Anonymous
01/14/2026 11:42
Subject: Re:Western High School Renovations/Construction.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The school has two out buildings that are not being used. They could 100% remodel those out building to provide the additional space needed while maintaining most of the interior of the current building. Put the library on one floor of an out building. Use space there for an English wing or foreign language space or a history space. They could renovate those buildings without disturbing the school during the year and make the spaces that they need for clasrooms.
+1 A little common sense goes a long, long way.
DP. I’m not sure that spending a lot of money on security vestibules and hyperventilating about getting kids out of trailers or modulars at other schools really aligns with kids attending regular classes in the current shell buildings at Western but we all define common sense differently.
Have you seen the area? It is almost a private road.
It’s not exactly gated so the point stands: you’ve got some School Board members acting like modulars are a crime to justify boundary changes while meanwhile Western kids may end up routinely leaving the main building to attend classes in separate, detached buildings. There’s no consistency, just expediency.
I attended school in California where there were open campuses and we walked outside to different buidlings. It was fine. There is a difference between trailers and modulars, that are not long term building, and a detached building. Walking outside to a building for class is no big deal. Using trailers and modulars that are set up on campus to handle over crowding is a different situation.
This is not California but from a safety perspective there is little difference between a modular and any other building detached from the main building.
No, in California they build open schools because they can and it is less expensive to build those buildings. The weather allows it. The safety issues are real because there are more pathways into the school. Is there a safety issue with walking from the building to a detached building or modular? Sure. Is it that big of a deal, no.
The metal detectors at FCPS are bypassed daily, kids are letting their friends in at different doors to get around the traffic jams created at the main door. The metal detectors are performance theatre and that is it. School shooting are scary but they are still a rare event. I am not worried about walking between buildings because of the threat of a school shooting or weather mainly because they are rare events and I attended an open school and know thousands of kids who attend open schools today who have been fine.
Western has two perfectly functional buildings that can easily be incorporated into the school. Kids walk to modulars and trailers every day without incident, I am not worried about kids walking to detached buildings that are better constructed then modulars and trailers.
If you accept that logic, then we have to agree that they are wasting money on security vestibules and talking out of both sides of their mouths when they claim that modulars at others schools need to be eliminated. It’s irrelevant if the shell buildings at Western are better constructed. Their use will present the same security issues as any detached modular.
Do you think that the metal detectors are worth anything?
Security vestibules make sense and you can build one on to the front of the two out buildings at Western. It would not be that expensive and having staff in the building makes sense. That said, we don't have them for any of the trailers at schools using trailers, those areas are vulnerable. It is one good reason to redistrict so that kids are not in trailers without a security vestibule.
The point is, we have buildings that we can use just like we use trailers and modulars. And yes, we are talking out both sides of our mouth when we discuss security because we know people are ignoring it and we know that we don't have systems in place for portions of many schools. Either we fix the problem, by building vestibules were we can and moving kids out of trailers or we realize that we are blowing smoke. Parents who would rather stay at schools and keep their kids in trailers rather then change schools are probably not thining about security vestibules.
Anonymous
01/14/2026 10:50
Subject: Re:Western High School Renovations/Construction.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The school has two out buildings that are not being used. They could 100% remodel those out building to provide the additional space needed while maintaining most of the interior of the current building. Put the library on one floor of an out building. Use space there for an English wing or foreign language space or a history space. They could renovate those buildings without disturbing the school during the year and make the spaces that they need for clasrooms.
+1 A little common sense goes a long, long way.
DP. I’m not sure that spending a lot of money on security vestibules and hyperventilating about getting kids out of trailers or modulars at other schools really aligns with kids attending regular classes in the current shell buildings at Western but we all define common sense differently.
Have you seen the area? It is almost a private road.
It’s not exactly gated so the point stands: you’ve got some School Board members acting like modulars are a crime to justify boundary changes while meanwhile Western kids may end up routinely leaving the main building to attend classes in separate, detached buildings. There’s no consistency, just expediency.
