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The Dunne Dispatch (School Boundaries, Part 6) - 06/30/2025
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I will be holding a community meeting on Monday, June 30 @ 7 PM at Whitman MS to discuss the proposed expansion of the Mount Vernon HS boundaries to include the neighborhoods adjacent to and around Whitman MS. This change would transfer some students from Hollin Meadows ES and Stratford Landing ES to Riverside ES, from Sandburg MS to Whitman MS, and from West Potomac HS to Mount Vernon HS. Register here to participate.
Constituents in the Candlewood Drive, Hollin Brook, Hollin Hills, Hollin Meadows, and Williamsburg Manor North communities have expressed their universal opposition to the proposed boundary adjustment. Accordingly, I have recommended to the Superintendent that if FCPS proceeds with the boundary adjustment, I believe these communities should be excluded from the scope. If my recommendation is accepted, I believe these communities would remain within the West Potomac HS pyramid, without any changes to their base schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
As a School Board Member, I do not draw the boundary lines. The Superintendent is leading the Comprehensive School Boundary Review, and she will prepare a final package of boundary adjustments for review and approval by the School Board. I will have the opportunity to vote on the final package in January 2026. In the interim, I am focused on educating my constituents about the Comprehensive School Boundary Review and how to ensure their voices are heard. I published newsletters on the Comprehensive School Boundary Review on October 16, October 30, November 6, January 23, and May 27, and I have made over 30 presentations on school boundaries to diverse audiences and organizations, to include the Hollin Meadows PTA, Stratford Landing PTA, Whitman MS PTSA, and the Mount Vernon Council of Citizens Associations.
FCPS expects to publish detailed maps and hold community meetings in October 2025. I expect the detailed maps to be significantly different than the initial scenarios published in May 2025. The Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee (BRAC) did not have the opportunity to provide input on the initial scenarios before their publication. I think that was a mistake. I hope the BRAC will have the opportunity to provide input on the detailed maps before they are published in October 2025. In addition, I hope the Superintendent will consult with principals to solicit their input on the detailed maps before their publication. In general, principals are very knowledgeable about their communities and can provide critical input on potential issues, which can avoid potential debacles.
At this point, it is uncertain whether FCPS will proceed with the boundary expansion for Whitman MS. If FCPS proceeds with the boundary adjustment, I will advocate for the boundary adjustment to align with the priority factors in Policy 8130 and the strong preferences of the affected communities.
Very respectfully,
 Mateo Dunne, Mount Vernon District Representative
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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