King Abdullah Academy Closing: FCPS Buy for HS?

[Anonymous]

Westfield has lots of new construction near it. They can also send those new developments by Wegmann's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Westfield is already 40% low income kids with the current boundaries.

FCPS updated the school profiles recently. Many schools, including Westfield, reported a significant decline in the percentage of FARMS kids in 2024-25. We could speculate as to the reasons why. Westfield was down to 31% FARMS last year.

I estimate that, assuming Floris, Coates, and McNair switch to the new HS and all of Cub Run ends up at Westfield, Westfield will end up somewhere around 37% FARMS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Westfield is already 40% low income kids with the current boundaries.

FCPS updated the school profiles recently. Many schools, including Westfield, reported a significant decline in the percentage of FARMS kids in 2024-25. We could speculate as to the reasons why. Westfield was down to 31% FARMS last year.

I estimate that, assuming Floris, Coates, and McNair switch to the new HS and all of Cub Run ends up at Westfield, Westfield will end up somewhere around 37% FARMS.

plus Bull Run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Westfield is already 40% low income kids with the current boundaries.

FCPS updated the school profiles recently. Many schools, including Westfield, reported a significant decline in the percentage of FARMS kids in 2024-25. We could speculate as to the reasons why. Westfield was down to 31% FARMS last year.

I estimate that, assuming Floris, Coates, and McNair switch to the new HS and all of Cub Run ends up at Westfield, Westfield will end up somewhere around 37% FARMS.

plus Bull Run.

Yes. They need Bull Run for the enrollment numbers but its FARMS rate is slightly above average for they pyramid where Cub Run is lower.

It will be odd that they built Westfield to be so large yet it's probably going to end up with a below-average enrollment for an FCPS high school. But I don't see a scenario where it doesn't make sense to send Floris, Coates, and McNair to the new HS.

[Anonymous]

They could put the Air academy there. But, I don't think the enrollment will be that low. Have you driven around there lately? New construction by Costco, Wegmann's, DMV area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They could put the Air academy there. But, I don't think the enrollment will be that low. Have you driven around there lately? New construction by Costco, Wegmann's, DMV area.

There is no air academy, or plan for an air academy. Quit being so dense.

[Anonymous]

Dulles is closed for general aviation purposes. If there was an air academy it would be in Manasas with PWCS

[Anonymous]

Apologize if already mentioned but does anyone know the capacity of King A?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apologize if already mentioned but does anyone know the capacity of King A?

I don’t think we know exactly. It seems like from some “back of the envelope” estimations based on square footage and acerage of the site, that it would end up as around a 2000-student school, but could perhaps go as high as 2500. 2500 would make it in line with many FCPS HS, 2000 would be on the smaller side but still comparable to some of the smaller HS like South County and Falls Church. Many schools fall between 2000-2500 - Edison, Langley, and the HS population at Hayfield are all in that range.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If Floris, McNair, and Coates get sent to the new HS, what would the be Westfield's new capacity?

Would they get Brookfield and/or some more of Centrevilles current kids? Oakhill as Emerald chase already goes there?

Westfield probably picks up all of Bull Run and Cub Run, not Brookfield, and Willow Springs moves to Centreville.

I think Cub Run already goes to Westfield. Maybe they pick up Lee's Corner?

I think it'll be Oak Hill. A lot of cub room already goes to westfields. And is the piece that doesn't isn't large enough to help relieve chantilly? McNair, Coates plus part of floris pulling out of Westfields would make Oak Hill easily absorb-able

They would not take Oak Hill and move them to Westfield. Oak Hill is closer to Chantilly, super close to the new school, and far from Westfield. The Emerald Chase neighborhood of Oak Hill is the only part that goes to Westfield now and they’ve been trying to move out because of the long commute on 28.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Anybody else want to put chances of each ES going to the new HS

Floris : 100% (Literally in Floris district lines)
Oak Hill : 95% (Very Small chance staying Chantilly with overcrowding there)
McNair : 90% (Small chance of staying Westfield or going to Herndon)
Coates : 85% (Small chance of staying Westfield or going to Herndon)
Crossfield : (75%)
Fox Mill : (65%)

Honestly both Crossfield and Fox Mill could go to South Lakes instead of the new HS and petty equidistant from those two options. However, it is easier to backfill Oakton with growth in Tysons. Hence higher chance of Crossfield being moved. Also Meren represents all of Fox Mill but only a fraction of Crossfield hence, the only option she has to protect South Lakes it to retain Fox Mill.

Floris: 100% (no brianer)
Coates: 100% (no brainer)
McNair: 90% (very likely)
FMES: 70% (the question is Meren)
Crossfield: 33% (Honestly, Oakton will be still better than the new HS)
Oak Hill: 50% (OHS’s probem is the middle school. It is very close to Franklin and should stay at Franklin and I don’t know if they create a new split feeder)

I am not sure I follow Oak Hill at 50%. Floris and Oak Hill are the two closest schools to KAA. Add in that they are trying to mange Chantilly’s capacity. I think it’s more like 90% Oak Hill gets moved to KAA. That will allow them to keep all the other neighborhoods being proposed to switch out of Chantilly by Thru at Chantilly.