I attended school in California where there were open campuses and we walked outside to different buidlings. It was fine. There is a difference between trailers and modulars, that are not long term building, and a detached building. Walking outside to a building for class is no big deal. Using trailers and modulars that are set up on campus to handle over crowding is a different situation.
This is not California but from a safety perspective there is little difference between a modular and any other building detached from the main building.
No, in California they build open schools because they can and it is less expensive to build those buildings. The weather allows it. The safety issues are real because there are more pathways into the school. Is there a safety issue with walking from the building to a detached building or modular? Sure. Is it that big of a deal, no.
The metal detectors at FCPS are bypassed daily, kids are letting their friends in at different doors to get around the traffic jams created at the main door. The metal detectors are performance theatre and that is it. School shooting are scary but they are still a rare event. I am not worried about walking between buildings because of the threat of a school shooting or weather mainly because they are rare events and I attended an open school and know thousands of kids who attend open schools today who have been fine.
Western has two perfectly functional buildings that can easily be incorporated into the school. Kids walk to modulars and trailers every day without incident, I am not worried about kids walking to detached buildings that are better constructed then modulars and trailers.
If you accept that logic, then we have to agree that they are wasting money on security vestibules and talking out of both sides of their mouths when they claim that modulars at others schools need to be eliminated. It’s irrelevant if the shell buildings at Western are better constructed. Their use will present the same security issues as any detached modular.
Anonymous
01/14/2026 07:46
Subject: Re:Western High School Renovations/Construction.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The school has two out buildings that are not being used. They could 100% remodel those out building to provide the additional space needed while maintaining most of the interior of the current building. Put the library on one floor of an out building. Use space there for an English wing or foreign language space or a history space. They could renovate those buildings without disturbing the school during the year and make the spaces that they need for clasrooms.
+1 A little common sense goes a long, long way.
DP. I’m not sure that spending a lot of money on security vestibules and hyperventilating about getting kids out of trailers or modulars at other schools really aligns with kids attending regular classes in the current shell buildings at Western but we all define common sense differently.
Have you seen the area? It is almost a private road.
It’s not exactly gated so the point stands: you’ve got some School Board members acting like modulars are a crime to justify boundary changes while meanwhile Western kids may end up routinely leaving the main building to attend classes in separate, detached buildings. There’s no consistency, just expediency.
I attended school in California where there were open campuses and we walked outside to different buidlings. It was fine. There is a difference between trailers and modulars, that are not long term building, and a detached building. Walking outside to a building for class is no big deal. Using trailers and modulars that are set up on campus to handle over crowding is a different situation.
This is not California but from a safety perspective there is little difference between a modular and any other building detached from the main building.
No, in California they build open schools because they can and it is less expensive to build those buildings. The weather allows it. The safety issues are real because there are more pathways into the school. Is there a safety issue with walking from the building to a detached building or modular? Sure. Is it that big of a deal, no.
The metal detectors at FCPS are bypassed daily, kids are letting their friends in at different doors to get around the traffic jams created at the main door. The metal detectors are performance theatre and that is it. School shooting are scary but they are still a rare event. I am not worried about walking between buildings because of the threat of a school shooting or weather mainly because they are rare events and I attended an open school and know thousands of kids who attend open schools today who have been fine.
Western has two perfectly functional buildings that can easily be incorporated into the school. Kids walk to modulars and trailers every day without incident, I am not worried about kids walking to detached buildings that are better constructed then modulars and trailers.
Anonymous
01/14/2026 07:32
Subject: Re:Western High School Renovations/Construction.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The school has two out buildings that are not being used. They could 100% remodel those out building to provide the additional space needed while maintaining most of the interior of the current building. Put the library on one floor of an out building. Use space there for an English wing or foreign language space or a history space. They could renovate those buildings without disturbing the school during the year and make the spaces that they need for clasrooms.
+1 A little common sense goes a long, long way.
DP. I’m not sure that spending a lot of money on security vestibules and hyperventilating about getting kids out of trailers or modulars at other schools really aligns with kids attending regular classes in the current shell buildings at Western but we all define common sense differently.
Have you seen the area? It is almost a private road.
