FCPS Recommends Schools for FHS Student Relocation

Fairfax County Public Schools staff suggested Thursday night that school board officials consider relocating county students at Fairfax High School and Lanier Middle School to surrounding schools in order to ease an overpopulation problem.

About 300 county students from FHS and 150 from LMS will be effected by the relocation. Fairfax City students will remain in city schools.

According to staff recommendations, the boundary study will look at moving students from FHS and LMS to:

• Robinson Secondary School
• Woodson High School and Frost Middle School
• Oakton High School and Franklin Middle School
• Chantilly High School and Rocky Run Middle School
• Falls Church High School and Jackson Middle School

Staff mentioned the possibility of moving students to Centreville High School as well in a school board meeting on Sept. 11. That option has been removed from the scope because Centreville is dealing with its own overcrowding dilemma.

Lake Braddock was considered and rejected as a potential school in this study due to an expected increase in enrollment there fed by a lab school program with George Mason University.

Jackson Middle School is included as a feeder school but probably won't be used to relocate FHS and LMS students since it also projects overcrowding issues in the near future.

These recommendations come after two months of meeting with parents and teachers.

During these meetings staff and officials heard concerns about the impact relocation will have on students, including:

• Grandfathering
• Lack or change in advanced academic programs at the other schools
• How changing feeder schools will affect students socially and academically

The 2012-2013 school year projections put enrollment at FHS over capacity by about 300 students. Lanier isn't far behind, with projections showing enrollment only about 10 students under capacity.

Changes won't be made until the 2014-15 school year.

Boundary study schedule:

• Jan. 14: Work session
• Jan. 24: Action
• Feb. 19: Community meeting at Oakton High School (snow date – March 7)
• Feb. 20: Community meeting at Lanier Middle School (snow date – Feb. 27)
• Feb. 26: Community meeting at Woodson High School (snow date – March 6)
• April 4: New business
• April 17: Public hearing
• Date to be determined: Work session
• May 9: Action 

Check Patch for more information as it becomes available.

Information provided by FCPS.