FCPS considers boundary adjustment for Parklawn ES
The Parklawn Elementary School community came together Dec. 11 to hear Fairfax County Public School’s plans for a boundary study to relieve overcrowding.
Parklawn has 936 students. It’s at 96 percent of program capacity and has 19 temporary classrooms and 10 modular classrooms. If the modulars aren’t counted, it would be at 134 percent of capacity.
By the 2028-29 school year, Parklawn is projected to have 1,092 students, which would be more than any other nearby elementary school. The school enrolled 225 new students since 2021, as a surge of families moved to the area from Afghanistan.
The schools adjacent to the Parklawn attendance area are Glen Forest, Bailey’s, Belvedere, Columbia, and Weyanoke. Columbia, with just 432 students, has the most current and projected capacity. It’s currently at 87 percent and is projected to be at 82 percent in 2028.
The Parklawn boundary study is separate from the ongoing FCPS district-wide boundary study, which is looking at all county schools. That study is scheduled to wrap up in January 2026.
Related story: Parents weigh priorities for FCPS boundary study
According to Megan Vroman, FCPS assistant superintendent for Region 2, a phased-in boundary adjustment for Parklawn could take effect as early as the start of the 2025-26 school year – if it’s approved by the school board.
If the Parklawn study results in changing the school’s attendance area, the boundary could be changed again following the district-wide study. However, that study could take Parklawn’s new boundary into account.
On the other hand, the school board might decide not to change Parklawn’s boundaries until the larger study is approved.
Community members can submit comments on the Parklawn boundary study through Dec. 27.
5 responses to “FCPS considers boundary adjustment for Parklawn ES”
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Parklawn is no longer a neighborhood school; it’s now a warehouse for children w 29 warehouse like mobile buildings and that is irresponsible education planning or lack there of!
FCPS should be taken to court for failing to educate OUR children in an environment that is conducive to learning.
Planning for a Presidential decision to abruptly pullout from war torn country (Afghanistan), or consequences of living in the one of the overwhelmingly generous nations on immigration from the Western Hemisphere and around the world – Or can you? FCPS and the BOS could look at socioeconomic trends in neighborhoods, as well as the quality-age-property tax assessment, plus composition of housing types, to determine where more affordable (cheaper) housing is concentrated (or where the density of households could make cost cheaper). All of these variables inform where larger families with children will concentrate, necessarily driving school population growth and needs for learning English as a secondary language sooner to meet state standards for accreditation. However moving resources to meet these needs and providing significantly different levels of funding among countywide schools is not on the table for discussion. Rather it seems adjusting countywide boundaries are, with a possible aim of balancing the socioeconomic and native English speaking student population with others is the direction being taken. Why take the Public School Board to court, that takes more money away from any need or solution. If you do anything abolish the school board and merge the resources and responsibilities into the Fairfax Board of Supervisors that are now well paid and needs to be holding all county government accountable and themselves accountable to the public. Those cost efficient and responsible government structures will do more than a misguided lawsuit. I’m not holding my breath for positive change- it’s against to many peoples vested interests. Until schools no longer have or meet accreditation.
Ditto
The problem with your solution is that nothing will change. And that is why I’m suggesting court action to force a change, whether it’s in the restructuring of the local government or a financial penalty for not restructuring; but as it stands today, what we have doesn’t work.
This “school” is a disgrace.
The Californication of the U.S. is well underway.