They do have a problem at the middle school level, but they could fix that a few ways depending on who else ends up at KAA.

Easy. Make Franklin an AAP center which pulls kids back to Franklin, then rezone Oak Hill to Carson.

DP. Exactly the opposite of what should be done, which is eliminating AAP centers.

I think by making Franklin a "center" what they really mean is making it so in-boundary AAP kids for Franklin go there instead of having the option for Carson. Not necessarily a center that draws other kids from outside its boundary. Bringing those AAP kids back to Franklin would increase it's average test scores, increase club opportunities at the school, and help it to get better rankings from sites like greatschools.

FCPS has foolishly been dragging its feet on this. Franklin students should've been sent back to Franklin many years ago.

100% it is under capacity and it has dedicated AAP classes already. Plus, please get the Navy kids out of Crossfield, it will be better for everyone.

No it actually doesn’t. They cluster the AAP kids in honors classes, but don’t appear to have classes with only AAP kids.

When my older kids were in the AAP classes at Franklin, it seemed to be only Level IV kids. If there were principal-placed kids, it seemed to be very few, if any. Last year, my youngest was in the AAP classes, and it was a completely different program, and not in a good way. They changed to the cluster approach last year and it was a clustered mess. I was extremely disappointed by the change Franklin made in its AAP program. It used to be an excellent program, but last year was extremely poorly executed.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If Floris, McNair, and Coates get sent to the new HS, what would the be Westfield's new capacity?

Would they get Brookfield and/or some more of Centrevilles current kids? Oakhill as Emerald chase already goes there?

Westfield probably picks up all of Bull Run and Cub Run, not Brookfield, and Willow Springs moves to Centreville.

I think Cub Run already goes to Westfield. Maybe they pick up Lee's Corner?

I think it'll be Oak Hill. A lot of cub room already goes to westfields. And is the piece that doesn't isn't large enough to help relieve chantilly? McNair, Coates plus part of floris pulling out of Westfields would make Oak Hill easily absorb-able

They would not take Oak Hill and move them to Westfield. Oak Hill is closer to Chantilly, super close to the new school, and far from Westfield. The Emerald Chase neighborhood of Oak Hill is the only part that goes to Westfield now and they’ve been trying to move out because of the long commute on 28.

+1

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:This purchase is a coup for Fairfax County. This will be the nicest public school facility (of its size) in the County, perhaps in the entire State. The original build cost was around $100M (excluding $15+M in other improvements). If the FCPS tried to build something similar (they wouldn’t have, it’s too nice), I suspect it would have cost us taxpayers closer to $200M.

Arlington’s Wakefield was more expensive (adjusting for inflation), and likely has the nicest gym and pool of any public or private high school in the state. But yes, KAA sets the bar much higher for FCPS. I certainly hope future facilities will be constructed to the same level in terms of design and amenities. For a wealthy area taxpayers deserve better facilities. Just go to any other nice suburb outside of Philly, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, etc. They are leagues ahead of what FCPS typically builds.

there is a reason for that. kaa students and staff and faculty took care of the building. because it was loved.

Oh, nonsense. How ridiculous.

Please show me any other kid who feels a sense of ownership over their school building, even after they graduate. these kaa kids were stewards over their building treating it with alot of love and care. if you get over your negativity, you may actually agree. its in excellent condition because it was always treated with immense care. no graffiti, no wear and tear. you are hard pressed to find that anywhere else in public schools. I'm sorry its the truth. that building was so loved by a very large community.

I'm really sorry that your child is losing his/her school, but you need to grow up and get over it because it is going to be an FCPS high school now.

[Anonymous]

Please show me any other kid who feels a sense of ownership over their school building, even after they graduate. these kaa kids were stewards over their building treating it with alot of love and care. if you get over your negativity, you may actually agree. its in excellent condition because it was always treated with immense care. no graffiti, no wear and tear. you are hard pressed to find that anywhere else in public schools. I'm sorry its the truth. that building was so loved by a very large community.

What do you expect us to do? Give it back?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If Floris, McNair, and Coates get sent to the new HS, what would the be Westfield's new capacity?

Would they get Brookfield and/or some more of Centrevilles current kids? Oakhill as Emerald chase already goes there?

Westfield probably picks up all of Bull Run and Cub Run, not Brookfield, and Willow Springs moves to Centreville.

I think Cub Run already goes to Westfield. Maybe they pick up Lee's Corner?

I think it'll be Oak Hill. A lot of cub room already goes to westfields. And is the piece that doesn't isn't large enough to help relieve chantilly? McNair, Coates plus part of floris pulling out of Westfields would make Oak Hill easily absorb-able

They would not take Oak Hill and move them to Westfield. Oak Hill is closer to Chantilly, super close to the new school, and far from Westfield. The Emerald Chase neighborhood of Oak Hill is the only part that goes to Westfield now and they’ve been trying to move out because of the long commute on 28.

Oak hill isn't that far from Westfield compared to schools currently going there. I think it will depend on the capacity at the new school. If they are aiming for 2000 I don't think they can send Oak Hill kids there. Chantilly really needs the space. Is moving the Chantilly Academy to the new HS with those extra buildings even possible?