What areas should be considered for boundary adjustment?

Scenario A + renovation of McLean

First consider the areas closest to LHS like FSES

Those who live directly off Dolly Madison Blvd. (to go to LHS) and off of Kirby Road North and East of Old Dominion

Moving both Colvin Run and Spring Hill was preferred by Colvin Run parents to help with carpooling and so there is not an isolated pocket far out still going to McLean

Option 1 is the best option as it fully relieves overcrowding at MHS.

Scenario B makes most sense.

Consider other options that include neighborhoods near/closer to Langley HS

Alternative D – move students from the Evermay/Potomac School community to Langley. It is a natural traffic pattern with stop lights and bike lanes straight to Langley whereas it is unsafe for kids to bike to McLean from this area. It is also a straight hot to Cooper for these kids. Furthermore it is a historic boundary for Langley.

Franklin Sherman ES, move to Langley, or part of this area to go to Langley

Westbriar – definite move to Langley

Spring Hill/Tysons – definite move to Langley – this has potential for additional future growth because of Tysons

Basically, I agree on Scenarios A and C. I however, object any plan that doesn’t include grandfathering.

Scenario A → Geographically eliminate split articulation in ES

Geographically Scenario A seems to provide most relief to current capacity. Need more info?

Send Shouse to Langley

Send Great Falls/Reston border kids to Herndon High School and South Lakes High School 

Option A w/grandfathering

Franklin Sherman an option

I vote for scenario A and scenario C because bus transportation is between 20-40 min to Langley HS.

Scenario A is needed, but give families grandfather options if they provide own transportation

Consider parts of Franklin Sherman (Evermay, Ballantree) to go to LHS

Consider homes north of Old Dominion for reassignment, including Potomac Hills

A, B, and C are good options – seems to make sense.

Colvin Run kids (far away) priority to Langley

Keep kids who walk in McLean – overall better (transportation cost, environment)

Recommendation to proceed with scenario A

Solution: Colvin Run → Herndon

All of Spring Hill and Franklin Sherman → Cooper/Langley

All Colvin Run to Langley. Have no impact on traffic either.

Possible scenario: move all of Franklin Sherman to Langley given its close proximity to Langley

How did Merrimac Drive stay in the McLean and looking at map, this would be a logical move.

Also consider Franklin Sherman, Westbriar split feeders

Look at Eastern portion (Chesterbrook, Dogwood, Evermay by CIA) to Langley, it is much closer. * Transportation will cost less.

Why not look at the # of students affected if we eliminate the split feeder at Franklin Sherman?

We support moving student from both Colvin Run and Spring Hill. We are concerned it won’t solve the problem, won’t be enough kids. The other proposals won’t do enough.

You should consider Franklin Sherman/Chesterbrook as transportation would be easier. Franklin Sherman is a split.

 

• Proposed alternate scenario: move Franklin Sherman and Chesterbrook to Langley (about 340 students) It used to be this way and is very close to Langley. 
• Proposed alternate scenario: wait to rezone until new high school, continue use of modular facilities (status quo)
• Proposed alternate scenario: Why does A, B, and C not move Westgate, Lemon Road feed into Marshall? Same for Westgate into Marshall? Marshall is less overcrowded than McLean!! Then add IB at Langley to attract students voluntarily from Marshall. Have 2 IB programs.

 

What are the strengths of changing the boundary?

Strength of contiguous boundaries – relief McLean HS from Tysons growth

Relief overcrowding

• Option A: contiguous 
• Option B: least impact
• Option C: existing students in the island are not impacted

• Move those closest to LHS to LHS (those who are proximate to LHS) 
• Making LHS more diverse from a socio-economic perspective
• Getting rid of “split schools” is a positive

What are the challenges of changing the boundary?

 

Challenges – future growth plan

No long term solution factors in continued growth

Transparency on planning process

Middle school/high school boundaries must match

• Option A: existing student impact
• Option B: may not solve capacity issue, existing student impact
• Option C: strange in that it creates an island non-contiguous. Impact to busing/transportation challenge
• Doubling transportation time for CRES if switched to LHS

 

What else would you like FCPS to know?

