Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 06:44     Subject: Re:Western High School Boundary Map options (A/B/C/D)
It was crystal clear which of the options was the best for the community and the system as a whole. If they had delayed the comprehensive boundary study and drawn Western first, it would have been much better.

Who knows what they have in mind. I'm a little suspicious that it will have boundaries, but they won't be logical.
Anonymous
Post 01/14/2026 06:29     Subject: Western High School Boundary Map options (A/B/C/D)
Anonymous wrote:Here is one exciting thing, they are building the classes and pathways based on the incoming students interests. That is pretty cool. They said they are going to dig deep into what the opt in kids want on their registrations and then contact them to confirm and those will be the classes they offer.


I talked to the gentlemen fielding athletics/after school activities at the Open House and told him the clubs that I know my kid is intereted in. He specifically said it is important to know what clubs kids are already doing in MS so they can be focused on having those available as soon as school starts.

FCPS as a whole has mucked up the boundaries and start and all of that but the staff supporting the new school has been amazing. You can see how hard they are working and how excited they are. they know it is more of a sell job right now because of all the uncertainty. Their energy is infectious. The process has been a cluster but the kids we know who opted in are excited, some of the parents are very concerned but the kids we know are excited.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2026 21:32     Subject: Western High School Boundary Map options (A/B/C/D)
Here is one exciting thing, they are building the classes and pathways based on the incoming students interests. That is pretty cool. They said they are going to dig deep into what the opt in kids want on their registrations and then contact them to confirm and those will be the classes they offer.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2026 19:52     Subject: Western High School Boundary Map options (A/B/C/D)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So when are they going to decide who to attend for this year in case more than 500 kids opt in?

The FAQ page used to say that the priority would be given to families in boundary per draft options. That language is gone.

Is it going to be a completely random lottery?


The draft boundary option language was removed because they are going to start from scratch.

The four draft boundary options for western high school that were presented at the first open house and posted online were preliminary concepts intended to explore a geographically based boundary.

The western high school boundary analysis has been paused pending School Board approval of the current comprehensive boundary study. Once approved, staff plans to begin the new high school’s boundary analysis in February and will develop new options from the ground up.


Just when you think......
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2026 19:44     Subject: Western High School Boundary Map options (A/B/C/D)
Anonymous wrote:So when are they going to decide who to attend for this year in case more than 500 kids opt in?

The FAQ page used to say that the priority would be given to families in boundary per draft options. That language is gone.

Is it going to be a completely random lottery?


The draft boundary option language was removed because they are going to start from scratch.

The four draft boundary options for western high school that were presented at the first open house and posted online were preliminary concepts intended to explore a geographically based boundary.

The western high school boundary analysis has been paused pending School Board approval of the current comprehensive boundary study. Once approved, staff plans to begin the new high school’s boundary analysis in February and will develop new options from the ground up.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2026 18:57     Subject: Re:Western High School Boundary Map options (A/B/C/D)
PP here, I think I need to be more clear.

we opted in to Western but our child will be doing course selection for his base school. He won’t be doing course selection for Western. I think the reason for that is that western doesn’t have a staff yet, so there is no one to meet with the kids and plan courses, and because there is the possibility that some kids will not end up at Western. Having the kids select courses at their base school makes sure that they are included in that schools process.

Anonymous
Post 01/13/2026 18:36     Subject: Western High School Boundary Map options (A/B/C/D)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So when are they going to decide who to attend for this year in case more than 500 kids opt in?

The FAQ page used to say that the priority would be given to families in boundary per draft options. That language is gone.

Is it going to be a completely random lottery?


They said that the people who are from the schools that could be in boundary will have priority over other students. The schools on the list of possible moves are Oak Hill, Coates, McNair, Flores, Crossfield, and Fox Mill. I might have missed one but I think those are the schools listed on the four boundary maps.

After that, I am not sure how they are going to set the priority because they are not setting the boundaries until June. I think that is why kids are registering with their base HSs and not Western.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2026 15:44     Subject: Western High School Boundary Map options (A/B/C/D)
Anonymous wrote:So when are they going to decide who to attend for this year in case more than 500 kids opt in?

The FAQ page used to say that the priority would be given to families in boundary per draft options. That language is gone.

Is it going to be a completely random lottery?


They said that the people who are from the schools that could be in boundary will have priority over other students. The schools on the list of possible moves are Oak Hill, Coates, McNair, Flores, Crossfield, and Fox Mill. I might have missed one but I think those are the schools listed on the four boundary maps.

