In early May, the FCPS’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee (BRAC) released proposed boundary adjustments that would rezone Timber Lane Elementary School students—currently in the McLean High School pyramid—to Falls Church High School. The BRAC, which includes both community members and school staff, provides input on the process.
“Regardless of how the work is done, the community input and engagement is extremely important to make sure that the nuances of every community are reflected in the work that’s done,” school board member Karl Frisch said.
The rezoning process is part of FCPS’s efforts to address issues such as overcrowding and attendance islands, where students are assigned to schools far from their homes.
“There has not been a holistic review of the entire county’s [school] boundaries in nearly 40 years,” Frisch said. “We’re trying to make sure that we have proper placements, so that it’s fair across the county.”
Boundary proposals have raised concerns from some members of the community. Prior to May, the maps still had Timber Lane zoned for McLean, so the final proposal left many parents feeling blindsided.
“One of our biggest questions is, ‘What happened?’” community member Kelsey Thompson said.
In the Timber Lane neighborhood, a movement known as “Stop the Shift” is trying to prevent the changes from occurring.
“After they sent out the maps, I was like, ‘We need to organize and make as much noise about this as possible,’” Thompson said.
A key talking point of “Stop the Shift” is equitable access to resources. Timber
Lane is the only Title I elementary school in the McLean pyramid, while Falls Church already has five. Title I schools receive federal funding to support students from low-income families. By rezoning Timber Lane, Thompson fears the resources at Falls Church may be even more burdened.
“Falls Church High School has half the AP classes and half the clubs [of McLean],” Thompson said. “Looking at students that have IEPs and 504 plans, their resources are going to be stretched super thin.”
FCPS Chief Equity Officer Nardos King emphasizes that boundary changes will not decrease opportunities for students to thrive in their given high school.
“Whether you go to McLean or Falls Church, if you do what you’re supposed to do every day in school, you’re going to go to the college you want to go to,” King said.
As an alternative, some parents have suggested that Timber Lane students be shifted to the Marshall High School pyramid instead. Superintendent Michelle Reid and the BRAC are continuing to discuss the proposals while incorporating community feedback, but FCPS leadership is ultimately responsible for deciding on the final change.
“Making one change for one school necessitates making other changes,” Frisch said. “You have to ask yourself…whether fixing one issue here is going to have a ripple effect, and is that ripple effect worth it?”
Safety and transportation also present an issue. Moving Timber Lane students to Falls Church would eventually require students to cross two major roads, Route 50 and Route 29, each with posted speeds of 40 to 45 miles per hour.
“My kids [do] a lot of the sports that are McLean sports,” Thompson said. “McLean is geographically closer for us. Falls Church High School, in terms of the driving time, is a lot farther away.”
Due to the distance, some are concerned with the impact the shift would have on already established relationships.
“If I had to go to Falls Church High School [after I went to Timber Lane], I would have to make new friends and connections after already doing that in the McLean area,” sophomore Amalia Torpy said.
According to Thompson, the Timber Lane neighborhood has been zoned to go to McLean for 40 years.
“Rezoning will break up a long tradition of us going [to McLean],” Thompson said. “A lot of us in this community have built up ties and connections.”
