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. 

McLean Boundary Study Meeting

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and Responses revised 2/21/21

O: Options Questions

P: Phasing or Grandfathering Questions

CP: Capital Planning Questions

O-1) Why isn’t Franklin Sherman/Chesterbrook in the options?

Based on community feedback, FCPS evaluated reassigning the areas of Franklin Sherman and Chesterbrook to feed Cooper MS/Langley HS. The evaluation showed these options would cause a capacity deficit (overcrowding) at Cooper MS and/or Langley HS and was not considered further.

These options are available beginning on page 21 of the Additional Information on McLean/Langley/Longfellow/Cooper report: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/20201203_McLeanLangleyReport.pdf.

O-2) What about including other high schools other than McLean and Langley in the study (Marshall HS, Herndon HS, and South Lakes HS)?

Based on community feedback, the scope of the McLean boundary study was expanded to include the middle schools to address split feeders. Other middle and high schools adjacent to Longfellow MS and McLean HS were evaluated and are either approaching capacity or have a capacity deficit and, therefore, are no longer being considered as it would contribute further to the capacity deficits (overcrowding).

Data on the other middle and high schools are available beginning on page 31 of the Additional Information on McLean/Langley/Longfellow/Cooper report: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/20201203_McLeanLangleyReport.pdf.

O-3) How will the Thomas Jefferson admission changes affect enrollment at other high schools?

The options presented consider all students residing in an area as part of an adjustment and do not factor in transfers to other schools to provide a maximum estimate. This method allows for counting students who may not elect to transfer to another school.  FCPS will monitor the impacts of the Thomas Jefferson change as part of the annual evaluation of student membership and capacity.

O-4) What neighborhoods or areas are part of options A, B, and C presented?

A list of existing neighborhoods and developments for each option is provided below:

Option A:

A Country Place

Beau Ridge

Blueberry Hill

Carrington Estates

Ciara Estates

Coventry Springs Estates

Hughes Subdivision

Leigh Meadow

Lucky Estates

Middleton

Mill Race Estates

Shouse Village

Towlston Meadows

Tysons Creek

Windsor Meadows

Wolf Den

Option B:

A Country Place

Beau Ridge

Blueberry Hill

Carrington Estates

Ciara Estates

Coventry Springs Estates

Hughes Subdivision

Leigh Meadow

Lucky Estates

Middleton

Mill Race Estates

Shouse Village

Towlston Meadows

Tysons Creek

Windsor Meadows

Wolf Den

Wolf Trap Woods

Option C:

Adaire

The Ascent

Carrington

One Park Crest Condominium

Residences at Spring Hill Station

Spring Hill Station

The Fountains at Mclean

The Lofts at Park Crest

The Rotunda Condominium

Tysons Creek

Westpark Subdivision

Wolf Trap Woods

O-5) How does this take into account development in Tysons Corner and McLean CBC?

Proposed development can take many years from a rezoning approval to construction. Residential development projects are utilized as part of the annual projections and factored into projected membership and capacity utilization once construction of a development has begun. FCPS monitors previously approved development applications for construction status and factors them into the annual projection set.

P-1) Can students have the option of where to attend during the change or transition (students at Longfellow MS or McLean HS who want to go to Cooper MS or Langley HS)?

The School Board adopted the following phasing plan to implement the boundary change:

“In addition, the following phasing plan will implement the boundary change:
Rising 7th grade students will attend Cooper MS in the 2021-22 school year, with rising 8th graders grandfathered to remain at Longfellow MS in the 2021-22 school year. Both 7th and 8th grade students will attend Cooper MS in the 2022-23 school year.

Rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders in the area will be grandfathered and remain at McLean HS. The high school boundary change will begin with rising 9th grade students in the 2021-22 school year; 9th and 10th grade students in the 2022-23 school year; 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students in the 2023-24 school year; and 9th through 12th grade students in the 2024-25 school year.”

A second motion was also adopted:

“Rising 9th graders residing in the area changed will have the option to attend Langley HS in SY 2021-22 or be grandfathered at McLean HS with transportation provided through 12thgrade 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.”

School Board Agenda Item and Motions : http://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=BXNR686C2729

P-2) When will these changes take place?

The boundary adjustments will take effect in the 2021-22 school year with the phasing and grandfathering adopted. See response to P-1.

P-3) Will current freshman at McLean HS be affected?

See response to P-1.

P-4) Will current 7th graders at Longfellow MS be affected?

Current 7th graders at Longfellow MS will remain at Longfellow MS for 8th grade. See response to P-1 for phasing and grandfathering.

CP-1) What about a renovation of McLean HS?

FCPS conducts renovations according to a published priority listing, known as the Renovation Queue, which is based upon condition assessments provided by independent architectural and engineering firms. The current Renovation Queue is the result of FCPS commissioned school evaluation studies completed in 1988, 2000, and 2008. Ideally, renovations should be programmed to accommodate a 20- to 25-year cycle in order to protect capital investment; however, the current renovation cycle is once every 37 years.

McLean HS is not in the current Renovation Queue. It is likely that a new queue will need to be created by 2022.

More information on the Renovation and Requirements is available in the FY 2021-25 CIP on page 36: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Adopted-CIP-FY2021-25.pdf.

CP-2) When does Cooper MS finish renovation?

As of December 2020, it is estimated that the Cooper MS renovation will be completed by School Year (SY) 2023-24.

Do rising eighth grade students have the option to attend Cooper Middle School for 2021-22?

No, rising eighth grade students will remain at Longfellow Middle School. There is not an option to attend Cooper Middle School.

The only option afforded to students in the phasing as adopted, is for rising 9th graders to choose Langley High School or McLean High School.

If I move to an address impacted by the boundary change, what school will my child attend? Are people that move into the area of the boundary change to attend the new assigned school or are they grandfathered because they aren’t “current students?”

Any new students that move into the area would follow the specified grandfathering. For example, if a 10th grader moved into the area they would attend McLean HS as part of the grandfathered cohort.

How will ninth graders chose the option to stay at McLean or go to Langley HS?

Rising 9th grade students will have the option to continue their journey at McLean High school or to go to Langley High.  This is a personal/family decision.  These two high schools are both-performing schools with a strong Advanced Placement Programs.  When making this decision families need to take into considerations siblings already at McLean or future siblings they may have at Langley High.  Families need to contact the Director of Student Services at Mclean and/or Langley to let them know of their decision before March 19. The Department of Student Services at each high school will provide additional guidance in terms of course enrollment and other important co-curricular and extra-curricular programs that may be of interest to a rising freshman.

When is the deadline for rising ninth grade students to select a high school?

The deadline is March 19, 2021.

What school will a rising ninth grader attend if a high school is not selected? 

The default will be Langley HS if a choice is not made.

When will the boundary locator be updated?

The boundary locator will be updated in July to reflect the changes for SY 2021-22, when the boundary change becomes effective.

I have a child that will be grandfathered to attend McLean High School, will future siblings be able to attend McLean High School?

Student transfers will be considered if the school capacity, grade-level capacity, and the school curricular program at the requested school will permit, as determined by FCPS.  

The Department of Facilities and Transportation Services identifies school capacity and school open/closed status in February and May for the upcoming school year. 

For information on the student transfer application process, please visit https://www.fcps.edu/registration/student-transfer-information.

What addresses changed middle and high school assignments?

The street listing is posted to the public website here: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/BoundaryChange_StreetListing_McLeanLangley_LongfellowCooper.pdf

A map of the area is available here: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/McLeanBoundaryChange…

Where can I find information about the boundary study?

McLean High School Proposed Boundary Adjustment Information https://www.fcps.edu/facilities-planning-future/school-boundary-adjustments/mclean-high-school-boundary-adjustment

FCPS Proposes Boundary Adjustment for McLean High School

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is proposing a boundary adjustment to provide enrollment relief to McLean High School by using available space at Langley High School. The Fairfax County School Board is scheduled to vote on the proposed boundary adjustment at its February 4 business meeting.

FCPS is recommending 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.

The study included middle schools to provide continuity in the school feeder pattern from elementary on to middle and high schools. During the 2019-20 school year, McLean had 2,350 students with a capacity of 1,993 students, and Langley HS had 1,972 students with a capacity of 2,370 students. Longfellow Middle had 1,334 students with a capacity of 1,374 students, and Cooper Middle had 992 students. Once its renovation is complete, the school will have a capacity of 1,120 students.

The boundary adjustment process began in December 2019 with meetings at Langley High on December 2, 2019, and McLean High on December 4, 2019, when the process was explained and attendees were encouraged to provide feedback to staff about which areas should be considered in the boundary study. As a result of feedback, the School Board amended the scope to include middle schools at the work session held on March 9, 2020, and on May 7, 2020, the Board voted to install a 12-classroom modular at McLean High for capacity relief.
 
A boundary study community meeting was held on December 7, 2020, where four options were presented to the community to collect feedback for a recommendation. The feedback was used to create a recommended option to the School Board.
 
Prior to voting on the boundary adjustment, the School Board will hold a public hearing on Thursday, January 28. 

Dear Parents and Caregivers,  

We are continuing the boundary adjustment process for McLean High School and Langley High School. Thank you to everyone who attended the boundary scope meetings last school year. We received helpful feedback from the community and it has been posted online.

As the result of your feedback, the Fairfax County School Board approved expanding the boundary scope to include the boundaries for Longfellow Middle School and Cooper Middle School as well as McLean High School and Langley High School.

The next step in the process is to hold a virtual boundary study meeting. FCPS staff will present information and provide options for the community to consider. After the presentation, community members will work in virtual breakout rooms to share feedback on those options. The feedback will be collected and shared with the School Board.

The virtual boundary study meeting will be held on Monday, December 7 at 6:30 p.m.  (link removed as it is closed)

If you need an interpreter, please complete the request form. (link removed as form is closed)

To provide capacity relief to McLean High School, a modular unit with 12 classrooms and restroom facilities has been placed at the school and will be ready to move into in late December. It is replacing trailers that were being used at the school.

For more information about boundary adjustments, the process is outlined in FCPS Policy 8130 and FCPS Regulation 8130.9.

We appreciate your patience and understanding during this process.

Sincerely,

Fabio Zuluaga, Assistant Superintendent, Region 2

Douglas A. Tyson, Assistant Superintendent, Region 1

A virtual community meeting was held on December 7, 2020. FCPS staff shared four options for the proposed boundary adjustment for McLean High School. Click on each option to view feedback.

Option A  - Considers reassigning students from McLean HS to Langley HS and from Longfellow MS to Cooper MS in the Colvin Run ES split feeder area and a portion of Westbriar ES

Option B - Considers reassigning students from McLean HS to Langley HS and from Longfellow MS to Cooper MS in the Colvin Run ES split feeder area, a portion of the Spring Hill ES split feeder area, and a portion of Westbriar ES

Option C - Considers reassigning students from McLean HS to Langley HS and from Longfellow MS to Cooper MS in the Spring Hill ES split feeder area.

Option D - Does not consider reassigning students from McLean HS to Langley HS or from Longfellow MS to Cooper MS

Additional Comments

As a Fairfax County resident living in McLean near the McLean High School (Tyson’s Corner, zip code 22102), I support Scenario A or Scenario B as related to the McLean High School Proposed Boundary Adjustment.

I am a student at McLean High School who is potentially affected by the boundary adjustment and wanted to share my opinions on the matter. I have gone to Spring Hill ES and Longfellow MS and have cherished the relationships I've built that still remain with me today. Firstly, by considering Option C, it can be seen visually through the map that the Spring Hill neighborhoods are much closer to Longfellow Middle School and McLean High School rather than what was proposed. Additionally, considering what all students went through during the past year, I strongly believe that this is not the appropriate time to be discussing boundary adjustments and that the matter should only be sorted out when the deathly effects of the virus mellow down. Considering the loss of jobs and a huge impact on mental health, no one should have to put up with more problems than they can handle. If put into action, students and families should be prioritized. They should have the option of where they feel most comfortable (based on personal preferences) sending their kids to. Thank you and I hope that the best decision will be made for the good of McLean's students and families. 

Thank you for representing the Dranesville school district.  I read the summary of the McLean-Langley boundary review from January 21 and will pay attention to the public hearing tomorrow.  I have two daughters who attended Colvin Run ES from K through 6 and a son who is currently there.  We've had a terrific experience with the CRES, from teachers and administrators to the community fostered by the school.  My kids developed strong friendships there, which has been particularly important in 2020-2021 with a remote school environment where relying on relationships with friends and familiar connections is critical to mental health and well being.  Unfortunately, the current CRES split feeder approach separates kids at an age when many need their social networks and support (rising 7th graders). This presents an unnecessarily strain for them.

The McLean/Longfellow - Langley/Cooper boundary review is a great opportunity to solve this.  I hope the school board will consider keeping students from feeder elementary schools together wherever possible.  In the case of Colvin Run ES, that would mean shifting to have all students attend Cooper MS.

As parent of student currently attending Longfellow 7th grade, also looking at the map of boundaries - option A and B  really make sense as it is closer to Langley, and option C does not make sense - how  come area farther from mclean high school and Longfellow will be going to9 them and not redirected to Langley, also from last year few meetings I attended I saw that parents of students living in option A and B are more interested in going to Langley. Most students  who are in your proposed area of Option C do prefer to go to Longfellow- mclean and they are much closer to that school than area from option A.

I am a resident of Wolf Trap Woods, one of the neighborhoods being rezoned in this proposal, which I STRONGLY support.

 I have a 7th grader at Longfellow and a 4th grader at Spring Hill.  The vast majority of Spring Hill attends Cooper/Langley while our small pocket neighborhood attends Longfellow/McLean.  Our neighborhood is geographically isolated (sandwiched between 267, Leesburg Pike, McLean Bible and Wolf Trap). We are fairly small with only about 125 homes, so it's rare for a student to have more than 1 or 2 classmates in the neighborhood.  When they matriculate to Longfellow and separate from their Spring Hill friends, it's extremely hard on them.  As early as 5th or 6th grade, their friends start to recognize that they won't be staying with them, so the loneliness for many starts early.  

