Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If anyone is curious why the Navy ES island exists, I know the history. I grew up in the Tuckaway section of Franklin Farm, I started at Oak Hill ES and then got moved to Crossfield ES when it opened. The Nestlewood section of Franklin Farm now ironically being proposed to be moved to Oak Hill stayed at Oak Hill. About 3 years later Oak Hill ES was overcrowded and the county proposed moving the Nestlewood section to Crossfield and moving my neighborhood to Navy since we were closer to Navy and you could take Thompson Rd to get there. My parents and all the other parents in Tuckaway strongly objected since we had already had to move schools once, so the county backed off and sent the Nestlewood section to Navy instead thus creating the island that exists.

Thanks, you just expanded on what I was told some years ago when I moved to the area (not Franklin Farm.) I was told the Nestlewood people objected to leaving Oak Hill and organized and that is why they did not go to Crossfield initialy. (This was prior to being divided by 286--FFXCounty Parkway.)

But, now, why are they not sending them to Crossfield? It doesn't make sense to send them to Oak Hill. It remains an island--just a closer one, I guess.

My understanding is cause Nestlewood goes to Franklin, whereas Crossfield goes to Carson. I agree though Crossfield has capacity and they are surrounded by Crossfield neighborhoods

I still don't understand why Crossfield doesn't go to Franklin like all the other schools zoned to Oakton in that area. They really need to swap Crossfield and Oak Hill so that they go to the right middle schools! Oak Hill is much closer to Carson and Franklin Farm is much closer to Franklin..

Oak Hill students live across the street from Franklin. They are walkers. Most of oak Hill students live closer to Franklin.

The entire Chantilly Highlands neighborhood and Oak Hill ES itself are much closer to Carson than Franklin.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm getting lost in all these different discussions. Are there any communities who truly think their school is overcrowded and boundaries should be changed or are unhappy with a split feeder/attendance island and like the idea of realigning? Any at all?

Emerald Chase parent here. We were actually hoping for changes. We’re not pleased with how FCPS is doing any of this process, but still hoping they’ll fix our double split feeder appropriately. Right now our kids leave all their friends and go to middle school with just our neighborhood, then leave all their friends and go to a really far away high school down 28 (Westfield). This is our chance to get in an actual pyramid so our kids can have stable friend relationships.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:lol - just noticed that the Emerald Chase HOA website moved their instructions on how to manipulate the system behind a username/password login now.

That's not what happened. That part of the site is down completely now because there are different opinions in the neighborhood about the high school getting rezoned. There are people here who want to stay at Westfields, or are happy with a change to South Lakes, or want a change to Chantilly--and some who would be fine with any of those options, they just don't want the elementary school to change. Pretty sure most people want grandfathering no matter what.

Neighbors have been urging others not to comment and upvote on Emerald Chase-specific issues on Pigeonhole at community meetings that seem outside our "area." Nobody wanted to make it so that others here felt they couldn't get their voices heard, and everyone I've talked to feels really bad about it.

I suspect that this is representative of what FCPS really looks like. People feel strongly on all sides of the issue but that the ones who are ok with change feel like they are getting shouted down by the ones really passionate about not changing. If you are ok with change, you tend to be ok with the status quo so there is no point in being super vocal.

What is interesting about Emerald Chase is that they are trying to use the process to move the boundary for the HS that they want, which isn't the move suggested or the current location. The problem is they want to move to one of the overcrowded HS and I don't see that happening. I think that bit of politicking is hurting them, but I get it. If FCPS is changing the boundaries, why not try and move to the HS that you are most interested in?

I would love to see what Thru would project if they only focused on getting the schools above 100% to 99%. Remove the split feeder and islands, most of the families at the split feeders and islands seem to prefer their current location to where they would be moved and just address the overcrowding. Those maps would look really different and would probably engender unhappy families who don't want to move but it would be far easier to make the case for moving. I think it might actually address some of the split feed and islands as well.

Emerald Chase is interested in Chantilly HS because it is geographically closest and would be a single pyramid with their current elementary school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:lol - just noticed that the Emerald Chase HOA website moved their instructions on how to manipulate the system behind a username/password login now.

That's not what happened. That part of the site is down completely now because there are different opinions in the neighborhood about the high school getting rezoned. There are people here who want to stay at Westfields, or are happy with a change to South Lakes, or want a change to Chantilly--and some who would be fine with any of those options, they just don't want the elementary school to change. Pretty sure most people want grandfathering no matter what.

Neighbors have been urging others not to comment and upvote on Emerald Chase-specific issues on Pigeonhole at community meetings that seem outside our "area." Nobody wanted to make it so that others here felt they couldn't get their voices heard, and everyone I've talked to feels really bad about it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm getting lost in all these different discussions. Are there any communities who truly think their school is overcrowded and boundaries should be changed or are unhappy with a split feeder/attendance island and like the idea of realigning? Any at all?