It’s not exactly gated so the point stands: you’ve got some School Board members acting like modulars are a crime to justify boundary changes while meanwhile Western kids may end up routinely leaving the main building to attend classes in separate, detached buildings. There’s no consistency, just expediency.
I attended school in California where there were open campuses and we walked outside to different buidlings. It was fine. There is a difference between trailers and modulars, that are not long term building, and a detached building. Walking outside to a building for class is no big deal. Using trailers and modulars that are set up on campus to handle over crowding is a different situation.
This is not California but from a safety perspective there is little difference between a modular and any other building detached from the main building.
Anonymous
01/14/2026 07:23
Subject: Re:Western High School Renovations/Construction.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The school has two out buildings that are not being used. They could 100% remodel those out building to provide the additional space needed while maintaining most of the interior of the current building. Put the library on one floor of an out building. Use space there for an English wing or foreign language space or a history space. They could renovate those buildings without disturbing the school during the year and make the spaces that they need for clasrooms.
+1 A little common sense goes a long, long way.
DP. I’m not sure that spending a lot of money on security vestibules and hyperventilating about getting kids out of trailers or modulars at other schools really aligns with kids attending regular classes in the current shell buildings at Western but we all define common sense differently.
Have you seen the area? It is almost a private road.
It’s not exactly gated so the point stands: you’ve got some School Board members acting like modulars are a crime to justify boundary changes while meanwhile Western kids may end up routinely leaving the main building to attend classes in separate, detached buildings. There’s no consistency, just expediency.
I attended school in California where there were open campuses and we walked outside to different buidlings. It was fine. There is a difference between trailers and modulars, that are not long term building, and a detached building. Walking outside to a building for class is no big deal. Using trailers and modulars that are set up on campus to handle over crowding is a different situation.
Anonymous
01/14/2026 06:55
Subject: Western High School Renovations/Construction.
Anonymous wrote:That is why a traditional school is needed.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:They could try to make it one.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It shouldn’t be that long.Anonymous wrote:The reason why Reid and nearly all school personnel that have toured the school say they want a magnet school is because that is how the school is structured. They know the school will need a TON of remodeling if it is to be on par with the rest of the FCPS traditional schools and they know that the public will end up pissed off when the remodeling takes too long and costs too much in the long run. The school board doesn't give a shit. They want to give the people what is popular and know they will be long gone before the bill is due and the county is forced to swallow it.
Had they went in with a better approach, this debacle wouldn’t have happened and I’m livid to my core that it did.
16 years ago, FCPS initially proposed it, but for some political centred reason, the BOS sold that land to the Saudis, when they could have built it elsewhere, but no, next to Carson they said, and then we bought it back.
And now FCPS is proposing a magnet school, which has its own implications considering TJ pulls kids in from other districts.
Guaranteed it wouldn’t be just FCPS students in an Aviation/Aerospace/AI/Robotics magnet, but they voted for a traditional school.
I also don’t remember us taxpayers being informed on the purchase of the new school, and here we are!
TJ pulls in from other districts because it is a governor's school. Western is not.
You never know with this board.
And, they will still have Chantilly at 3000 and Westfield at 2750 and growing.
But just note that after 2026-2028 graduate, enrolment will drop.
True. But, it won't be a small school, in any case.
Westfield appears to be growing. Freshman class is very large and there is new construction--a lot of it.
Anonymous
01/13/2026 22:13
Subject: Western High School Renovations/Construction.
That is why a traditional school is needed.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:They could try to make it one.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It shouldn’t be that long.Anonymous wrote:The reason why Reid and nearly all school personnel that have toured the school say they want a magnet school is because that is how the school is structured. They know the school will need a TON of remodeling if it is to be on par with the rest of the FCPS traditional schools and they know that the public will end up pissed off when the remodeling takes too long and costs too much in the long run. The school board doesn't give a shit. They want to give the people what is popular and know they will be long gone before the bill is due and the county is forced to swallow it.
Had they went in with a better approach, this debacle wouldn’t have happened and I’m livid to my core that it did.
16 years ago, FCPS initially proposed it, but for some political centred reason, the BOS sold that land to the Saudis, when they could have built it elsewhere, but no, next to Carson they said, and then we bought it back.
