Does O'Connell have enrollment problems? They have nice athletic facilities since they share them with Marymount University in Arlington. (Which might be why they are perceived to have better facilities than the other VA Catholic High Schools?)

Anonymous wrote:It's three fold:

1. The Diocese seeds a need for a Catholic school in Loudoun;

2. PVI has outgrown its current footprint (especially in terms of athletics); and

3. Moving PVI out west is expected to help enrollment at O'Connell.

PVI needs to improve its academic offerings to merit a $20K price tag.

Its tuition will go up a fair amount to help off set and finance the move and construct a new plant.

There are a fair amount of strong public schools in Eastern Loudoun County with some great facilities as it is.

PVI currents plant is a complete dump.

Catholic elem school parent here. Would love to know how the Arlington Diocese makes financial decisions for area schools. It seems that there is a lot of disparity in how money is allocated between all of the various schools and while one school has great sports facilities, others struggle. I was told by a school board parent that, despite the offers of financial assistance by school parents, the diocese makes all of the allocation decisions. Anyone know if that is right or if there is some formal policy?

I guess all the kids who get kicked out off fairfax county as gonna have one hell of a bus rid

very analogous to what happened to Good Counsel. School is flourishing in new, larger place, albeit further out (Olney vs Silver Spring)

It's three fold:

1. The Diocese seeds a need for a Catholic school in Loudoun;

2. PVI has outgrown its current footprint (especially in terms of athletics); and

3. Moving PVI out west is expected to help enrollment at O'Connell.

Is this also an indication that close-in NOVA is not as Catholic anymore and the better option for the school's longevity is to move to the more conservative Loudoun county?

Does the diocese own the Fairfax City building or do they rent it?

They will ride the bus or go to O'Connell. They want to be a sports powerehouse and to really do that, you need the facilities. They probably could have kept the smaller school but without the new track, lights for the field etc they are at a standstill. And the neighborhood made it impossible - the admin tried for years to work with them.

What is going to happen to the current school?

Could they not keep it as a smaller high school and build a new school in Loudoun with a new identity, etc?

That is great they are addressing the need in Loudoun but what about central Fairfax? Will students really ride a bus out to South Riding? Or will they go to O'Connell?

Real reason is that they can't expand at the FFX location and locals have fought the redesign of track and baseball fields. They have been upfront about the move, so fewer kids going from areas that it will be tough to commute from. Loverde wants a flagship HS in the South Riding/Middleburg area since they took away the Catholic affiliation from Middleburg Academy when they appointed a lay principal and did not take the Bishop's choice. Principal and Vice Principal have visions of grandeur. Disclaimer - we left the school and hence the snarkiness, many others love it and do quite well. Perception is there is a growing need out in that area.

Anonymous wrote:South Riding might as well be on the moon. Odd choice.

Why? It's been known for quite some time that the Arlington dioceses owned this land and was intending to use it for the new PVI. The school is going from 18 acres, in an old building, to 68 acres with new facilities.

South Riding might as well be on the moon. Odd choice.

bump

Paul VI is officially moving to South Riding from Fairfax, VA in 2020. This is a large school which I assume serves more kids from central Fairfax County than Loudoun County, so what does this mean for the school? Will students who would normally go to Paul VI ride a bus to South Riding? Or will they look elsewhere for high school? If so where?


http://wtop.com/virginia/2015/06/paul-vi-catholic-high-school-moving-to-loudoun-county/