Unlike the rest of the "Vienna islands", our neighborhood is among the smallest and most isolated... contrasted with the larger Colvin Run neighborhoods like Shouse that have many neighborhood friends joining their transition to Longfellow.  I appreciate that the staff’s proposal took this into account and also that this proposal helps balance the diversity between Langley and McLean by moving part of Tysons.

As you know, the middle schools do not split-feed so last year, the Board wisely added Longfellow/Cooper to the scope to avoid the double-split-feed situation that would develop if just McLean/Langley were rezoned.  Unfortunately, Cooper doesn’t have as much excess capacity as Langley, so it’s not possible to move all of the split-fed students.

This has put the staff in a situation where they recommend among neighborhoods that are all currently split-fed and do not want to be.  Ideally, we all could move… but I believe staff did a great job deciding amongst us considering all the various factors.

My concern at this point is around grandfathering.  As I understand it, if we are rezoned, my daughter might be "grandfathered" to remain at Longfellow next year and then attend Langley the next year.  This is exactly the type of “double split feed” situation we sought to avoid by adding the Middle Schools to the scope.  While I appreciate that typically we’d want to enable a student to finish their middle school without being changed mid-stream, this policy doesn’t make sense during a pandemic when 7th graders haven’t had an opportunity to make any meaningful connections at their “virtual” middle school. If rezoning is approved, I would like for my daughter to attend Cooper next year, since she’d be attending Langley the year following… no need for 8th graders to be grandfathered.

Please consider having rising 8th graders be rezoned this fall without grandfathering or provide them, at least, the option to choose between Cooper and Longfellow.  I suspect most will be like my daughter and choose Cooper since they will be at Langley in 9th and don’t know anyone at Longfellow.  For 9th and higher, I think giving students the option between Langley and Mclean would be best.  

The Board of the Wolftrap Woods Homeowners Association would like to clarify an earlier email that was sent on our behalf. Our entire association thanks the school board and staff for their work on the redistricting issue, and appreciates the opportunity to be heard. Our board does not take an official stance on the redistricting issue at this time.

We are the directors of the Wolf Trap Woods Homeowners Association. We're writing to you about the current redistricting recommendation for McLean High School. We appreciate all the work and consideration that has gone into the planning process, and the opportunity to share our concerns with you. 

Based on the current recommendation to the school board, it was not communicated that Wolf Trap Woods and Wolf Den are one neighborhood. We share communal property and amenities (trails between both neighborhoods, Wolf Trap National Park, and McLean Bible Church, as well as tennis and basketball courts). We do not share roads, but we do share tight community bonds, including book clubs, playdates and carpools. We also share an HOA. That gives us a unified voice on wider issues, such as the widening of Route 7, local building projects, and schools.  It must be understood that Wolf Trap Woods and Wolf Den are one neighborhood, and any school redistricting plan must take that into account. 

The current redistricting recommendation breaks our community apart by sending children in Wolf Trap Woods to Cooper/Langley and keeping children in Wolf Den at Mclean. Having two elementary schools in our community has been a challenge, but at least when we are in the same high school pyramid, we've been able to be a positive voice in that community, letting students use our woods for community service and school projects, for example. The concern in our community now is that our ability to be that positive, unified voice will be lessened, since our focus will be split between two high school pyramids. Beyond that, there's a risk that our community could become pitted against each other in future redistricting moves. That would put us in a terrible position of neighbor against neighbor.  We'd be less able to advocate for our community needs. Splitting our association into two schools will quiet our voice within each school community. It's an unintended consequence, but a terrible one. 

We are asking you to please work to amend the recommendation to the board to include Wolf Den in the move to Cooper/Langley with Wolf Trap Woods. Wolf Den has 78 homes in it. It will not solve overcrowding at McLean, but moving the Woods and the Den together won't overcrowd Langley.  It would also help our community maintain our bonds and our voice. We will be sending representatives to speak at the community meeting on January 28.

I am a parent of a 3rd and 1st grader at Colvin Run, and I live in the Wolf Den neighborhood.  I am also a member of the Wolf Trap Woods Homeowners Association's board. I am reaching out about the redistricting recommendation today both as a parent and as a member of our HOA board. I've been impressed by the hard work of the school board and school staff, and openness of this project. I appreciate the opportunity to share my concerns. 

In all the meetings and communications about the redistricting, I think our community failed in communicating that Wolf Trap Woods and Wolf Den are one neighborhood. It does not look that way on a map, but we share communal property and amenities (trails between both neighborhoods, Wolf Trap National Park, and McLean Bible Church, as well as tennis and basketball courts). We do not share roads, but we do share tight community bonds, including book clubs, playdates and carpools. We also share an HOA. That gives us a unified voice on wider issues, such as the widening of Route 7, local building projects, and schools.  It must be understood that Wolf Trap Woods and Wolf Den are one neighborhood. 

The current redistricting recommendation breaks our community apart by sending children in the Woods to Cooper/Langley and keeping Children in the Den at Mclean. It is bad enough that we currently attend two elementary schools, but at least when we are in the same high school pyramid, we've been able to be a positive voice in that community, letting students use our woods for community service and school projects, for example. The concern in our community now is that our ability to be that positive, unified voice will be lessened, since our focus will be split between two high school pyramids. Beyond that, there's a risk that our community could become pitted against each other in future redistricting moves. That would put us, and our board, in a terrible position of neighbor against neighbor.  We'd be less able to advocate for our community needs. Splitting our association into two schools will quiet our voice within each school community. It's an unintended consequence, but a terrible one. 

I am asking you to please work to amend the recommendation to the board to include Wolf Den in the move to Cooper/Langley with Wolf Trap Woods. Wolf Den has 78 homes in it.  It will not solve overcrowding at McLean, but moving the Woods and the Den together won't overcrowd Langley.  It would also help our community maintain our bonds and our voice. 

We live in Wolf Den neighborhood in Vienna. We were very disappointed to learn that at the recent school board meeting, the staff recommended option C for boundary adjustment which means that our neighborhood will NOT be getting rezoned to Langley/Cooper.  

Just plain looking at the map, option C makes no sense.  The Spring Hill neighborhoods, proposed to attend Cooper-Langley, are actually closer to Longfellow-McLean than our area. We are the furthest away from McLean and I urge you to consider traffic patterns, relieving traffic in the area and minimizing bus time as much as possible.  Our neighborhood is geographically/physically contiguous with CRES neighborhoods further west in Rt 7, and the Option C would create an "island" scenario.  This makes us vulnerable to future redistricting since Option C being proposed is not enough to solve the overcrowding problem.

In addition this will split the same HOA in middle and high school  - when students are heavily involved in activities and carpooling.  This creates a lot of unnecessary burden on the families.     

Finally, our neighborhood brings socio-economic and cultural diversity to Cooper/Langley since many students' parents in our neighborhood were born outside of the US. I really hope you take all this into considering and vote for option A or B instead. 

C is bad for my stepson who will lose almost of his HS friends now. You should pick A or include us in C again.

I'm a concerned parent and your constituent in the Colvin Run split feeder neighborhood. I write to object to the proposed Option C.  First, who exactly made this decision and based on what information and rationale was this made?  Where is the transparency in this process? I urge you to please consider the following and make the right choice that makes sense practically, logically and intuitively. 

1. Option C, the Spring Hill neighborhoods, proposed to attend Cooper-Langley is closer to Longfellow-McLean than our area. Our neighborhood is the farthest away from Longfellow-McLean! Shouldn't we consider alleviating traffic and minimizing bus time?

2. Our neighborhoods are contiguous with Colvin Run neighborhoods further west on Rt 7 who attend Cooper-Langley. Option C would create an "island" situation, thereby making us vulnerable to future redistricting -- which, as you can understand, is utterly unacceptable.  Clearly, we need to find a long-term solution.

3. Option C splits the same HOA to a different middle and high school.     

4.  Our neighborhoods bring socio-economic and cultural diversity to Cooper -Langley, meeting the broader objectives of diversity. 

I am writing to comment on the recommended boundary change from McLean to McLean and Langley High School. 

I am a member of the board for the Wolf Trap Woods Homeowners Association.  This association covers both the Wolf Den and Wolf Trap Woods neighborhoods. One of the chief concerns of our board is relationships with the county government and wider community.  This is already challenging due to the fact that the neighborhoods go to different elementary schools.  However, this challenge is somewhat lessened by both neighborhoods attending the same middle and high schools. Because we attend the same middle and high schools, the association can work with students on projects, such as a Girl Scout Golden Eagle award that was recently completed by Mclean Students on our HOA woods.  We can also more effectively advocate for our students, and work together for things like carpools and club meetings.  The proposed change, which sends Wolf Trap Woods to Langley and keeps Wolf Den in Mclean, diminishes the power of our community in working with the school system, as it divides us. While this is certainly an unintended outcome of the plan, it is an important one to consider. I am sure the board would not want to inadvertently quiet the voices of a community they serve. 

Furthermore, the recommended scenario the county has put together moves 159 students from McLean to Langley, despite Mclean having an overpopulation of 357 students.  There are 78 households in the Wolf Den neighborhood. Moving Wolf Den with Wolf Trap Woods would help with the over capacity at McLean, without shifting a burden onto Langley.  Wolf Den currently attends Colvin Run Elementary, a Langley feeder, so moving Wolf Den to Langley would also solve some split feeder issues at Colvin Run. Finally, it would allow the children of Wolf Trap Woods and Wolf Den to easily continue their friendships into middle and high school.  

Please change the recommendation to include the Wolf Den neighborhood in the move to Langley.  Not doing so diminishes the voice of the neighborhood in the community, and contributes to the split feeder issue at Colvin Run. Moving Wolf Den would also help alleviate capacity at McLean, without overwhelming Langley. 

I'm writing to request that Wolftrap Den stay within the McLean High School boundary. My children established long-term friendship with others who go to McLean High, and severing that would deprive them of a key source of happiness. Besides, our community is relatively small in that moving us to Langley would not move the needle and address the ultimate issue of crowding at McLean High. 

I'd like to propose keeping Wolftrap Den area in the McLean High School boundary. We'd like to stay with what we are familiar with (albeit the facilities may be relatively dated), and the student population in Wolftrap Den isn't big enough to make a difference either way. 

First, Options A and B under consideration would be consistent with the request below and would also be broader in their scope.  Additionally, and notably, as proposed option C will not only split a closely knit neighborhood but also split homes that are in fact part of the same HOA into different school pyramids across K-12.  To clarify: the Wolf Trap Woods Home Association covers both the Wolf Trap Woods and Wolf Den sub-communities within the same neighborhood with shared play areas and resources for all the neighborhood kids within the ‘Wolf Den’ and ‘Wolf Trap Woods’ integrated HOA community and neighborhood.  One key concept and value of neighborhood schools is that they provide consistent friendship, activities, and community for kids outside of school within their neighborhoods/communities.   Thus, Option C as proposed represents at best an incomplete proposal and should be modified or reconsidered.  An additional point to note is that our immediate neighborhood and community has significant international diversity, and a realignment to CooperHS/LangleyHS for our home and immediate neighborhood(s) would also be consistent with the broader goals of diversity.  We hope that you are able to take all of the above factors and the concerns of parents/neighbors into account and move towards the consistent alignment of Cooper MS / Langley HS for our home and close neighborhood.  

I am a homeowner of the new Summerhouse Landing neighborhood in Dranesville District.  I would like to call the Board's attention to page 23 of the December 7 Boundary Study Presentation, which points to considering other schools (such as Herndon) in the boundary adjustment.  

The Summerhouse Landing residents believe that there is clear analysis supporting the adjustment of its school boundary under Fairfax County School Board policies (such as 8130.7), including:  

(i)     the newly developed and previously unoccupied housing of the neighborhood - our neighborhood was previously an unoccupied golf course;

(ii)     the evidence supporting increased operating efficiencies and utilization rates as a result of the change - currently and in the forecast up to 2025, Herndon High School is expected to be overutilized over 100% while Langley will still be underutilized at 78% (even under Option C, with the largest number of students moving from McLean, there is still 7% extra capacity expected).  In addition, the surrounding neighborhoods are all assigned to Langley and so student bus transportation is already available; and 

(iii)     the impact of the change being less than 5% on the enrollment of the relevant schools - our neighborhood comprises of 30 houses with only about ten with school age children. 

Please see the attached letter from the Summerhouse Landing residents, which sets forth this analysis in greater detail. We previously sent this letter to Dr. Brabrand and the FCPS Board in April 2020, and the Board's response indicated that any decisions on boundary adjustments would be considered at the time of the boundary study, which is now. We have also made efforts to reach out to Ms. Elaine Tholen separately with little success.  Although we are a small and new neighborhood, we believe that our request clearly falls under FCPS Policy 8130.7 and should be given just as much equal consideration as the McLean/Langley adjustment and that our students should be afforded the same considerations and treatment as those in older and larger neighborhoods.  

We live in Wolf Trap Woods with a rising 7th and and 11th grader, so this is of great interest to me. I just saw the recommendation that the Board will see this week, and I see we will be impacted. My main concern to date has been confirming exact details on grandfathering - who has choice, what timetable looks like, and what buses will be available. I had been assured in past meeting(s) that there will be appropriate grandfathering and buses; but the recommendation deck the Board will see 1/21 concerns me, in that it just introduces the subject and quotes from the written policy - which mentions rising 5th, 6th, 8th and 12th graders, but not 7th or 11th (my two kids!). In short, I need to know that my rising 11th grader will have school choice; and will be able to take buses to (and/or guaranteed parking at) either HS, at the stops we use now, through 2022-2023 school year. (I think ideally the same for my rising 7th grader, but that might be pushing it.) As we get closer to vote, also need better idea of timetable for choosing, since as you know class registrations have already begun.