How are the middle school (Longfellow) students affected? Split middle schools should be fixed and split elementary schools

How many students are affected by Scenario A – will it be 300 students?

Why come up with scenarios without running numbers?

Franklin Sherman is also split feeder between Langley and McLean. Why are they not being considered? They are closer to Langley.

The transportation from Colvin Run and Spring Hill areas to Langley is prohibitive. 

Children in the same family should be able to go to the same HS. Unfair for parents to have children in different high schools at the same time. (TJ is a choice).

Children should be able to finish all 4 years at the same high school for social, academic, mental health and college application reasons, also for extracurricular continuity – sports.

If recession occurs, Langley will have a higher student population which has been seen previously at feeder schools. 

A lot of new construction in Great Falls. 102 homes along Route 7 already planned. 

Have leaders considered the long-term population trends in new/growing communities (Tysons) and how that growth will impact MHS and LHS in 3, 5, and 10 years? Or are we setting ourselves up for another boundary adjustment? 

Keep the kids in mind. Grandfather all current students to stay at the school. Freshmen-Juniors. Incoming freshmen start at Langley and seniors have graduated already. 

Need to know # of students affected for each option

Need a permanent solution – add on to MHS or build a new HS (out on Rt. 7) so there is predictability for neighborhood sports to other community activities. So children get to know each other before HS.

How does the county get more proactive?

McLean renovation needs to be moved to the top of the queue 

Do not want year round schools

Do not want busing

Do not screw up McLean HS

Grandfather current MHS students

Don’t continue flip-flopping neighborhoods like CRES and other that have changed many times

Build a trade school (or magnet) HS like Marshall HS

Add an IB option at LHS to pull more students in

Traffic flow → stop light at Dolly Madison and Georgetown Pike
1.    allows for safe ingress and egress to Langley, natural boundary
2.    shared feeder elementary school, travel time is much shorter w/o going thru downtown

 

• Phasing implementation; grandfather of current students
• Do # students in Option A get MHS under 100%?
• *At implementation, all 7+grade students get option to continue thru MHS 12th grade
•  *this will create the issue of split middle schools (Longfellow kids going to Langley vs MHS like others)

Develop 2 lines of effort
•    short term address now issues
•    long term address expected population change

 

Expand MHS capacity with vertical/added building

Current students should be grandfathered in

Traffic is a concern

In the longer run, there should be a new HS out west (Reston, etc.)

Why does Timberlane elementary feed into MHS?!?  (makes no sense)

Do not move Chesterbrook Woods to Langley. Kirby Road is only option and is now closed. 

Consider long term population growth. 

Give board MHS families option to opt into LHS

We need to know the number of projected kids that would move in each scenario in order to make informed decisions. Also to make sure Langley doesn’t get overcrowded.

Middle school adjustment needs to be made at the same time as HS changes, so kids aren’t ricocheted back and forth between pyramids. 

Existing/current HS students should be grandfathered only move upcoming freshmen

Why isn’t Franklin Sherman (which is also a split feeder) considered?

Split sessions at HS need to be considered (AM/PM sessions)

Act quickly?

However, students that already go to MHS should stay at MHS and be offered transportation to MHS. 

Need higher allocation to capital improvements from Board of Supervisors.

Traffic pattern needs to be considered not to jam commuter routes. 

Absolutely need to expedite construction programs: 
•    New high school and expansion of existing facilities

Scenario A moving too many kids. 

How is FCPS going to prepare Langley to undergo an increase in student population of 20% in 1 year?

Area in McLean with boundaries of Toll Road/Leesburg Pike/Beltway has had > 3500 housing units added since 2014 with NO plan for the education of the occupants of those housing units. McLean has had > 10% increase in student population in that time. Moving students will not accommodate all of this growth and continued growth. At least 1 to 2 new high schools need to be built in the Tysons area of McLean. 

