Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh please. The only grey KAA areas are the original sale of the roperty zoned for a school next to Carson MS.

KAA as a base school removes potential inflow to Herndon HS and opens up capacity at Soutth Lakes. So who doesn't want to get moved to Herndon and South Lakes? Who would want to disrupt the flow out of Herndon to South Lakes? All BRAC members and citizen group reps plus advisory committee individuals live somewhere.

This post is incomprehensible. There are lots of unanswered questions still pending.

+1. She is the one that believes everything ties back to Langley. It’s her personal Illuminati/QAnon theory.

Anonymous wrote:Oh please. The only grey KAA areas are the original sale of the roperty zoned for a school next to Carson MS.

KAA as a base school removes potential inflow to Herndon HS and opens up capacity at Soutth Lakes. So who doesn't want to get moved to Herndon and South Lakes? Who would want to disrupt the flow out of Herndon to South Lakes? All BRAC members and citizen group reps plus advisory committee individuals live somewhere.

This post is incomprehensible. There are lots of unanswered questions still pending.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Humanities magnet or any other magnet is not something you do when the budget looks so tight. It doesn’t save any money.

KAA is placed precisely where a new HS has been proposed for decades. It can solve many issues in the western part of the county. Its cost is far less that a new school or even an expansion of an existing school would cost. Plus, it saves time - it’s here- no need to expand other schools in the area, no need to acquire land and build. Time also saves money- especially with inflation.

Will it be a perfect solution? Of course not, so that means there will be plenty of things to pick at and try to derail it - if one so chooses. So, we do not have to worry about not having anything to discuss.

So the budget is tight enough that we can’t afford a magnet but not tight enough that we can’t rush into a surprise $150 million new school?

Seems pretty inconsistent if you ask me.

No. Not inconsistent. A magnet is a luxury. A school for local students is a basic need.

🤣🤣🤣. You and the rest of us have a very different definition of “basic need.”

We get you have to try to make a distinction, but that is a sttrrrreeeeeettttcchh.

Disagree. Public schools are basic needs. New Western HS has been expected and planned for over a decade.

Oh good point. I totally forgot that those kids haven’t had a public school up until this point. 🤣

You’re flailing.

The area is broken into four different schools.
1. One (the closest one for most of the area) is deemed by FCPS to be overcrowded and, therefore, they have sent nearby students to a school that is 10-13 miles away.
2. They plan to take additional students out of that school and add them to the long bus trip.
3. Another group is sent to a school that is separated from the rest of the school community by Dulles Airport, industrial and commercial facilities. This divides the school community in a way that is difficult to form a cohesive group.
4. This school mentioned at #3 is full and new construction is underway in areas near the high school and in an area in the Carson area. Very soon, there would be another overcrowded school.
5. School #4 has some students assigned to Carson. In this case, it is a reasonable distance for most of the students who attend and is not divided from others. At this point it is not overcrowded, but there is construction in that school area, as well.

Outside of the KAA area is a school that is set for a very expensive expansion. It shares a boundary with #1 and #3.

If overcrowding and proximity do not indicate a need for a school, please tell me (and FCPS) how to fix it.

Why aren't you identifying these schools by name? Are you afraid to state clearly that your position is that Westfield currently lacks a "cohesive group"? And, if so, is that because those on one side of Dulles want to separate themselves from those on the other side of Dulles? Or you want to avoid a discussion as to who else is going to attend Westfield if all the kids on one side are redistricted to a school at the KAA site? And if all the growth you claim is happening in the Westfield area materializes, why shouldn't they use some of the hundreds of empty seats at Herndon first?

For years now, FCPS has been planning to expanding Centreville to 3000. That's very big, and maybe they will scale back that expansion if KAA opens, but if they were prepared to expand Centreville to 3000 they certainly could have expanded Chantilly's permanent capacity to 2750, which would help with overcrowding there, especially given FCPS's own projections that enrollment at Chantilly will decline by almost 300 students over the next five years.