I am writing in regards to the upcoming decision on the McLean/Langley boundary change. I received the attached letter from McSpaces tonight. I wanted to share with you that it was unsettling receiving messaging from this group before hearing from FCPS or our school board directly. While I know there are a few more meetings and vote to actually take place, their messaging reads as if the decision is already made and this is hard to read/learn from a non-authoritative source for the matter. McSpaces has strongly and loudly advocated for our neighborhood to be moved out of the McLean school district for some time, that too has been painful to endure as rightful members of the McLean boundary and community for many decades and present day.

I have mixed feelings about the decision ahead and have thoughts and hopes for multiple scenarios. I am a McLean High School graduate myself (class of '92), I moved here from Huntsville, AL in the middle of my junior year of high school. I have fond memories from my experience at McLean and lifelong friends to this day who I am regularly in touch with, but I do recall how challenging it was to change schools during this time of my life. I could never have predicted my kids would also go to my old high school. I went away to college and lived in the Midwest for many years before coming back to this area. We moved to the Wolf Trap Woods neighborhood in July 2015 with the purpose and intent of finding a home in the McLean pyramid and being close to our children's grandparents, aunt & uncle, and cousins (who also go to McLean) who live a few miles away. We have 3 kids - one daughter at McLean (current sophomore), a daughter at Longfellow (current 8th grader), and a son at Spring Hill (current 6th grader). We are currently enrolled at McLean HS, Longfellow MS, and Spring Hill ES and all 3 kids are thriving in their environments, even with this pandemic and move to virtual learning.

I know both McLean and Langley are fantastic schools, and as a fellow McLean alum I am open to embracing the Langley green & yellow (ha ha, friendly rivalry, hope my humor is coming through here!). I guess my ask here, is if Option C is going to be confirmed and Spring Hill students will move to Cooper/Langley, is that the change can be made while supporting in-flight students at Longfellow & McLean. This will be a hard change for students and families if they are uprooted at such an important time in their lives and development as teenagers into young adults. It is my hope that our family will be able to maintain existing plans for McLean for my two daughters, as well as transition to Cooper/Langley for my son.

• Please consider grandfathering existing McLean HS students so they do not have to move schools mid-year, losing friendships, impactful teacher and counselor relationships, school roots, self confidence, self esteem, and emotional and social well being. If an existing impacted student at McLean would like to move to Langley or stay at McLean, they should be given the opportunity to choose for themselves.
• Please consider grandfathering impacted rising 9th graders coming from Longfellow to McLean. They have already weathered being separated from their Spring Hill elementary school friends that went on to Cooper while they went to a new school with over 1300 students and new faces at Longfellow in 2019. This population of students has developed new bonds and relationships during this critical time in teen development and to have them torn away from their friends again (twice in two years) to go to a new school with over 1800 new faces would be very difficult for many emotionally, mentally, and socially and potentially also negatively impacts them academically due to the distress. If an impacted Longfellow student/rising 9th grader at McLean would like to move to Langley or continue on at McLean, they should be given the opportunity to choose for themselves.
• I am in full support of impacted 6th grade Spring Hill students transitioning to 7th grade at Cooper with their elementary school cohort, this makes complete sense based on relationships they have, teen development in progress and forthcoming, and the capacity issues we are trying best we can to manage with the population growth in our area and schools.

In summary, this is my long winded way of requesting empathy and family choice for those students and families impacted by this proposed boundary change. Please let those continue on at McLean (rising 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders) who are most impacted by a boundary and school change at such a critical time in their life. I welcome the opportunity to talk further with you over the phone or virtual meeting if you would like to connect and learn more about an impacted family with 3 kids in 3 schools.

I have not been super involved in these boundary discussions but I just saw the options A,B and C. I had a couple questions please:

 1. how soon would the option take affect if anyone of them were approved?

2. If and when it does- Is this for new first year students or other levels as well?

My concern is about moving someone who’s been at MCLean HS Long enough to form attachments to friends and teachers. I’d hate to see my child “pulled” away as a junior or senior and have to start over at another school. That would be super rough and potentially impact their studies and grades… Just one more thing to worry about on top of life adjustments with Covid.

In light of the upcoming school boundary adjustment, just a brief email note to convey our preference for alignment to the CooperMS/Langley HS for our home -at 1425 Wolftrap Run Rd, Vienna, Va 22182- and our immediate neighborhood (that includes ‘Wolf Den’ and ‘Hidden Hills’ neighborhoods). Such an alignment would address the following:

1. Align to address issues of over-capacity at McLean HS driving the realignment effort.
2. Reflect the preferences of several parents/families in our immediate neighborhood.
3. Reflect consistency of school pyramid — in that the neighborhoods noted above are presently zoned to Colvin Run ES as the neighborhood ES, and such an alignment would provide consistency in terms of the Colvin Run ES/ Cooper MS/ Langley HS school pyramid for kids presently at Colvin Run ES.
4. Reflect geographic consistency/proximity in terms of physical location.

Thus, we hope that you will take the above factors into account and move towards the consistent alignment of Colvin Run ES/ Cooper MS / Langley HS for our home and immediate neighborhood as noted above.

My family lives in Shouse Village.  Our elementary school is Colvin Run.  We are in the small portion that splits off to Longfellow and then McLean. I grew up in Shouse and did that as well. 

Over the years, the school board has heavily hinted that our attendance island would be moved to the Cooper/Langley boundary.  I was very disappointed to see the FCPS recommendation for the boundary change, Colvin Run will remain a split feeder and with the installation of a modular at McLean, it will likely remain a split feeder for many years to come.  

On top of that, the recommendation also reduces the number of kids from Spring Hill that get split off to Longfellow/McLean, thereby reducing their cohort and making the transition to middle school even harder.   So not only are you not eliminating any split feeders, you are also making it harder for the Spring Hill kids who go to Longfellow/McLean. 

My recommendation would be to eliminate the split feeder at Colvin Run by including all of Colvin run in the boundary adjustment and ALSO include apartments from the Spring Hill boundary to be changed to Cooper/Langley.  Therefore, the cohort of kids from Spring Hill going to Longfellow/McLean would be larger and less of a transition for those kids, Langley would still be getting diversity with the apartments, and you can eliminate a split feeder.   I didn't see that option in any of the provided options.   If you allow not only grandfathering of current students, but also grandfathering of current students' families (i.e. their younger siblings), I would think you would arrive around the numbers you needed and less opposition from many families who do not want their kids forced into going to different schools. 

I know at Colvin Run, the current group of 6th graders going to Longfellow/McLean is quite large (many of them have siblings at Longfellow/McLean already).  But the following year, the group is quite small, just 10-15 kids (if that).   That is clearly not great that my 5th grader has to be separated from most of his friends and then sent with just a small group of them to a different school.  My 4th grader has a similar situation - maybe 10-20 kids.  

My question is what is your long-term plan?  Are you expecting that the Colvin Run - McLean High School attendance island continue to remain an island indefinitely?  Janie Strauss always said no, that the plan was to eliminate the split-feeder at Colvin Run.  Are you waiting for Cooper's renovation to be completed to move more kids over?  If that is the case, can you just put that in the recommendation so that parents know what is going on? 

I just want to voice my support for the plan that has been communicated to implement whatever changes are decided upon in a manner that does not require current McLean students  to change high schools as a result of those changes.

I also wanted to add that many of the Colvrin Run kids who are about to be split up doing Mathcounts and Science Olympiad together - and this type of academic group work should be encouraged and allowed to continue by having these kids go to the same middle school - Cooper.

This is to express my SUPPORT for a boundary adjustment to move some neighborhoods from the McLean High School and Longfellow Middle School boundary, into the Langley High School and Cooper Middle School boundary.

As a very active public school parent living in the McLean/Longfellow boundary, I know firsthand the crowding issues in our local schools.  As a past PTA President at Franklin Sherman Elementary School, and a 3-year parent at Longfellow, I have seen firsthand the consequences of enrollment imbalances in our community.  This must be corrected, and done so employing first the most FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE means available.  That is redrawing the boundaries.

Further, Langley High School and Cooper Middle School are in need of more socioeconomic diversity.  The social cultures in Langley and Cooper are so detached from the experiences of most Fairfax County residents, that the students will graduate from public school without a sufficient understanding of even the communities around them, let alone the nation or the world.  This has real-world adverse consequences for themselves and for their communities in the future.  Myself as an Indian-American who grew up in 98% Iowa in an immigrant household, I was raised in public schools in communities where children of all socioeconomic backgrounds were thrown together, to the benefit of all.  To this day, my experiences having had friends who were farm kids whose families had their farms foreclosed, small business owners, and so many others from backgrounds different from my own, enrich and inform my understanding of life.  Langley and Cooper students need more exposure to socioeconomic diversity to ensure they, too, are better prepared for the company they will keep in their years ahead.

Please also add the Colvin Run kids to the Cooper/Langley redistricting. Many of the kids at Colvin Run were expecting to stay with their friends as 2/3 options had the Colvin Run kids moving to Cooper/Langley. This is going to be a huge disappointment to the Colvin Run kids and moving them will also help with the overcrowding at Langley and I would like you to consider keeping this community together.

Please shift the maximum number of students from Mclean/Longfellow district to Langley district.

If you vote to change boundaries, please grandfather in all students to the school they already attend.  My son has started Mclean as a freshman this academic year.  It would be cruel and show absolutely no concern for our children's mental health to pull them to a different school next year

We are in favor of Option A: [Reassigning students from McLean HS to Langley HS and from Longfellow MS to Cooper MS in the Colvin Run ES split feeder area and a portion of Westbriar ES]

I am a homeowner of the new Summerhouse Landing neighborhood in the Dranesville District.

We believe that there is clear analysis supporting the adjustment of the for Summerhouse Landing school boundary under Fairfax County School Board policies (such as 8130.7), including:
(i)     the newly developed and previously unoccupied housing of the neighborhood - our neighborhood was previously an unoccupied golf course;
(ii)     the evidence supporting increased operating efficiencies and utilization rates as a result of the change - currently and in the forecast up to 2025, Herndon High School is expected to be overutilized over 100% while Langley will still be underutilized at 78% (even under Option C, with the largest number of students moving from McLean, there is still 7% extra capacity expected).  In addition, the surrounding neighborhoods are all assigned to Langley and so student bus transportation is already available; and
(iii)     the impact of the change being less than 5% on the enrollment of the relevant schools - our neighborhood comprises of 30 houses with only about ten with school age children.

Please see the attached letter from the Summerhouse Landing residents, which sets forth this analysis in greater detail. We previously sent this letter to Dr. Brabrand and the FCPS Board in April 2020, and the Board's response indicated that any decisions on boundary adjustments would be considered at the time of the boundary study, which is now. We have also made efforts to reach out to Ms. Elaine Tholen and would like to open a dialogue with her. Although we are a small and new neighborhood, we believe that our request clearly falls under FCPS Policy 8130.7 and should be given just as much equal consideration as the McLean/Langley adjustment and that our students should be afforded the same considerations and treatment as those in older and larger neighborhoods. 

We believe that the boundaries as currently assigned unfairly separate our children from their peers, all of which are assigned to other schools, effectively spot zoning and singling out our community. This separation isolates our children from the broader community they live in, as well as the children that live around us. 

We’d like your support in considering the information and petition provided previously, and would like to have a community meeting with our representative to further discuss our concerns.

I am the parent of rising 9th and 11th graders, one already at McLean HS. My opinion is that this is not the year to make any change, with all the kids have gone through already. If a boundary change is made, I would hope current students and sibs would at least be given a choice between schools. 

I am a homeowner of the new Summerhouse Landing neighborhood in Dranesville District.  I would like to call the Board's attention to page 23 of the December 7 Boundary Study Presentation, which points to considering other schools (such as Herndon) in the boundary adjustment.  

The Summerhouse Landing residents believe that there is clear analysis supporting the adjustment of its school boundary under Fairfax County School Board policies (such as 8130.7), including:  

(i)     the newly developed and previously unoccupied housing of the neighborhood - our neighborhood was previously an unoccupied golf course;

(ii)     the evidence supporting increased operating efficiencies and utilization rates as a result of the change - currently and in the forecast up to 2025, Herndon High School is expected to be overutilized over 100% while Langley will still be underutilized at 78% (even under Option C, with the largest number of students moving from McLean, there is still 7% extra capacity expected).  In addition, the surrounding neighborhoods are all assigned to Langley and so student bus transportation is already available; and 

(iii)     the impact of the change being less than 5% on the enrollment of the relevant schools - our neighborhood comprises of 30 houses with only about ten with school age children. 

Please see the attached letter from the Summerhouse Landing residents, which sets forth this analysis in greater detail. We previously sent this letter to Dr. Brabrand and the FCPS Board in April 2020, and the Board's response indicated that any decisions on boundary adjustments would be considered at the time of the boundary study, which is now. We have also made efforts to reach out to Ms. Elaine Tholen separately with little success.  Although we are a small and new neighborhood, we believe that our request clearly falls under FCPS Policy 8130.7 and should be given just as much equal consideration as the McLean/Langley adjustment and that our students should be afforded the same considerations and treatment as those in older and larger neighborhoods.  

I am a mom with two children, one is currently in Mclean HS, freshman and second child is in 6th Grade in Spring Hill ES.  Regarding the Mclean HS rezoning and releasing issue, please DO consider providing an open enrollment or letting families volunteer to move their students from Mclean HS to Langley HS and LMS to Cooper MS.   This will also help students in Spring Hill ES and Colvin Run ES (split areas) not going through separation anxiety from their close friends and communities.  Since the timeline is not clear yet from Monday’s meeting, it is a very anxious and sensitive problem for both parents and children as next school year registration is coming right up.  The worst case is that some children, including mine will need to change the schools twice in three years.  That will awfully affect teenagers’ friendships, social skills and mental health as well as their academics. Mclean HS needs immediate alleviation from over crowding for the sake of students and staff’s public health and safety.   We are not sure how long this COVID-19 will take to be conquered completely even with new vaccine.  We all know that FCPS Superintendent’s office and school board are working tremendously hard to reopen the school, however, having students back to the school building packed like sardines will definitely create huge problems again.

