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I say gone will be full day kindergarten, head start, free summer school, and free lunches.
Fairfax Schools Face Budget Shortfall (http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/101709_fairfax_schools_face_budget_shortfall - broken link)
I hear also that Marshall HS is undergoing on extensive and expensive multi-million dollar renovation. I'm not sure if this makes sense for a under enrolled school.
They won't cut anything. They never do, they just threaten to make cuts in popular programs so that they get the parents upset enough to lobby the board of supervisors for another tax increase. Not to worry, it always works. Fairfax county is dominated by democrats, their politicians have never met a tax they didn't love and embrace. Nothing will be cut and taxes will be raised. Same ol', same ol'.
They won't cut anything. They never do, they just threaten to make cuts in popular programs so that they get the parents upset enough to lobby the board of supervisors for another tax increase. Not to worry, it always works. Fairfax county is dominated by democrats, their politicians have never met a tax they didn't love and embrace. Nothing will be cut and taxes will be raised. Same ol', same ol'.
Sooo true. They are raising propety taxes, or course, and other fees. At least for last year the most they did was to stop hiring in many areas. People who naturally retired were at the top of the earnings bracket and have made up for much. The coming year is supposed to be worse, but I wouldn't expect much noticeable either. Very true about threating to cut popular programs or start charging fees at popular parks just so they can get a bigger slice of the pie. I still don't get Head Start. I know about preschool, and it's not even necessary. It may not even make a difference at all in learning past the initial months of real school. Why do taxpayers have to pay for this?
My favorite is that when revenues are good, Fairfax spends more rather than saves. Then when they're bad, they raise taxes. Could go either way, but somehow Fairfax gets to spend more and tax more no matter what happens. How does that work?
Interesting question. There may have been a point when one option the School Board might have considered was closing Marshall, which is one of the smaller high schools, and redistricting its students to McLean, Madison and Falls Church. McLean and Falls Church are under-enrolled by larger numbers than Marshall, and the boundaries of Madison and South Lakes also could have been realigned, with the transfer of students from Marshall to Madison offset by a transfer of Madison students who live near Reston to South Lakes.
LiveStrong's McLean/FC neighbors probably weren't too thrilled with that possibility. Marshall serves a diverse student population and, under the scenario some were proposing, the least affluent neighborhoods (Pimmit Hills and the apartment complexes near off Route 7) would have been redistricted to nearby McLean HS, the most affluent neighborhoods (Vienna/22182) would have been redistricted to Madison, and the remainder (Dunn Loring/Shreve Road/Merrifield) would have been redistricted to under-enrolled Falls Church HS. This would have eliminated several "split-feeder" elementary schools, taken advantage of the excess capacity at Falls Church, and brought the student demographics at both McLean and Falls Church more in line with those at the county as a whole.
The School Board didn't pursue that option. Instead, it redistricted a bunch of schools that were allegedly over-crowded and under-enrolled in the western part of the county (only to come up with new capacity estimates the next year that suggested that the "over-crowded" schools that sent students to South Lakes hadn't really been over-crowded at all). It has also decided to relieve what is clearly significant over-crowding at Annandale HS by sending some Annandale students to Falls Church starting next fall.
Given the decisions that the School Board and the county have made, closing Marshall is not an option now and it makes sense for the school to be at the top of the current renovation queue. The school is 45 years old; its enrollment has grown over 30% in the past 15 years; it will be at or above current capacity within the next 2-3 years; it is in a part of the county (the Tysons area) scheduled for substantial redevelopment and additional housing in the coming decades after the Silver Line opens; and it hosts far more after-hours adult education classes than most FCPS schools.
It would only make sense to move Marshall kids to McLean if McLean wasn't over enrolled, but it is. McLean isn't undergoing any multi million dollar renovations to expand or even improve. I think you already posted that McLean's stundent population has grown by 35% since 1995.
What probably makes more sense is to move more kids from the Pimmit area to Madison/Falls Church/Stuart, to move North Madison Kids to South Lakes/Herndon and to move South Madison Kids to Oakton/Falls Church/Fairfax.
Of course, moving some of Marshall HS students to Madison would ruffle a lot of Jedd's neighbors who send their kids to Madison instead of Jedd's Marshall. Madison is even less diverse than McLean.
Madison McLean
White 72% 62%
Asian 12% 19%
Hispanic 6.8% 9.3%
Black 3% 4%
Other 5.5% 5%
Speaking of McLean/Falls Church boundary, this is very interesting. If you surf Redfin.com and input 22101 and 22043, there's overlap in the boundaries even though the former is McLean and the latter is Falls Church.