I am from the other side of the county.

I recently made a couple of trips to and from Dulles.

As a taxpayer, finding a way to use Dulles (the toll road and 28) as a dividing line between high school zones makes complete sense and sounds like a hood use of taxpayer funds and a responsible reason for rezoning.

Why on earth would anyone be against that?

Dulles isn't actually a dividing line in this area. One part of Westfield is east of Dulles and the rest is to the south and/or west. But Dulles isn't in between those areas. To the extent the areas area separated, it's more due to the commercial and light industrial areas along Route 28.

This is obviously a situation where some School Board members got giddy about the idea that acquiring KAA would be a "bargain purchase." Maybe it is, but they don't have a clear plan as to how the purchase will be funded, how it affects other capital projects, and how it impacts a major boundary review that's been under way for months. Nor does anyone know who is going to get moved into Westfield if all these other kids get moved to KAA and that's likely to be contentious.

Any taxpayer paying attention would want answers to these questions.

+1. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but I’m starting to question the school board’s true intention here.

Are they contemplating making it into a magnet school? When the school board members mention it, and prominent Dem associations push for it, and the school board hides its plans, it starts to seem like they are considering it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Humanities magnet or any other magnet is not something you do when the budget looks so tight. It doesn’t save any money.

KAA is placed precisely where a new HS has been proposed for decades. It can solve many issues in the western part of the county. Its cost is far less that a new school or even an expansion of an existing school would cost. Plus, it saves time - it’s here- no need to expand other schools in the area, no need to acquire land and build. Time also saves money- especially with inflation.

Will it be a perfect solution? Of course not, so that means there will be plenty of things to pick at and try to derail it - if one so chooses. So, we do not have to worry about not having anything to discuss.

So the budget is tight enough that we can’t afford a magnet but not tight enough that we can’t rush into a surprise $150 million new school?

Seems pretty inconsistent if you ask me.

For decades HOA's, citizen groups, coalitions pop up whenever a desired attendance area could be seen as in jeopardy. https://www.fairfaxfederation.org/leadership gets a seat on BRAC, has/had reps on FCPS AAP advisory committee, see it's education committee past and presnt, even 2 reps on AAP advisory committee Long term players in the FCPS boundary games.

KAA site as a base school could result in dominos out of South Lakes into KAA and into South Lakes from Langley/Marshall/Madison. From other directions the Thru scenario 3 had South Lakes at 100% in big dominos. Also disrupted by KAA could be the AAP feeds from Herndon MS to Hughes causing impact on the Herndon HS massive outflow to South Lakes IB. If a student transferring to an AP school must take AP, do AP to IB transfers require IB diploma candicacy or simply standard level? One elephant in the room is open capacity at Herndon HS. Hence the statements made by some questionning the KAA process and funding.

Maybe, but the far bigger domino is who is going to get moved into Westfield if Floris, McNair and/or Coates get moved to KAA. Even if Coates and McNair were moved to Herndon instead (unlikely) it still leaves lots of empty seats at Westfield to fill, regardless of any new construction south of Route 50.

Also, there's no talk of moving any Herndon feeders to KAA so the impact on Herndon-to-South Lakes transfers is highly speculative. If anything, moving part of South Lakes (Fox Mill) to KAA would facilitate continued pupil placements from Herndon to South Lakes.

Oh please. The only grey KAA areas are the original sale of the roperty zoned for a school next to Carson MS.

KAA as a base school removes potential inflow to Herndon HS and opens up capacity at Soutth Lakes. So who doesn't want to get moved to Herndon and South Lakes? Who would want to disrupt the flow out of Herndon to South Lakes? All BRAC members and citizen group reps plus advisory committee individuals live somewhere.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Humanities magnet or any other magnet is not something you do when the budget looks so tight. It doesn’t save any money.

