My most recent blog, Essential Boundary Policy for a New Century, identified some “interesting” school boundaries in our area. Any rational person would look at those boundaries and wonder how they came to be. Of course, those non-contiguous, gerrymandered boundaries are a developer’s dime a dozen in Fairfax County. Nevertheless, I did a little research (shared below), but first I want to discuss the recent history of Policy 8130. I was surprised by recent history and previous efforts to prevent updates to the Boundary Policy.
Revisions to Boundary Policy 8130
Although Policy 8130 has not been updated since 2013, which was largely in response to the One Fairfax policy, it was not for trying. In fact in 2019, there was a concerted effort by the School Board to make minor changes, but of course these changes were fought by the loudest and most organized voices. They stormed the July 2019 school board work meeting with 102 people so that there was standing room only, carrying photo-copied, inflammatory, emotional signs like “We are watching you.”
2019 was the year of a Fairfax County School Board (FCSB) race, thus there was a hard push by a local republican PAC, Voices of Fairfax, and Fairfax GOP candidates to frame the election as a boundary election. Basically, their rhetoric was that “radical social justice warriors want to bus your kids to failing schools because of equity.”
In retrospect, it was disingenuous and divisive framing using a (then) ill-defined term (“equity”) to spur people to action in an election year. This disinformation campaign used the usual scare tactics to rile up citizens by leveraging their honest interest in protecting their children’s future by protecting their children’s education.
I wouldn’t have noticed it at all, except that they held a supposed “non-partisan” 2019 candidate forum at my elementary school that included inflammatory framing in terms of boundaries, equity, and busing (note the correct spelling is “busing” not bussing as was used in their alarmist video, because “bussing” is something completely different). I was confused at the time, but others were not, per local social media flame wars. It was u-g-l-y and neighbors were fighting neighbors. Watching this unfold on social media clued me into the less savory political undercurrents of Fairfax County. As a result, the 2019 event at Mantua ES was solely a republican candidate campaign forum. All of those candidates failed at the ballot box in November, mostly because of their reliance on culture war issues and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric.
The ugliness of this race spurred me to donate to a school board candidate for the first time–in reaction to at-large candidate Vinson Palathingal referring to Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) as a “silly thing.” Thus, I donated special education advocate Rachna Sizemore-Heizer running against him. Why? Because there was no way in heck that I was going to vote for someone who discounted my child’s learning disability. But, I digress….
In the middle of all of this chaos, the FCSB was trying to complete the work that they begin in 2018 when they initiated discussions based in part by the Facilities Planning Advisory Council (FPAC) annual report (see page 10, recommendation 23) when FPAC requested an updated charge for 2018-19 to include, “FPAC work with staff to recommend changes to the boundary policies and processes.”
The FCSB held four work sessions to discuss and review boundary policy from 2018-2019 for a variety of reasons, including: overcrowding, over-reliance on trailers, continued growth, inadequate bond funding for renovations, planned growth, demand for pre-K classrooms, and a failure in more than thirty years to have a comprehensive review of policy 8130. Additionally, it was felt that the expedited process added to the regulation in 2015 was a “less than transparent approach.” The 7/22/2019 work session involved the organized protest described above and an associated disinformation campaign, which likely forced the creation of this fact sheet.
Of course, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and FCSB continued their work even after the election of a new school board, including holding three community meetings in 2019, facilitated by MGT Consulting Group (MGT), an education consulting firm who shared information and a boundary policy presentation while collecting community input.
On December 4, 2021, MGT provided the FCSB a series of reports at a school board work session, including Boundary Policy Best Practices Review Report, Boundary Study Report, Boundary Study Supplemental Materials. Likely, these are materials that have influenced current boundary policy discussions.
On February 13, 2024, the FCSB held a public forum to update and align the boundary policy with the new strategic goals of safety, support, and equitable opportunity.
All in all, I’m glad that the current FCSB is trying to avoid piecemeal, disruptive boundary changes through financial, capacity, and growth lenses. One of the biggest suggested changes in Policy 8130 is to do boundary reviews for the county, on a 5-year interval which means that the FCSB would get a better picture of all communities and communities like Glasgow MS wouldn’t have to beg for and be denied a boundary study.
Since boundary changes are often called the “third rail” of education policy, it is not surprising that it has taken this long. Speaking of “long” here is a “brief” history of FCPS boundary changes in the last 20 years.