In response to the boundary survey, I would recommend either option B or option C (preferred).

As you consider the rezoning decision before you, I wish to express my strong preference for Wolf Trap Woods to switch to Cooper-Langley.  

Wolf Trap Woods, Carrington and parts of Tysons are currently zoned to Spring Hill/Longfellow/McLean.  Approximately 80% of Spring Hill attends Cooper-Langley while our small pocket attends Longfellow-McLean.  Our neighborhood geographically isolated (between 267, Rt. 7 and McLean Bible) and fairly small with only about 125 homes, so it's rare for a student to have more than 1 or 2 classmates in the neighborhood.  When they matriculate to Longfellow and separate from the friends they made at Spring Hill, it's extremely hard on them.  Leading up to their 7th grade year, their friends also recognize that they won't be continuing on to Cooper/Langley so the separation for many starts early.  While this is true for all the "island" neighborhoods, our neighborhood is among the smallest and most geographically isolated... contrasted with Shouse, Leigh Meadow and Towlston Meadow which are expansive neighborhoods that all attend Colvin Run so they have many neighborhood friends joining them in their transition to Longfellow. 

I currently have a 7th grader at Longfellow.  6th grade was challenging as this transition begun at Spring Hill and, of course, with the pandemic she's been unable to make any friends at Longfellow.  As I understand it, she might be "grandfathered" in to Longfellow next year if we are rezoned... which means she'd zig-zag between pyramids (Spring Hill / Longfellow / Langley).  This was exactly the situation the boundary scoping meetings advised against and why Cooper was added to the study.  If we are rezoned, I would rather we not be grandfathered and move immediately to the Cooper/Langley pyramid.  She would then be able to reconnect with her old Spring Hill friends and establish new friendships that would carry her through Langley rather than being a "temporary" friend for 8th grade at Longfellow before she has to shift again. 

I don't envy the decision you have... in an ideal world, all of Colvin Run and Spring Hill would attend Cooper/Langley, but capacity at Cooper makes that impossible.  With Colvin Run, you don't have enough students to make a meaningful dent in McLean's over-enrollment situation.  With Colvin Run + Wolf Trap Woods + Carrington, you make a reasonable dent but you avoid an opportunity to diversify Langley by bringing Tysons into it.  With Spring Hill you enhance diversity, make the most meaningful impact on McLean capacity but leave an "attendance island" at Colvin Run and potentially create a capacity issue at Cooper.

Among these 3 options, the Colvin Run + Wolf Trap Woods + Carrington option seems the best (Option B).  While the diversity issue is important and the School Board should look for opportunities in the future to address this, the rezoning situation's scope is about balancing the numbers between the schools and this option achieves this goal best.  

I would also like to request that all existing students at Longfellow/McLean be given the option to attend Cooper/Langley before their grandfathering period ends.  Some (like my daughter) would like to move as soon as possible to reconnect with their friends.  In addition to improving the mental health of lonely students made lonelier by the pandemic, this would help speed along the reduction in overcrowding at McLean and would not unduly burden the schools.

I am writing to voice my support for adjusting the boundaries to move the as many students to Langley as possible, but I recommend including grandfathering in the option to reduce resistance to getting it passed.

Thank you for allowing my input. When reviewing current boundary for students zoned for Cooper/Langley, I noticed that two small residential areas are not included in the boundary line east of Dolley Madison down to Chain Bridge. It is curious that north of Old Dominion, collectively Santa Maria Court, Nina Ct., Merrimac Drive and Monitor Lane are left out. The neighborhood Merrywood On the Potomac (Belgrove Rd., Skipwith Rd. Cricket Pl. and Blueberry Hill Rd.) close to Georgetown Pike and just beyond Crest Lane are oddly left out of this easterly boundary line as well. As one parent pointed out from Franklin Sherman, doesn’t it make sense to consider proximity to Langley? McLean students who reside very close to Langley/CIA should be zoned for their neighborhood Langley school. Another concern is that with the recent announcement of TJHSST admission policy changes, matriculation numbers from Longfellow to McLean will be on the rise.  

I have two children currently attended Colvin Run Elementary.  I favor boundary scenarios A and B, so children in my neighborhood no longer need to leave their friends behind after elementary school. 

My husband and I are residents of Towlston Meadows with three children attending Colvin Run Elementary School, grades 6th, 4th and 1st. We have enjoyed our home on Stokley Way for more than a decade, and we were excited to send our kids to Longfellow and McLean High School. However, due to the pervasive overcrowding at McLean, I want to add my voice to those asking to reassign our kids to attend Cooper Middle School and Langley High School. I also support allowing families to be "grandfathered"; children should not have to switch schools they already attend unless their families choose to do so. Of the decisions being offered to us at this time, I do believe this move makes the most sense because it would address the capacity issue, while also allowing our children to remain with their classmates K-12. Having said that, I also want to make clear that my decision to support redistricting my kids to Langley should not be interpreted as opposing other options not on the table. An honest redrawing of our school boundaries based on geography (i.e. moving large portions of both Great Falls and our neighborhood together toward a South Lakes High pyramid) could make sense. I do not share the viewpoint that an economically diverse school would put my kids at a disadvantage. Until that happens though, it makes the most sense to stop treating our neighborhood as an island and to keep our kids with their classmates at Colvin Run ES. Finally, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude for all the work you've done in what has been an incredibly challenging year. 

We are writing as fourteen families potentially impacted by the McLean / Langley redistricting decision.  We represent a range of neighborhoods (Shouse Village, Towlston Meadow, Leigh Meadow, and Ciara Estates) and perspectives (past, current and future students).  Specifically, we are writing to voice our support of option A or B which move our neighborhoods and the Colvin Run student body into the Langley pyramid.  We know you've heard from many families, and we wanted to add our perspective to the mix. 

Our reasons are:

• Aligns Colvin Run's student body into a single pyramid ES to HS
• Does not create a geographic or transportation island
• Appropriately considers overall capacity and grandfathering across middle and high schools 

Thank you for taking our viewpoint into consideration prior to the board vote on February 4th.

My son is enrolled at Colvin Run ES. My family would like to vote Option A for FCPS School Boundaries. Thanks for considering my request!

We are agree with option A.

Scenario B is the best option if you have to make an adjustment.   Why put all the apartments and condos from the other two scenarios in the Tyco Road area in Langley and create a likely overcrowding situation there given the unknowns that surround apartment/condo living numbers.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed boundary changes  for high schools and middle schools. I believe Option A or B solve the overcrowding issue at Mclean High School and also achieves a boundary map that has better continuity than the current one. The Colvin Run area fits perfectly with the Langley area, it removes the floating area we currently have for the Colvin Run area feeder to Mclean. While Option C solves some of the overcrowding, the floating area that is left from Colvin Run going to Mclean does not make sense.  There will be cross traffic as the Spring Hill area which is nearer Mclean it would be going to Langley. Option D does not solve anything so it is not recommended.  In summary, Option A or B are acceptable options. 

In my opinion, none of the three scenarios work; they would just create more traffic due to the fact that McLean High School is closer to I-495, and you’re suggesting moving kids that would be commuting from outside I-495. All Franklin Sherman kids should attend Langley High School.  That’s about 400 students, which is about the same number of students you want to shift to accommodate for space. 

We would like to express our preference for Option B.

I am writing regarding the upcoming FCPS decision regarding the possible school boundaries adjustment to alleviate overcrowding at McLean High School. As a potentially impacted household in the Shouse Village community, my family wanted to express our preference for Option A, as it was presented in the Dec. 7th FCPS presentation (considers reassigning students from McLean HS to Langley HS and from Longfellow MS to Cooper MS in the Colvin Run ES split feeder area and a portion of Westbriar ES). Our ranked second-fourth preferences would be Option B, Option C, and Option D, respectively.   

It's very upsetting that this decision has not been made/announced yet.  In the beginning of the fall we were assured that the decision will be made by December.  Yet here we are in January and still no information on when we'll know.  I have a rising 7th grader and we have now received invitation for orientation and registration that will take place in the next few weeks at both Longfellow and Cooper.  So we now have to attend several presentations at both schools since we don't know which one my daughter will be going to next year.  This lack of consideration for families is very upsetting!

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed boundary changes  for high schools and middle schools. I believe Option A or B solve the overcrowding issue at Mclean High School and also achieves a boundary map that has better continuity than the current one. The Colvin RUn area fits perfectly with the Langley area, it removes the floating area we currently have for the Colvin Run area feeder to Mclean. While Option C solves some of the overcrowding, the floating area that is left from Colvin Run going to Mclean does not make sense.  There will be cross traffic as the Spring Hill area which is nearer Mclean it would be going to Langley. Option D does not solve anything so it is not recommended. In summary, Option A or B are acceptable options. 

Our daughter is currently a student at Colvin Run ES, and we would like to vote for Option A.

As a Shouse Village homeowner currently assigned to an “ISLAND (Colvin-Longfellow-McLean H.S.),” we favor OPTIONS A & B as defined in the FCPS study for the following reasons:

 Split feeders should be avoided as much as possible.  It is very frustrating and disappointing for children from Colvin Run ES to be split from their peer group to go to Longfellow/McLean H.S. while 95% of their school friends went to Cooper/Langley H.S.  It is better for students to remain with the same cohort from elementary school through high school if possible. 

McLean is overcrowded and Langley has excess capacity.  As additional construction at Tysons is completed over the next few years, the overcrowding at McLean will get even worse.  So the School Board should adjust the boundaries as soon as possible. 

Grandfather phasing defined on chart 25 minimizes the disruption to current students.  

Thank you for addressing the McLean H.S. overcrowding and accounting for our community’s feedback.

I strongly support options A or B for redistricting.  I also DO NOT support allowing current Longfellow 7th and 8th graders to attend McLean High School nor do I support grandfathering of siblings.  The overcrowding at Mclean needs to be addressed now and allowing students to continue to Mclean delays addressing the numbers at the high school for several more years.  Parents with multiple children have had siblings at different schools before....it is no different to have siblings at Mclean/Langley than it is to have them at Longfellow/Mclean.  Due to the pandemic and distance learning students were only with peers for one (or zero) year at Longfellow....strong bonds have not been formed and they will be moving to Langley with friends from their elementary schools that they were in school with for up to 7 years.  It is hard to make boundary adjustments at any point but do not use the pandemic as an excuse to avoid making this hard decision and fixing the situation at Mclean yet again.

As a resident of Shouse Village, it is my understanding that we have had the boundary changed numerous times resulting in school changes.  As a property owner, I would prefer that we stay within Longfellow/McLean HS boundaries and not get switched again.

As parents of a child in Colvin Run ES, we prefer options A or B so that he can attend Cooper and Langley where the majority of Colvin Run ES students are already zoned to attend.

As a Shouse Village homeowner currently assigned to an “ISLAND (Colvin-Longfellow-McLean H.S.),” we favor OPTIONS A & B as defined in the FCPS study for the following reasons: 

• Split feeders should be avoided as much as possible.  After graduating from Colvin Run ES, it was very frustrating/disappointing for our children to be split from their peer group to go to Longfellow/McLean H.S. while 95% of their school friends went to Cooper/Langley H.S.  It is better for students to remain with the same cohort from elementary school through high school if possible. 
• McLean is overcrowded and Langley has excess capacity.  As additional construction at Tysons is completed over the next few years, the overcrowding at McLean will get even worse.  So the School Board should adjust the boundaries as soon as possible. 
• Grandfather phasing defined on chart 25 minimizes the disruption to current students.

Thank you for addressing the McLean H.S. overcrowding and accounting for our community’s feedback.

We are Shouse Village residents and homeowners and wish to convey that we favor OPTIONS A & B as defined in the FCPS study.

I am a resident of Shouse Village, located in the Colvin Run ES split feeder area, and am also an educational consultant who works with many students attending McLean High School and Langley High School. I would like to extend my strong support for options A and B. The current overcrowding at McLean HS is having a substantial negative impact on the educational experience for MHS students and needs to be rectified as quickly as possible. I see this at work each day. From my parental standpoint, I also see the social issues that are created from the split feeder situation at Colvin Run. Even in the earliest grades, the children know which peers will stay with them throughout middle school and high school and this creates a divide (which is magnified even further by the socioeconomic disparity between the two groups). Getting rid of the split feeder to balance out enrollment between McLean and Langley is the obvious solution to these two separate issues. Now that the middle schools have been included in this boundary change, options A and B would benefit all stakeholders with no downside. 

As a Shouse Village homeowner currently assigned to an “ISLAND (Colvin-Longfellow-McLean H.S.),” we favor OPTIONS A & B as defined in the FCPS study for the following reasons: 

• Split feeders should be avoided as much as possible.  After graduating from Colvin Run ES, it was very frustrating/disappointing for our children to be split from their peer group to go to Longfellow/McLean H.S. while 95% of their school friends went to Cooper/Langley H.S.  It is better for students to remain with the same cohort from elementary school through high school if possible. 
• McLean is overcrowded and Langley has excess capacity.  As additional construction at Tysons is completed over the next few years, the overcrowding at McLean will get even worse.  So the School Board should adjust the boundaries as soon as possible. 
• Grandfather phasing defined on chart 25 minimizes the disruption to current students. 

Thank you for addressing the McLean H.S. overcrowding and accounting for our community’s feedback.

I am a homeowner in the Wolf Den neighborhood.  I am writing to request that our neighborhoods be reassigned to the Langley/Cooper pyramid. Since McLean is overcrowded and Langley has excess capacity,  it makes perfect sense to shift our neighborhood to Langley.  When my daughter attended McLean High School, many of her classes were facilitated in the trailers, situations had gotten worse since then and the # of trailers triples.  So the School Board should adjust the boundaries as soon as possible. Geographically, our neighborhoods are contiguous with (and therefore should be a part of) the Langley district - rather than be an "island" in the McLean district.  In addition, Split feeders should be avoided as much as possible. It is better for students to remain with the same cohort from elementary school through high school if possible.  Since Langley and Cooper have great reputations, I am confident that our property values will be fine.

