Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they should split up Coates & McNair. One of those schools can go to Herndon HS which has capacity so that Crossfield can go to Western. That way no one has a 30 minute bus ride on the highway to get to high school.

Uh huh. Fill up Herndon with Coates or McNair, and then that way you can keep busing other kids 45 minutes on a two-way street to get to another high school.

And, at the same time, change Langley boundary students who live in Herndon to Herndon. That would bring Langley under 100%.

This is a nonsense comment.

The city/town name for unincorporated area is determined by USPS. It doesn’t have anything to do with county.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they should split up Coates & McNair. One of those schools can go to Herndon HS which has capacity so that Crossfield can go to Western. That way no one has a 30 minute bus ride on the highway to get to high school.

Uh huh. Fill up Herndon with Coates or McNair, and then that way you can keep busing other kids 45 minutes on a two-way street to get to another high school.

And, at the same time, change Langley boundary students who live in Herndon to Herndon. That would bring Langley under 100%.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they should split up Coates & McNair. One of those schools can go to Herndon HS which has capacity so that Crossfield can go to Western. That way no one has a 30 minute bus ride on the highway to get to high school.

Uh huh. Fill up Herndon with Coates or McNair, and then that way you can keep busing other kids 45 minutes on a two-way street to get to another high school.

And, at the same time, change Langley boundary students who live in Herndon to Herndon. That would bring Langley under 100%.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they should split up Coates & McNair. One of those schools can go to Herndon HS which has capacity so that Crossfield can go to Western. That way no one has a 30 minute bus ride on the highway to get to high school.

Uh huh. Fill up Herndon with Coates or McNair, and then that way you can keep busing other kids 45 minutes on a two-way street to get to another high school.

Anonymous wrote:I think they should split up Coates & McNair. One of those schools can go to Herndon HS which has capacity so that Crossfield can go to Western. That way no one has a 30 minute bus ride on the highway to get to high school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know if there is a link to opt-in for 26-27?

Slide 14 here says enrollment begins on Nov 14: https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/DN829T0122CD/%24file/11-12%20Work%20Session%20-%20FCPS%20Boundary%20Review%20Presentation.pptx%20%20-%20%20SB%20Final.pdf

Honest question, why would you want to? You don't know what programs will be offered. You don't know who the teachers will be. You don't know who the student body will be. No sports or extra curriculars. No idea of you'll even have transportation after year 1. Is your current high School that bad? Our do you have that much faith in our superintendent and school board?

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know if there is a link to opt-in for 26-27?

Slide 14 here says enrollment begins on Nov 14: https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/DN829T0122CD/%24file/11-12%20Work%20Session%20-%20FCPS%20Boundary%20Review%20Presentation.pptx%20%20-%20%20SB%20Final.pdf

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like the traditional school motion passed as expected, but they removed the details about the 2027 and 2028 school years. I tried to watch that part of the meeting to see the discussion, but maybe that part of the meeting was private? It's not on YouTube.
From Board Docs:

Amended Main Motion: I move that the School Board approve Western High School to be a comprehensive high school with traditional boundaries, that includes a special programming pathway option, and the following enrollment plan will be implemented:
2026-2027 Grades 9 and 10 opt-in.

Motion by Seema Dixit, second by Karl V Frisch.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yes: Karl V Frisch, Marcia St John-Cunning, Sandy B Anderson - Chair, Seema Dixit, Rachna Sizemore Heizer, Mateo Dunne, Ilryong Moon
No: Melanie K Meren, Ryan McElveen, Ricardy J Anderson
Abstain: Robyn Lady - Vice Chair

The following opt-in language was apparently added last night (that’s why they had to suspend the 48 hour notification requirement):

and the following enrollment plan will be implemented:
For SY26-27. Grades 9 and 10 will be opt-in;
for SY27-28, grades 9, 10, and 11 will be opt-out;
and for SY28-29, grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 will be firm boundary.

Meren was furious about this last minute change and wanted to strike them out. Her motion failed. Instead they decided to remove only SY2027 and SY2028 details.

