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[quote=Anonymous]Mateo Dunne email today. I see the guns are out for Thru. A predictable result …

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I am writing to provide an update on the Comprehensive School Boundary Review.

First, I share your disappointment with the process thus far. The draft scenarios published in May 2025 were incoherent and inconsistent with stated policy objectives. The consultant should have studied the scenarios more closely and obtained the input of the Boundary Review Advisory Committee so any obvious errors, such as the proposed boundaries for Whitman MS, could be corrected before publication of the maps.

Second, I share your concern about the remaining timeframe for the Comprehensive School Boundary Review. FCPS expects to publish the next round of maps in October, submit final recommendations to the School Board in December, and request approval by the School Board in January. However, FCPS has not published a schedule with specific dates.

Policy 8130 requires extensive community engagement with respect to any proposed changes:

Public engagement shall occur in each affected school pyramid before changes are proposed and again after changes are proposed but before any changes are finalized and voted on by the board. Public engagement at minimum includes pyramid community meetings with in-person and virtual options, pyramid wide surveys, and outreach to engage communities, as well as outreach to communities with students placed within the pyramid for programming or other reasons.

Consistent with Policy 8130, I am advocating for robust community engagement so your voices are heard with respect to any proposed changes. I also want to ensure there is adequate time to incorporate your feedback into the draft maps and hold additional community meetings, if necessary.

Third, I believe the Comprehensive School Boundary Review has provided a unique opportunity for FCPS to re-evaluate its operations so it can enhance the efficiency of its service delivery. The scope of the boundary review has expanded over time to include interrelated issues such as school start times and transportation, which has added complexity to the analysis. As a result, I believe the universe of potential changes has narrowed so fewer schools will be impacted through this process. That was perhaps inevitable given that this is the first county-wide boundary review in 40 years.

I remain cautiously optimistic about the outcome of this process, but I am focused on advocating on your behalf. I encourage you to participate in the community meetings in October. I also encourage you to contact me with any comments, concerns, and questions.

To date, I have published 7 newsletters and made over 30 presentations to PTAs, PTOs, PTSAs, civic associations, and HOAs, along with the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations and the Mount Vernon Council of Citizens' Associations. I welcome the opportunity to engage with your community (or to present an update if I already presented to you before).

Fourth, the School Board recently established a grandfathering policy for the Comprehensive School Boundary Review. Under this policy, the following students will have the option to remain at their current school even if their boundaries change:

Rising 4th and 5th graders at K-5 elementary schools;
Rising 5th and 6th graders at K-6 elementary schools;
Rising 8th graders at Grade 7-8 middle schools;
Rising 7th and 8th graders at Grade 6-8 middle schools (Poe MS, Holmes MS, and Glasgow MS);
Rising 10th-12th graders at high schools; and
Rising 8th-12th graders at secondary schools (such as Hayfield SS).
I supported the grandfathering policy to provide families with an option by which they can minimize the potential disruption caused by boundary changes.

Fifth, in the future, I hope the process will begin with school-specific conversations with school administrators and local PTAs, PTOs, and PTSAs, along with local civic associations and HOAs. This local knowledge should inform the development of scenarios for particular schools, pyramids, and regions. We should build from the ground up, rather than engaging in a top-down, one-size-fits-all process.

May you and your families be blessed as we launch into the new school year.[/quote]

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