Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The SB members do not want to discuss how much they are screwing over SLHS and Westfield.

Is anyone actually from South lakes or Westfield doing this complaining? Seems like it’s a lot of people who aren’t even at those schools who are complaining.

DP. Yes, yes we are. The School Board and many residents who are either not directly impacted or stand to benefit from this have made it clear they don't care. Emails and phone calls aren't returned or are given a boilerplate response. Comments on social media are carefully screened and deleted or not allowed. There's a reason you aren't hearing or seeing the complaints but that doesn't mean it's not happening.

I'm a Westfield parent who doesn't really post on here, just reads. I emailed Seema Dixit (twice) as well as the at-large members of the SB and Reid's office, raising concerns with Westfield losing too many students and teachers. I don't want to advocate for other people's children to be moved, but I am concerned that our school is being set up to fail academically. I was very surprised that the consultants chose to create a split feeder at Brookfield rather than move all of Bull Run over to Westfield. I didn't realize Dixit lived in one of the Bull Run/CVHS neighborhoods. Exempting Walney Oaks after moving part of Brookfield over is not a decision based on logic or geography. That area is closer to Westfield than CHS.

No one has replied to any of my polite, respectful messages. Also, my kid's favorite coach is getting de-staffed next year and moved to Skyview. Hopefully he will still be able to continue coaching here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many 9th grade teachers were destaffed from Westfield for next year? I know two personally.

Sad. And it’s infuriating how the school board completely disregards the negative impacts of these types of boundary changes.

It’s kind of a shit-show. They can’t really claim they’d leave Westfield at 74% because it was “too big” when they are leaving Oakton so large. They just make short-term decisions based on what they think they get away with and what will placate the loudest people with the most money. Money may not exchange hands, but it’s still corrupt.

100% agree there is a LOT of corruption. When a large block of people organize, the school board members think about that large block of votes and nothing else. Disgusting.

Wait, so you want the school board to ignore the community? Talk about disgusting.

No, what's disgusting is the amount of people who are just concerned about athletics and the socioeconomic status of their children's classmates.

Sports is a huge part of the american high school experience. This shouldn't be a surprise unless one grew up outside the US educational system.
People spend lots of money to distance themselves from certain problems that result in underprivledged communities. Obviously people want to do what is best for their kids and their wallet.

DP. Sports have been an essential part of my kids’ education.

That said, it is participation, and not winning state championships, that is the important part.

Adding a high school creates hundreds of new spots on teams that did not exist before. Meaning more kids can play. Meaning maybe even kids who have not played travel/club since age 5 can make the team. Meaning more families with less economic resources can participate.
It is absolutely a good thing and it is aided by smaller schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The SB members do not want to discuss how much they are screwing over SLHS and Westfield.

Is anyone actually from South lakes or Westfield doing this complaining? Seems like it’s a lot of people who aren’t even at those schools who are complaining.

DP. Yes, yes we are. The School Board and many residents who are either not directly impacted or stand to benefit from this have made it clear they don't care. Emails and phone calls aren't returned or are given a boilerplate response. Comments on social media are carefully screened and deleted or not allowed. There's a reason you aren't hearing or seeing the complaints but that doesn't mean it's not happening.

None of my FMES friends on the PTA have told me if Meren actually has met with them even though they have been asking for a meeting all year. Meren has been good about letting polite conversation occur on her board but she has also only responded to posts that share her position. She has not responded to the emails and calls from people who want to move but has held meetings at schools where people don’t want people moved. She removed people from her email list that don’t agree with her position on the boundary change. The difference is that the Consultants and the Board seem to disagree with her position.

Crossfield has been loudly divided and that seems to be reflected in the boundaries that were drawn. The school is being split to meet the loud demand to stay at Oakton or go to Skyview or stay at SLHS. Some people are upset that the school is being split, what did you expect?

Anonymous wrote:I thought I heard McDaniel say he supports children attending schools within walking distance. Under Scenario 1, Franklin/Skyview, we are within walking distance to Franklin MS. Is McDaniel in favor of making kids go to Carson MS instead of attending Franklin MS?

I believe that one of the other goals is to end split feeders. If kids from Oak Hill attend franklin, they will go to Chantilly. If kids from Oak Hill attend Carson they will go to Skyview. The parents I know at Oak Hill have said they would rather bus to Carson and go to Skyview with their ES friends then walk to Franklin and go to Chantilly knowing fewer people. This is especially true given the number of Oak Hill AAP kids that choose to attend Carson for AAP. It is a short bus ride and the busses already run.

Meren, for as much as I dislike her, has not deleted comments from people posting how they feel about the process. There are people upset with the SLHS change and people happy to be moving. I think the tone has been respectful all around. There are SLHS families unhappy with the change. Boundary changes are not going to make everyone happy. The school board has done its best to allow families to stay in place who want to regardless of the impact.

