Dear Superintendent Reid and Members of the School Board,
I’m writing to strongly oppose the proposed boundary change that would remove Timber Lane Elementary from the McLean High School pyramid. This change would sever a vital connection between a diverse, Title I elementary school and one of the top-performing high schools in Virginia—undermining FCPS’s stated commitment to equity and inclusion.
Timber Lane is the only Title I school currently aligned to McLean, offering students—many of whom are economically disadvantaged and Hispanic—a rare pathway to high-quality academics, extracurriculars, and college preparation. Reassigning these students to lower-performing schools not only reinforces socio-economic isolation but also sends a troubling message about who is welcome in our most resourced schools.
This is not just about geography. Timber Lane families have longstanding ties to the McLean community, and proposed alternatives would require more complex, less safe commutes across major highways. Moreover, the optics of replacing Timber Lane’s Title I population with a non-Title I segment from Shrevewood Elementary are deeply concerning—and suggest that equity is being deprioritized in favor of affluence.
If FCPS truly believes in equitable access and inclusive excellence, it must preserve Timber Lane’s place in the McLean pyramid. Anything less would signal a retreat from the values our schools are meant to stand for.