KAA is placed precisely where a new HS has been proposed for decades. It can solve many issues in the western part of the county. Its cost is far less that a new school or even an expansion of an existing school would cost. Plus, it saves time - it’s here- no need to expand other schools in the area, no need to acquire land and build. Time also saves money- especially with inflation.

Will it be a perfect solution? Of course not, so that means there will be plenty of things to pick at and try to derail it - if one so chooses. So, we do not have to worry about not having anything to discuss.

So the budget is tight enough that we can’t afford a magnet but not tight enough that we can’t rush into a surprise $150 million new school?

Seems pretty inconsistent if you ask me.

No. Not inconsistent. A magnet is a luxury. A school for local students is a basic need.

🤣🤣🤣. You and the rest of us have a very different definition of “basic need.”

We get you have to try to make a distinction, but that is a sttrrrreeeeeettttcchh.

Disagree. Public schools are basic needs. New Western HS has been expected and planned for over a decade.

Oh good point. I totally forgot that those kids haven’t had a public school up until this point. 🤣

You’re flailing.

The area is broken into four different schools.
1. One (the closest one for most of the area) is deemed by FCPS to be overcrowded and, therefore, they have sent nearby students to a school that is 10-13 miles away.
2. They plan to take additional students out of that school and add them to the long bus trip.
3. Another group is sent to a school that is separated from the rest of the school community by Dulles Airport, industrial and commercial facilities. This divides the school community in a way that is difficult to form a cohesive group.
4. This school mentioned at #3 is full and new construction is underway in areas near the high school and in an area in the Carson area. Very soon, there would be another overcrowded school.
5. School #4 has some students assigned to Carson. In this case, it is a reasonable distance for most of the students who attend and is not divided from others. At this point it is not overcrowded, but there is construction in that school area, as well.

Outside of the KAA area is a school that is set for a very expensive expansion. It shares a boundary with #1 and #3.

If overcrowding and proximity do not indicate a need for a school, please tell me (and FCPS) how to fix it.

Why aren't you identifying these schools by name? Are you afraid to state clearly that your position is that Westfield currently lacks a "cohesive group"? And, if so, is that because those on one side of Dulles want to separate themselves from those on the other side of Dulles? Or you want to avoid a discussion as to who else is going to attend Westfield if all the kids on one side are redistricted to a school at the KAA site? And if all the growth you claim is happening in the Westfield area materializes, why shouldn't they use some of the hundreds of empty seats at Herndon first?

For years now, FCPS has been planning to expanding Centreville to 3000. That's very big, and maybe they will scale back that expansion if KAA opens, but if they were prepared to expand Centreville to 3000 they certainly could have expanded Chantilly's permanent capacity to 2750, which would help with overcrowding there, especially given FCPS's own projections that enrollment at Chantilly will decline by almost 300 students over the next five years.

I am from the other side of the county.

I recently made a couple of trips to and from Dulles.

As a taxpayer, finding a way to use Dulles (the toll road and 28) as a dividing line between high school zones makes complete sense and sounds like a hood use of taxpayer funds and a responsible reason for rezoning.

Why on earth would anyone be against that?

Dulles isn't actually a dividing line in this area. One part of Westfield is east of Dulles and the rest is to the south and/or west. But Dulles isn't in between those areas. To the extent the areas area separated, it's more due to the commercial and light industrial areas along Route 28.

This is obviously a situation where some School Board members got giddy about the idea that acquiring KAA would be a "bargain purchase." Maybe it is, but they don't have a clear plan as to how the purchase will be funded, how it affects other capital projects, and how it impacts a major boundary review that's been under way for months. Nor does anyone know who is going to get moved into Westfield if all these other kids get moved to KAA and that's likely to be contentious.

Any taxpayer paying attention would want answers to these questions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Humanities magnet or any other magnet is not something you do when the budget looks so tight. It doesn’t save any money.

