School Board OKs Study to Move Students Out of Fairfax, Lanier

Fairfax County School Board officials voted unanimously Thursday night to move ahead with a boundary study that looks to relocate county students attending Lanier Middle and Fairfax High School in an effort to solve Fairfax City overcrowding.

Sixty-five percent of students attending city schools live in Fairfax County, according to a scope study conducted this fall.

For that reason, they're a large part of what is putting city schools over enrollment.

This year, FHS is over capacity by about 300 students; Lanier isn't far behind, with projections showing enrollment only about 10 students under capacity.

The scope revealed FHS would be 600 students over capacity by 2017.

The board met with city schools officials in September to start discussions about possible solutions to that overcrowding; on Thursday, it voted to explore a boundary change that would move about 300 FHS and 150 LMS students.

Possible destinations include: 

• 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

Only Fairfax County students at FHS and LMS would be affected. Any enrollment changes won't be made until the 2014-15 school year.

Fairfax City Superintendent Peter Noonan expressed his appreciation for the work put into the boundary issue after the school board vote.

"While there are no assurances that this will be a long-term solution given the recent growth across the entire county, it goes a long way, particularly when we review the out-year projections, to resolve the overcrowding issues at the city secondary schools," Noonan said.

FCPS School Board Member Elizabeth Schultz (Springfield) said "Fairfax City residents paid for the renovations to expand that high school, giving it more room than they thought they would ever need. They paid the bond to renovate itand we have filled it up way past the capacity. It's not their 600 students, it's our 600 students. So it's incumbent on us to provide relief."

School officials met with the public at several meetings in the fall. The next step? Schools officials will meet with the public in February and implement changes in fall 2014.

Upcoming public meetings on this issue:

• Feb. 19: Oakton High School (snow date is March 7)
• Feb. 20: Lanier Middle School (snow date is Feb. 27)
• Feb. 26: Woodson High School (snow date is March 6)