As a Shouse Village homeowner currently assigned to an “ISLAND (Colvin-Longfellow-McLean H.S.),” we favor OPTIONS A & B as defined in the FCPS study for the following reasons:

• Split feeders should be avoided as much as possible.  After graduating from Colvin Run ES, it was very frustrating/disappointing for our children to be split from their peer group to go to Longfellow/McLean H.S. while 95% of their school friends went to Cooper/Langley H.S.  It is better for students to remain with the same cohort from elementary school through high school if possible. 
• McLean is overcrowded and Langley has excess capacity.  As additional construction at Tysons is completed over the next few years, the overcrowding at McLean will get even worse.  So the School Board should adjust the boundaries as soon as possible.
• Grandfather phasing defined on chart 25 minimizes the disruption to current students.

My family and I live in the Wolf Den area (e.g., Wolf Trap Run Road off of Route 7 -- and in close proximity to McLean Bible Church).  We moved to this neighborhood ~8 years ago, and we specifically targeted this neighborhood due to the Colvin Run > Longfellow > McLean school pyramid. We have 3 children, and our family deeply values a solid and strong educational base.  We believe that a strong academic foundation is critical to the long-term enrichment, guidance, and success of our kids.  Thus, we hope that our neighborhood can remain in the Longfellow > McLean pyramid.  We have a daughter who graduated from Longfellow in the springtime, and it was clear to us that Longfellow's academic program shines and excels in comparison to the other programs in the local area.  In addition, we have a son who has attended McLean High School, and we very much appreciated the diversity of academic and extracurricular programs -- as well as the socioeconomic diversity of the school.

We are writing to express our concerns regarding the proposed boundary changes that will affect our school district.  As a former Fairfax County school attendee, I feel deeply invested in the educational system our county provides. I went to elementary, middle and high school in Fairfax County. I felt the educational system prepared me very well for college and medical school at the University of Virginia.  I left to train in Chicago, but my eyes were focused on returning to Fairfax County so that my children could utilize the same school system that I was fortunate to attend and excel in their education.

My husband and I painstakingly researched the school systems in the area and after much consideration and deliberation, we bought our home so that our children could ultimately go to Longfellow Middle School and Mclean High School.  We bought our home only for these schools and had the most difficult time finding the right home in this particular school district. 

We have heard from friends and neighbors whose children have gone to Longfellow about the amazing Science Olympiad program as well as the AAP program which is very well established. Furthermore, we value the diversity that Longfellow and Mclean High School offer not just in terms of ethnic diversity but in terms of socio-economic diversity.  

Now, imagine our extreme frustration and disappointment when the time has come for our children to utilize the school system that we painstakingly chose, only to understand that find the Board is looking to move our children to Cooper and Langley.  We had the opportunity to move into the Cooper/Langley system, as it would have been closer for work/commute, but chose not to.

We are long time Fairfax County residents who have worked painstakingly hard to come this far only to find out it was for naught.  Our family, along with many others in our neighborhood have decided to move to Mclean pyramid school districts should this decision to redistrict our community be made.  There is much to consider for us and for the School District.  We hope you take into consideration our concerns. We currently live in the Hidden Hills SubDivision and feed into Colvin Run, Longfellow and Mclean.  We urge you to take Option D or Option C into consideration for us or grandfathering us in to the school district that we bought our home in.

I am a homeowner and HOA board member in the Coventry Springs neighborhood (located between Wolf Den and Shouse Village).  I am writing to strongly request that our neighborhoods be reassigned to the Langley/Cooper pyramid. Split feeders should be avoided as much as possible.  After graduating from Colvin Run ES, it was heartbreaking for our son to go to Longfellow while 90% of his friends went to Cooper. Since McLean is overcrowded and Langley has excess capacity,  it makes perfect sense to shift our neighborhood to Langley. Geographically, our neighborhoods are contiguous with (and therefore should be a part of) the Langley district - rather than be an "island" in the McLean district. Since Langley and Cooper have great reputations, I am confident that our property values will be fine. I hope you will have the courage to make the right long-term decision for our children and move our neighborhoods to the Langley/Cooper district.

Action needs to be take NOW to alleviate the overcrowding at McLean High School. This has long been a topic of discussion that has been repeatedly postponed to conduct more studies and gather more input but that has been done and a decision cannot wait any longer. The statistics over the past decade clearly show how the problem has intensified at McLean while Langley enjoys the advantages of being at only 85% of capacity. It is patently unfair that students at MHS (and Longfellow Middle School) have been packed like sardines into the classrooms and hallways and had to endure bad weather to get to their classrooms in trailers, while Langley (and Cooper Middle School) students have all of the benefits of a school that is significantly under-enrolled.  

Of the options provided, Option A is inadequate to make a meaningful difference. Options B and C provide more relief and greater equity in terms of capacity at both MHS and LHS. Both of these options would also resolve neighborhoods that are adjacent to Langley boundary lines but their kids are assigned to MHS. Choosing between Options B and C should involve consideration of growth projections for the Springhill/Tysons area as well as other factors. It will be impossible to please everyone with any decision, but parents in the impacted neighborhoods should understand that all of the schools involved are excellent schools and kids are resilient in adjusting to change. 

Rebalancing enrollment between an over-enrolled high school and an under-enrolled high school provides a substantial benefit to the 2,350 MHS students without being detrimental to LHS students. Overcrowding can undermine educational opportunities due to a variety of reasons, such as increased student to teacher ratios and increased amount of time (and stress) associated with class changes due to packed hallways, but the pandemic has also make it apparent that overcrowding can heighten health risks when too many students are packed into crowded schools. Please correct the overcrowding rather than adding to the trend line with yet another school year with MHS far over capacity!

Thank you very much for seriously considering the community's concerns.   I urge you respectfully to make a decision regarding the McLean-Langley boundary change as quickly as possible.  The "island" communities (split feeder areas of Colvin Run and Spring Hill) should be just attending one middle and high school.(so that the children are not separated after 6th grade)  This is an obviously sensible choice given that Langley is under enrolled and McLean is "dangerously" (word used by a high schooler) crowded. Families need a time line at least so that we can start planning and discussing this issue.  

Move as many students to LHS from current MHS boundary area as soon as possible.

I'm a concerned parent in the Colvin Run split feeder area representing our community and the Spring Hill Elementary split feeder area.   What is striking in the options proposed in the Dec 7 meeting is that NONE of the options place ALL students from this split feeder area (right now, small number of students from Colvin Run and Spring Hill go to Longfellow - McLean, while the rest of the school go to Cooper-Langley)  places these students to Cooper, Langley.   Doesn't it make sense to just have all these students attend Cooper Langley so that the students aren't split after 6th grade?  Since Cooper and Langley have more room, it should obviously be the first solution to this issue/boundary adjustment.

As I had highlighted before, the need for progress (and a definitive timeline) and options for parents and children (siblings must be able to attend same school/ there has to be flexibility especially when families are willing to provide own transportation)  who are impacted by this are urgently requested.   

Would you please direct this letter to the "School Board?"   We haven't gotten any communication from the decision makers, let alone been aware who these individuals are exactly....    How do we communicate to the decision makers directly and where is the transparency in this process?!

There are a few families like mine with the oldest at McLean and next year will have 9th and 7th graders along with my 11th grader (or similar to that scenario) – I am hoping that families can stay together at same schools as it would literally be impossible to have kids at different high schools.

I'm a concerned parent in the Colvin Run split feeder area representing our community and the Spring Hill Elementary split feeder area.   What is striking in the options proposed in the Dec 7 meeting is that NONE of the options place ALL students from this split feeder area (right now, small number of students from Colvin Run and Spring Hill go to Longfellow - McLean, while the rest of the school go to Cooper-Langley)  places these students to Cooper, Langley.   Doesn't it make sense to just have all these students attend Cooper Langley so that the students aren't split after 6th grade?  Since Cooper and Langley have more room, it should obviously be the first solution to this issue/boundary adjustment. As I had highlighted before, the need for progress (and a definitive timeline) and options for parents and children (siblings must be able to attend same school/ there has to be flexibility especially when families are willing to provide own transportation)  who are impacted by this are urgently requested.  

Having now seen that the draft FY 2022-26 CIP states that FCPS is not comfortable making enrollment projections for schools over the next five years due to the impact of Covid-19, I don’t think you should change boundaries until you have a better handle on anticipated enrollments.  In other words, until you can confidently model what the impact of a boundary change would be on both future enrollments and student demographics, you should put this study on hold – Option D.  There are just too many variables right now and you run an unacceptably high risk of getting it wrong.  In addition, when you do revisit the boundaries, you should also consider options that move kids in both directions – from Langley to McLean as well as from McLean to Langley.  You have imposed an unnecessary limitation on the scope of the study and put all the burden on McLean families.  Just because you presented three boundary change options doesn’t mean that they are the only options or the best ones.

The Mclean Langley High School solutions proposed are short term and focused on enrollment numbers only (not student profile needs). Second, school enrollment will grow with plannnes development in Tysons and is growing within Mclean High School boundaries as families move into the area’s apartments, townhouses, and ranch style-like sizes homes sold by empty nesters. Mclean High school students need a larger, permanent high school building to serve its population. Find the funding. For Tysons, instead of building a new school, purchase and renovate a former office building or purchase two to make a campus of elementary, middle, and high schools. The Basis School appears to have done so. Office buildings are built with flexibility, walkable so no bus transportation, accessibility by different populations, and would fit into the live-work-play lifestyle that families in Tysons might be seeking. If there are cases where school buildings were too large and rooms unused, please share with all.

I reviewed the 4 options A-D and data analysis accompanied, and I strongly support the boundary modification.   Option C is the best option due to the forecasted amount of development and growth in the Tysons Corner's area. In the last 10 years living in Mclean, I have been amazed at the new development in Tysons Corner. Even though I am an enthusiast for growth, this is affecting the education that our kids are getting due to over populated MS and HS. Overcrowding reduces students' ability to pay attention and concentrate. Overcrowding affects classroom activities, as well as instructional planning. The selected option should be an equitable long-term solution. Options A and B will push housing prices up in Wolf Trap area, encouraging new families to purchase condos in Tysons Corner (instead of single-family houses in Wolf Trap area) to access Mclean pyramid; therefore the Options A and B would not be equitable for the region. Option C offers a mix of benefits including equity & social integration. Option D should not be on the table.   

Would it be possible to give rising McLean 9th (and maybe 10th) grade students within the current boundary change areas the option of attending Langley High School in the fall?  Please offer this as an option that would include transportation and not require the district fee for transfer applications.  I feel the concern for many families with incoming high schoolers is not in choosing between Langley and McLean, but rather the concern that the students will be required to switch schools during their high school careers.  I know a similar plan was allowed when adding the AAP program to Cooper (choice given between Cooper/Longfellow/Kilmer).

After reviewing the powerpoint of boundary change options for McLean high school, why is there not an option that moves Chesterbrook instead of the northwest areas?  Chesterbrook is adjacent to Langley and the drive impact would be minimal.  Further, Chesterbrook once was assigned to Langley.

I think it's important to note that a drawback of Option C is that it places a newly renovated middle school, Cooper, already at full capacity, potentially teeing up an overcrowding situation at the middle school level.  With this in mind, Options A & B are more appropriate choices.

I’m a parent in the Wolftrap Den community impacted by the pending school boundary adjustment. I saw in our community newsletter that you have expressed interest in feedback from the community, which I appreciate. I'd like to share mine on the following three options: 

• Option A: The Den transfers to Langley, but not the Woods.
• Option B: The Den and Woods both transfer to Langley.
• Option C: The Woods transfers to Langley, but not the Den.

After reviewing the information in the Dec. 7 presentation, I would support Option B for the following reasons:

1. The numbers of students relocated from McLean HS to Langley and from Longfellow MS to Cooper seem moderate compared to the other two options, with Option A relocating fewer and Option C relocating more students. Based on the adjusted capacity utilization stats for each option, Option A seems to relocate fewer students than needed to be able to effectively alleviate overcrowding at McLean High and leverage the extra capacity at Langley (e.g., only 84% utilized at Langley after adjustment in SY24-25). In contrast, Option C might strain the capacity at Cooper MS (pushing it to 99% after adjustment in SY24-25), reaching the other extreme. As the intermediate option, Option B seems to strike a healthy balance in terms of capacity utilization across all four schools.
2. Perhaps equally importantly, Options A and C may sever an important tie between two parts of the same community (Wolftrap Den and Wolftrap Woods). Shared educational resources such as schools are core to bonding among the neighbors (including conversations and small chats), so when that privilege is taken away, I anticipate that the sense of community would dwindle, eroding the intent of establishing the community in the first place. Thank you again for offering to hear from the community.

The middle school and high school years are difficult for most kids and this year has been particularly stressful - both academically and emotionally. It is inconceivable that you would choose this time to move students to other schools and separate them from their friends! No student should be forced to leave Longfellow or McLean and current 7th and 8th graders at Longfellow should be allowed to continue to McLean with the rest of their class. This is a premier school district; there should be both financial and educational resources to effect an intelligent and compassionate solution. The only way to reduce capacity is for an expansion at MHS

We support the move to incorporate Wolf Trap Woods into Langley - through whatever options.

I am a resident of the Wolf Den neighborhood, which is directly adjacent to the Wolf Trap Woods neighborhood.  The two neighborhoods in fact form one homeowner's association. It is my understanding that the School Board may be considering splitting the two neighborhoods into two different school tracks, with one neighborhood sending their children to McLean High (and an associated middle school) and the other sending their children to Langley High (and a different associated middle school).  I write to strongly urge the School Board to keep the two neighborhoods together.  The children in our neighborhoods grow up together as one community.  They play on the same basketball courts, hike on the same trails, and bike on the same streets.  It would be a shame if they were not attending the same schools.

