FCPS recommends keeping Bren Mar Park ES students at Edison

Fairfax County Public Schools is recommending Bren Mar Park Elementary School students continue to go to Holmes Middle School and Edison High School.

Under this proposal, BMP students who live northwest of Interstate-395 could choose to attend Annandale High School, but families would have to provide their own transportation.

The school board is scheduled to hold a hearing and approve a final boundary decision for BMP in January.

In September, FCPS presented four scenarios to the BMP community that either assign students to Edison, or Annandale, or both.

Related story: New boundary options proposed for Bren Mar Park ES

At the final Bren Mar Park Feeder Schools Boundary Study community meeting on Nov. 9, staff told families they are recommending Scenario 3B, which retains BMP students at Edison, with an option to attend Annandale.

“I am in full support of this scenario as I believe it addresses the two most essential concerns raised by the Bren Mar Park community,” said School Board Member Ricardy Anderson (Mason).

“Scenario 3B honors community feedback to remain at Edison HS and provides an avenue for students/families residing northwest of I-395 to self-select relocation to Annandale HS,” Anderson said. “Additional merits of Scenario 3B include avoiding the creation of capacity issues at Annandale HS and the creation of a split feeder at Bren Mar Park as is the case with the other scenarios.” 

Related story: Bren Mar Park ES community excluded from FCPS boundary discussions

Previous FCPS boundary adjustment proposals that called for BMP students to go Key Middle School and Lewis High School had been dropped earlier this year. Parents had opposed that option and had also complained that it had come up at the last minute with no opportunities for discussion.