Toll Brothers development of 150 single family homes at Towlston Road/Rt. 7 already in Langley district and will directly increase student population of Langley by at least 150-300 students in next 1-3 years. 

FCPS schools needs stricter policy on pupil placement. 

Current students should be grandfathered in

If families want to voluntarily transfer from McLean to Langley make the process easy and support such transfers (self provided transportation). 

Current HS students should have the choice to stay. 

The time to make decisions and changes needs to be expedited since schools are already beyond capacity. 

Middle school capacity and growth is a concern too (current and future)

Why is Franklin Sherman not being considered for moving all their students to Langley since it is split feeder?

There is a social and mental impact on students when they go to different schools from classmates from ES and MS. 

Travel time should be considered. 

Colvin Run families have already been impacted by redistricting. At the time that these families switched from Langley HS to McLean HS, they were informed that this would be a final change. These neighborhoods should not be bounced back and forth.

Planning for this situation should have been better. The new communities have been in progress for a while – this was not a surprise! The families and students of the impacted neighborhoods should NOT pay the price for faulty planning. 

Put the issue up to a vote in the communities

Concerned that children moved to Langley will not be able to get classes that they register for at McLean, as well as spots on teams, and same/similar positions in clubs → particularly leadership positions. Spaces will be limited!

Colvin Run ES students have toll road access to McLean HS. But highly restricted single road access to Langley.

What is the projected student population of Langley HS in the next 1, 3, and 5 years if (i) there is no boundary change; and (ii) all development projects currently in progress are completed by their target date for completion?

→If these projects successfully complete on time, would Langley be at or over capacity even without a boundary change?

We need better info on projected student populations taking into consideration contingent development projects.

McLean HS received an $8 million renovation in 2002. Langley’s renovation cost $75m? The underlying assumptions in 2002-2008 have changed and require different consideration for prioritizing renovations. McLean’s Chevette is not equivalent to Langley’s Tesla.  

Don’t split neighborhoods. 

Grandfathering once you get into HS 

Impact on multilevel families – two students going to different HS – family choice

Development plans 
a.    School development/remodeling/renovate MHS
b.    Local homes/condos being built in area

Population trends across regions
•    Total population 
•    Student population 

Disrupt the fewest number of students/families as possible

GRANDFATHER    ALL MHS students

Consider students mental health before moving them.

Georgetown Pike and other Great Falls Roads are not ready MORE traffic
•    Very difficult for teen drivers
•    Only 1 entrance to Langley – 3 into McLean
•    CIA traffic in AM is very bad at Langley

Families chose their homes based in large part on attending McLean. Don’t take that away. Allow choice. 

Moving MHS kids mid-career breaks relationships with teachers, counselors, coaches, etc. College planning and recommendations will suffer! 

Difficult for new counselors, teachers to full represent the growth of the child over the full course of high school. 

Give families options and streamline the process 
•    McLean → Langley
•    Longfellow → Cooper

Grandfather existing HS students (commit to the kids)

Address split feeders → one cohort K-12 ideal

Don’t split CRES or SPH kids (scenario A)

Disadvantage since we have no idea of current or projected numbers

Whatever you do → stay with it for 10-20 years. Make it explicit.

Push effective date back to 2021-2022; not enough time to schedule/plan if effective date next year

Option to grandfather in kids already at McLean/Langley?

Kids of divorced families, near border, what option/choices?

Don’t split families (i.e. younger siblings still able to go to school w/older sibling)

How handle continued growth McLean/Tysons – long term solution so not in same situation in 2-3 years.

School Choice (i.e. option to go to Langley v. McLean)

Why Spring Hill ES split between Langley and McLean HS?

Tysons get own HS – think new design “urban HS”

This needs to be solved by next school year, rip the band-aid off and make decisions

Open Langley to MHS families that want to go to Langley (transportation optional)

Possibility of an addition to MHS for expected/continued growth

Possible annex for MHS for a grade or during renovation/build (Pimmit Adult Ed bldg)

Grandfathering – what are the options?
Timing?

