Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing whatever jerks that are spouting this holier than thou, sanctimonious crap about how they made sacrifices to buy an ever so slightly older home, with an inconsequentially smaller amount of square footage, are relatively new to the area.
Lee wasn't that bad. I went to one of the "good" ffx HS's and had lots of friends ( due to outside extra curriculars) that attended Lee. The school seemed a little bit more of a mix, but not in a bad way. All of those kids were middle class and went to great colleges. That was in the 90's.
Saratoga actually voted to stay in the Lee pyramid. They had the option to move to South County. They didn't.
There are people that bought into that area and it has since deteriorated. They have a right to want it to be built back up to par.

The 90s are almost 20 years ago.

Those who bought during the 90s would not likely have school aged children now.

Actually those young families who bought homes in the mid to late 90s would have kids in high school right now. So they bought when Lee HS had a much different reputation.

In the mid-90s, Lee was already in the bottom third in FCPS, and now it's in the bottom fourth. So I think the basic premise that people buying in that district any time over the past 20 years got a bait-and-switch from FCPS is flawed. They bought in a school district that had a lot of older housing that, over time, became less attractive to middle-class families, who moved to newer communities in western Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun.

Quite honestly, if anyone has the case to make that FCPS treated them unfairly, it's people who bought in the Annandale district, not Lee. You could have bought in the Annandale district in the early-to-mid 90s and then watch FCPS systematically move single-family neighborhoods out of Annandale to Falls Church, Lake Braddock, Edison and Woodson.

Annandale totally got screwed. No doubt. But I think people aren't understanding that it isn't people who bought in the 90's who got screwed in Saratoga. It's people who bought in the mid 2000's. Before the crash. I also dispute the premise that Lee was bad in the 90's. If you lived in this area in the 80's and 90's you would know that no school was looked at as being particularly bad. Except maybe TC Williams and that isn't ffx. It was basically understood that if you went to school anywhere in ffx county - it was a good school. Some schools might have been considered better for certain things, but great schools didn't exist. People weren't such obnoxious assholes about zipcodes and school pyramids. Also, there wasn't as much multi family housing anywhere. There weren't the high number immigrants. The immigrants who were here were often middle class.
Yes, someone will not be happy when rezoning happens. Having spent 100k more than someone else doesn't buy you any assurances. Argue proximity to schools and neighborhood spirit all you want. Fine. Arguing that you spent x amount more? Nope. Just don't go there.

Concerning boundaries in the eastern part of the county, FCPS needs to shake up the puzzle pieces and look at the situation with a fresh perspective. They need to look at the changes that have occurred - both physical and social.

For example, the current widening of Route 1 from Lorton to Ft. Belvoir will make areas like Gunston more accessible to the Mount Vernon area. Maybe it would be sensible to put those students at Mt. Vernon HS?

The Saratoga folks are closer to West Springfield, South County, AND Hayfield than to Lee. Maybe something can be done to help them get to a more convenient school.

Lorton Station Elementary kids should definitely go to South Co.

They need to ignore the entitled attitude of certain "good"
schools and look at what's best for all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing whatever jerks that are spouting this holier than thou, sanctimonious crap about how they made sacrifices to buy an ever so slightly older home, with an inconsequentially smaller amount of square footage, are relatively new to the area.
Lee wasn't that bad. I went to one of the "good" ffx HS's and had lots of friends ( due to outside extra curriculars) that attended Lee. The school seemed a little bit more of a mix, but not in a bad way. All of those kids were middle class and went to great colleges. That was in the 90's.
Saratoga actually voted to stay in the Lee pyramid. They had the option to move to South County. They didn't.
There are people that bought into that area and it has since deteriorated. They have a right to want it to be built back up to par.

The 90s are almost 20 years ago.

Those who bought during the 90s would not likely have school aged children now.

Actually those young families who bought homes in the mid to late 90s would have kids in high school right now. So they bought when Lee HS had a much different reputation.

After this years's sophomores graduate there are no kids in grades K-12th who were alive during the 1990s.

You do realize that you could buy a home before actually having a child and base that decision on the schools for the children you are planning to have? Or, you might have school age children with a plan to have more. Seriously, think before you post.

I would bet that almost no one who has kids attending Saratoga elementary bought during the 1990s, pre children, specifically to attend Lee High School. Did you think before you posted?

You can make bets all you want - if you want to draw conclusions, I suggest you base it on facts or actual knowledge. That's what I would call thinking, but that appears to be a foreign concept to you.

As much as you want it to be true that fcps pulled the rug out from under Saratoga families, it isn't.

Repeating something over and over does not make it true.