After that, I am not sure how they are going to set the priority because they are not setting the boundaries until June. I think that is why kids are registering with their base HSs and not Western.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2026 13:46     Subject: Western High School Boundary Map options (A/B/C/D)
So when are they going to decide who to attend for this year in case more than 500 kids opt in?

The FAQ page used to say that the priority would be given to families in boundary per draft options. That language is gone.

Is it going to be a completely random lottery?
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2026 13:35     Subject: Re:Western High School Boundary Map options (A/B/C/D)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I would set the boundaries midway through the renovation when a capacity is set in design and programs.

I honestly can’t comprehend this process and the school boards blatant lack of transparency and brainwashing of us in Western Fairfax.

I would have set the boundaries this month with all the rest to make it easier on parents and kids to decide. Doesn't matter what either of us would do, boundaries will be set in June - for a traditional high school. It has already been decided.


Yes.

To be exact, a comprehensive high school with a traditional boundaries that features special programming pathways.

It is also decided that the school will open this fall.

To be decided are the scope and magnitude of special programs and the boundary.

They will start the enrollment analsys soon. I expect they will use the opt-in data for the boundary and possibly for the magnitude of special programs.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2026 12:35     Subject: Re:Western High School Boundary Map options (A/B/C/D)
Anonymous wrote:I would set the boundaries midway through the renovation when a capacity is set in design and programs.

I honestly can’t comprehend this process and the school boards blatant lack of transparency and brainwashing of us in Western Fairfax.

I would have set the boundaries this month with all the rest to make it easier on parents and kids to decide. Doesn't matter what either of us would do, boundaries will be set in June - for a traditional high school. It has already been decided.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:28     Subject: Re:Western High School Boundary Map options (A/B/C/D)
I would set the boundaries midway through the renovation when a capacity is set in design and programs.

I honestly can’t comprehend this process and the school boards blatant lack of transparency and brainwashing of us in Western Fairfax.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:00     Subject: Re:Western High School Boundary Map options (A/B/C/D)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The school board should draw the boundaries now, there is no need to wait. They are waiting because they want the opt in numbers.

This is exactly why they waited. Without sports and other programs that the rest of the county has, they knew they'd have to allow opting out. They were afraid if they set the boundary and allowed opting out they might not get the full 1000 kids and the effort would look like a failure. By keeping the boundary ambiguous they have a larger opt-in pool the first year or two and can tout how they got so many students that they had to turn people away.
It makes the school board look good (or at least covers them) at the expense of making the decision hard on Fox Mill and Crossfield parents who don't know where their kids' friends and younger siblings will go to school.


This is spot on. The mental and physical gymnastics that have gone on to get this school off the ground next school year are all to protect the piss poor leadership that jumped into this purchase without doing their due diligence. They are already saying that it will cost 60M for renovations and if they are already admitting that I bet it’s going to be twice that when it’s all said and done. It would
make much more sense to wait until the following school year to open. Then the boundaries could be set and the renovations could be well on their way. This will be a financial and logistical disaster. Can’t wait to watch.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 17:37     Subject: Western High School Boundary Map options (A/B/C/D)
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:*Crossfield should be zoned to Western*
*Crossfield families with younger children WANT to be zoned to Western*
*Dr. Reid needs to stop listening to the loud sports mommies and listen to parents of younger children - we are the future, not parents of middle schoolers*


If you know this to be true then create a petition or a joint letter. Posting bullet points on DCUM isn’t going to get to Dr. Reid.

It's basically impossible when the PTO is meeting with Dr. Reid and saying they are speaking on behalf of the entire school.


Dp. That does not make a petition impossible. Once you have the petition, you can email it, call or bring it up at one of the in-person meetings. It doesn't have to be directly to Reid either. You can ask for the issue to be raised by your rep or one of the at-large reps.

If a majority of people feel the same as you and sign, Reid and the board will not discount you simply because the PTO met with Reid.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 17:27     Subject: Re:Western High School Boundary Map options (A/B/C/D)
Anonymous wrote:The school board should draw the boundaries now, there is no need to wait. They are waiting because they want the opt in numbers.

This is exactly why they waited. Without sports and other programs that the rest of the county has, they knew they'd have to allow opting out. They were afraid if they set the boundary and allowed opting out they might not get the full 1000 kids and the effort would look like a failure. By keeping the boundary ambiguous they have a larger opt-in pool the first year or two and can tout how they got so many students that they had to turn people away.
It makes the school board look good (or at least covers them) at the expense of making the decision hard on Fox Mill and Crossfield parents who don't know where their kids' friends and younger siblings will go to school.