Build/develop another HS in Tyson/Merrifield

Use better forecasting models

Boundary shift from McLean to Langley is a band-aid for a very short term - BIG PROBLEM in the long run.

Address Deficiencies to Consider Various Options:
1.    How many students (quantify) fee in from each scenario A, B or C?
2.    Consider feeder schools, both elementary and middle school, that feed into HS
3.    Prediction of student population of island feeders. 
4.    Consider capacity enhancement to address continued growth near MHS → Brick and Mortar addition for McLean HS

Solution Option → boundary study with grandfathering (for students already in MHS) and building addition of MHS

The most important thing is any emotional and psychological impact on our children. My son is already experiencing anxiety attack that is going to lose his close friend and relationships he’s built in McLean HS. 

Geographic, historic, or economic view is ok, but grandfathering should be allowed. 

My concern is the impact on the students who currently attending McLean High School. If FCPS enforces the school boundary adjustment event to those students, they will lose everything, such as activities, curriculums, friends, or any plans for college. FCPS should allow them to choose any options to accommodate their needs.

FCPS should give a kind of transition period. For example, this change is effective only for freshmen, or any student who wants to keep attending McLean HS. FCPS should respect his/her decision. As long as the parent provides them with their own transportation, this is not going to increase transportation budget. 

Renovate McLean HS

What are the numbers for each scenario?

What is the population consideration?

How much relief does it give McLean HS?

What is the short term/long term impact on Langley?

Siblings split up?

How would bussing work?

Are there any plans for renovations at McLean?

Planning on filling Langley to capacity?

Will there be traffic control?

How many kids will be affected?

New high school closer in Great Falls & Tysons
Grandfather current students – bus service not necessary

Decisions/info – needs to be done quickly
High schooler given option to transfer
Numbers? Population, projected growth rates

Make this more than a political or basic administrative project (at least show a more data-oriented justification)

Some neighborhoods have a strong preference against the boundary

At least feed same mid/high school (don’t go Cooper → McLean) Possible to move both for a neighborhood all at once?
“Grandfather” the change (don’t move 10th/11th graders)

We need better facilities/construction investment @ McLean HS

Scenario C looks problematically geographically split

If Langley has a capacity of 350 more, why do we talk about scenario B & C?
Should have min/max projection of how many students will be for scenarios A, B, and C to make sure McLean/Langley not overcrowded. 

If started in HS should be able to choose to stay same HS.

Will 2021 graduates be grandfathered in?

Any options to choose new high school between McLean and Langley HS? (9th graders)

 

• What is the process for decision making? Will all parents allowed to vote for scenarios?
• When will the decision be made?

Middle school should also shift. 

Over 50 minutes for Shouse area to Langley; 18 min to McLean

Overcrowded buses. Not managed well already. 

Why not FS and Chesterbrook on table?

Why not Merrifield on table?

This process feels RUSHED – spring tryouts for next year, spring class scheduling would be a mess

Take time to think outside the box!

Grandfathering current McLean students (all grades)

Option to move for current students who would like to move to LHS

Grace period for transition – example like 3 years for AAP centers for middle school

Consider transportation times for students (distance to school factor)

Look at possible scenarios for moving students from 22101

Focus on student concerns what is best for 9-12

If we don’t move the middle school students at the same time, the split feeders of Colvin Run and Spring Hill will remain split as they will leave their cohorts for middle school and then return to high school!

Need numbers to help determine the scenarios

Selecting the split feeder seems to be the right fix

Consider scheduling for classes begins in Jan and will be set before school board vote. Issue with timing and rush to change schedules/find teachers over the summer. 
Concern not enough regard for timing for high school students. 