I don't know what you're talking about. I'm no the PP who made any claims about what FCPS did. Personally, I have no idea. I wasn't here. But, I'm interested in facts, not your betting hunches.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing whatever jerks that are spouting this holier than thou, sanctimonious crap about how they made sacrifices to buy an ever so slightly older home, with an inconsequentially smaller amount of square footage, are relatively new to the area.
Lee wasn't that bad. I went to one of the "good" ffx HS's and had lots of friends ( due to outside extra curriculars) that attended Lee. The school seemed a little bit more of a mix, but not in a bad way. All of those kids were middle class and went to great colleges. That was in the 90's.
Saratoga actually voted to stay in the Lee pyramid. They had the option to move to South County. They didn't.
There are people that bought into that area and it has since deteriorated. They have a right to want it to be built back up to par.

The 90s are almost 20 years ago.

Those who bought during the 90s would not likely have school aged children now.

Actually those young families who bought homes in the mid to late 90s would have kids in high school right now. So they bought when Lee HS had a much different reputation.

In the mid-90s, Lee was already in the bottom third in FCPS, and now it's in the bottom fourth. So I think the basic premise that people buying in that district any time over the past 20 years got a bait-and-switch from FCPS is flawed. They bought in a school district that had a lot of older housing that, over time, became less attractive to middle-class families, who moved to newer communities in western Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun.

Quite honestly, if anyone has the case to make that FCPS treated them unfairly, it's people who bought in the Annandale district, not Lee. You could have bought in the Annandale district in the early-to-mid 90s and then watch FCPS systematically move single-family neighborhoods out of Annandale to Falls Church, Lake Braddock, Edison and Woodson.

We were househunting in Springfield during the early half of the 2000s. Coming in from out of state, everyone pointed us away from Lee high school and towards Lake Braddock and West Springfield. So at least a decade ago (pre Great schools) Lee was not a desireable school district to purchase a house in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing whatever jerks that are spouting this holier than thou, sanctimonious crap about how they made sacrifices to buy an ever so slightly older home, with an inconsequentially smaller amount of square footage, are relatively new to the area.
Lee wasn't that bad. I went to one of the "good" ffx HS's and had lots of friends ( due to outside extra curriculars) that attended Lee. The school seemed a little bit more of a mix, but not in a bad way. All of those kids were middle class and went to great colleges. That was in the 90's.
Saratoga actually voted to stay in the Lee pyramid. They had the option to move to South County. They didn't.
There are people that bought into that area and it has since deteriorated. They have a right to want it to be built back up to par.

The 90s are almost 20 years ago.

Those who bought during the 90s would not likely have school aged children now.

Actually those young families who bought homes in the mid to late 90s would have kids in high school right now. So they bought when Lee HS had a much different reputation.

After this years's sophomores graduate there are no kids in grades K-12th who were alive during the 1990s.

You do realize that you could buy a home before actually having a child and base that decision on the schools for the children you are planning to have? Or, you might have school age children with a plan to have more. Seriously, think before you post.

I would bet that almost no one who has kids attending Saratoga elementary bought during the 1990s, pre children, specifically to attend Lee High School. Did you think before you posted?

You can make bets all you want - if you want to draw conclusions, I suggest you base it on facts or actual knowledge. That's what I would call thinking, but that appears to be a foreign concept to you.

As much as you want it to be true that fcps pulled the rug out from under Saratoga families, it isn't.

Repeating something over and over does not make it true.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing whatever jerks that are spouting this holier than thou, sanctimonious crap about how they made sacrifices to buy an ever so slightly older home, with an inconsequentially smaller amount of square footage, are relatively new to the area.
Lee wasn't that bad. I went to one of the "good" ffx HS's and had lots of friends ( due to outside extra curriculars) that attended Lee. The school seemed a little bit more of a mix, but not in a bad way. All of those kids were middle class and went to great colleges. That was in the 90's.
Saratoga actually voted to stay in the Lee pyramid. They had the option to move to South County. They didn't.
There are people that bought into that area and it has since deteriorated. They have a right to want it to be built back up to par.

The 90s are almost 20 years ago.

Those who bought during the 90s would not likely have school aged children now.

Actually those young families who bought homes in the mid to late 90s would have kids in high school right now. So they bought when Lee HS had a much different reputation.

In the mid-90s, Lee was already in the bottom third in FCPS, and now it's in the bottom fourth. So I think the basic premise that people buying in that district any time over the past 20 years got a bait-and-switch from FCPS is flawed. They bought in a school district that had a lot of older housing that, over time, became less attractive to middle-class families, who moved to newer communities in western Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun.