Attendance Zone Changes in the last 20 Years
I know of seven significant boundary changes in the last 20 years; however, I’m sure there have been others. When reading these summaries, be aware that there are real families, students, and schools behind these events–there is no way to capture their stories in such a brief format.
Because this is my blog, I will start with my own kids’ school, Woodson High School (HS), to explain the “barbell.” By starting with my kids’ school, I am also making a point about boundary change discussions: we care the most about our own kids and typically know the most about our zoned schools.
The idea that people mostly care about their kids and only know their own school is the primary theme that has run through every attendance zone change in history and will likely continue in the future. This commonality can build strength in advocacy, but it can also be a trap leading one to only think of one’s own child (i.e., the “not my kid” phenomenon), if one:
Fails to understand other communities or schools outside of one’s own school zone.
Fears or has distaste for another school or community.
Does not look to original sources for information.
Refuses to understand that change is inevitable, and it will affect each of us.
I will do my best to cover the last 20 years, but I’m sure that I will have missed some boundary changes. Also, I’ve found some older Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) (2016, 2017, 2019), which may reveal more information about boundaries, but there are not enough hours in the day for me to read several hundred more pages of capital improvement data, but some of you may be interested.
Woodson HS “Barbell”
McLean HS Decades of Overcrowding
Justice Pyramid Elementary Boundary Changes
Southwestern Fairfax Adjustments and the Closure of Clifton ES
Eagle View ES Opens
West Springfield and Lewis HS Boundary Discussions
Change is Constant so Why would Boundaries be Different
One thing I’ve learned in my five decades is that change is constant. Nothing highlights that as much as a large suburban school district like Fairfax County.
In the 1980s, I played in creeks that are now filled with McMansions instead of water. The Shakey’s pizza that we went to in high school after football games is now a karaoke bar. The movie theater at Heritage shopping center where I saw The Breakfast Club is long gone. Although I may mourn these memories, they remind me that change is inevitable and important.
Developments are built. Companies move in. Remaining open space is infilled. Older developments become filled with older people, until younger people with children move in. In some ways, this change is the cycle of life, but in others, it is a sign of a healthy county with an ever-expanding economy and millions of opportunities.
Boundary changes in the last 20 years have amended the failures of the previous decades where little thought was given to the impact on families and students when schools were closed or reassigned. Ask me how I know…or better yet, ask my parents because they are still mad nearly four decades later.
In this century, FCPS tries to give options that recognize the needs of different communities and work to slowly phase change to prevent harm and disruption, as much as possible. They try to minimize disruption and calculate exactly how many students will be affected during each year of phasing. This is an uncomfortable and often contentious process, but it must happen in a county with hundreds of buildings, 180,000 students, and limited funds for capital improvement.
However, one thing our county has failed to do is update policy 8130 to reduce the number of “one-off” boundary changes. This current FCSB recognizes that and has expounded on the need for comprehensive policy change to solve that problem. The FCSB is not advocating for comprehensive boundary changes, just policy changes to ensure that we have school boundaries that best serve the community in this century.
Another thing I’ve learned as both a former kid and current adult is that kids are resilient, particularly if their families show them the way. Every year, Fairfax is filled with newly relocated immigrants and military families, along with others who come for great opportunities and a stellar public school district. Joining our school system is a change for each of them, but their families, teachers, and communities show them the way. They make memories of the change, but if we work together, we can avoid long term disappointment or trauma.
Decades later, I still remember kindergarten orientation. I remember the teacher showing us where we could nap in a comfy, dark, quiet space. I remember the rocking horses, book nooks, and free play areas. I also remember being completely shocked on the my day of elementary school when I arrived in a first grade classroom filled with desks, with no toys or rocking horses, because I had tested out of kindergarten.
I remember my feelings that first day of school seeing uninviting desks, but as an adult, I know that it was a sliding doors moment for me where I met lifelong friends in that first grade class, once my shock wore off. Being moved ahead a year placed me with people who have been my friends for life. Change can be scary, but it can also be filled with opportunity. I would love to know what each of the students experienced or learned through their change over the years in FCPS.
Please consider approaching an updated boundary policy 8130 with an open mind. Choose to look at primary sources for information, instead of listening to pundits or closed social groups with an agenda. Doing so can help you understand why change may be necessary and how to guide your family and community while living in this vibrant ever-changing community of Fairfax County.
Please consider signing up to speak at the next school board meeting (on July 18th) to share your views on this subject (or any subject because the Summer can be slow) by signing up here between Friday and Tuesday before the meeting.
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