That CIP document is really interesting-thanks to pp who linked it.

This is really random-but I'm surprised at the huge variation in plots of land for elementary school sites. You have some schools on just a few acres and some on these expansive campuses. There is a huge difference in breathing room and play space for an elementary school with 3 acres or 6 acres and one with 20 or 40 (!!) acres.

Anonymous wrote:It is crazy to plan on more affordable housing in the Bailey's area. Are they trying to create some kind of international ghetto? Why not put some in Tysons with bus access to the new metro lines?

Because that would make sense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean isn't the only part of the county with huge class sizes, though. However, I do get your point about McLean NIMBY-ism.

But this class size issue is going to grow louder - have you seen the latest projections for West County? And we're not talking the wealthiest part of the county. These are people in apartments and THs.

Which area is West County?

Herndon, Oak Hill, Chantilly, Centreville.

Didn't they just redo these boundaries a few years ago when they closed down Clifton elementary?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/cip/cipbookfy2016-20.pdf

there are definitely going to have to be redistricts and new schools to relieve some of the pressure.

Coates and McNair are expected to approach 170% capacity.

Is there some reason those two schools are so crowded? Was there a building boom in that area after the schools were built or something?

TH communities have gone up near Dulles

It is crazy to plan on more affordable housing in the Bailey's area. Are they trying to create some kind of international ghetto? Why not put some in Tysons with bus access to the new metro lines?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean isn't the only part of the county with huge class sizes, though. However, I do get your point about McLean NIMBY-ism.

But this class size issue is going to grow louder - have you seen the latest projections for West County? And we're not talking the wealthiest part of the county. These are people in apartments and THs.

Which area is West County?

Herndon, Oak Hill, Chantilly, Centreville.

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I will try and bring up this "McLean Resolution" with Dr. Garza tomorrow on her listening tour stop. This whole letter is just in poor taste. I'm sure there are some average or underachieving children of wealthy people in general education elementary classes in McLean that could benefit from smaller class sizes, but on the overall, McLean just doesn't have ESL, FARMS, or students in tenuous, at-risk situations, who just do not do well on state tests, SATs, and all other measures of student achievement.

You know what isn't "fair"? That affordable housing is concentrated in Mason, Lee, and Mount Vernon. How about McLean takes on a larger share of the affordable housing pie? It's around 40% in 7 Corners. And, my idiot Mason District Supervisor wants to add another 15% to that. This greatly affects the local schools.

The infinite wisdom of the County BOS causes never ending heartburn for my district, and yet, it isn't enough for the "haves" of Fairfax County.

You could elect a BOS member who actually tries to enforce the housing codes, has said "no" to developers who keep pushing to increase density in areas that aren't convenient to Metro, and insists that new schools have adequate playground space and aren't located in abandoned office buildings when there were several better alternatives.

But, no, you kept electing Penny Gross, and then you think we should smile and keep quiet when FCPS puts twice as many kids in our classes as yours? Sorry, but our class sizes are too big, and we'll advocate aggressively to bring them down. See you at the polls, or in the court house, whichever comes first.

Anonymous wrote:http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/cip/cipbookfy2016-20.pdf

there are definitely going to have to be redistricts and new schools to relieve some of the pressure.

Coates and McNair are expected to approach 170% capacity.

Is there some reason those two schools are so crowded? Was there a building boom in that area after the schools were built or something?

^^^and yes, I do know that a new schools is SUPPOSED to be built. But the County is apparently reneging on money promised for such things.

I wrote our representative (Michael Frey) and a few others requesting they raise the tax rate. No replies.

One of my children has autism, and is supposed to spend most of his day in the "mainstream" class. One year all the classes in his grade were maxed out-his class had 32 PLUS the three special ed students who came in to the class. That was his absolute worst year, he just couldn't deal with the crowd and he spent very little time in the big class. The only factor different that year was the enormous class size. (We are not in McLean-we are in the Fair Lakes/Chantilly area).

The next year-his mainstream class was low 20s and he was a totally different kid but he basically lost a year of being educated with his non-disabled peers.

I totally understand the Title 1 schools having smaller class sizes but I do think there should be a hard max of 25 or so at all the non-Title 1 schools. They play games with the numbers to make it look like the class sizes are lower than they really are.

http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/cip/cipbookfy2016-20.pdf

there are definitely going to have to be redistricts and new schools to relieve some of the pressure.

Coates and McNair are expected to approach 170% capacity.

You can want to serve those without means, but you also have to watch your base and owe who pay for it all. If they feel unduly screwed, the whole enterprise is in jeopardy.

+100 There are limits to how big you can make the classes for those who are paying large sums in property taxes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry, 30+ students in elementary schools doesn't serve anyone's kids well, not even the privileged kids. They just organized to call it out. Not everything that happens in McLean is about "fearing the poors" . But if you are paying a large amount of money in taxes, why should your kids get shafted? Fairfax owes all kids a good education.

(And no, I don't live in McLean)

+1

We all pay the same tax rate.

Are you that dumb?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry, 30+ students in elementary schools doesn't serve anyone's kids well, not even the privileged kids. They just organized to call it out. Not everything that happens in McLean is about "fearing the poors" . But if you are paying a large amount of money in taxes, why should your kids get shafted? Fairfax owes all kids a good education.

(And no, I don't live in McLean)

+1

We all pay the same tax rate.

But in general, the houses are assessed higher. So they are stumping up larger sums.

But this shouldn't be an "us vs. them" thing - public education should serve all the students. These kids are being given a lesser education on the public dime.

A cautionary tale from my own upbringing. I lived in a mixed income district growing up. The district decided to do a lot of social engineering and bus the rich kids to the poor kids area and bus the poor kids to the rich area among other things. So kids were spending all day on buses and not going to their neighborhood schools . The rich area schools even had excess capacity that local kids couldn't attend. Very quickly the people with means either pulled their kids to private or moved to other districts and those who stayed voted down every school budget that came up. The schools went into the toilet and really ill-served those too poor to get out. You can want to serve those without means, but you also have to watch your base and owe who pay for it all. If they feel unduly screwed, the whole enterprise is in jeopardy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry, 30+ students in elementary schools doesn't serve anyone's kids well, not even the privileged kids. They just organized to call it out. Not everything that happens in McLean is about "fearing the poors" . But if you are paying a large amount of money in taxes, why should your kids get shafted? Fairfax owes all kids a good education.

(And no, I don't live in McLean)

+1

We all pay the same tax rate.

I think the poster is alluding to absolute dollars, not rates. That said, I am absolutely for some combination of higher tax rate and as many additional revenue streams as we can get. Effing Richmond and their middle finger to NoVA is screwing us royally.

The trailers at our school have taken away play space. All the teachers can't even park in our lot anymore and have to fight for on street parking in our neighborhood.

Does anyone remember when there was a push for a small increase in the sales tax? Sure would be nice to have now, huh?