Cooper-Longfellow/ Langley-McLean Boundary Adjustment Analysis

The boundary adjustment for Cooper and Longfellow middle schools and Langley and McLean high schools was adopted on February 4, 2021. The Department of Facilities and Transportation Services has pulled data to provide a progress update and an analysis of the numbers at School Board Member Elaine Tholen’s request.

The purpose of the boundary adjustment is to provide capacity relief to McLean High School (HS) by using available capacity at Langley High School (HS). Cooper and Longfellow middle schools were added to the boundary study by the School Board in March 2020 in order to not create split feeders. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, School Year (SY) 2019-20 data was used to estimate student membership of areas affected.

The boundary adjustment went into effect SY 2021-22 with the following phasing per grade:

Phasing for the middle school boundary adjustment was complete for SY 2022-23.

The first year of mandatory phasing for the high school boundary adjustment was this school year, 2022-23. Rising ninth graders had the choice to attend Langley HS or to remain at McLean HS.

Middle School Boundary Change Implementation Progress

It was estimated that 78 middle school students would be reassigned at the middle school level when the boundary adjustment was adopted. In the time since that estimate was made, the middle school age population that lives in this area has grown by approximately 20 students for a total of approximately 100 students. All students attend the “newly assigned school” of Cooper MS.

Cooper MS is currently under renovation with a target design capacity of 1,120 students. Cooper MS was at 98% capacity as of September 2022. Facilities staff will continue to monitor student membership in the years ahead.

Source: FCPS, Certified Membership, September 2021 to September 2022.

_Notes:

1. _{Membership includes general education, special education, and AAP.}
2. _{Numbers less than ten (<10) are suppressed to protect student privacy.}

High School Boundary Change Implementation Progress

It was estimated that 190 high school students would be reassigned at the high school level when the boundary adjustment was adopted. Of those 190 students, 160 attended their assigned school.

Two years into the boundary change implementation, less than ten (10) students that lived in the boundary change area moved, reducing the high school students impacted by the boundary change. High school students that remained in the area impacted, approximately 98 students, or 52%, chose to transfer to another high school or were required to attend Langley HS (as part of the mandatory 9^th grade this year). Just under half the students chose to remain at McLean HS as permitted by the phasing. 

Further analysis shows that just over 50 9^th grade students live in the area where the boundary was adjusted. These 9^th graders were required to attend the “new” assigned school of Langley HS for SY 2022-23. 42 of these 9^th grade students attend Langley HS. The remaining 18% of these 9^th graders transferred out of Langley HS to either McLean or Thomas Jefferson high schools.

Phasing of the boundary adjustment will continue over the next few years and be complete by SY 2025-26. Facilities continues to monitor membership at Cooper and Longfellow middle schools and Langley and McLean high schools and impacts on student membership growth developments in this area of Fairfax County.

Source: FCPS, Certified Membership, September 2021 to September 2022.

_Notes:

1. _{Membership includes general education, special education, and AAP.}
2. _{Numbers less than ten (<10) are suppressed to protect student privacy.}

Update February 4, 2021

The Fairfax County School Board has voted to approve a boundary adjustment to alleviate overcrowding at McLean High School that was presented to the community as Option B. The boundary adjustment will realign students in the Colvin Run Elementary School split feeder area, a portion of the Spring Hill Elementary split feeder area, and a portion of Westbriar Elementary from Longfellow Middle-McLean High to Cooper Middle-Langley High. This adjustment identifies an estimated 190 students at the high school level and 78 students at the middle school level. Press release

Responses to Questions from Boundary Study Meeting

Questions on the McLean/Langley Longfellow/Cooper Boundary Change Implementation

Boundary Process

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is considering a boundary adjustment to provide capacity relief to McLean High School. Currently, McLean HS has more than 2,350 students in a building with design capacity of 1,993 students. Enrollment at McLean HS is projected to increase in the next five years.

Langley High School, which is close in proximity to McLean HS, recently completed a renovation that increased its design capacity to 2,370 students. Current enrollment at Langley is 1,972. Enrollment at Langley HS is projected to remain the same or decrease in the next five years. FCPS is not planning to recommend moving students out of Langley HS as part of this boundary adjustment. 

FCPS is recommending that the School Board approve a boundary adjustment to move some McLean High School students to Langley High School. Some students who currently attend McLean HS could be reassigned from McLean HS to Langley HS, if the boundary adjustment is approved. 

In order to increase the comfort and efficiency of educational spaces for students enrolled at McLean High School, a modular unit will be placed at the high school to replace some of the trailers on the property.  The modular will be placed in December 2020.  

At the January 21 School Board meeting, FCPS recommended that the School Board approve a boundary adjustment of a portion of the Spring Hill Elementary split feeder area to feed from Longfellow Middle and McLean High to Cooper Middle and Langley High. Any approved boundary adjustment will not affect the elementary school boundary. Read the press release.

The School Board held a public hearing on Thursday, January 28. 

The School Board will take action on the boundary adjustment at its February 4 Regular Business Meeting. 

Boundary Scope and Boundary Study

Two boundary scope community meetings were held in December 2019. No decisions were made at the meetings. The purpose of the meetings was to provide information to the community and receive community input via small group work.

FCPS staff presented information and scenarios for consideration on how to reduce McLean HS enrollment by moving some students to Langley HS. After the presentation, community members worked in small groups to discuss the information and provide feedback. (see feedback below)

As the result of feedback collected during the boundary scope meetings, the Fairfax County School Board approved expanding the scope to include the boundaries for Longfellow Middle School and Cooper Middle School. 

Boundary Study Community Meeting

The community feedback from the boundary scope meetings was used to develop options which were shared at the December 7, 2020 community meeting on the boundary study. Read Letter on Boundary Study Meeting

Below is the presentation for the December 7 meeting and a report with additional information: 

Additional feedback was collected at the boundary study meeting and will be used to provide a recommendation to the School Board.

If you were unable to attend the boundary study meeting and wish to provide comments, please email them to [email protected]. Comments will be posted on the website with other feedback. 

The School Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed boundary adjustment prior to voting at a School Board meeting. 

Boundary Scope Community Meetings

The information presented at the boundary scope community meetings on December 2 and December 4, 2019:

Scenarios were presented to the community for consideration and to encourage discussion. The feedback about the scenarios and other thoughts and ideas collected at the community meetings will be used to form options. The options will be presented to the community at boundary study meetings that will be scheduled in spring 2020.