KAA is placed precisely where a new HS has been proposed for decades. It can solve many issues in the western part of the county. Its cost is far less that a new school or even an expansion of an existing school would cost. Plus, it saves time - it’s here- no need to expand other schools in the area, no need to acquire land and build. Time also saves money- especially with inflation.

Will it be a perfect solution? Of course not, so that means there will be plenty of things to pick at and try to derail it - if one so chooses. So, we do not have to worry about not having anything to discuss.

So the budget is tight enough that we can’t afford a magnet but not tight enough that we can’t rush into a surprise $150 million new school?

Seems pretty inconsistent if you ask me.

For decades HOA's, citizen groups, coalitions pop up whenever a desired attendance area could be seen as in jeopardy. https://www.fairfaxfederation.org/leadership gets a seat on BRAC, has/had reps on FCPS AAP advisory committee, see it's education committee past and presnt, even 2 reps on AAP advisory committee Long term players in the FCPS boundary games.

KAA site as a base school could result in dominos out of South Lakes into KAA and into South Lakes from Langley/Marshall/Madison. From other directions the Thru scenario 3 had South Lakes at 100% in big dominos. Also disrupted by KAA could be the AAP feeds from Herndon MS to Hughes causing impact on the Herndon HS massive outflow to South Lakes IB. If a student transferring to an AP school must take AP, do AP to IB transfers require IB diploma candicacy or simply standard level? One elephant in the room is open capacity at Herndon HS. Hence the statements made by some questionning the KAA process and funding.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Humanities magnet or any other magnet is not something you do when the budget looks so tight. It doesn’t save any money.

KAA is placed precisely where a new HS has been proposed for decades. It can solve many issues in the western part of the county. Its cost is far less that a new school or even an expansion of an existing school would cost. Plus, it saves time - it’s here- no need to expand other schools in the area, no need to acquire land and build. Time also saves money- especially with inflation.

Will it be a perfect solution? Of course not, so that means there will be plenty of things to pick at and try to derail it - if one so chooses. So, we do not have to worry about not having anything to discuss.

So the budget is tight enough that we can’t afford a magnet but not tight enough that we can’t rush into a surprise $150 million new school?

Seems pretty inconsistent if you ask me.

No. Not inconsistent. A magnet is a luxury. A school for local students is a basic need.

🤣🤣🤣. You and the rest of us have a very different definition of “basic need.”

We get you have to try to make a distinction, but that is a sttrrrreeeeeettttcchh.

Disagree. Public schools are basic needs. New Western HS has been expected and planned for over a decade.

Oh good point. I totally forgot that those kids haven’t had a public school up until this point. 🤣

You’re flailing.

The area is broken into four different schools.
1. One (the closest one for most of the area) is deemed by FCPS to be overcrowded and, therefore, they have sent nearby students to a school that is 10-13 miles away.
2. They plan to take additional students out of that school and add them to the long bus trip.
3. Another group is sent to a school that is separated from the rest of the school community by Dulles Airport, industrial and commercial facilities. This divides the school community in a way that is difficult to form a cohesive group.
4. This school mentioned at #3 is full and new construction is underway in areas near the high school and in an area in the Carson area. Very soon, there would be another overcrowded school.
5. School #4 has some students assigned to Carson. In this case, it is a reasonable distance for most of the students who attend and is not divided from others. At this point it is not overcrowded, but there is construction in that school area, as well.

Outside of the KAA area is a school that is set for a very expensive expansion. It shares a boundary with #1 and #3.

If overcrowding and proximity do not indicate a need for a school, please tell me (and FCPS) how to fix it.

Why aren't you identifying these schools by name? Are you afraid to state clearly that your position is that Westfield currently lacks a "cohesive group"? And, if so, is that because those on one side of Dulles want to separate themselves from those on the other side of Dulles? Or you want to avoid a discussion as to who else is going to attend Westfield if all the kids on one side are redistricted to a school at the KAA site? And if all the growth you claim is happening in the Westfield area materializes, why shouldn't they use some of the hundreds of empty seats at Herndon first?