Emerald Chase parent here. We were actually hoping for changes. We’re not pleased with how FCPS is doing any of this process, but still hoping they’ll fix our double split feeder appropriately. Right now our kids leave all their friends and go to middle school with just our neighborhood, then leave all their friends and go to a really far away high school down 28 (Westfield). This is our chance to get in an actual pyramid so our kids can have stable friend relationships.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If anyone is curious why the Navy ES island exists, I know the history. I grew up in the Tuckaway section of Franklin Farm, I started at Oak Hill ES and then got moved to Crossfield ES when it opened. The Nestlewood section of Franklin Farm now ironically being proposed to be moved to Oak Hill stayed at Oak Hill. About 3 years later Oak Hill ES was overcrowded and the county proposed moving the Nestlewood section to Crossfield and moving my neighborhood to Navy since we were closer to Navy and you could take Thompson Rd to get there. My parents and all the other parents in Tuckaway strongly objected since we had already had to move schools once, so the county backed off and sent the Nestlewood section to Navy instead thus creating the island that exists.

Thanks, you just expanded on what I was told some years ago when I moved to the area (not Franklin Farm.) I was told the Nestlewood people objected to leaving Oak Hill and organized and that is why they did not go to Crossfield initialy. (This was prior to being divided by 286--FFXCounty Parkway.)

But, now, why are they not sending them to Crossfield? It doesn't make sense to send them to Oak Hill. It remains an island--just a closer one, I guess.

My understanding is cause Nestlewood goes to Franklin, whereas Crossfield goes to Carson. I agree though Crossfield has capacity and they are surrounded by Crossfield neighborhoods

I still don't understand why Crossfield doesn't go to Franklin like all the other schools zoned to Oakton in that area. They really need to swap Crossfield and Oak Hill so that they go to the right middle schools! Oak Hill is much closer to Carson and Franklin Farm is much closer to Franklin..

Oak Hill students live across the street from Franklin. They are walkers. Most of oak Hill students live closer to Franklin.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I walked it yesterday. 240 steps from my front door to entrance 3 at Marshall, but sure, bring another bus into an already congested area at 7:30am to bus these kids to McLean.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lets talk Timberlane. Is there any realistic chance it stays with McLean? Or gets transitioned into Marshall? Or is it ultimately bound for Falls Church High School?

I will give you my perspective, and it's mine only.

Timber Lane has been bouncing around in the Thru proposals. It's caught in the crossfire for two reasons: (1) it's an attendance island now at Longfellow/McLean and (2) Graham Road ES currently lies within the Timber Lane boundary south of Route 29.

The BRAC slides had them both keeping Timber Lane north of Route 29 at Longfellow/McLean, except for the area off Route 29 west of Hollywood Road, which they were proposing to move to Kilmer but keep at McLean. And then they had Timber Lane south of Route 29 moving to Longfellow but not McLean. The proposals required them to move part of Shrevewood from Marshall to McLean to bridge the island.

The proposals in the tool deal with some of the obvious flaws. They don't have kids going to Kilmer and then McLean any longer, or kids going to Longfellow and then Falls Church. By any reasonable measure, those are improvements. But they now propose to move all of Timber Lane north of Route 29 to Jackson/Falls Church, except for the area west of Hollywood Road, which they'd continue to move to Kilmer, but then also move to Marshall rather than keep it at McLean.

... This alternative would not take advantage of the additional seats at Falls Church, but they aren't proposing to do anything to move kids into expanded Herndon right now, either. So it's not like they have a consistent approach to making sure they are doing something at every high school that's been expanded recently to take advantage of additional seats.

TLDR version - sure, everything is going to remain in play for months, and it's possible they could revert to keeping most of Timber Lane north of Route 29 at Longfellow/McLean or entertain requests to move to Kilmer/Marshall instead. Area west of Hollywood Road is likely to move to Shrevewood since they've boxed themselves into making other changes to Timber Lane's boundaries south of Route 29 that will increase Timber Lane's enrollment.

A PP poster wrote that 38% of Spring Hill is now the island. Now it has about 10 legal description sites as seen on the Mclean/Langley boundary process. New builds prior commercial zoning. Nobody looked at this stuff.

Decrease in membership over 20 years without significant boundary changes [Middleton and Blueberry Hill to CRES were small adds from Westbriar Island to Colvin Run]:

VDOE 2004-2005 difference from 2024-2025:
Forestville + Great Falls + Colvin Run (401) - new SFH+empty nesters+ some SINKS/DINKS
Spring Hill Elementary 207 - projected at 105% capacity CIPSY29-30

We attempted to reconcile Thru slides to current :
Falls Church: slides 0 + tool 190=190 is larger than what appears to be Timber Lane Island
Mclean: slides -142 + tool - 205 = diff -63 extra out of Mclean is Timber Lane Island?

Somebody needs to take a video of the walk to Marshall from Dominion Way to George C Marshall Drive. A bus to Mclean HS? No way. Another video to display is the walk to Westgate. Any other gems needed?