And now FCPS is proposing a magnet school, which has its own implications considering TJ pulls kids in from other districts.
Guaranteed it wouldn’t be just FCPS students in an Aviation/Aerospace/AI/Robotics magnet, but they voted for a traditional school.
I also don’t remember us taxpayers being informed on the purchase of the new school, and here we are!
TJ pulls in from other districts because it is a governor's school. Western is not.
You never know with this board.
And, they will still have Chantilly at 3000 and Westfield at 2750 and growing.
But just note that after 2026-2028 graduate, enrolment will drop.
Anonymous
01/13/2026 22:09
Subject: Western High School Renovations/Construction.
Anonymous wrote:They could try to make it one.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It shouldn’t be that long.Anonymous wrote:The reason why Reid and nearly all school personnel that have toured the school say they want a magnet school is because that is how the school is structured. They know the school will need a TON of remodeling if it is to be on par with the rest of the FCPS traditional schools and they know that the public will end up pissed off when the remodeling takes too long and costs too much in the long run. The school board doesn't give a shit. They want to give the people what is popular and know they will be long gone before the bill is due and the county is forced to swallow it.
Had they went in with a better approach, this debacle wouldn’t have happened and I’m livid to my core that it did.
16 years ago, FCPS initially proposed it, but for some political centred reason, the BOS sold that land to the Saudis, when they could have built it elsewhere, but no, next to Carson they said, and then we bought it back.
And now FCPS is proposing a magnet school, which has its own implications considering TJ pulls kids in from other districts.
Guaranteed it wouldn’t be just FCPS students in an Aviation/Aerospace/AI/Robotics magnet, but they voted for a traditional school.
I also don’t remember us taxpayers being informed on the purchase of the new school, and here we are!
TJ pulls in from other districts because it is a governor's school. Western is not.
You never know with this board.
And, they will still have Chantilly at 3000 and Westfield at 2750 and growing.
Anonymous
01/13/2026 22:02
Subject: Western High School Renovations/Construction.
They could try to make it one.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It shouldn’t be that long.Anonymous wrote:The reason why Reid and nearly all school personnel that have toured the school say they want a magnet school is because that is how the school is structured. They know the school will need a TON of remodeling if it is to be on par with the rest of the FCPS traditional schools and they know that the public will end up pissed off when the remodeling takes too long and costs too much in the long run. The school board doesn't give a shit. They want to give the people what is popular and know they will be long gone before the bill is due and the county is forced to swallow it.
Had they went in with a better approach, this debacle wouldn’t have happened and I’m livid to my core that it did.
16 years ago, FCPS initially proposed it, but for some political centred reason, the BOS sold that land to the Saudis, when they could have built it elsewhere, but no, next to Carson they said, and then we bought it back.
And now FCPS is proposing a magnet school, which has its own implications considering TJ pulls kids in from other districts.
Guaranteed it wouldn’t be just FCPS students in an Aviation/Aerospace/AI/Robotics magnet, but they voted for a traditional school.
I also don’t remember us taxpayers being informed on the purchase of the new school, and here we are!
TJ pulls in from other districts because it is a governor's school. Western is not.
You never know with this board.
Anonymous
01/13/2026 21:56
Subject: Western High School Renovations/Construction.
Anonymous wrote:It shouldn’t be that long.Anonymous wrote:The reason why Reid and nearly all school personnel that have toured the school say they want a magnet school is because that is how the school is structured. They know the school will need a TON of remodeling if it is to be on par with the rest of the FCPS traditional schools and they know that the public will end up pissed off when the remodeling takes too long and costs too much in the long run. The school board doesn't give a shit. They want to give the people what is popular and know they will be long gone before the bill is due and the county is forced to swallow it.
Had they went in with a better approach, this debacle wouldn’t have happened and I’m livid to my core that it did.
16 years ago, FCPS initially proposed it, but for some political centred reason, the BOS sold that land to the Saudis, when they could have built it elsewhere, but no, next to Carson they said, and then we bought it back.
And now FCPS is proposing a magnet school, which has its own implications considering TJ pulls kids in from other districts.