For years now, FCPS has been planning to expanding Centreville to 3000. That's very big, and maybe they will scale back that expansion if KAA opens, but if they were prepared to expand Centreville to 3000 they certainly could have expanded Chantilly's permanent capacity to 2750, which would help with overcrowding there, especially given FCPS's own projections that enrollment at Chantilly will decline by almost 300 students over the next five years.

I am from the other side of the county.

I recently made a couple of trips to and from Dulles.

As a taxpayer, finding a way to use Dulles (the toll road and 28) as a dividing line between high school zones makes complete sense and sounds like a hood use of taxpayer funds and a responsible reason for rezoning.

Why on earth would anyone be against that?

Spend $150 million to make the Dulles toll road a dividing line? Man, you ladies continue to grasp for any straw you can find. Why on earth would you think that makes any logical sense?

Frankly, at this point anyone who wants this to be a neighborhood school should be continuously pestering the school board to release plans. This stuff festers because the school board had been silent for over a month on the topic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Humanities magnet or any other magnet is not something you do when the budget looks so tight. It doesn’t save any money.

KAA is placed precisely where a new HS has been proposed for decades. It can solve many issues in the western part of the county. Its cost is far less that a new school or even an expansion of an existing school would cost. Plus, it saves time - it’s here- no need to expand other schools in the area, no need to acquire land and build. Time also saves money- especially with inflation.

Will it be a perfect solution? Of course not, so that means there will be plenty of things to pick at and try to derail it - if one so chooses. So, we do not have to worry about not having anything to discuss.

So the budget is tight enough that we can’t afford a magnet but not tight enough that we can’t rush into a surprise $150 million new school?

Seems pretty inconsistent if you ask me.

No. Not inconsistent. A magnet is a luxury. A school for local students is a basic need.

🤣🤣🤣. You and the rest of us have a very different definition of “basic need.”

We get you have to try to make a distinction, but that is a sttrrrreeeeeettttcchh.

Disagree. Public schools are basic needs. New Western HS has been expected and planned for over a decade.

Oh good point. I totally forgot that those kids haven’t had a public school up until this point. 🤣

You’re flailing.

The area is broken into four different schools.
1. One (the closest one for most of the area) is deemed by FCPS to be overcrowded and, therefore, they have sent nearby students to a school that is 10-13 miles away.
2. They plan to take additional students out of that school and add them to the long bus trip.
3. Another group is sent to a school that is separated from the rest of the school community by Dulles Airport, industrial and commercial facilities. This divides the school community in a way that is difficult to form a cohesive group.
4. This school mentioned at #3 is full and new construction is underway in areas near the high school and in an area in the Carson area. Very soon, there would be another overcrowded school.
5. School #4 has some students assigned to Carson. In this case, it is a reasonable distance for most of the students who attend and is not divided from others. At this point it is not overcrowded, but there is construction in that school area, as well.

Outside of the KAA area is a school that is set for a very expensive expansion. It shares a boundary with #1 and #3.

If overcrowding and proximity do not indicate a need for a school, please tell me (and FCPS) how to fix it.

Why aren't you identifying these schools by name? Are you afraid to state clearly that your position is that Westfield currently lacks a "cohesive group"? And, if so, is that because those on one side of Dulles want to separate themselves from those on the other side of Dulles? Or you want to avoid a discussion as to who else is going to attend Westfield if all the kids on one side are redistricted to a school at the KAA site? And if all the growth you claim is happening in the Westfield area materializes, why shouldn't they use some of the hundreds of empty seats at Herndon first?

For years now, FCPS has been planning to expanding Centreville to 3000. That's very big, and maybe they will scale back that expansion if KAA opens, but if they were prepared to expand Centreville to 3000 they certainly could have expanded Chantilly's permanent capacity to 2750, which would help with overcrowding there, especially given FCPS's own projections that enrollment at Chantilly will decline by almost 300 students over the next five years.

