Fairfax County School Board Approves McLean High School Boundary Adjustment

By
FCPS News
February 05, 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. 

The Board voted to phase in the changes as follows: Rising seventh grade students will attend Cooper Middle in the 2021-22 school year, with rising eighth graders grandfathered to remain at Longfellow Middle in the 2021-22 school year. Both seventh and eighth grade students will attend Cooper Middle in the 2022-23 school year. Rising tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders in the area will be grandfathered and remain at McLean High. The high school boundary change will begin with rising ninth grade students in the 2021-22 school year; ninth and tenth grade students in the 2022-23 school year; ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade students in the 2023-24 school year; and ninth through twelfth grade students in the 2024-25 school year. Rising ninth graders residing in the area changed will have the option to attend Langley High in 2021-22 or be grandfathered at McLean High with transportation provided through twelfth in the 2024-25 school year. The option chosen for the 2021-22 school year will determine the school through the 2024-25 school year and will not be able to be changed.

In School Year 2019-20, McLean High had 2,350 students with a design capacity of 1,993 students, and Langley High had 1,972 students with a design capacity of 2,370 students. Longfellow Middle had 1,334 students with a design capacity of 1,374 students, and Cooper Middle had 992 students with a renovation that has a planned design capacity of 1,120 students.

The Board held boundary scoping meetings in December 2019 at McLean High and Langley High; as a result of feedback, the scope of the adjustment was amended to include middle schools. In May 2020, the Board voted to install a 12-classroom modular at McLean High provide capacity relief. In December 2020, a community meeting was held to gather feedback for a boundary adjustment recommendation. This feedback was used to create a recommended option to the Board. The Board also held a public hearing on January 28 to gather additional feedback; as a result, Option B was put forth to the Board as the preferred boundary adjustment.
The boundary adjustments will take effect in the 2021-22 school year with the phasing and grandfathering adopted.

For more information visit the McLean Boundary Adjustment website. 

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