We would like you to consider the following regarding the proposed school boundary changes for our neighborhood: 

-A new boundary must allow current 7th and 8th graders at Longfellow to stay with their cohort and go to MHS

-A new boundary must not force any kids to leave their McLean High or Longfellow Middle

We strongly feel that the board should not do anything during a pandemic - there is already enough stress on the student at this point.  

The only way to reduce capacity is for an expansion at MHS.  

When I heard that the county was considering implementing a boundary change in the middle of a pandemic when our children are already thoroughly stressed out over the impact to friends, life, and normalcy, I was shocked. 

Wouldn’t it be more prudent and humane to put this assessment on hold until after our children have a chance to adjust to a normal life again?

Even so, given my neighborhood (A Country Place) is one of the ones on the chopping block for a move, it is critical that any consideration include the following:

1. A new boundary must allow current 7th and 8th graders at Longfellow Middle to stay with their cohort and go to McLean High School.  Why disrupt their lives in the middle of their education?
2. A new boundary must not force any kids to leave their McLean High or Longfellow Middle.  The county must permit students to remain where they are if they want to do so, and they can’t force them to drive on their own accord to do that.  Otherwise, that creates an economic inequality across the country for those wealthier students living in McLean near the school.
3. Back to my original point, the Board should not do anything during a pandemic; please see above.  The best way to reduce capacity is for an expansion at MHS or creating alternative programs at other high schools to attract students to move voluntarily. 

This email serves as our input to the school boundary adjustment.  We currently have a 6th grader attending Colvin Run Elementary School, and a 7th grader attending Longfellow Middle School.  

- Long-term solution: We understand the overcrowded issue of McLean High School, so we believe the long-term solution would be to increase capacity through expansion/renovation.

- Near-term solution: 

          - We support both Option A or B based on the proposal to have kids from our neighborhood go to Langley High School when they are in their high school years.  

          - We also support the plan to NOT reassign current students already attending the affected schools.

          - Although Phasing is a good idea, it would be great to allow parents to be able to choose how they'd like the phasing to be based on their unique situation (e.g. multiple siblings, students' emotional strength, etc.)

I vote for the most aggressive option up to simply moving 400+ kids from McLean to Langley right now. Just balance it out - both are great schools so nobody is losing out here.

I wanted to say thank you for the presentation this evening. Although I was unable to rejoin after the breakout rooms (probably a technology fail on my part), I appreciated the small breakout groups and a chance to speak with and hear the perspective of other parents. The moderator was very good at fielding comments without judgement or prejudice. I am particularly grateful to have option D on the table. I think this is important - give people the alternative to make no changes if they think appropriate. Again, thank you for this evening. I actually preferred this to the Langley cafeteria last year!

Despite all the reasons not to change the boundary, if a change must happen in 2021, it must begin with rising 7th graders and it must allow all current 7th and 8th graders at LMS to continue with their cohort to MHS.  Do not subject them to a second split feeder by sending them to LHS.

I attended the FCPS virtual Boundary Study Community Meeting on December 7, 2020, although I did not understand the purpose and function of the breakout rooms. Once I accessed the breakout room, I either lost audio or there were no instructions or tasks assigned to the breakout rooms. The meeting then ended with no reporting from any breakout rooms. 

I am wondering if FCPS needs to conduct another study of the overcapacity of McLean High School for the following two reasons:

1.  In the wake of the pandemic, many families have moved their children out of public schools and into private schools. This change may well have resulted in a decrease in the enrollment at MHS bringing MHS's enrollment below its capacity.

2.  In another matter related to the pandemic, it is highly likely that many workers will continue to work from home, even after the pandemic is over. Thus, the anticipated influx of workers to the Tysons area (and students into MHS) may never materialize (or may well be significantly reduced) as employees who might have considered moving to Tysons continue to work from home. 

These two recent developments would seem to suggest that the boundary study be re-conducted to determine whether or not MHS is still at overcapacity. 

It is my understanding that MHS is at 103% of capacity - surely the move of students to private schools and the increased work-from-home phenomenon (which will likely continue in some form even after the pandemic is over) will contribute to a decrease in enrollment at MHS. If so, then there is no need for a boundary adjustment.

If McLean’s new “design capacity” is 2,343 post-modular, and its current student membership is 2,292, then McLean is not over capacity. If McLean is not over capacity now, shouldn’t we do a smaller boundary change, and start with rising 7th graders, with a voluntary “opt-in to Langley plan” for any students whose neighborhoods are being redistricted to Langley? In other words, if McLean is not currently over capacity, then there is no urgency to move kids out of the high school. Notwithstanding the above, McLean still needs a permanent addition, as the modular is not permanent space, and in light of the development in Tysons, McLean should be permanently expanded to the 2,500 Ed Spec before waiting in line in the renovation queue.

Many thanks for your time and attention to the overcrowding issue at McLean High School. We are hopeful that changes will be made to the school boundary as soon as possible as we have three kids zoned for McLean (one headed there next year).

I wanted to note the following paragraph from the presentation:

Proposed options have been prepared for consideration based on the expanded scope and input received at the community meetings. Two of the three scenarios presented at the community meetings in December 2019 have been considered in these options and one additional option has been developed. A no change option has also been included. Additional community feedback, such as considering the areas assigned to Franklin Sherman ES or Chesterbrook ES, were evaluated and are included in this document as additional information. These were eliminated for further consideration because they created a new capacity deficit at a school involved.

Our kids are zoned for Franklin Sherman. We understand based on the tables in the presentation that this boundary change creates a slight capacity deficit at Cooper. Is there a way to split the Franklin Sherman community, perhaps by proximity to Langley? By way of example, our home is across the street from the CIA and about a 3 minute drive from Langley High School. My kids could easily walk or ride a bike there if needed – it’s not too far and there are dedicated sidewalks the entire route and crosswalks for safety. Yet we are zoned for McLean HS, which absolutely requires a car both due to the distance from our home and the lack of consistent sidewalks/bike paths to get there. Even without the overcrowding at MHS, it would be infinitely more practical for those of us who actually live near Langley to have our kids zoned to that school.

We would be so very grateful if creative solutions to this issue can be further explored as we try to figure out how to solve the overcrowding at MHS.

I am in favor of scenario B. I think that all of Colvin Run Elementary School should feed into Cooper and then Langley.  Since such a small percentage of Colvin Run is currently districted to Longfellow/McLean, that group would be happy to stay with their peers who are primarily going to Cooper. I think it is a win/win because you will be moving kids who want to be moved to stay with their friends.

I want to write in my support of option B when considering a boundary change between McLean and Langley High Schools.  Option B works for several reasons:

1. It is the most balanced when looking at numbers between the 2 schools

2. It does not overwhelm capacity at Cooper

3. It does not leave the Colvin Run kids in an island where everyone around them in going to Langley

PLEASE do not use the modular at Mclean as a reason not to do anything NOW.  

I attended the community meeting on December 7th and have since spent additional time considering the four options presented.  

Upon additional reflection, I believe each of Options 1-3 is flawed for different reasons and, therefore, that you should select Option 4 and commit in the upcoming Capital Improvement Plan to funding a permanent addition at McLean HS within the next 5-10 years.

These flaws stem, in part, from the approach taken by FCPS to only consider boundary adjustments that would move students from Longfellow/McLean to Cooper/Langley.  That appears to have been a commitment made to the Langley community for political purposes, but it limits FCPS's flexibility in considering boundary adjustments that might more appropriately balance the enrollment and demographics at both schools.

Specific concerns with Options 1-3 follow:

Option 1 would only move single-family neighborhoods now zoned to Longfellow/McLean to Cooper/Langley.  It is inconsistent with FCPS's focus on "equity" to strip out only single-family neighborhoods from schools that currently have more economic and housing diversity (Longfellow/McLean) and redistrict them to schools that currently have no multi-family housing at all  (Cooper/Longfellow).  In addition, redistricting kids to Cooper MS just as Cooper is about to begin a multi-year renovation seems ill-advised.

Option 2 suffers from all the same flaws as Option 1, but would strip out even more single-family neighborhoods from Longfellow//McLean.  Again, from an equity perspective, this is not aligned with FCPS's stated values.  In addition, the same challenges would arise with moving students to Cooper during its renovation. 

Option 3 has the benefit of increasing the economic and housing diversity at Cooper/Langley, but would move the most students and, therefore, be the most likely to leave McLean the "runt" of high schools in FCPS.  In addition, it would have the greatest impact on Cooper as Cooper was about to begin its multi-year renovation, and create an oddly-shaped Longfellow/McLean attendance island further west in Vienna.

Option 4, on the other hand, would avoid the problems associated with Options 1-3, which as noted earlier result from the limitations that FCPS has imposed upon itself in considering boundary change options.  The addition of the modular to McLean HS should address most of the short-term overcrowding anticipated at McLean, while giving FCPS time to commit to the permanent addition that McLean HS needs and deserves to address the anticipated growth in its catchment area, and which FCPS has undertaken to fund at other high schools that were built after McLean and are less overcrowded (i.e,. Justice HS, Madison HS).  In the long run, this should also save FCPS transportation costs, as the areas that FCPS otherwise might redistrict are located closer to McLean than to Langley (and more students attend the high schools than the middle schools). FCPS prides itself on "meeting students where they are," and Option 4, for now, comes closer to meeting than objective than the other options.

To be clear, I am not proposing that FCPS revise its approach and move students to Langley, but not Cooper, if it changes the boundaries.  Instead, as FCPS has properly recognized, neighborhoods should only move to Langley if they are also moving to Cooper. However, the conditions on the ground should be appropriate to support such a transition, and they will not be appropriate before Cooper's renovation is substantially completed.

In the future, it would help if FCPS were more transparent about its rationale for adding seats to schools that are experiencing less growth (i.e., Langley) and not setting aside funds for schools that are experiencing more growth and need additions (i.e, McLean).  Each of the Capital Improvement Plans issued by FCPS between 2014 and 2017 indicated that FCPS planned to increase Langley's capacity to 2100 seats during its renovation.  As the renovation was being completed in 2018, however, FCPS disclosed in that year's CIP that the school's capacity had been increased to 2353 students (i.e., by an additional 253 seats).  Had there been a more transparent, open process, community residents could have pointed out FCPS would be aggravating the exact dilemma it is now facing, where Langley, but not Cooper, has sufficient capacity, and Longfellow, but not McLean, has sufficient capacity.  

I think the Options A-C presented are all well thought out and viable and pursue a desirable goal of balancing enrollment levels at MS/HS while reducing split-feeder at the ES level.  In deciding between them, I feel there are two critical pieces of data that are vital to the planning / decision-making process that we currently don't have (at least in the public docs):

1) What are the estimated enrollments at Langley/McLean if the TJ admissions process changes in such a way that fewer Langley/McLean students attend TJ... I suspect this would only have a few percentage point impact on capacity utilization, but that could be perhaps as much as 5%, which is a significant enough amount that it ought to be considered.

2) Which of the options best balances diversity at the MS/HS levels (racial, SES, etc.)?  I suspect there's not a dramatic difference, but from what I understand only option C includes some non-SFH residential areas being moved to Langley, so that would _seem_ to be the most equitable option, but better to have data than assumptions!

Regardless of outcome, I'm glad to see this issue being addressed... even if it presumes that the Modular remains a fixture at McLean, at least it alleviates most of the pressure, and I would hope in future years if enrollments continue on pace (or increase) that eventually that modular would be replaced as part of a proper-sizing renovation of McLean's facilities, which I understand is likely a few years down the road before that would potentially get added to the CIP.

Thanks and keep up the good work, I know there's been frustration over the amount of time it has taken to get attention to resolve this issue (and I agree it's overdue), but nevertheless your engagement and efforts to mitigate the crowding situation at McLean are appreciated.

The Community Council (GFCS, MCA, mcspaces, Shouse, and others) support Option A with the caveat that current 7th and 8th graders at LMS will continue with their cohort to MHS or be allowed to attend LHS.  This avoids forcing them to attend LHS as that would subject them to a second split feeder in two years.  One of the Board's goals of this whole effort was to eliminate split feeders so it makes sense that the Board would not subject these kids to two split feeders in a row.

Option C.

I share the frustration of too many in our community regarding the lack of clear timeline and information on the pending McLean and Langley (and the feeder middle school) boundary change. While the pandemic may understandably delay the process, there is no real good reason why we have not gotten more information or seen even a little more progress.   This issue has been on the table for years now - much longer than the Thomas Jefferson admission proposal and the change that occurred  very quickly - and with McLean High basically ready to burst in over population, we must act urgently and make decisions!  The pandemic has underscored the need to keep our children and community safe and distanced, more than ever. 

Because of this unusual academic year, we saw a lot of movements: public to private, home schooling, moving...  Langley High and Cooper Middle School will continue to be under enrolled.  Virtual /distanced learning has isolated and removed students from their schools,  so it makes absolute sense that students start at their new schools in September 2021. If this date is completely unrealistic given that January is around the corner, with student schedules and staffing that will have had begun then, at minimal, the school board and FCPS should plan and commit to the boundary change - starting September 2022.   Parents and students need to plan - jobs, sports, academic programs, housing... - obviously a myriad of issues are at stake, and for us to get this little information and uncertainty is unacceptable.  There has been zero communication regarding a rough timeline.

Further, please relate to the appropriate personnel that siblings should not be separated/ cannot be forced to attend a different high school especially when each household is providing its own transportation; there must be an option for the parent to choose to have all their children attend the same high school, for example...   This request is very reasonable, and it's obviously in the best interest of our children and families.

1. Please do not do anything during the pandemic, which we hope will end soon with the vaccine. However, nobody can be sure what is the aftermath would look like
2. The only way to solve the long-term capacity issue is for an expansion at MHS. Start this asap will hopefully minimize the negative impact on students and families.
3. For any policy decision on boundary change, having a sibling grandfathering clause in it. For example, I have two kids with overlapping high school grades. It is too bad if they won't end up in the same high school in their overlapping years.

