Schools

School Officials to Consider Moving Students from Fairfax, Lanier to Other Schools

Two-part process will attempt to solve overcrowding at Fairfax City's middle and high schools.

Fairfax County School Board members agreed Monday afternoon to consider moving county students to schools outside Fairfax City to relieve overcrowding at and . 

FCPS' two-part process will include a scope study, to identify which schools may be impacted in the attempt to alleviate overcrowding, and a boundary study, to determine how many students will be moved to different schools.

Though Fairfax City school officials warn the current crowding issue at both schools is urgent, county officials don't expect any relief until the 2014-2015 school year.

Find out what's happening in Fairfax Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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.

Dean Tistadt, FCPS' chief operating officer and head of facilities and transportation services, recommended a longer, thoughtful approach that would rely on upcoming enrollment numbers, talks with cluster superintendents and principals, and community outreach.

Find out what's happening in Fairfax Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"As much as I recognize the legit urgency of the City of Fairfax School Board, I think speeding it up would not do the Fairfax County School Board well," Tistadt said to county school officials during a joint meeting Monday. "Only county students would be moved [from city schools], not city students. These are your constituents."

The boundary study will consider moving some county students assigned to FHS and Lanier to schools outside the city limits, like Woodson, Robinson and Oakton high schools. Centreville, Chantilly and Falls Church may provide additional options.

Fairfax City Superintendent Peter Noonan and Fairfax High School Principal Dave Goldfarb declined an invitation to address the county school board. County school board member Megan McLaughlin emphasized the need to work closely with city school officials in addressing the overcrowding issue at city schools.

"It is very important to us that a readjustment process does not risk dividing our strong FHS community," Goldfarb said in a weekly FHS email. "As we often say at our school, all of our students are all of our students are all of our students. We are a family, and we are stronger because of it. As this process proceeds, we will continue to provide you with information as well as opportunities about how to participate in this process."

The FHS and Lanier problems are just a small piece of an overarching overcrowding problem in Fairfax County. Tistadt counted off a long list of schools with similar enrollment issues. He spoke of FCPS' need for a new high school, a solution to the overcrowding issue that would take at the earliest five years to plan out and construct. 

School board member Elizabeth Schultz warned that FCPS' overcrowding issue would continue to be a problem until a long-term solution, like building a new high school, is put in place. 

"If we're not expanding, all of this is a band aid," she said.

The enrollment numbers for Fairfax City schools pose an ongoing problem. School officials expect overcrowding to get worse with every school year.

Want a closer look? Check out these 2017 enrollment projections:

Fairfax High School

  • 2012-2013 capacity: 2,402
  • 2012-2013 projected enrollment: 2,712
  • 2012-2013 building utilization: 113%
  • 2017 projected enrollment: 3,011
  • 2017 projected building utilization: 125%

Lanier Middle School

  • 2012-2013 capacity: 1,253
  • 2012-2013 projected enrollment: 1,241
  • 2012-2013 building utilization: 99%
  • 2017 projected enrollment: 1,421
  • 2017 projected building utilization: 113%


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