Current stress for MHS student w/movement and friendships (psychological impact)

Student clubs/activities established at current school

College application process w/new teachers, counselors, etc. (changes for opportunities)

Consider open enrollment for all McLean HS students
Accelerate McLean expansion/refurbishment
How many people would be moved with each scenario?
What is the policy for grandfathering kids already attending McLean? STRONGLY RECOMMEND GRANDFATHERING

How will class registration timing be handled? Timing?
Is Franklin Sherman a consideration for movement as a split school?

How would this fit into any longer term re-districting plans?
Can you evaluate transportation times as part of the planning?

Construction – more out of the box ideas of how to add UP to MHS not OUT (modular construction)

Temporary fix is boundary adjustments; long term fix is construction

Bring IB program to Langley to attract more students
What about HS student course selection (AB, AP)? Students select courses in January

McLean HS needs capital improvements greater than switching boundaries and/or adding more trailers. 

Transportation?

Grandfathering – start with current MHS students, not required to move (transportation not provided)

Concern with distance between Langley and Colvin Run
Current and projected population in proposed areas

 

• What is the population in the possible adjustment areas?
• Are we solving the capacity problem by addressing some of the areas? Would be good to have this info.
• How many students will this impact? Colvin Run, Westbriar, Spring Hill 

Want grandfathering (but will be challenging)

Scenarios under consideration should account for middle school. (Spring Hill and Colvin Run ES go to Cooper and Langley)

Grandfather existing student and potential siblings or give them a choice

Challenge thinking of long-term capacity trend based on Tysons and downtown McLean real estate development. Need more physical space to accommodate growth. 

Slow down growth of McLean

Make cut-off for boundary change happen at the elementary level 

Build up McLean HS in stages

For boundary outliers, if the outliers were moved from McLean HS to Langley HS, we recommend FCPS also move those students from Longfellow MS to Cooper MS so they have a single pyramid. 

For Colvin Run area, there is a concern about the increase commute times for both buses and parents driving (some parents project a change from 20 min to 435 min). 
Is this a short-term change or a long-term change for boundaries?

When would this change take effect? How will class and activity registrations be managed?

Don’t uproot kids in MHS now

Give options other than rezoning

Stand alone facility 

Open enrollment MHS → LHS

If we must rezone, phase it in over time
You MUST grandfather (if we rezone)
→ 6 year grandfather = middle and current MHS students
→ grandfather siblings

Give us economic development data that makes rezone (not CIP) a good idea

We demand direct engagement with the School Board: not a website or a piece of paper hung on a wall. With rezone there will be kids with multiple school switches: not inclusive, nurturing environment.

My wife and I served our country overseas for many years but moved here so our kids could have an easy transition from elementary to middle to high school. Now you propose to forcibly remove my child from high school. That is not your right. 

Keeping those who have started HS at one school to stay in that school for all 4 years. 

Limit moves from boundary changes to incoming freshmen and allow exceptions for freshmen with siblings at an existing HS to stay together

End split districts so students can stay together from elementary to HS

Give that MHS is so behind on the renovation/expansion schedule, I’m strongly supportive of speeding up the boundary change as there are many new real estate developments in the area and overcrowding issue may be worsened.

 
Recommendation to grandfather in all existing McLean students at the student’s discretion. Explore social/emotional impacts of moving students.

Recommendation to rezone middle school boundaries to keep children with their elementary school cohorts. 

Consider long-term building improvements for McLean HS 

Long-term consideration for new high school 

FSE AAP → Churchill 

Keep kids from same elementary together!! Before considering choices that involve moving elementary schools all together!
If a lot more kids from elementary school already go to a particular high school, have the rest there 

Do not overpack Langley (don't shift the problem)

Expedite McLean HS expansion

More options to offload McLean HS kids  from ESs to South (Falls Church) join other high schools

Grandfather existing students in McLean HS to continue graduation (at least give an option)

Any change to HS, make the same change to MS

Consider impact on families before entertaining other random choices

Add more high school

No moving during school year. Give option to move/transition

Move should be based on number of students

What’s the impact on Cooper MS? Longfellow MS? *We can’t make any pick without further information  - need data and numbers.

Allow grandfathering if you have already started HS

Why not focus on expanding McLean HS?