240 steps to Marshall entrance 3. Thank you! I am absolutely shocked at this incompetency. To be blunt this thng is at the point where the media should be contacted. Film crew out for the walk. Quick hop to Westgate and it would take the pros 30 minutes. But imagine the viewer count.

I’m shocked the Westgate proposal survived the post-BRAC draft. The Marshall one I can understand since they obviously slapped that part together very quickly after the decision was made to run the scenarios with Timber Lane at Falls Church.

I doubt Thru paid any attention to the fact that Frisch’s school in Dunn Loring is going to reshuffle the boundaries for many of the Marshall ES feeders in a few years. Best to leave that part of Lemon Road at Marshall and not worry about a split feeder for a few more years when it’s probably going to get moved later anyway.

I like my news film crew out to film the walks. Maybe a nice stop at Falls Church HS to preview the new capacity that was omitted for BRAC and a final at the Mclean trailer park.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I walked it yesterday. 240 steps from my front door to entrance 3 at Marshall, but sure, bring another bus into an already congested area at 7:30am to bus these kids to McLean.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lets talk Timberlane. Is there any realistic chance it stays with McLean? Or gets transitioned into Marshall? Or is it ultimately bound for Falls Church High School?

I will give you my perspective, and it's mine only.

Timber Lane has been bouncing around in the Thru proposals. It's caught in the crossfire for two reasons: (1) it's an attendance island now at Longfellow/McLean and (2) Graham Road ES currently lies within the Timber Lane boundary south of Route 29.

The BRAC slides had them both keeping Timber Lane north of Route 29 at Longfellow/McLean, except for the area off Route 29 west of Hollywood Road, which they were proposing to move to Kilmer but keep at McLean. And then they had Timber Lane south of Route 29 moving to Longfellow but not McLean. The proposals required them to move part of Shrevewood from Marshall to McLean to bridge the island.

The proposals in the tool deal with some of the obvious flaws. They don't have kids going to Kilmer and then McLean any longer, or kids going to Longfellow and then Falls Church. By any reasonable measure, those are improvements. But they now propose to move all of Timber Lane north of Route 29 to Jackson/Falls Church, except for the area west of Hollywood Road, which they'd continue to move to Kilmer, but then also move to Marshall rather than keep it at McLean.

... This alternative would not take advantage of the additional seats at Falls Church, but they aren't proposing to do anything to move kids into expanded Herndon right now, either. So it's not like they have a consistent approach to making sure they are doing something at every high school that's been expanded recently to take advantage of additional seats.

TLDR version - sure, everything is going to remain in play for months, and it's possible they could revert to keeping most of Timber Lane north of Route 29 at Longfellow/McLean or entertain requests to move to Kilmer/Marshall instead. Area west of Hollywood Road is likely to move to Shrevewood since they've boxed themselves into making other changes to Timber Lane's boundaries south of Route 29 that will increase Timber Lane's enrollment.

A PP poster wrote that 38% of Spring Hill is now the island. Now it has about 10 legal description sites as seen on the Mclean/Langley boundary process. New builds prior commercial zoning. Nobody looked at this stuff.

Decrease in membership over 20 years without significant boundary changes [Middleton and Blueberry Hill to CRES were small adds from Westbriar Island to Colvin Run]:

VDOE 2004-2005 difference from 2024-2025:
Forestville + Great Falls + Colvin Run (401) - new SFH+empty nesters+ some SINKS/DINKS
Spring Hill Elementary 207 - projected at 105% capacity CIPSY29-30

We attempted to reconcile Thru slides to current :
Falls Church: slides 0 + tool 190=190 is larger than what appears to be Timber Lane Island
Mclean: slides -142 + tool - 205 = diff -63 extra out of Mclean is Timber Lane Island?

Somebody needs to take a video of the walk to Marshall from Dominion Way to George C Marshall Drive. A bus to Mclean HS? No way. Another video to display is the walk to Westgate. Any other gems needed?

240 steps to Marshall entrance 3. Thank you! I am absolutely shocked at this incompetency. To be blunt this thng is at the point where the media should be contacted. Film crew out for the walk. Quick hop to Westgate and it would take the pros 30 minutes. But imagine the viewer count.

I’m shocked the Westgate proposal survived the post-BRAC draft. The Marshall one I can understand since they obviously slapped that part together very quickly after the decision was made to run the scenarios with Timber Lane at Falls Church.

I doubt Thru paid any attention to the fact that Frisch’s school in Dunn Loring is going to reshuffle the boundaries for many of the Marshall ES feeders in a few years. Best to leave that part of Lemon Road at Marshall and not worry about a split feeder for a few more years when it’s probably going to get moved later anyway.

I like my news film crew out to film the walks. Maybe a nice stop at Falls Church HS to preview the new capacity that was omitted for BRAC and a final at the Mclean trailer park.