Meren sent and email out that said that the school wouldn’t open next year and then backtracked in her FB comments to say that she meant that the first year would be opt in. She is doing her damndest to stop this. Fox Mill parent here, just to be transparent. I think that there is pressure from SLHS families to keep Floris and Fox Millat SLHS. I think that there are a good number of fox Mill families writing her that they want to move, but I know not everyone does. I think the loud screams to not move Crossfield are creating a scenario where Fox Mill moves and Meren knows that she has constituents that won’t be happy with that. She also has pressure to not allow the Vienna folks from being moved to a different HS. I suspect that she knows that she is losing one, if not both, of those arguments.

The Crossfield screamers are the worst. And yes, I'm a Crossfield parent and would love for my kid to go to the new high school.

Meren attempts to run blockades on anything that benefits schools other than her South Lakes pyramid. If she had any sense she'd go after the Westbriar/IB Marshall island for Sunrise Valley. The 10 moved to Colvin Run lived off Route 7 and were already Cooper/Langley [fact FFM rep didn't know or couldn't figure out independently.] Plus could pick up some other Colvin Run/Langley and top of the odd Oakton ES feed. Replacement products for changes of Fox Mill 100% or a new Fox Mill after appropriate boundary changes with Crossfield.

Maybe the level of screamers is why FCPS stuck the non contiguous boundary schools Oakton and Langley at the same meeting. Then you have the Timber Lane Mclean screamers. Mclean is still in dire straits and that crew would move Chesterbrook to Langley to keep Mclean. Better scoping on elementary boundaries and middle/high school feeds would have solved many issues but Thru and Reid didn't do that.

No one at Timber Lane has ever suggested moving Chesterbrook from McLean to Langley. No one. All they asked for was to stay at McLean, and it appears that FCPS will make the sensible decision to move the Spring Hill kids at McLean to Langley instead, which will eliminate the split feeder there and finally assign a portion of Tysons to Langley.

That was Janie Strauss’s original plan back in 2018 after Langley was expanded to almost 2400 seats but it was delayed, first because the School Board was already toying with the idea of a county-wide review and then because Elaine Tholen blocked it to appease her Great Falls neighbors.

So? I used Chesterbrook as an example since scenario 4 still leaves Mclean overcapacity. 115% including the modular which was relocated NOT new. Chantilly and Centreville have "ancient" modulars installed in 2005. Same as Robinson which had about 3000 HS pre the decision to install a modular. We went to the meetings on Mclean held at Langley and Mclean in 2019. The public suggested move outs to Langley and other schools including Herndon and Falls Church. Those 2 did not have the capacity that will be available in 2026-27. Frankly some SPAs at Timber Lane should be moved to Shrevewood/Marshall and the proposed Shrevewood move should remain at Timber Lane and the whole school at Falls Church.

This probably belongs on the boundary thread, not a thread about the western HS.

I will say it underscores how having 100% feeders tends to provide comfort about boundaries, so if they can do that with the western school (at a minimum for Floris, McNair, Coates, and Oak Hill) that will be a plus.

In McLean's case, it currently has four 100% feeders (Chesterbrook, Franklin Sherman, Haycock, and Kent Gardens) and four split feeders (Lemon Road, Spring Hill, Timber Lane, and Westgate). There tends to be an assumption the 100% feeders are "safe" and the people in the split feeders can be moved around...

I posted on the Western thread because FCPS stated it would have program capacity of 2000 (Mclean's building is 1926-both small for FCPS), could hold 1000, construction can be done adding 500/year with no trailers, both could have concise boundaries. Western and Mclean border other jurisdictions. Mclean's 4 100% feeders did result in the suggestion that 1 move to Langley assuming retention of 1 or more of the splits. Mclean program capacity without the modular is only 1926. Construction approved in Westgate/Mclean and Haycock/Mclean

Floris and Fox Mill were at the SPA membership level for Coates not Crossfield. 32% of Fox Mill potential base school pre transfers was generated from west of 286.

2 of the drafts put Western over 100% program capacity.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like the traditional school motion passed as expected, but they removed the details about the 2027 and 2028 school years. I tried to watch that part of the meeting to see the discussion, but maybe that part of the meeting was private? It's not on YouTube.
From Board Docs:

Amended Main Motion: I move that the School Board approve Western High School to be a comprehensive high school with traditional boundaries, that includes a special programming pathway option, and the following enrollment plan will be implemented:
2026-2027 Grades 9 and 10 opt-in.