What’s the impact on Langley school? What if Langley becomes over-capacity?

Consider this to be a band-aid approach. Doesn’t seem to consider long-term issues of growth in all districts. 

Optional opportunity to attend Langley if you are currently at McLean (no cost to you). Opt in period at the beginning of the year.

Eliminate all split feeder elementary schools and middle schools, so that all schools fee to either Langley or McLean

There should be working session in which raw data is made available to interested parties such as PTAs, and other organizations to review existing scenario planning and test other scenarios. 

Need short term and long term solution

With boundary change scenarios, is there an estimate on how many students will be affected?

Will current McLean students be grandfathered in?

Will middle school boundary change with the pyramid?

Can you move kids in phases? Move after they finish a level?

What is the county doing to curtail housing development? We keep building houses but not addressing schools, roads,…

Is there a plan to create more schools  - elementary, middle and high school?

Could you voluntarily move to new high school before it gets decided on?
Splitting kids 2X not acceptable. Spring Hill → Longfellow → Langley 
→ You cannot split pyramid the kids.

Transportation → making these changes will significantly increase bus rides
Traffic concerns – Rt. 7 is a dangerous road – more traffic through residential area already highly traveled – 495 exits!

Put in the modular at McLean

High school kids create class schedules for next year in March. If they are forced to move – limited class selection
* Do Not Force – Open Enrollment *

Principles and values 
•    Maintaining elementary cohorts
•    No split feeders!
•    Geographical compactness
•    Transportation efficiency
•    Football recruiting (just kidding)
•    Reduce trailers (modular classrooms)

Sustainable and long-term decision 10+ years

Grandfather current junior class w/choice

Neighborhood contiguity – social fabric and community 

Need numbers/info for all surrounding schools (FS, Chesterbrook, Merrifield area, etc.)

Need long term plan! New schools, big additions. No band-aids that impact our kids

Survey parents!

Grandfather ALL current students

Create an IB program @ Langley and offer it to McLean families  to opt in

Please don’t ping pong “attendance islands” -  not fair

What about the Middle Schools? Don’t have kids split from cohorts 2x? 

Modular @ McLean will help!

Transportation should drive decisions on geography (commute distance/time for students)

Balancing capacity at McLean and Langley, but should be part of longer-term comprehensive plan (including middle schools so not increasing split feeders) e.g. Colvin Run → Longfellow → Langley and Colvin Run → Cooper → Langley

Both MS are very crowded. We should consider MS capacity in the plan. 

What the numbers of students? In feeders being considered to move

Transportation time/cost of ∆

Are there magnet programs (IB, unique classes that could be offered at Langley to attract volunteers to move from MHS to LHS?

If decision is for Fall 2020, how can plan for registration of classes/sports/activities/busses/staffing? If decision in the spring
Grandfather students 9-12 that want to stay and let those move students that want to 

Take the time needed to develop a long-term solution instead of a quick fix that will need to change in a few years. Langley going to be at capacity with Tyson’s apartment, Covance property (105 houses in 2020) and will need to change LHS boundary again. 

Stop looking at “low hanging fruit” island areas that get ping-ponged. Bad for adolescent psyche of students. 

Are there short-term facility/capacity solutions (modular at MHS) until long-term solution developed with transparent data!

Allow “transfer back” to original HS (parents provide transportation) for a limited # of transfers. If applications for transfers exceeds the limit, then have a lottery. (Arlington did this at middle school level = Williamsburg and Swanson)

Like that split feeder schools will attend standard middle/high school pyramid

Allow open enrollment option for current McLean students that want to go to Langley (Families provide transportation)

Grandfather kids currently at McLean or only move 9th or 10th graders

All new development (new homes, condo, apt) would go to Langley with capacity.

If middle school is NOT adjusted, kids at split feeders would need to re-integrate two times (Colvin Run = Langley, Longfellow, link to McLean, then re-district back to Langley)

Timing – parents and kids need time, the cut off point should allow everyone to adjust. Connection to teachers, teams, programs.
*Class registrations for next year (registration happens in March). Rushed process could result in last minute hiring for teachers. Sports start summer of the year before.

