FCPS is currently undergoing a boundary review that could lead to significant changes in the school assignments for many residents within the Western High School area. The changes threaten to disrupt the community, alter children’s education pathways, and complicate logistics for families.

1-We ask that neighborhoods be divided in ways that do not disrupt peer and classroom relationships. Neighbors should be able to stay, play and pray together, ensuring continuity of social, academic and extracurricular life.

2-We ask that any/all changes minimize commute times to maximize peer relationships, after school activities/events, sports, and job participation (at the HS level). Minimal commute times prioritize sleep and mental health needs at this critical life stage.

 3-We ask that community members from each pyramid (1 from Elementary, 1 from Middle and 1 from the High School) be chosen to form a committee. This committee will work with consultants to create the final 2 maps/scenarios. 

4-We ask that any/all boundaries are created using current Elementary School/Middle School enrollment rates/5 year trends and County birth rates/10 year trends to predict all future enrollment. 

The initial countywide boundary review took 18 months to complete. The current review for the Western High School boundaries, involving six high schools pyramids, is being rushed and compressed into a much shorter timeline. 

Our communities deserve a thoughtful, detailed review process that truly considers the potential impact on families and preserves the integrity of neighborhoods.  The sudden nature of these changes offers little to no time for the affected communities to adapt and is not fair to the families who have planned their lives around these existing boundaries.

We believe maintaining the current boundaries will help to ensure stability and consistency for students and families alike. This stability is crucial for academic success, as students should not face unnecessary transitions that could disrupt their education and social ties.

We urge FCPS to reconsider the proposed changes and keep the existing boundaries intact. This decision will enable a more thoughtful approach in the future, where all stakeholders' opinions are heard and taken into account before any changes are made.

Your support is crucial in safeguarding our community's stability. Sign this petition to keep our current boundaries and ensure a fair review process is adhered to. Your voice matters in making sure our children’s education and community remain prioritized.

Primary rationale includes:

1-Minimum commute time for students/families. FCPS school board indicates any future boundary considerations will minimize commute times. These proposed new boundaries can have students and families on the road an EXTRA 2 hours per day round trip compared to current commute.

               -Prioritizes sleep and mental health needs at this critical life stage.

                -Study after study has shown that each additional minute of commuting is associated with a 1.3 minute reduction in sleep,

                 increase in obesity rates, and a reduction in exercise. 

                  -Maximizes current FCPS budget due to federal government funding shortfall.
                  -FCPS budget is currently underfunded by $568 million, which is $3,100/student. 
                  -The cost to bus a student in FCPS is $900-$1,100.
                  -Current conditions in Iran indicate soaring fuel prices are imminent.

2-Maximizes after school activity, sport and job participation at the HS level if students have shorter commutes 

           -Allows students to obtain or maintain after school jobs for family contributions or personal growth purposes.
          -Encourages more time for studying and not commuting, increasing test scores and student participation in quality academics.

Research shows that longer student commutes impair academic performance. 

           -Encourages participation in sports at the high school level, a way of life many students consider a strong part of their identity.

2-Continuity of established community/neighborhood relationships
         -Neighbors can stay, play and pray together, ensuring continuity of social, academic and extracurricular life. Minimizes disruption of peer and classroom relationships, including pyramid events and camps. Research indicates adolescents flourish when neighborhoods are socially cohesive.
          -Late bus/no show bus, students can still get a ride from a neighbor because they’re in close proximity to their high school.

          -Altering current pyramid level patterns at the MS/HS level (Liberty MS will become a split feeder) is a mistake, as this period is critical to future mental health outcomes.

3- Aligns with Already Established FCPS Goals for Students and Families
         -Fulfills FCPS Goal 2: "Every student will experience an equitable school community where student health and well-being are prioritized, and student voice is centered."
         -Fulfills FCPS Four Pillars: Vibrant Home, School & Community Partnerships

4- Maintains CVHS renovation goals 
       -Honors the work, time, and money already placed into this renovation by waiting for the permit to go through.
       -The school will have room for several hundred students, eliminating the need to relocate the proposed communities from CVHS to WHS.

5-Declining birth rates do not indicate that schools will be at capacity forever
         -All published data points on the CVHS pyramid feeder elementary & middle school populations indicate declining enrollment at all grade levels. Birth rates are down in Fairfax County, nationally and globally. People have been moving out of Northern VA in large numbers since 2020.  
          -School absenteeism rates hover around an average of 10%. School is never truly “full” on any given day.

6-Utilizing the new Skyview High School as was originally intended.
      

7-Preserving home values and minimizing taxpayer dollars spent on FCPS transportation needs.
         -Other boundary changes within the county have left students and families WITHOUT transportation at the elementary and middle schools due to budget shortfalls.

Here are the emails of Fairfax County School Board and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors you can email based on the talking points above.

Districts Directly Involved in the Western Boundary Review:
Sully District: Seema Dixit -sdixit@fcps.edu

Hunter Mill District: Melanie K Meren - Melanie.Meren@fcps.edu

Dranesville  District: Robyn Lady, Vice Board Chair  - ralady1@fcps.edu

At-Large Members:
Kyle McDaniel - rkmcdaniel@fcps.edu 

Ryan McElveen- Ryan.McElveen@fcps.edu

 Ilryong Moon- ilryong.moon@fcps.edu