Quite honestly, if anyone has the case to make that FCPS treated them unfairly, it's people who bought in the Annandale district, not Lee. You could have bought in the Annandale district in the early-to-mid 90s and then watch FCPS systematically move single-family neighborhoods out of Annandale to Falls Church, Lake Braddock, Edison and Woodson.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing whatever jerks that are spouting this holier than thou, sanctimonious crap about how they made sacrifices to buy an ever so slightly older home, with an inconsequentially smaller amount of square footage, are relatively new to the area.
Lee wasn't that bad. I went to one of the "good" ffx HS's and had lots of friends ( due to outside extra curriculars) that attended Lee. The school seemed a little bit more of a mix, but not in a bad way. All of those kids were middle class and went to great colleges. That was in the 90's.
Saratoga actually voted to stay in the Lee pyramid. They had the option to move to South County. They didn't.
There are people that bought into that area and it has since deteriorated. They have a right to want it to be built back up to par.

The 90s are almost 20 years ago.

Those who bought during the 90s would not likely have school aged children now.

Actually those young families who bought homes in the mid to late 90s would have kids in high school right now. So they bought when Lee HS had a much different reputation.

After this years's sophomores graduate there are no kids in grades K-12th who were alive during the 1990s.

You do realize that you could buy a home before actually having a child and base that decision on the schools for the children you are planning to have? Or, you might have school age children with a plan to have more. Seriously, think before you post.

I would bet that almost no one who has kids attending Saratoga elementary bought during the 1990s, pre children, specifically to attend Lee High School. Did you think before you posted?

You can make bets all you want - if you want to draw conclusions, I suggest you base it on facts or actual knowledge. That's what I would call thinking, but that appears to be a foreign concept to you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing whatever jerks that are spouting this holier than thou, sanctimonious crap about how they made sacrifices to buy an ever so slightly older home, with an inconsequentially smaller amount of square footage, are relatively new to the area.
Lee wasn't that bad. I went to one of the "good" ffx HS's and had lots of friends ( due to outside extra curriculars) that attended Lee. The school seemed a little bit more of a mix, but not in a bad way. All of those kids were middle class and went to great colleges. That was in the 90's.
Saratoga actually voted to stay in the Lee pyramid. They had the option to move to South County. They didn't.
There are people that bought into that area and it has since deteriorated. They have a right to want it to be built back up to par.

The 90s are almost 20 years ago.

Those who bought during the 90s would not likely have school aged children now.

Actually those young families who bought homes in the mid to late 90s would have kids in high school right now. So they bought when Lee HS had a much different reputation.

After this years's sophomores graduate there are no kids in grades K-12th who were alive during the 1990s.

You do realize that you could buy a home before actually having a child and base that decision on the schools for the children you are planning to have? Or, you might have school age children with a plan to have more. Seriously, think before you post.

I would bet that almost no one who has kids attending Saratoga elementary bought during the 1990s, pre children, specifically to attend Lee High School. Did you think before you posted?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing whatever jerks that are spouting this holier than thou, sanctimonious crap about how they made sacrifices to buy an ever so slightly older home, with an inconsequentially smaller amount of square footage, are relatively new to the area.
Lee wasn't that bad. I went to one of the "good" ffx HS's and had lots of friends ( due to outside extra curriculars) that attended Lee. The school seemed a little bit more of a mix, but not in a bad way. All of those kids were middle class and went to great colleges. That was in the 90's.
Saratoga actually voted to stay in the Lee pyramid. They had the option to move to South County. They didn't.
There are people that bought into that area and it has since deteriorated. They have a right to want it to be built back up to par.

The 90s are almost 20 years ago.

Those who bought during the 90s would not likely have school aged children now.

Actually those young families who bought homes in the mid to late 90s would have kids in high school right now. So they bought when Lee HS had a much different reputation.

After this years's sophomores graduate there are no kids in grades K-12th who were alive during the 1990s.

You do realize that you could buy a home before actually having a child and base that decision on the schools for the children you are planning to have? Or, you might have school age children with a plan to have more. Seriously, think before you post.

To restate in a way that makes us all feel like old people, there are only a tiny handful of 9th graders who were alive in the last century.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing whatever jerks that are spouting this holier than thou, sanctimonious crap about how they made sacrifices to buy an ever so slightly older home, with an inconsequentially smaller amount of square footage, are relatively new to the area.
Lee wasn't that bad. I went to one of the "good" ffx HS's and had lots of friends ( due to outside extra curriculars) that attended Lee. The school seemed a little bit more of a mix, but not in a bad way. All of those kids were middle class and went to great colleges. That was in the 90's.
Saratoga actually voted to stay in the Lee pyramid. They had the option to move to South County. They didn't.
There are people that bought into that area and it has since deteriorated. They have a right to want it to be built back up to par.