Guaranteed it wouldn’t be just FCPS students in an Aviation/Aerospace/AI/Robotics magnet, but they voted for a traditional school.
I also don’t remember us taxpayers being informed on the purchase of the new school, and here we are!
TJ pulls in from other districts because it is a governor's school. Western is not.
Anonymous
01/13/2026 21:35
Subject: Western High School Renovations/Construction.
It shouldn’t be that long.Anonymous wrote:The reason why Reid and nearly all school personnel that have toured the school say they want a magnet school is because that is how the school is structured. They know the school will need a TON of remodeling if it is to be on par with the rest of the FCPS traditional schools and they know that the public will end up pissed off when the remodeling takes too long and costs too much in the long run. The school board doesn't give a shit. They want to give the people what is popular and know they will be long gone before the bill is due and the county is forced to swallow it.
Had they went in with a better approach, this debacle wouldn’t have happened and I’m livid to my core that it did.
16 years ago, FCPS initially proposed it, but for some political centred reason, the BOS sold that land to the Saudis, when they could have built it elsewhere, but no, next to Carson they said, and then we bought it back.
And now FCPS is proposing a magnet school, which has its own implications considering TJ pulls kids in from other districts.
Guaranteed it wouldn’t be just FCPS students in an Aviation/Aerospace/AI/Robotics magnet, but they voted for a traditional school.
I also don’t remember us taxpayers being informed on the purchase of the new school, and here we are!
Anonymous
01/13/2026 20:52
Subject: Western High School Renovations/Construction.
Anonymous wrote:Um, maybe. Or maybe it’s my kids thrive in accelerated math and love engineering and robotics coursework. You’d think I’d want a magnet school if my kid was not inclined to attend one because the superintendent wants one? Not quite that selfless.
Then go to TJ, not a vocational magnet.
Anonymous
01/13/2026 20:50
Subject: Re:Western High School Renovations/Construction.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The school has two out buildings that are not being used. They could 100% remodel those out building to provide the additional space needed while maintaining most of the interior of the current building. Put the library on one floor of an out building. Use space there for an English wing or foreign language space or a history space. They could renovate those buildings without disturbing the school during the year and make the spaces that they need for clasrooms.
+1 A little common sense goes a long, long way.
DP. I’m not sure that spending a lot of money on security vestibules and hyperventilating about getting kids out of trailers or modulars at other schools really aligns with kids attending regular classes in the current shell buildings at Western but we all define common sense differently.
Have you seen the area? It is almost a private road.
It’s not exactly gated so the point stands: you’ve got some School Board members acting like modulars are a crime to justify boundary changes while meanwhile Western kids may end up routinely leaving the main building to attend classes in separate, detached buildings. There’s no consistency, just expediency.
Anonymous
01/13/2026 20:19
Subject: Re:Western High School Renovations/Construction.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The school has two out buildings that are not being used. They could 100% remodel those out building to provide the additional space needed while maintaining most of the interior of the current building. Put the library on one floor of an out building. Use space there for an English wing or foreign language space or a history space. They could renovate those buildings without disturbing the school during the year and make the spaces that they need for clasrooms.
+1 A little common sense goes a long, long way.
DP. I’m not sure that spending a lot of money on security vestibules and hyperventilating about getting kids out of trailers or modulars at other schools really aligns with kids attending regular classes in the current shell buildings at Western but we all define common sense differently.
Have you seen the area? It is almost a private road.
Anonymous
01/13/2026 13:37
Subject: Re:Western High School Renovations/Construction.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The school has two out buildings that are not being used. They could 100% remodel those out building to provide the additional space needed while maintaining most of the interior of the current building. Put the library on one floor of an out building. Use space there for an English wing or foreign language space or a history space. They could renovate those buildings without disturbing the school during the year and make the spaces that they need for clasrooms.
+1 A little common sense goes a long, long way.
DP. I’m not sure that spending a lot of money on security vestibules and hyperventilating about getting kids out of trailers or modulars at other schools really aligns with kids attending regular classes in the current shell buildings at Western but we all define common sense differently.