Summary:

We, the families of Fairhill Elementary School, are respectfully requesting that Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) reassign our neighborhood to Thoreau Middle School and James Madison High School during the current boundary review.

Reasons:

(1) Rezoning Fairhill Elementary School to Thoreau MS/Madison HS would keep communities together, which is one of the boundary review goals.  Our community is centered in Vienna, not in Falls Church.  When our children register for activities (e.g., pool, soccer), they register for activities in Vienna, not Falls Church.  We are disappointed when our children cannot build close relationship with the children they meet through these activities because they are assigned to a different school district and don't have the same frequent contact with their extracurricular friends.  When our families go to community activities, they are in Vienna, not Falls Church.  For example, we go to the library in Vienna, restaurants in Vienna, and community events in Vienna (not Falls Church).

(2) Rezoning Fairhill Elementary School to Thoreau MS/Madison HS would shorten our community's commute to school, which is one of the boundary review goals. The Luther Jackson Middle School and Falls Church High School boundary maps look like the state of Oklahoma, with the Fairhill Elementary School neighborhood sticking out on the side in a narrow line.  There are 2 high schools that are closer to our neighborhood than our current assignment, Falls Church High School.  Our community is 2 miles from Luther Jackson Middle School (our assigned middle school), but only 1-1.5 miles from Thoreau Middle School.  Our community is 3.5 miles from Falls Church High School (our assigned high school), but only 2 miles from Oakton High School, 2.3 miles from Fairfax High School, and 2.7 miles from Madison High School.  I'm told that our community has been part of the Oakton High School and Madison High School pyramids in the past so there is precedent for switching our community.

(3) Rezoning Fairhill Elementary School would increase the diversity of the Madison High School pyramid, which I understand is one of the boundary review goals.  Fairhill Elementary School is 63.59% non-white.  In contrast, Thoreau Middle School is 50.48% non-white and Madison High School is 41.86% non-white.

(4) Rezoning Fairhill Elementary School to Thoreau MS/Madison HS would reduce the imbalance in school utilization, which is one of the boundary review goals.  FCHS is projected to be over capacity (112% utilization) based on the assessments used for the current boundary review.  Madison High School is not over-enrolled (89% projected utilization).

This change will make a meaningful difference in the lives of our children — and align with FCPS' boundary review goals.

Please sign and share this petition.

Thank you,
The Fairhill Elementary School community