Comprehensive Boundary Study
The FCPS Facilities staff has begun work on the data collection and other work related to preparing to support the comprehensive study that will hopefully resolve the current over-crowding at Annandale HS, prepare the area for the opening of the new Lacey ES, and – as a result – also affect many of our feeder and other nearby elementary, middle and high schools. Additional change to our enrollment (beyond that which will take place this fall due to last spring’s boundary study) would be enacted in or before September 2012.
This study, which should start in the next two months, will be very long and complicated due to the fact that it will affect all three levels of schools, and will also look at issues such as split-feeders, attendance islands, and the fact that some elementary schools are K-5 and some are K-6 (with correspondingly different middle schools). Here is an example of one of the many considerations that are surfacing: it has been found that there are nearly 2900 (K-6) elementary-aged students living within 1 ½ miles of the Lacey site, and that 1.5 mile radius encroaches pretty deeply into the current attendance areas of 9 elementary schools, some of which are overcrowded, and some of which are not. Additionally, some of the densest pockets of housing exist in close proximity to Annandale Terrace ES and Annandale HS, which will make it very difficult to re-align boundaries. This will take time.
The school board has been working to create a new process for conducting comprehensive studies. This process has already been utilized in the Southwestern County study going on at present, and will also be utilized for the Annandale area study. Each school in the area will receive a letter, inviting the PTA/PTSA to nominate 2 representatives to the committee that will be formed to study these issues in greater depth. FCPS facilities staff will support members of the committee as they explore and discuss various implications and possibilities over the course of many months. These committee members will be responsible for communicating with their school communities, and will ultimately develop a list of possible solutions and implications, which will be communicated to the school board for consideration.
If you would like to be considered as a nominee from the Annandale HS PTSA, please contact Jennifer McGarey, PTSA President president@annandalehsptsa.org or Emily Slough, 1st Vice President at 1stvp@annandalehsptsa.org. More information will be made available as we receive it.
A list of the school board representatives can be viewed online. You may also contact your representative on the Board of Supervisors – Sharon Bulova, Chairman@fairfaxcounty.gov (Chairman); John Cook, john.cook@fairfaxcounty.gov (Braddock District), Penelope Gross, mason@fairfaxcounty.gov (Mason District), Linda Smyth, 703-560-6946 (Providence District).
Related Documents
- FCPS and AHS FACTSHEET 5-29-09
- Important fact sheet (updated 5/19/2009)
- PTSA President's Response Letter
- AHS Boundary Study Scope Analysis
- PMS Boundary Study Scope Analysis
- SB Agenda 3-9 Scope of Spring Boundary Study
- Spring 2009 Boundary Study Appendix A
- Spring 2009 Boundary Study Appendix B
- School Board Contact List