It would only make sense to move Marshall kids to McLean if McLean wasn't over enrolled, but it is. McLean isn't undergoing any multi million dollar renovations to expand or even improve. I think you already posted that McLean's stundent population has grown by 35% since 1995.
What probably makes more sense is to move more kids from the Pimmit area to Madison/Falls Church/Stuart, to move North Madison Kids to South Lakes/Herndon and to move South Madison Kids to Oakton/Falls Church/Fairfax.
Of course, moving some of Marshall HS students to Madison would ruffle a lot of Jedd's neighbors who send their kids to Madison instead of Jedd's Marshall. Madison is even less diverse than McLean.
Madison McLean
White 72% 62%
Asian 12% 19%
Hispanic 6.8% 9.3%
Black 3% 4%
Other 5.5% 5%
Speaking of McLean/Falls Church boundary, this is very interesting. If you surf Redfin.com and input 22101 and 22043, there's overlap in the boundaries even though the former is McLean and the latter is Falls Church.
Please, try to get at least a few of your facts right first; otherwise, it's no fun at all.
First, while the enrollments at both McLean and Marshall have grown by over 30% since 1995, the county still considers McLean under-enrolled, and by a larger number of students than Marshall (106 students vs. 52 students).
Second, why should McLean get more renovation money, when it - unlike Marshall, West Springfield and quite a few other schools - was renovated within the last 10 years?
Third, the redistricting scenario you posit makes no sense. Kids living in Pimmit Hills never would logically be assigned to Madison or Stuart, the "North Madison" kids have already been redistricted to South Lakes, and there is no scenario in which anyone at Madison ever could be redistricted to Herndon. You might as well send kids from Chesterbrook to Mount Vernon first to relieve the "over-crowding" at McLean. You might be able to move a few "South Madison" kids to Falls Church, but not to Fairfax, which isn't that close, or to Oakton, which is above-capacity. The redistricting scenario I described that only involved five schools (McLean, Marshall, Falls Church, Madison and South Lakes) might have made sense - if the goal was to find a way to close a high school in the eastern part of the county and save funds - but the moment has passed, since the School Board has taken other actions to increase the enrollment at the two schools in the area that had the most extra capacity (South Lakes and Falls Church).
Fourth, under any feasible scenario that would move Marshall kids to Madison, the Marshall kids who would move to Madison would decrease, rather than increase, the diversity at Madison. Madison would end up looking even more like Langley, and less like McLean, not vice versa. I doubt the Madison parents would be too upset, since these kids already go to the same Vienna elementary and middle schools, play in the same sports leagues, etc.
But, as I said, none of this will come to pass. Voters almost surely will vote in favor of the bond referendum, as they have in the past, and the schools currently slated for renovation planning and construction will get the funds. Not sure how things work in your old Bowie neighborhood, but Fairfax families and taxpayers generally do consider maintaining the schools a priority - particularly when they know Loudoun and Arlington do likewise.
I say gone will be full day kindergarten, head start, free summer school, and free lunches.
Fairfax Schools Face Budget Shortfall (http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/101709_fairfax_schools_face_budget_shortfall - broken link)
I hear also that Marshall HS is undergoing on extensive and expensive multi-million dollar renovation. I'm not sure if this makes sense for a under enrolled school.
Full day kindergarten may end along with summer school (which was reduced last year), but I don't think they can do away with free/reduced lunches for those who qualify. Look for an increase in class size. As it was for '09-'10, there will probably be no COLA or step increase again next year for staff.
I think they should start by cutting funding which pays for students to take IB and AP testing. Although not a big budget item, I think parents of these students should pay for their kids to take these tests. Also, reduce or eliminate academic coaches. When teachers leave, bring these people back into the classroom. Cut busing to GT programs.
Please, try to get at least a few of your facts right first; otherwise, it's no fun at all.
You clearly should take some of your own advice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JEB77
First, while the enrollments at both McLean and Marshall have grown by over 30% since 1995, the county still considers McLean under-enrolled, and by a larger number of students than Marshall (106 students vs. 52 students).
If only McLean HS was more under enrolled then the student-FTE teacher wouldn't be 14 vs. Marshall's 12. Maybe the powers that be should stop construction at Marshall to hire more teachers for McLean to improve the ratio even though according to you, they are under enrolled moreso than Marshall.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JEB77
Second, why should McLean get more renovation money, when it - unlike Marshall, West Springfield and quite a few other schools - was renovated within the last 10 years?"