I find it unimaginable, that in the midst of an already stressful pandemic the board is even considering boundary changes that would force our already stressed kids to separate from their McLean High or Longfellow Middle schools and friends. That is truly heartless and unconscionable!  Any boundary changes should ensure the 7th and 8th graders at Longfellow stay with their cohort and go to McLean High School. It's the right thing to do.

-Any boundary changes should ensure that current 7th and 8th graders at Longfellow stay with their cohort and go to McLean High School. It's the right thing to do.

-New housing development in Arden in Great Falls VA and other developments in greater Tyson area will result in capacity issues for both LHS and MHS in the near future.  We need long term planning not just short-term boundary change that will only temporarily alleviate the issue.  We need a permanent solution.

-The only way to reduce capacity is for an expansion at MHS and/or build new school.

We find it unimaginable, that in the midst of an already stressful COVID pandemic the school board is even considering boundary changes that would force our already stressed kids to separate from their McLean High or Longfellow Middle schools and friends. That is truly heartless and unconscionable!

Any boundary changes should ensure the 7th and 8th graders at Longfellow stay with their cohort and go to McLean High School. Any changes to the school boundary should grandfather the current cohorts and changes should apply to new cohorts. It's the right thing to do.

For the past zoom meeting related to school zone boundary change for Longfellow Middle and McLean High, I would like to share my following thoughts:

1. Boundary changes should not happen until the pandemic is over as otherwise, it will give more stress to those students to be affected.
2. The solution that can really solve the problem not is funding renovation with adding new modular to Mclean High, which is among schools in need of funds most for expansion.
3. In case of boundary changes, students already in LMS and MHS shall not be forced to move out in the middle to new allocated schools.

As long time residents of Fairfax County, we are writing to you today regarding the proposals to change the McLean High School boundaries.  It is our understanding the Fairfax County School Board is considering moving a group of students from their current schools due to overcrowding at McLean High School.  This is unimaginable to us.  For almost two full semesters, students have been sequestered at home learning virtually.  It is well documented that this is taking a significant toll on students’ mental health.  The pandemic will not last forever and students will return to the classroom, but to force them to acclimate to another school within months is absolutely unacceptable.

As elected school board representatives, you must represent ALL students, not just those who reside in McLean, VA.  Any new boundary change must be grandfathered allowing 7th and 8th grade students at Longfellow to remain with their current cohort and go to McLean High School.  Also, siblings must be allowed to stay together in the same school cohort.

To make our position clear: the overcrowding at McLean is NOT the students’ fault.  They should not be punished for the lack of long-term planning by the school board and other county officials years ago.  The residential development which produced the stress on McLean High School did not pop up overnight.  The only solution is to begin construction of an expansion of McLean High School NOW.  Fairfax County is in the top tier of richest counties in the entire nation.  Our schools are funded by our tax dollars.  Money can be found if there is a will to do it.  We respectfully ask the school board to do what is so obviously right for the students. 

What areas should be considered for the boundary adjustment?

Focus on split feeder elementary schools first. (Colvin Run/Spring Hill/Franklin Sherman)

Franklin Sherman and Chesterbrook ES given their proximity to Langley mitigating transportation (time & safety). Commitment in 1980s to Shouse Village and surrounding neighborhoods when switched from Langley to McLean that it would be the last time.

Option A – Colvin Run & Spring Hill

Tysons growth in Spring Hill ES boundary
OK with A, B, C but start planning an expansion of MHS
Another scenario to add: Area south of Langley (physically closer for short bus ride) could move (FSES, Chesterbrook)

Franklin Sherman – catchment area off Dolley Madison – Ramshorn, Bent Twig, Potomac School Road area.

Areas to consider: Colvin Run, Spring Hill, Timber Lane (to Marshall), Franklin Sherman (to Langley)

Scenarios appear to provide immediate relief to McLean HS overcrowding

Consider elementary schools that are not already being split in 2 middle schools (Chesterbrook & Franklin Sherman

Scenario A seems the most reasonable, though wonder if there isn’t a closer option (Reston?) for those areas
Could south of Route 7 go to Marshall?

How about moving Evermay (N of Georgetown Pike & 123 – Eastern)?
Move Timer lane, consolidate Lemon Road and Westgate to Marshall.
Consider Falls Church area south of Route 7: to move to Marshall/Falls Church

Nobody (students/parents) wants a boundary adjustment; other options should be considered (even split feeders say no).

Option A is the preferred option because B or C splits up Colvin Run even more.

Why are you not considering Franklin Sherman – it is also a split feeder and used to go to Langley. Much closer.

Boundary – radius from school, distance/time on bus

Open enrollment
Magnet programs at each school
Bond referendum to refurbish/expand McLean HS

Scenario A (interim) – plus another high school in the western part of the county (Great Falls?)

What are the strengths of changing the boundary?

More cost effective than new build or school.
Safer and better environment than trailers. 
Potential to improve bus/transport time

Relieve overcapacity, kids are not split from friends

Alleviates over capacity at McLean
Helps keep programming at Langley
Scenario A provides best relief

•    Balance the numbers
•    Prefer scenario B

No strengths – insufficient data to make arbitrary considerations. Geographic-based “proposed” boundaries are completely unsupported by data. Bad, rushed process!

Balancing HS capacity
Keep elementary peer groups together through education

Removing Split feeders

Even out capacity (more elbow room)

•    Most fair for the most children
•    Contiguous district lines
•    Could also provide capacity relief for Longfellow MS
•    Cost avoidance of adding more students to McLean HS (if there is even space?) Trailers 

None. It is forced when there are better options for a band-aid fix.

No overcrowding at McLean
Pyramid schools would stay together
Closer/shorter bus ride for some

What are the challenges of changing the boundary?

Kids locked into current sports activities, etc.
Communities wanting to stay together.
Leaving room for growth; projections can be wrong or ignored.
Transportation – overcrowded buses; bus and riving routes/risk; kids/new drivers on longer routes; $$ spent on SLEEP study/revisions

Growth continues – so limited value to rezoning

•    Impacted families: changes in friends, schedules, etc…
•    Hard to review proposals without other impact data
•    Buses/routes
•    How many students are impacted by each change?
•    County growth plan/zoning plan
•    Facilities proposals (alternates)

Ping-ponging” neighborhoods on “edge” that have historically been shifted. When Langley grows to capacity, these same neighborhoods will be at risk again.

•    Transportation (cost, time considerably longer – 50 mins vs 25 minutes, safety)
•    Disruption for current students at formidable age – sports, activities, academics
•    Timing of this decision is rushed (e.g., current kids will have chosen electives before decision made)
•    Unfavorable boundary change will affect some children twice (Colvin Run – Longfellow – Langley) – only addressing high and not middle school. Longer term solution needed vs. short-term disruption!

Middle School/High School same track for all students

Accuracy of enrollment projections 
Social impact of not adjusting middle school boundaries
Transportation (however already on bus)

Transportation, potentially longer bus rides, may defeat purpose of eliminating split feeder at CR/SH if kids don’t also move to Cooper
Longer bus ride
**Adjustment for kids (current high schoolers)
Socially
Academically
Extra-curricular
Sports 
Home value changes

Biggest hurdles:
•    Commute
•    Socio-economic disparity
•    Drugs/alcohol at LHS

Population growth in Tysons – pyramid-wide issue
This is a short term solution since Langley only has capacity for McLean’s current issue
Route 123 is backed up every morning with traffic avoiding I-66 tolls. Also, Georgetown Pike is limited to one road for access.

Increased time on bus from Wolf Trap area (18 mins to 50+ mins each way)
Kids changing mid-career (prefer to grandfather all current students) – hard to integrate into sports, clubs, etc.
Possible for class sizes at Langley getting too big (and not enough parking)
If this goes too fast, class registrations and sports teams start in spring – could introduce issues plus teacher hiring in August (not ready)

What else would you like FCPS to know?

Grandfather ALL current McLean HS students
What are the transportation costs for each scenario? 
How will future growth be accounted for? Don’t want to be short-sighted and have both MSH and LHS over capacity in a few years.
Provide attendance projections of each scenario for the next 10-20 years.
Concern:  How does this impact AA students who are already moving at elementary and middle school to centers? 

Our concerns: Switch should be made at middle schools, not high school! Once they start at MHS, they should be allowed to stay (give them a choice). Making SHES and CRES single feeders makes sense (scenario A). Start bottom up (ES to MS) and allow current students to grandfather into their HS choice, based on their MS experience. GRANDFATHER – OFFER CHOICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Please make a choice as soon as able (registration for classes, teachers, etc)
Our Questions: WHEN? Will there be grandfathering? Will rising freshmen have choices? Why is there no IB option for these kids? (Marshall overcrowded and not accepting applications) Will Cooper handle these changes? 

•    Who is pushing for boundary change?
•    Can open enrollment be considered for overcrowding? By pupil; by family; by choice
•    What are the long term solutions for McLean? Addition; modular? Expansion? *Use the proffer money that was supposed to go to McLean!
•    What is the planed consideration of new construction? 
•    Has property value been considered? 

LEAVE THE DECISION TO THE VICTOR OF THE 2019 MCLEAN-LANGLEY FOOTBALL GAME

•    Don’t rush this decision
•    How are you going to accurately count the student population?
•    Be thoughtful and flexible about grandfathering high schoolers
•    Why are elementary schools closer (Chesterbrook ES) to Langley (in McLean) not being considered for re-districting??
•    Scenario A seems really aggressive and will likely lead to a reverse overcrowding issue
•    How are the middle schools being factored into this? 

TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS?
Franklin Sherman & Chesterbrook (close to Langley) remain in McLean in every scenario
Extended commutes for Colvin Run (30 mins)
BAND AID?
Long term population growth mapped? Or, will we re-district again in 5-10 years because this is “Langley under, McLean over at present”
Vote on McLean HS expansion for long-term solution
IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE?
Vote in May is too late for fall 2020
Class selection by March, spring sports practices for fall sports, etc. 
GRANDFATHER PLAN?
What is it? Only juniors and seniors or all current high school students? Or, are you planning to move everyone? 
NO responsible School Board moves juniors, seniors without their consent. 

•    Modular at McLean could relieve capacity
•    New renovation for McLean (planned for 2014 – what happened?)
•    This change should consider LONG TERM too – more schools? Don’t “ping pong” neighborhoods, it’s not fair – more additions?
To do:
Survey families impacted
Add scenario for FSES and Chesterbrook to move

What are the number of students moving in each scenario? A=371, B=?
What is the 5-year and 10-year enrollment projection for each scenario?
Why not have Tysons students go to Marshall HS?

Transportation: What are the transportation pros and cons of each scenario?
What is the long-term solution(s) for dealing with the growth in Tysons and McLean? Because it will push out existing Langley families…
Are the 120+ homes Towlston & 7 (new homes) included in any of these scenarios? 

Must grandfather rising seniors (possibly juniors) 
Must look at #s
Evermay community is part of Langley
Keep students in the same pyramid (i.e. change middle school also)
Advance MHS in the CIP

PREFFERED OPTION: SCENARIO A
Relieve capacity pressure on McLean (16 trailers, not enough bathrooms) 
Re-instate the IB program at Marshall to be made available to McLean HS
Create specialty programs at Langley to attract students to self-select same for Falls Church IB/Language/Tech Schools)

Recommendations
1.    Allow rising middle school students to attend the middle school that feeds their assigned high school to build community and make friends
2.    Allow rising juniors and seniors to be grandfathered to stay at McLean
3.    Ensure Langley HS reaches critical benchmarks for funding/capacity use for full elective staffing and facility use and specialty classes like Russian.
4.    Make boundary decisions with population planning timeline of 10 years minimum
5.    Consider time and traffic patterns for bussing, events, competitions and after school activities
6.    Inquire/survey neighborhoods to determine preference for school?

•    Feels like this process is being pushed through.   Too late – HS students are already planning schedules for next year [sports teams are already forming for 2020-21]
•    Lead time should be longer – knee-jerk reaction to lack of long term plans
•    The number of students in the projected areas is approximately 150. This will not alleviate crowding at McLean.
•    How will the boom in housing/economy affect attendance? (infill subdivisions, new subdivisions & increased constructions)
•    Make changes for elementary school aged kids to alleviate current overcrowding - offer options for students to move. Recognize that moving kids with short notice is not desirable. Open enrollment and/or grandfathering current students. 
•    From a transportation perspective, consider moving students from Evermay, Salona Village, Ballatrae Farms

Of 3 scenarios, what is projected balance/#s of each school/scenario
Consider long term solution. One that won’t need to be reconsidered soon. Tysons development = more students coming
Collocated HS catchment areas
Is it a long term, durable solution in light of development in Tysons
**SHARE YOUR UNDERLYING DATA WITH THE COMMUNITY (clearly FCPS/county has it)
Tysons HS (city school)
**What will it take to put McLean HS on renovation plan? Currently “no plan”
What methods are FCPS/Board using to project future student #s for McLean HS based on development 
What are plans for building western HS magnet school?
Addition of STEM (in addition to TJ)

Revised the accuracy of FCPS population projections first, before committing millions of dollars based on them, before changing boundaries
Solutions can’t be short term! Colvin Run doesn’t want to be ping ponged between schools every few years
How can we have confidence in FCPS projections on student population per school?
Allow kids who want to stay at McLean to stay and finish their high school career
Rezoning decision must be made by June!! August is too late.