Motion by Seema Dixit, second by Karl V Frisch.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yes: Karl V Frisch, Marcia St John-Cunning, Sandy B Anderson - Chair, Seema Dixit, Rachna Sizemore Heizer, Mateo Dunne, Ilryong Moon
No: Melanie K Meren, Ryan McElveen, Ricardy J Anderson
Abstain: Robyn Lady - Vice Chair

The following opt-in language was apparently added last night (that’s why they had to suspend the 48 hour notification requirement):

and the following enrollment plan will be implemented:
For SY26-27. Grades 9 and 10 will be opt-in;
for SY27-28, grades 9, 10, and 11 will be opt-out;
and for SY28-29, grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 will be firm boundary.

Meren was furious about this last minute change and wanted to strike them out. Her motion failed. Instead they decided to remove only SY2027 and SY2028 details.

Meren sent and email out that said that the school wouldn’t open next year and then backtracked in her FB comments to say that she meant that the first year would be opt in. She is doing her damndest to stop this. Fox Mill parent here, just to be transparent. I think that there is pressure from SLHS families to keep Floris and Fox Millat SLHS. I think that there are a good number of fox Mill families writing her that they want to move, but I know not everyone does. I think the loud screams to not move Crossfield are creating a scenario where Fox Mill moves and Meren knows that she has constituents that won’t be happy with that. She also has pressure to not allow the Vienna folks from being moved to a different HS. I suspect that she knows that she is losing one, if not both, of those arguments.

The Crossfield screamers are the worst. And yes, I'm a Crossfield parent and would love for my kid to go to the new high school.

Meren attempts to run blockades on anything that benefits schools other than her South Lakes pyramid. If she had any sense she'd go after the Westbriar/IB Marshall island for Sunrise Valley. The 10 moved to Colvin Run lived off Route 7 and were already Cooper/Langley [fact FFM rep didn't know or couldn't figure out independently.] Plus could pick up some other Colvin Run/Langley and top of the odd Oakton ES feed. Replacement products for changes of Fox Mill 100% or a new Fox Mill after appropriate boundary changes with Crossfield.

Maybe the level of screamers is why FCPS stuck the non contiguous boundary schools Oakton and Langley at the same meeting. Then you have the Timber Lane Mclean screamers. Mclean is still in dire straits and that crew would move Chesterbrook to Langley to keep Mclean. Better scoping on elementary boundaries and middle/high school feeds would have solved many issues but Thru and Reid didn't do that.

No one at Timber Lane has ever suggested moving Chesterbrook from McLean to Langley. No one. All they asked for was to stay at McLean, and it appears that FCPS will make the sensible decision to move the Spring Hill kids at McLean to Langley instead, which will eliminate the split feeder there and finally assign a portion of Tysons to Langley.

That was Janie Strauss’s original plan back in 2018 after Langley was expanded to almost 2400 seats but it was delayed, first because the School Board was already toying with the idea of a county-wide review and then because Elaine Tholen blocked it to appease her Great Falls neighbors.

So? I used Chesterbrook as an example since scenario 4 still leaves Mclean overcapacity. 115% including the modular which was relocated NOT new. Chantilly and Centreville have "ancient" modulars installed in 2005. Same as Robinson which had about 3000 HS pre the decision to install a modular. We went to the meetings on Mclean held at Langley and Mclean in 2019. The public suggested move outs to Langley and other schools including Herndon and Falls Church. Those 2 did not have the capacity that will be available in 2026-27. Frankly some SPAs at Timber Lane should be moved to Shrevewood/Marshall and the proposed Shrevewood move should remain at Timber Lane and the whole school at Falls Church.

This probably belongs on the boundary thread, not a thread about the western HS.

I will say it underscores how having 100% feeders tends to provide comfort about boundaries, so if they can do that with the western school (at a minimum for Floris, McNair, Coates, and Oak Hill) that will be a plus.

In McLean's case, it currently has four 100% feeders (Chesterbrook, Franklin Sherman, Haycock, and Kent Gardens) and four split feeders (Lemon Road, Spring Hill, Timber Lane, and Westgate). There tends to be an assumption the 100% feeders are "safe" and the people in the split feeders can be moved around...

Anonymous wrote:Luckily kids are not evaluated for college by their schools Farms percentage or average sat. It’s their own performance that matters. Now what might be an issue is a school the admission officer never heard of - at least for VA schools