The 90s are almost 20 years ago.

Those who bought during the 90s would not likely have school aged children now.

Actually those young families who bought homes in the mid to late 90s would have kids in high school right now. So they bought when Lee HS had a much different reputation.

After this years's sophomores graduate there are no kids in grades K-12th who were alive during the 1990s.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing whatever jerks that are spouting this holier than thou, sanctimonious crap about how they made sacrifices to buy an ever so slightly older home, with an inconsequentially smaller amount of square footage, are relatively new to the area.
Lee wasn't that bad. I went to one of the "good" ffx HS's and had lots of friends ( due to outside extra curriculars) that attended Lee. The school seemed a little bit more of a mix, but not in a bad way. All of those kids were middle class and went to great colleges. That was in the 90's.
Saratoga actually voted to stay in the Lee pyramid. They had the option to move to South County. They didn't.
There are people that bought into that area and it has since deteriorated. They have a right to want it to be built back up to par.

The 90s are almost 20 years ago.

Those who bought during the 90s would not likely have school aged children now.

Actually those young families who bought homes in the mid to late 90s would have kids in high school right now. So they bought when Lee HS had a much different reputation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing whatever jerks that are spouting this holier than thou, sanctimonious crap about how they made sacrifices to buy an ever so slightly older home, with an inconsequentially smaller amount of square footage, are relatively new to the area.
Lee wasn't that bad. I went to one of the "good" ffx HS's and had lots of friends ( due to outside extra curriculars) that attended Lee. The school seemed a little bit more of a mix, but not in a bad way. All of those kids were middle class and went to great colleges. That was in the 90's.
Saratoga actually voted to stay in the Lee pyramid. They had the option to move to South County. They didn't.
There are people that bought into that area and it has since deteriorated. They have a right to want it to be built back up to par.

Thank you. Lee was very much a middle class school and had a good reputation. I don't recall how many, but a number of neighborhoods did move to South County from Lee. Not nearly as many as from Hayfield it seems.

Building the new freeway interchanges in front of Lee didn't help with its image as the area deteriorated.

+100

And as to the other response about the 90's being SO LONG AGO... People actually grew up around here. Not everyone landed here in adulthood. I don't live in that area, but I personally know people who bought in the last 10 years that would have had that decision influenced by their knowledge of the history of the area.
People in Saratoga trusted their elected officials and the general consensus that all Fcps schools are great. They have been let down. Why do those of you currently zoned wshs think you should be above such disappointment? It happens all the time- schools get rezoned and property values shift. You aren't so special. It can just as easily happen to you.

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing whatever jerks that are spouting this holier than thou, sanctimonious crap about how they made sacrifices to buy an ever so slightly older home, with an inconsequentially smaller amount of square footage, are relatively new to the area.
Lee wasn't that bad. I went to one of the "good" ffx HS's and had lots of friends ( due to outside extra curriculars) that attended Lee. The school seemed a little bit more of a mix, but not in a bad way. All of those kids were middle class and went to great colleges. That was in the 90's.
Saratoga actually voted to stay in the Lee pyramid. They had the option to move to South County. They didn't.
There are people that bought into that area and it has since deteriorated. They have a right to want it to be built back up to par.

I don't even know what means. You have some people claiming they should get rezoned to South County and others implying some of the Lee feeders should be swapped with West Springfield feeders. Don't those who'd be affected by such decisions also have rights? And are you implying that middle-class kids at Lee today can't get a decent education?

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing whatever jerks that are spouting this holier than thou, sanctimonious crap about how they made sacrifices to buy an ever so slightly older home, with an inconsequentially smaller amount of square footage, are relatively new to the area.
Lee wasn't that bad. I went to one of the "good" ffx HS's and had lots of friends ( due to outside extra curriculars) that attended Lee. The school seemed a little bit more of a mix, but not in a bad way. All of those kids were middle class and went to great colleges. That was in the 90's.
Saratoga actually voted to stay in the Lee pyramid. They had the option to move to South County. They didn't.
There are people that bought into that area and it has since deteriorated. They have a right to want it to be built back up to par.

Thank you. Lee was very much a middle class school and had a good reputation. I don't recall how many, but a number of neighborhoods did move to South County from Lee. Not nearly as many as from Hayfield it seems.

Building the new freeway interchanges in front of Lee didn't help with its image as the area deteriorated.