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Mason District Community,
As of last Friday, on behalf of the division, the consultant from Thru Consulting completed the second set of boundary community meetings. During these sessions, the following were discussed (view slide presentation):
- Timeline
- Boundary Priorities
- Access to Programming
- Proximity
- Enrollment/Capacity
- Transportation
- Community Feedback:
- Align with School Board Policy 8130
- Maintain Neighborhood Groupings
- Minimize Disruption
- Prioritize Multi-Benefit Fixes
- Promote Long-Term Sustainability
- Respect Capacity Thresholds
Most importantly, several scenarios were presented for feedback:
Scenario 1 – Neighborhood connectivity: This focus addresses attendance islands and schools outside of the zones.
Mason District Impact: Bailey’s Upper Elementary School
Scenario 2 – Cohort Continuity: This focus addresses split feeders. Schools that send fewer than 25% of students to a different upper level school were prioritized.
Mason District Impact: Columbia Elementary, Mason Crest Elementary, Parklawn Elementary, Holmes Middle School
Scenario 3 – Comprehensive Balance: This focus addresses capacity ranges to identify the level of capacity at FCPS schools and are described below:
| •115% or More: Substantial capacity deficit. |
| •105%-114%: Moderate capacity deficit. |
| •95%-104%: Approaching a capacity deficit or having a slight capacity deficit. |
| •85%-94%: Sufficient capacity for current programs and future growth. |
| •Less than 85%: Capacity surplus. |
Mason District Impact: Weyanoke Elementary
Lastly, below is a list of schools impacted ONLY due to other proposed boundary adjustments:
| Elementary Schools: |
Middle Schools: |
| Annandale Terrace |
Glasgow |
| Bailey's Primary |
Luther Jackson |
| Beech Tree |
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| Belvedere |
High Schools: |
| Bren Mar Park |
Annandale |
| Glen Forest |
Falls Church |
| North Springfield |
Justice |
| Sleepy Hollow |
Woodson |
| Timber Lane |
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| Westlawn |
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Continuing Challenges
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Glasgow Middle: No relief under current scenarios. The three scenarios presented do not address the capacity challenges which have been long-standing community concerns at Glasgow Middle School. Some scenarios actually increase capacity instead of reducing.
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Baileys Upper Elementary: This is a magnet school located on Route 7. This prevents the opportunity for walking or biking. Addressing this out-of-boundary school resulted in other negative impacts. Furthermore, the position of this school has never been raised as a concern by the community.
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Bailey’s Elementary: Capacity decreased from 88% to 68% while Glen Forest ES increased from 86% to 98%. Please note these numbers are calculated to include the modular units (10 modular classrooms each at Bailey’s ES and Glen Forest ES).
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Parklawn Elementary: Identified as reduced from 99% to 89%. The calculation of this new capacity includes the 10 existing modular units.
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Capacity Data: Currently not reported to include data both with and without modular units.
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Bren Mar Park Elementary: Capacity increased from 94% to 104% but unsure whether this reflects current capacity or the projected renovated capacity.
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North Springfield Elementary: Capacity increased from 78% to 98%.
How Does This Impact My Student?
Use the Explorer Tool to identify changes for your address. When exploring the three scenarios presented, note that the scenarios are cumulative, meaning each one builds on the one before it. A short instructional video is available to assist with navigating the boundary tool.
My Advocacy
- Address Glasgow MS concerns as per the Board’s direction on July 18, 2024.
- Deprioritize Bailey’s Upper Elementary's out-of-boundary zone status.
- Increase transparency:
- request utilization information to include capacity data with and without modular units;
- request final scenarios to include school-level free/reduced meal data and transportation study analyses;
- request clarity on Board decision presentation. Will options across the division be delineated or presented as one plan?
- AAP Centers Impact
- Middle School Start Times Integration
- Phasing of High School and Middle School Students
Next Steps
Work Session
The School Board will be discussing the Boundary Review at next week's Work Session:
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
2:30 p.m.
Gatehouse Administration Center (8115 Gatehouse Rd., Falls Church)
The meeting will be broadcast live on Channel 99 (Verizon channel 11) and on the FCPS website. The meetings are recorded for future viewing and posted to the FCPS School Board YouTube channel.
Boundary Review Advisory Committee
The Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee (BRAC) will review refined scenarios and provide feedback on behalf of our community during their next few meetings. Share feedback with your pyramid BRAC representative:
Annandale Pyramid
AnnandalePyramidBRACrep@gmail.com
Lucas Castanos Jr.
Jacque Mosely
Falls Church Pyramid
FallsChurchBRACrep1@gmail.com
Lorena Katsantonis
Charla Ouertatani
Justice Pyramid
JusticePyramidBRAC@gmail.com
Aaron Alford
Ann-Marie Ward
Stay Informed
I value the input I receive from the Mason Community and am happy to address questions or concerns via email or phone. You can reach me by email at rjanderson@fcps.edu. If you are interested in scheduling a phone call, please reach out to my assistant, Cristy Coffey, at cmcoffey@fcps.edu to arrange a time.
Note: This newsletter contains links to translated versions of the content for your convenience. These translations are generated by Google Translate and are not intended to be a substitute for professional translation services.
The views contained within this newsletter reflect the views of the individual school board member who is the publisher of this newsletter and may not reflect the views of the Fairfax County School Board.
© Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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