What about kids that want to participate that are moved?

Plan allows much longer commute for students currently at McLean that will move to Langley (50 min)

Public should know all the enrollment # for elementary school to determine rate of growth (trend) over the years to determine areas of growth. 

We would like to see how many students would be affected; what would it take to solve the overcrowding problem. Break out freshmen , sophomores, juniors, etc. 
Similarly, we should see projections for all feeder elementary schools so we’re not back here in 3-5 years. 

Please grandfather (rising juniors) and seniors at least (some split in our group)

You should automatically approve open enrollment for McLean HS students.

While it wouldn’t solve a split feeder problem, we should know how many students go to McLean HS from Westgate ES. With more development planned there, what are the projections? Should that population go to Langley?

Short term solution for a longer term problem. Tyson’s area growing – need an addition at McLean. Build up

Open enrollment 1st – see how many kids you get then reassess

Make Langley an IB program school to draw more students

Hard to understand the plans without knowing future (and current) numbers of students

What is the impact on buses and transportation?

Without numbers? Are any of these plans going to eliminate overcrowding at McLean and bring Langley to capacity – are they bold enough?

Shouldn’t we also consider getting McLean in the renovation queue

Long-term plans to increase capacity?

Relieve pressure on commute and travel times

Don’t want to have to move boundaries more than once

Does this affect current students? Is there grandfathering? Move an 11th or 12th grader to new school is traumatic

When does a change in zoning take effect?

Why rush this process to take effect in next school year? Need a deliberate and careful approach to avoid another one. 

What is the detailed planning process?

What studies are being done to assess neighborhood by neighborhood projected student growth and family size?

How  many kids live in Colvin Run and Spring Hill? Does that solve it really?

Are traffic patterns factored into planning and not just distance, including busing using freeways and tollways if available?

What is the research to say student numbers don’t shirt back in 5-10 years?

For high school redistricting, why does no scenario (A, B, or C) consider moving students immediately next to Langley, but currently in McLean? Because of ease of commute and short distance?

What was the thought process in doing redistricting now? Need more transparency on where 3 scenarios come from?

What is the role and influence of “McSpaces” on board members? What interactions and engagement have taken place?

Is ethnic and economic diversity being considered and how? Draw from McLean area into Langley.

Why not wait for new high school to redistrict and add temporary modular units (as planned for McLean) to avoid family disruption over and over?

County use IB program at Marshall HS to increase student population in underutilized school, which used a voluntary/choice approach. Why not add specialized program at Langley to do same? This minimizes involuntary disruption 

Some current 7th graders at Longfellow will go to Langley while rest of middle schoolers go to McLean, which brings back Cooper/Langley split again. Impact on friends – make sure any rezoning has entire middle school feed into same high school!! Don’t split. 

We need to know how many students have to move to another school correctly. 

It seems like risky for students who actively participated in school activities. Especially for over 10th graders. 

We need to know specific schedule about adjustment.

 
It is necessary for us to know where and when because of possibility of changing schools. A lot of parents may consider moving out to the places where their children want to go. 

Proposed alternate scenario: wait to rezone until new high school, continue use of modular facilities (status quo)

Need robust and long-term study that factors in everything so families aren’t moved again in 3, 5, or even 10 years. Don’t rush this!

All of the scenarios seem to be short term solutions. What is being done to solve the problem long term?

Has Marshall/Madison or other high schools been considered?
Has the middle school been considered?(they seem to be over crowded too!)
Current students must have the option to stay at MHS or move to LHS (grandfather)

We are unable to evaluate scenarios because of lack of numbers and projections

Have you taken into consideration new developments and apartments? 

How are we going to keep students safe at McLean High School until the changes can take place?

Can more capacity be added to MHS?

Are current MHS students be given the option to move or stay at MHS?