I am from the other side of the county.

I recently made a couple of trips to and from Dulles.

As a taxpayer, finding a way to use Dulles (the toll road and 28) as a dividing line between high school zones makes complete sense and sounds like a hood use of taxpayer funds and a responsible reason for rezoning.

Why on earth would anyone be against that?

Anonymous wrote:I posted $300 million for renovation/expansion of Centreville. That was from FCPS CIP. Not my estimate.

No one disputes that (although you rounded up), but you or another poster lied when you claimed an expansion of an existing school would cost more than KAA. The Centreville plan was for both a full renovation and a large expansion. Stand-alone additions have cost far less.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Humanities magnet or any other magnet is not something you do when the budget looks so tight. It doesn’t save any money.

KAA is placed precisely where a new HS has been proposed for decades. It can solve many issues in the western part of the county. Its cost is far less that a new school or even an expansion of an existing school would cost. Plus, it saves time - it’s here- no need to expand other schools in the area, no need to acquire land and build. Time also saves money- especially with inflation.

Will it be a perfect solution? Of course not, so that means there will be plenty of things to pick at and try to derail it - if one so chooses. So, we do not have to worry about not having anything to discuss.

So the budget is tight enough that we can’t afford a magnet but not tight enough that we can’t rush into a surprise $150 million new school?

Seems pretty inconsistent if you ask me.

No. Not inconsistent. A magnet is a luxury. A school for local students is a basic need.

🤣🤣🤣. You and the rest of us have a very different definition of “basic need.”

We get you have to try to make a distinction, but that is a sttrrrreeeeeettttcchh.

Disagree. Public schools are basic needs. New Western HS has been expected and planned for over a decade.

Oh good point. I totally forgot that those kids haven’t had a public school up until this point. 🤣

You’re flailing.

The area is broken into four different schools.
1. One (the closest one for most of the area) is deemed by FCPS to be overcrowded and, therefore, they have sent nearby students to a school that is 10-13 miles away.
2. They plan to take additional students out of that school and add them to the long bus trip.
3. Another group is sent to a school that is separated from the rest of the school community by Dulles Airport, industrial and commercial facilities. This divides the school community in a way that is difficult to form a cohesive group.
4. This school mentioned at #3 is full and new construction is underway in areas near the high school and in an area in the Carson area. Very soon, there would be another overcrowded school.
5. School #4 has some students assigned to Carson. In this case, it is a reasonable distance for most of the students who attend and is not divided from others. At this point it is not overcrowded, but there is construction in that school area, as well.

Outside of the KAA area is a school that is set for a very expensive expansion. It shares a boundary with #1 and #3.

If overcrowding and proximity do not indicate a need for a school, please tell me (and FCPS) how to fix it.

Why aren't you identifying these schools by name? Are you afraid to state clearly that your position is that Westfield currently lacks a "cohesive group"? And, if so, is that because those on one side of Dulles want to separate themselves from those on the other side of Dulles? Or you want to avoid a discussion as to who else is going to attend Westfield if all the kids on one side are redistricted to a school at the KAA site? And if all the growth you claim is happening in the Westfield area materializes, why shouldn't they use some of the hundreds of empty seats at Herndon first?

For years now, FCPS has been planning to expanding Centreville to 3000. That's very big, and maybe they will scale back that expansion if KAA opens, but if they were prepared to expand Centreville to 3000 they certainly could have expanded Chantilly's permanent capacity to 2750, which would help with overcrowding there, especially given FCPS's own projections that enrollment at Chantilly will decline by almost 300 students over the next five years.

I posted $300 million for renovation/expansion of Centreville. That was from FCPS CIP. Not my estimate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Humanities magnet or any other magnet is not something you do when the budget looks so tight. It doesn’t save any money.