Maybe renovating Marshall is an attempt to get more students to want to go to Marshall. Can't be for the IB program or the pristine location.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JEB77
Third, the redistricting scenario you posit makes no sense. Kids living in Pimmit Hills never would logically be assigned to Madison or Stuart, the "North Madison" kids have already been redistricted to South Lakes, and there is no scenario in which anyone at Madison ever could be redistricted to Herndon. You might as well send kids from Chesterbrook to Mount Vernon first to relieve the "over-crowding" at McLean. You might be able to move a few "South Madison" kids to Falls Church, but not to Fairfax, which isn't that close, or to Oakton, which is above-capacity. The redistricting scenario I described that only involved five schools (McLean, Marshall, Falls Church, Madison and South Lakes) might have made sense - if the goal was to find a way to close a high school in the eastern part of the county and save funds - but the moment has passed, since the School Board has taken other actions to increase the enrollment at the two schools in the area that had the most extra capacity (South Lakes and Falls Church).
So now you're trying to associate "redistricting" to "making sense?" You of all people whined may times about how some boundaries are set.
Yes it make so much sense that a pocket of homes in north Vienna send their kids to McLean HS or to Langley HS.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JEB77
Fourth, under any feasible scenario that would move Marshall kids to Madison, the Marshall kids who would move to Madison would decrease, rather than increase, the diversity at Madison. Madison would end up looking even more like Langley, and less like McLean, not vice versa. I doubt the Madison parents would be too upset, since these kids already go to the same Vienna elementary and middle schools, play in the same sports leagues, etc.
Wrong again. Pimmit sends their kids to Westgate ES, not Vienna ES.
Again, Madison HS is less diverse than McLean HS, and Madison would become MORE diverse if these Pimmit kids were sent to Madison. Don't try your typical diversion tactic from the truth.
You yourself made a snide remark about McLean residents having issues with Pimmit Hills kids going to McLean HS, and now somehow Madison would become "less diverse like Langley" if kids from Pimmit Hills went there?
Quote:
Originally Posted by JEB77
LiveStrong's McLean/FC neighbors probably weren't too thrilled with that possibility. Marshall serves a diverse student population and, under the scenario some were proposing, the least affluent neighborhoods (Pimmit Hills and the apartment complexes near off Route 7) would have been redistricted to nearby McLean HS.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JEB77
Not sure how things work in your old Bowie neighborhood, but Fairfax families and taxpayers generally do consider maintaining the schools a priority - particularly when they know Loudoun and Arlington do likewise.
Yes, taxpayers do by clearly maintaining a job and paying taxes, which is why the budget deficit is "only" $170 million vice more. People who occasionally volunteer as a hall monitor or run bake sales, but often lie by the pool aren't directly contributing though to offset this deficit though.
It'll be interesting come November. Vienna is generally a very liberal area which would imply pro-Deeds, but seems like all the women on this blog who who don't work supposedly because of their family or to help mankind by giving their job to the less fortunate have beliefs that align with McDonnell when it comes to that subject.
I think they should start by cutting funding which pays for students to take IB and AP testing. Although not a big budget item, I think parents of these students should pay for their kids to take these tests. Also, reduce or eliminate academic coaches. When teachers leave, bring these people back into the classroom. Cut busing to GT programs.
LOL!
That would have a catastrophic effect on Jay Matthews's useless Challenge Index for the schools.
The only thing that's funny is that you start a thread obviously for the purpose of trolling, and then work yourself up even more when people respond.
Schools are generally slated for renovations based on their age; that's why McLean and Madison (both built in the 1950s) were renovated within the past decade and Marshall (built in the 1960s) is slated for renovation now. It has nothing to do with whether it's an IB or AP school. When the planning for the renovations at McLean HS started, it had a lower enrollment than Marshall has now.
In any event, look at a map next time before you start talking about redistricting options. No one from Pimmit Hills who attends Westgate is ever going to Madison or Stuart or Herndon. The kids from that neighborhood will go to Marshall or McLean; it's that simple. And, if Marshall were closed - which it won't be - it's the kids from the more affluent neighborhoods who attend Westbriar, Wolftrap and Vienna, not Westgate, who would be sent to Madison, and that most definitely would not increase the diversity of Madison.
Stick to what you know - which seems to be a few things about PG County politics and not much else.
Last edited by JD984; 10-18-2009 at 06:47 PM..
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