SLHS going to 85% is not an issue, especially with the construction. I think the families are more upset at what families are leaving than losing students. Westfield going to 74% is an issue especially since one of the goals of buying Skyview was to relieve Centreville and the Board is choosing not to do that while drastically dropping the enrollment at Westfield. Bull Run ES should move in totality to Westfield, not just the poor section of BRES.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The SB members do not want to discuss how much they are screwing over SLHS and Westfield.

Is anyone actually from South lakes or Westfield doing this complaining? Seems like it’s a lot of people who aren’t even at those schools who are complaining.

DP. Yes, yes we are. The School Board and many residents who are either not directly impacted or stand to benefit from this have made it clear they don't care. Emails and phone calls aren't returned or are given a boilerplate response. Comments on social media are carefully screened and deleted or not allowed. There's a reason you aren't hearing or seeing the complaints but that doesn't mean it's not happening.

I thought I heard McDaniel say he supports children attending schools within walking distance. Under Scenario 1, Franklin/Skyview, we are within walking distance to Franklin MS. Is McDaniel in favor of making kids go to Carson MS instead of attending Franklin MS?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Currently at McDaniel’s town hall meeting.

Skyview will get the Air Force JROTC program.

McDaniel joked that Navy Island would survive a nuclear war. He wanted to get rid of the island but it won't happen this time.

Many pro-Oakton/Crossfield parents showed uo and voiced strong support for Oakton and Scenario 2.

McDaniel doesn't have an issue not to apply freeze the walker mandate for Oak Hill kids under Scenario 1.

Marty confirmed that the final scenario will not be significantly different from the two revised scenarios.

After June 16, they will no longer accept comments from the boundary tool.

Kids in the boundary will take a bus from depot or closer bus stop if available.

Any comments on South Lakes?

Agreed! Could anyone who listened say if they commented on SL or Westfield capacity? Had a prior commitment and could not call in.

It was primarily dominated by Crossfield and Oak Hill.

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]They will be about the same size as Skyview; but with much larger buildings and much poorer students. [/quote]

If the buildings are larger it may speak to an inefficient use of facilities but otherwise it doesn’t seem like it would negatively impact students. [/quote]

Losing a third of their teachers is a negative impact. Increasing the schools' farms rates even higher is a negative impact. Losing APs and electives is a negative impact. [/quote]

In no world are they going to lose a third of their teachers. Westfield will also be losing a lot of FARMs. Isn't South Lakes gaining some kids from Marshall or Madison?

South Lakes needs to lose IB. Fox Mill and Floris begged for that twenty years ago and were ignored.[/quote]

South Lakes is not picking up any kids from Madison or Marshall. A number of Marshall neighborhoods are moving to Madison. South Lakes comes out of this smaller than Westfield.

South Lakes is dropping from 98% percent full to 85% full. The complaint that I see from SLHS families is that they are losing higher SES families, more MC and some UMC. It will impact the number of students taking IB classes.

It is not getting screwed over, there is a lot of construction in the area so the building will see more bodies soon enough. On top of that, they are losing 30-45 students a year to pupil placement at TJ or another AP school because families want AP and not IB. There would be more kids pupil placing out except that many kids prefer to stay with their friends and don’t worry about AP vs IB.

At some point in time, FCPS will listen to the families don’t want IB and things will stabilize for the IB schools that people keep pupil placing out of. Until then, people are going to leave.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The RIO Crossfield people are so absurd.

why？

Because someone is jelly about people with nicer stuff than theirs.

DP but I live in RIO territory and have nice things. I think they are overdramatic.

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]They will be about the same size as Skyview; but with much larger buildings and much poorer students. [/quote]

If the buildings are larger it may speak to an inefficient use of facilities but otherwise it doesn’t seem like it would negatively impact students. [/quote]

Losing a third of their teachers is a negative impact. Increasing the schools' farms rates even higher is a negative impact. Losing APs and electives is a negative impact. [/quote]

In no world are they going to lose a third of their teachers. Westfield will also be losing a lot of FARMs. Isn't South Lakes gaining some kids from Marshall or Madison?

South Lakes needs to lose IB. Fox Mill and Floris begged for that twenty years ago and were ignored.[/quote]

From the maps, it looks like Westfield is losing a mix of SES students, but only adding back in almost all low income kids.

No one can argue with a straight face that this boundary plan is good for the Westfield students.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The RIO Crossfield people are so absurd.

why？

Because someone is jelly about people with nicer stuff than theirs.

Anonymous wrote:The RIO Crossfield people are so absurd.

why？

They are going from 2750 to 2050 students. They are absolutely going to lose a third of their teachers.

Was there anyone at the meeting tonight upset about Scenario 2? I know it has some Oak Hill people upset, not sure about others?