimed to live in Hunter Mill probably doesn't live there, either.

Just checked the map. Does anyone have a link to a magisterial map that includes roads? Hard to tell on the maps I found.
Many Hunter Mill parents likely want this KAA school. Meren might be concerned about South Lakes losing kids, but she could really tick off the ones that could be assigned there. Some Dranesville kids would likely be assigned there, as well. They are currently at Westfield.

I am the PP who posted about Meren. I do live in the Hunter Mill District. My kids attend Fox Mill and Rachel Carson.

I suspect Meren didn’t vote for the purchase because if Fox Mill and some Floris kids move from SLHS to the new school, it could negatively affect SLHS in Reston, which many of her voters live.

Very disappointing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There really isn't any excess capacity at any of the HS that surround the KAA site. Westfield (2800+ kids), Chantilly (3000 kids) and Centreville (2600 kids) are full (and Westfield has a ton of multifamily projects being built in its borders). Herndon does have some space but again, that capacity will be eaten up by housing projects being built. South Lakes is further away, but also full. Oakton? Full.

The families in this area have put up with crowded schools and mega schools while other areas got nice renovations for schools that weren't even close to capacity, because they were promised a new high school 20 years ago and every year since in the budget.

This is a golden opportunity and FCPS was so smart to jump on it. I honestly can't believe they did something so smart.

Since this new school won't be available for a while, it makes sense to look at forecasts not current enrollments. For 2029 FCPS is projecting:

Herndon: 69% capacity and 861 extra seats

Madison: 92% capacity and 186 extra seats

Oakton: 95% capacity and 127 extra seats

South Lakes: 100% capacity and no extra seats

Centreville: 69% capacity and 921 extra seats (assuming the expansion to 3000; if there were no expansion, it would have 45 extra seats; if it were expanded to 2500, it would have 421 extra seats)

Chantilly: 98% capacity and 40 extra seats

Westfield: 97% capacity and 98 extra seats

So please stop exaggerating the expected enrollments at these schools or asserting they will all be at full capacity. Also keep in mind that FCPS has historically said that up to 105% capacity was acceptable, and these forecasts predate DOGE and the Trump Administration's efforts to reduce local federal jobs.

That's a lot of surplus capacity in the aggregate. Sure, there is growth in parts of western Fairfax but there is also growth in other parts of the county and student yields can vary depending on the type of new housing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am going to be so pissed if some political operative from a community totally unaffected by this new school finds a way to derail this purchase. I have the feeling this is already in the works - it's like we're back in 2021 with Rory Cooper pulling all the strings.

Yup.

Three board members didn’t vote for the purchase: At-Large Representative Ilryong Moon, Rachna Sizemore Heizer (Braddock District) and Melanie Meren (Hunter Mill). I live in Hunter Mill district and I am not going to vote for Moon and Meren next time.

And then there’s the Great Falls group, which seems to oppose anything that remotely threatens their school boundary.

Watch out!

Vanessa has entered the chat.

She doesn't live in Hunter Mill.

DP. That's true, but then the poster who claimed to live in Hunter Mill probably doesn't live there, either.

Just checked the map. Does anyone have a link to a magisterial map that includes roads? Hard to tell on the maps I found.
Many Hunter Mill parents likely want this KAA school. Meren might be concerned about South Lakes losing kids, but she could really tick off the ones that could be assigned there. Some Dranesville kids would likely be assigned there, as well. They are currently at Westfield.

I am the PP who posted about Meren. I do live in the Hunter Mill District. My kids attend Fox Mill and Rachel Carson.

I suspect Meren didn’t vote for the purchase because if Fox Mill and some Floris kids move from SLHS to the new school, it could negatively affect SLHS in Reston, which many of her voters live.

Very disappointing.

Nope. Meren likes to have a lot of time to study proposals and really dislikes being rushed into decisions. You can argue that time was of the essence here, but anyone who's watched her knows that's her style. It's unlikely that she was concerned about a negative effect on SLHS, and in any event Fox Mill could very well stay put at SLHS.

It's probably not a coincidence that the two other members who didn't vote in favor of the acquisition were Moon and Sizemore-Heizer, each of whom has served on the SB longer than most of the current members and tend to care about governance issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There really isn't any excess capacity at any of the HS that surround the KAA site. Westfield (2800+ kids), Chantilly (3000 kids) and Centreville (2600 kids) are full (and Westfield has a ton of multifamily projects being built in its borders). Herndon does have some space but again, that capacity will be eaten up by housing projects being built. South Lakes is further away, but also full. Oakton? Full.

The families in this area have put up with crowded schools and mega schools while other areas got nice renovations for schools that weren't even close to capacity, because they were promised a new high school 20 years ago and every year since in the budget.

This is a golden opportunity and FCPS was so smart to jump on it. I honestly can't believe they did something so smart.