Why are we only talking about re-zoning? Provide other options, e.g., expand MHS, reduce housing growth, get developers to contribute to infrastructure development (schools)
Can’t rip apart community. Preserve social-academic groups
Significant increase commute. Toll Road vs. Georgetown Pike
Not OK = Colvin Run – Longfellow – Langley. Small % destroys sense of community
When will MHS be renovated?
Consider “open enrollment” choice
Have you done the analysis of how Tyson’s growth (and downtown McLean growth and Covance development) will impact MHS now and in the future?
Ensure analysis does not result in moving kids out of Langley
Need to include “grandfather in” kids & siblings (7th to 12th grade – no one should need to leave a school once they’ve started)
Survey McLean families to see how many would voluntarily switch

Option C doesn’t make sense, it creates a discontinuous zone on the west to McLean High.
Is there transportation time estimation from the new zone to the Langley? Is there a limit on the bus time?
Why not consider moving boundary in areas where students would have a shorter walk/ride to high school?
Why not consider McLean downtown area? Why all to the west? 
Consider every area – not just western islands!

How many numbers of students in each yellow area for each option?
Why not look at closer locations to Langley (e.g. Franklin Sherman/Chesterbrook)
Focus seems to only be west, not east
Split feeding not a concern
Why not consider Falls Church feeding to Marshall
Would like to know # of students today and future (3-5 years) in elementary schools coming up. These #s more important in my mind
What are the boundaries of the Dranesville IA Small Tax District and where do they overlap McLean HS and Langley HS
Grandfathering for current enrolled students should be an option
Option for students in “zone” to choose McLean/Langley

Renovate MHS
Keep elementary together – limit split feeders
Need to change middle schools too – emotional impact on students
Must grandfather in current high school students
What are the population #s for each scenario?
Students should stay with peer group
Account for future growth of Langley and plan for an addition to McLean HS

•    How will grandfathering be determined (i.e., prefer phase-in starting with 9th grader)
•    Will the kids that play sports have a choice of moving or not?
•    Will the modular relocate to McLean HS?
•    We found discrepancy between total # of students at SH/CR provided by FCPS staff tonight (371) and information provided to McSPACES by Longfellow

Make major roads the boundaries.
What’s going to happen in the next 2 to 3 years?
A parent should not have to move their child, they should have an option
The scenarios do not make sense. 300 kids is too many to move.
If any change, it should be down Old Dominion, make Salona Village down through Ballantrae the Langley HS zone.
Try to keep ES kids going to the same middle school.
Some kids really don’t think overcrowding is an issue.
How are we going to consider families being separated? Are siblings going to be grandfathered?
Scenario C does not make sense. Scenario B kind of makes sense.
How many kids will have to be moved? 
How will we monitor capacity at Langley, and what happens if Langley becomes overcrowded? 

CONTINUATION OF CHINESE 7A AND 8B FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL IS ESSENTIAL.
Specifically, students of Chinese 7A and 8B at Longfellow MS must be allowed to continue to Chinese II and beyond at either:
1.    McLean HS (which was the assumption; or
2.    Langley HS. Langley’s website does not mention that it offers Chinese, but I’ve recently been informed that Langley will offer Chinese. 
Failure to allow Longfellow MS students to continue taking Mandarin at either McLean HS or Langley will preclude them from moving beyond basic Chinese, preclude language credit, and essentially flush two-years of Chinese study. The Fairfax Academy is NOT a viable alternative --- it’s logistically much too difficult and time consuming. 

Missing data: # of kids affected in each option
When will they move? If already in school, don’t move
Give kids option for 7th grade and above
Consider whether redistricting splits middle school (make mandatory)
Instead of fixed boundary changes, consider open enrollment scenarios to provide flexibility for McLean residents.
Changes to McLean/Langley boundaries should be limited to resolving overcapacity at McLean and should have no impact on current boundaries affecting Great Falls

1.    Middle School consideration – don’t create split middles schools.
2.    Open enrollment for anyone in McLean to go to Langley. Including those in Longfellow and rising 7th graders so they keep their friends. Good 1st option.
3.    Can we get the #s of students for each area?
4.    Transportation issues -  across Route 7 – Georgetown Pike, etc. Long bus rides.
5.    Grandfather all current McLean students and middle schoolers.
6.    Is the modular going in to McLean next year? How does that change capacity %?
7.    Why did Langley get expanded when # are decreasing? McLean needed it.

Concerns
Existing MHS students finish at MHS
Middle school students attend middle school that feeds to same high school as peers
Is this a long-term solution?
Kids shouldn’t pay the price for planning failures of the School Board 
Grandfather existing students – grades 9-12
How will transition for students be handled?
How will the increased housing (Towlston Road 150 new homes; Tysons area condos, etc) play into the proposed changes of boundaries? Boundary change now, and then another based on above named real estate developments? 

Due to growth we need a new school anyway – tax new construction for new schools
**Fairfax County should be required to plan for school growth to approve building plans for new construction

•    Should the possible creation of a new Western Fairfax High School affect this decision?
•    Which routes will the new Langley students travel to get to school? Are those routes already heavily trafficked? 

•    Accurate accounting for families in new multifamily construction. 

What is your long term plan? Tyson’s explosive growth, but only elementary school planned….we need better LONG TERM solution?
When is the final vote? Current high school students pick classes in early spring…
Timeline is too fast. How will you hire enough teachers that quickly? To cover 300+ kids?

1.    What are the capacity projections associated with each scenario?
2.    What are the long-term solutions for growth in the region? 
a.    Expansion of McLean?
b.    New location/high school
3.    Are other options on the table?
a.    Open enrollment
b.    Lottery system
4.    When do scenarios go into effect?
a.    Grandfather all current students and families
b.    Rolling
5.    Maintaining comparable quality schools in any boundary adjustment
6.    Scenarios only outline elementary feeders. Need to give us 8th grade #s to see REAL impact for 2020-21.

Allow students to remain at their school if they have already started. Not just seniors. 
Don’t split families between 2 high schools at the same time.
The route from Colvin Run to Langley is treacherous for student drivers. Don’t move them. 
Concerned about impact on Langley HS Russian program for transfer students. 

1.    End split feeders: Colvin Run, Spring Hill
2.    Also change middle school: Colvin Run-Cooper-Langley, Spring Hill-Cooper-Langley
3.    Increase capacity at McLean through renovation
4.    Do not move any existing Langley High feeder students
5.    Recommend Option A or B. Option C is not advisable. 
6.    Grandfather families/students – give a choice.
7.    Franklin Sherman?

1.    Density – what is the # of students in the areas proposed for change? Need #s to make sure proposed changes make sense. 
2.    Grandfather in existing students? Will they still have transportation?
3.    Future ramifications for students currently zoned for Langley but now in middle or elementary school? [Parents bought homes to be Langley][How does it affect all schools in Falls Church]
4.    Growth in Tysons – high rises mean the problem will escalate.
5.    Build new school near Tysons. 

When would change?
Can Cooper handle extra students and is that being considered for CRES and SHES kids?
Are you accounting for new development on Route 7 (SFH) & Tysons (apt/condo)?
Is Marshall or Madison an option for MHS relief?
If don’t change middle school – what is the social impact?
Did you consider other geography – like neighborhoods within walking distance of LHS?
Total # attending split feeder islands at Longfellow and Cooper.
Have you considered allowing kids to voluntarily choose to move to Langley as long as there are open seats?
Why is Marshall not an option?
Why were these McLean High School islands created?
Is there a new high school for Tyson’s considered? Why? 
Are other high school expansions planned?
What is the timeline?
What are the housing types in these areas? Will they grow more?
Where is the largest McLean High School growth coming from? Will it continue?

Questions
•    Has there been a traffic study done? (winding, narrow roads, further distance)
•    Has there been consideration to move students already geographically closer to Langley?
•    What is the long term plan? This seems like a “quick fix.”
•    Will these same neighborhoods be re-zoned again as population continues to grow?
•    Why is the Board not adjusting the entire district? (domino effect)
•    Any current student, regardless of LHS or MHS, should be grandfathered through graduation.
•    Is there any potential for an addition to McLean HS?

1.    Priority in changing from MHS to Langley should focus on the areas with most recent growth. They do not have the family and history with MHS that current families have. 
2.    Sense of community for those near to MHS!
3.    Maximize potential for students who can walk. Avoid busing students who don’t need it. 
4.    We need to build and invest in MHS. Expand and renovate!!
5.    We vote for Scenario A, or a scenario that does not break up the core McLean community.
6.    Make one boundary change. Don’t make incremental changes that will not solve the issue long term. 
7.    Don’t change students currently enrolled where they are. 
8.    Tell us when MHS will be renovated?
9.    Could you build another high school for Tysons area as it continues to grow? 
10.    Why are we not looking to Vienna schools?
11.    Can we also look at the McLean HS boundaries at Lee Highway? Transportation costs? 

Further Information Needed:
•    What are numbers of students in scenarios B and C – would that alone balance 
•    Bus ride times – how much longer
•    When will McLean HS be scheduled for a renovation. Why if it is older is it not on schedule. 
•    Are MS boundaries also moving?
•    Will redistricting remove trailers from MHS?
•    What is the long-term plan?
•    Why not Franklin Sherman? Still split feeder?
•    Is there a plan for a HS in Tysons? If so, what students?
•    What is timeline? When would 1st vote? When 1st students moved? 

1.    What to do with legacy families within potential boundary change areas? (grandfathering existing students (McLean))
2.    Add open enrollment – how can this impact overcrowding at McLean without any boundary changes?
3.    Further boundary study and provide other alternatives.
4.    Review assumptions in forecast and ensure proper sensitivity variables considered. Allow for forecast under-estimation.
5.    Remain cognizant of real estate impacts of boundary decisions.
6.    Only boundary changes should be between McLean and Langley
7.    Consider longer term options now for increases in Tysons. 

What is the timeline for changes? Will it impact those already in HS? Will it impact siblings? Does Cooper MS have capacity for extra 400 students? 
PROS:
•    Langley keeps programs while at capacity
•    McLean less crowded
•    Ending splitter elementary schools, kids stay together
CONS
•    Traffic, especially 193 (1 hour commute)
•    Moving kids during HS/interrupt friends and sports/activities
•    Teachers, and teachers with children (shift their jobs)
•    Lose counselors & admin for McLean
•    Greatest negative is to middle school students
Other information to know:
•    Can you increase capacity at McLean?
•    What are population growth projections for Tysons area/new developments?
•    We like Plan C, but does it get enough population change? 

Questions:
1.    Why are the elementary schools assigned to McLean HS, are not in consideration for boundary adjustment? Schools closer in proximity to Langley (Franklin Sherman/Chesterbrook ES)
Concerns:
1.    The proposed ES for the change will create more travel time for buses and high school drivers. Safety.
2.    Proposed changes seem temporary and not long-term and countywide solutions. 

•    Some capacity should be left open at Langley HS
•    Would you choose 1 or 2 of the split feeders to move?
•    Spring Hill ES is overcrowded. Also, has a turnover rate of 1/3 of the ES every year now since development began in Tysons. Funding is down. It is hard to maintain a neighborhood community with this much turnover. Students and teachers are impacted. 

Grandfather – let kids who start finish
Consider letting families volunteer to move from McLean to Langley at least short-term until cohesive plan developed.
Let families who want to stay, provide own transportation as short-term solution with grandfathering.
Why is this an urgent issue, seems like communities are being taken out of normal process and timeline due to long-term inaction, not actual urgency. 

It would benefit Colvin Run 6th graders if they all went to Cooper, and then Langley, rather than sending such a small number to Longfellow.
Is there a transition period for these changes?
Concerns about the transportation routes between Colvin Run and Langley (i.e., small roads or toll road). This concern is for buses, parent pick-up, and upper-class driving students. 

1.    Facilities said Westbriar feeds to Madison and Marshall? Moving the Westbriar Island?
2.    Scenarios – split feeders
a.    Westbriar/Colvin Run/Spring Hill
i.    Projections – each school
ii.    No change for walkers
iii.    Grandfathering?
iv.    Clean up Westbriar Island – operating efficiency
v.    Toll Bros Covance (?) – 100+ houses – administrative boundary change with approval of all district members and at large
b.    Colvin Run
i.    No change for walkers
ii.    Grandfathering?
c.    Spring Hill
i.    No change for walkers
ii.    Grandfathering?
3.    Use all open capacity at taxpayer funded sites efficiently and expeditiously. No lost opportunity costs. Resource allocation!
4.    Questions: Langley projections?

•    Middle schools should adjust boundary lines if high school lines adjust
•    With the tax money we pay, trailers are ridiculous (heating poor, leaking, student class change delay)
•    Langley is under capacity, yet is a palace. Currently overcrowded schools are as nice. The resources should be spent on making crowded schools better as well as the long term plan. 

Questions:
•    If the HS boundaries are changed, do all current students (grade 9-12) need to change to new HS? Or, do they have option if they are upper-class (11th, 12th graders)?
•    If some students have choices to stay at MHS, are there buses for them to MHS?

•    Langley (with growth) will fill up faster and additional boundary change will be needed. Consider a longer plan with more data (please review apartment populations in Tysons that could move from McLean to Langley and change to socioeconomics). 
•    Consider the modular that was in the CIP for McLean to increase capacity while a more thoughtful and less rushed study is conducted. 

Questions:
1.    Why not make a capital investment for modular classrooms at McLean HS?
2.    What is the status of new schools projected for Tysons Central?
Concerns:
1.    Children should grandfathered into/currently attending McLean HS
2.    Children should be grandfathered into/currently attending assigned middle schools

Comments
•    ES with smallest split percentage should be kept together.
•    ES should be clean feeders to HS
•    Current HS students should have choice of staying at McLean. All grades.
•    Westbriar currently at McLean should go to Marshall
•    We need another HS now

1.    How many students are in each scenario to be moved?
2.    Will students be grandfathered in if they want?
3.    What is the cutoff for Langley/McLean capacity?
4.    When will the new HS be built?

Option C – Doesn’t make sense, doesn’t fix the problem

•    Increase renovation for McLean
•    Publish currently enrollment numbers – might be affected by changes
•    Timeline information – current students have a great deal of anxiety over issues. Need a plan, quickly!
•    Grandfather info – needed.  

Grandfather current HS students
Invest capital funds to build out McLean HS for a permanent solution, in order to accommodate population fluctuations. 

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.