KAA is placed precisely where a new HS has been proposed for decades. It can solve many issues in the western part of the county. Its cost is far less that a new school or even an expansion of an existing school would cost. Plus, it saves time - it’s here- no need to expand other schools in the area, no need to acquire land and build. Time also saves money- especially with inflation.

Will it be a perfect solution? Of course not, so that means there will be plenty of things to pick at and try to derail it - if one so chooses. So, we do not have to worry about not having anything to discuss.

Claiming this school will cost less than the expansion of an existing school is false. The recent expansions of West Potomac, Justice, and Madison each cost far less than $150 million.

It may cost less than the construction of a new high school or the full renovation and expansion of an existing school - this remains to be seen - but there is no need to lie.

The renovation/expansion of Centreville is listed at $300 million. I do not believe that includes furnishings.

And the PP just referred to the expansion of an existing school. Recent stand-alone additions have cost less than $50M each.

name them

South Lakes, West Potomac, Justice, and Madison all received additions that cost less than $50M each. Adjusting for inflating, they'd still be far below $150M, contrary to what PP said.

The fact remains that the School Board claimed FCPS had no money for overcrowded high schools yet committed to paying $150M to acquire KAA with no prior public notice, and then spending even more to make it fit for purpose as an FCPS high school. To date, we have no idea where that money is coming from (only a small fraction for land acquisition was already funded), what other renovation projects will be bumped (or scaled back or canceled), and how it will affect a "comprehensive county-wide boundary review" that has been taking place for many months.

County residents continue to deserve answers to these questions. Not lies from some who believe they stand to benefit personally that it will cost less than an expansion of an existing school or that it will allow every middle school in western Fairfax to feed to a single high school and/or every high school in western Farifax to draw from a single middle school.

Absent answers, or a clear commitment to provide answers shortly, we will continue to see various groups like the FCFCA call for KAA to be a magnet or some other specialized program rather than a neighborhood high school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Humanities magnet or any other magnet is not something you do when the budget looks so tight. It doesn’t save any money.

KAA is placed precisely where a new HS has been proposed for decades. It can solve many issues in the western part of the county. Its cost is far less that a new school or even an expansion of an existing school would cost. Plus, it saves time - it’s here- no need to expand other schools in the area, no need to acquire land and build. Time also saves money- especially with inflation.

Will it be a perfect solution? Of course not, so that means there will be plenty of things to pick at and try to derail it - if one so chooses. So, we do not have to worry about not having anything to discuss.

Claiming this school will cost less than the expansion of an existing school is false. The recent expansions of West Potomac, Justice, and Madison each cost far less than $150 million.

It may cost less than the construction of a new high school or the full renovation and expansion of an existing school - this remains to be seen - but there is no need to lie.

The renovation/expansion of Centreville is listed at $300 million. I do not believe that includes furnishings.

And the PP just referred to the expansion of an existing school. Recent stand-alone additions have cost less than $50M each.

Where were these? How recent and how large?

Then, adapting KAA will certainly not cost that much. There are already two additional stand alone buildings.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Humanities magnet or any other magnet is not something you do when the budget looks so tight. It doesn’t save any money.

KAA is placed precisely where a new HS has been proposed for decades. It can solve many issues in the western part of the county. Its cost is far less that a new school or even an expansion of an existing school would cost. Plus, it saves time - it’s here- no need to expand other schools in the area, no need to acquire land and build. Time also saves money- especially with inflation.

Will it be a perfect solution? Of course not, so that means there will be plenty of things to pick at and try to derail it - if one so chooses. So, we do not have to worry about not having anything to discuss.

Claiming this school will cost less than the expansion of an existing school is false. The recent expansions of West Potomac, Justice, and Madison each cost far less than $150 million.

It may cost less than the construction of a new high school or the full renovation and expansion of an existing school - this remains to be seen - but there is no need to lie.

The renovation/expansion of Centreville is listed at $300 million. I do not believe that includes furnishings.

And the PP just referred to the expansion of an existing school. Recent stand-alone additions have cost less than $50M each.

name them