Since this new school won't be available for a while, it makes sense to look at forecasts not current enrollments. For 2029 FCPS is projecting:

Herndon: 69% capacity and 861 extra seats

Madison: 92% capacity and 186 extra seats

Oakton: 95% capacity and 127 extra seats

South Lakes: 100% capacity and no extra seats

Centreville: 69% capacity and 921 extra seats (assuming the expansion to 3000; if there were no expansion, it would have 45 extra seats; if it were expanded to 2500, it would have 421 extra seats)

Chantilly: 98% capacity and 40 extra seats

Westfield: 97% capacity and 98 extra seats

So please stop exaggerating the expected enrollments at these schools or asserting they will all be at full capacity. Also keep in mind that FCPS has historically said that up to 105% capacity was acceptable, and these forecasts predate DOGE and the Trump Administration's efforts to reduce local federal jobs.

That's a lot of surplus capacity in the aggregate. Sure, there is growth in parts of western Fairfax but there is also growth in other parts of the county and student yields can vary depending on the type of new housing.

Then, why are they moving kids out of Chantilly? There is tons of construction in Westfield boundary.
Centreville projection assumes the expansion of the school--which would likely be adjusted.

And, almost 100% is not exactly low.

And, again, they are splitting neighborhoods. There are people right next door to Centreville High that have long bus rides.

Again, the students at five or six high schools would benefit greatly from this purchase. Not just those who live nearby. I

[Anonymous]

Madison is not a "western" high school, lol.

Chantilly and Westfield are absolutely enormous already and far above what FCPS has stated is the ideal high school size. Whether they have room in their many trailers for one more classroom of kids before they are considered 100% full is a complete non sequitur.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I can't take anything Meren does seriously after she was one of the most voracious School Closed Forever SB members---while sending her own kids to a private pod school and participating in $$ travel sports while schools were closed down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There really isn't any excess capacity at any of the HS that surround the KAA site. Westfield (2800+ kids), Chantilly (3000 kids) and Centreville (2600 kids) are full (and Westfield has a ton of multifamily projects being built in its borders). Herndon does have some space but again, that capacity will be eaten up by housing projects being built. South Lakes is further away, but also full. Oakton? Full.

The families in this area have put up with crowded schools and mega schools while other areas got nice renovations for schools that weren't even close to capacity, because they were promised a new high school 20 years ago and every year since in the budget.

This is a golden opportunity and FCPS was so smart to jump on it. I honestly can't believe they did something so smart.

Since this new school won't be available for a while, it makes sense to look at forecasts not current enrollments. For 2029 FCPS is projecting:

Herndon: 69% capacity and 861 extra seats

Madison: 92% capacity and 186 extra seats

Oakton: 95% capacity and 127 extra seats

South Lakes: 100% capacity and no extra seats

Centreville: 69% capacity and 921 extra seats (assuming the expansion to 3000; if there were no expansion, it would have 45 extra seats; if it were expanded to 2500, it would have 421 extra seats)

Chantilly: 98% capacity and 40 extra seats

Westfield: 97% capacity and 98 extra seats

So please stop exaggerating the expected enrollments at these schools or asserting they will all be at full capacity. Also keep in mind that FCPS has historically said that up to 105% capacity was acceptable, and these forecasts predate DOGE and the Trump Administration's efforts to reduce local federal jobs.

That's a lot of surplus capacity in the aggregate. Sure, there is growth in parts of western Fairfax but there is also growth in other parts of the county and student yields can vary depending on the type of new housing.

Then, why are they moving kids out of Chantilly? There is tons of construction in Westfield boundary.
Centreville projection assumes the expansion of the school--which would likely be adjusted.

And, almost 100% is not exactly low.

And, again, they are splitting neighborhoods. There are people right next door to Centreville High that have long bus rides.

Again, the students at five or six high schools would benefit greatly from this purchase. Not just those who live nearby. I

Chantilly was arguing to stay put and pointing to the projected enrollment declines.

Thru was following a very mechanical approach of proposing boundary changes at any schools currently over 105% without regard to enrollment forecasts. But their proposals were just that - proposals - and will continue to be adjusted before any changes are adopted.

There's construction near Westfield, and there's construction in other areas of the county as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Madison is not a "western" high school, lol.

Chantilly and Westfield are absolutely enormous already and far above what FCPS has stated is the ideal high school size. Whether they have room in their many trailers for one more classroom of kids before they are considered 100% full is a complete non sequitur.

Look at Madison's boundaries and you'll see it serves kids who live west of South Lakes.

You want to create substantial excess capacity at schools in western Fairfax, several of which already got big additions, in exchange for greater convenience for your own kids. No surprise there, but should others in the county really have to pay for it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Madison is not a "western" high school, lol.

Chantilly and Westfield are absolutely enormous already and far above what FCPS has stated is the ideal high school size. Whether they have room in their many trailers for one more classroom of kids before they are considered 100% full is a complete non sequitur.

Look at Madison's boundaries and you'll see it serves kids who live west of South Lakes.

You want to create substantial excess capacity at schools in western Fairfax, several of which already got big additions, in exchange for greater convenience for your own kids. No surprise there, but should others in the county really have to pay for it?

Someone who is clearly not familiar with those areas that are winding back roads with few connecting arteries.