From email:   Traffic is an issue in the McLean/Tysons area, and it will not be getting any better in the next decade. With this in mind, it is surprising to me that FCPS is not considering a redistricting option based on proximity. Specifically, there are hundreds of students in the northern part of the McLean HS district who are closer to Langley HS than to McLean. Moving my neighborhood would require students to bus to a HS campus that is further away from their homes than their current HS.
In my opinion, it would be spiteful and wrong to require current McLean HS students to relocate to Langley in the middle of their HS careers. I believe this applies to all current McLean students, but especially to those who will be rising juniors and seniors in 2020-1. FCPS owes these students a duty of care to ensure that their HS is not needlessly disrupted.

From email:  Middle school boundaries are NOT going to be changed in conjunction with the McLean/Langley boundary change.  I am extremely upset and disappointed that FCPS is moving forward with this boundary change discussion without simultaneously resolving the split feeder problem.  Separating students from their friend group not just once when they leave elementary school, but now a second time too when they leave middle school is unconscionable.  Candidly, the neighbors here are furious that the boundary change discussion appears to be teed up in a haphazard way that fixes one problem and creates another.

From email:  

1. When will the boundary study meetings actually take place?  We recently received notice from McLean High School that curriculum night for the 2020-2021 school year is being held in January.  The first date released for the curriculum meeting was the same date as the school board meeting.  I did reach out to the McLean administration and let them know they booked curriculum night as the same night as the school board meeting to discuss the new CIP.  McLean did change the night of the curriculum meeting.  They changed the McLean curriculum meeting to the same night as Langley's curriculum night.  For the students and parents who are likely to be moved in the boundary adjustment, we wanted to attend both curriculum meetings.  When I pointed out to McLean that the meetings are on the same night, they responded that the curriculum's were similar, and they felt confident that if students are moved to Langley, there will be lots of communications and perhaps additional programming to welcome new families.  I understand the school's need for children to register for classes.  What I don't understand is no one is taking into account, what is going to change, the children in the middle of this are very anxious about the whole thing.  Telling them perhaps when it's all done, maybe additional programming will be added is not reassuring.  
2. What are your thoughts on the boundary adjustments options? Many of the parents were very concerned that the school board staff stated the boundary adjustment would only apply to the High School.  My children's current school boundaries for elementary, middle and high school match each other.  Based on the comments from staff the middle school and high school boundaries will no longer match.  Our children would attend Colvin Run, then Longfellow and then Langley.  I don't understand this adjustment.  The possible boundary adjustment locations were based on the schools being split feeders.  So the plan is to remedy the split feeder at high school after the children have been pulled from their friends for two years, it seems like poor planning.

From email:  Our 8th grade son, currently a student at Longfellow MS, is subject to a possible boundary change for HS next year. The uncertainty of this change, and the timeline, is starting to become an issue. Schools are hosting curriculum planning nights, and marching bands will need registrations of new members by the beginning of May. We need some quick decisions and reassurance that students affected will not miss out on opportunities at their new or current schools, whichever the decision may be. 

From email:

I am wondering when we can expect to see recommendations from the community incorporated into the boundary change proposal?  Specially I am watching to see if the middle schools will folded into the change and am hoping to see this adjustment.

Also, I live just outside of Shouse in the Ciara Estates neighborhood and have attended some of the Shouse opinion meetings.  It sounds to me like the two main concerns are #1) Students do not want to transfer schools once they are already in flight at McLean and #2) The middle school boundaries needs to be adjusted as part of this effort so that students are not separated from their elementary school cohorts

I think both of these issues could be addressed if there was a staged transition beginning in the fall of 2020 with a transition of ONLY 7th graders and freshman.  This would give some relief to McLean and demonstrate that you are taking action, while simultaneously calming the minds of the students and families being impacted. Candidly, everyone in our area knows that Langley is a great school.  Parents, however, are desperate to find a way to keep kids already at McLean at MHS through graduation.  As a result, people are finding a myriad of ways to delay this change.