MSNV School Growth FAQ's
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1. Why is MSNV expanding?
Our expansion plans arise from a desire to provide the best education we can for the children.. In addition to providing a large number of families interested in our pre-primary (2-3 year olds) and primary (age 3-6 year olds) program, MSNV is striving to meet the needs of the growing community of families who are interested in a quality Montessori program for their older elementary age children as well. Expansion will fulfill the school’s vision of operating a full-scale Montessori program in Northern Virginia through the Sixth grade.
The original County approval in 1967 limited MSNV to an enrollment of 150 students. In 1990, we renegotiated with the neighbors to lower our enrollment to 135 children in exchange for the right to expand our hours of operation. It is important to note that Fairfax County has experienced tremendous growth during the past 40 years. During this time, MSNV’s enrollment was reduced by 10%. We believe that a modest increase in student enrollment is a reasonable request after 40 years.
2. What expansion plans are being considered?
MSNV’s expansion plans are limited by our financial situation. The school is a non-profit organization, and does not have an endowment or large sum of money available for expansion. MSNV originally sought to expand the current site at Hillbrook, with the expectation that this would be the most financially viable, and most desirable, option. Our architect drew up plans for additional space that would have enabled us to accommodate upper elementary children.
When MSNV met with the Hillbrook neighbors in March of 2006 to review our expansion plans, serious concerns were raised about the increased number of children we would have on the site and increased traffic through the neighborhood. It became clear that the Hillbrook community would not accept the full expansion at Hillbrook that MSNV was seeking. We then undertook a yearlong search for a new site for an expanded MSNV. However, given our limited financial resources, the lack of large properties in the area, and real estate pricing in Fairfax County, MSNV determined that acquiring a new site large enough to contain the expanded school was beyond our means. We then considered purchasing a smaller second site, and using this site together with Hillbrook to accommodate our expansion plans. While having the school at one site would be the most optimal arrangement, having a dual-campus strikes an important balance between meeting the needs of our school and the concerns of the Hillbrook and Valleybrook communities.
Since Fall of 2006, MSNV has been exploring the purchase of Valleybrook School, a small property nearby in Falls Church. After much research, in May of 2007 the MSNV Board of Trustees approved the purchase of Valleybrook. MSNV is contractually bound to purchase the Valleybrook site; however, the purchase is contingent upon approval of a separate Special Exception (SE) application required by the County because of the change in ownership. The SE process can be lengthy - up to 24 months. We will be submitting our SE application in August of 2007. Ideally, MSNV will be able to launch operations at Valleybrook in the Fall of 2008.
Recognizing that we must work with what we have, we believe the compromise solution of splitting our program between two sites reduces the impact of the growth on our neighbors while still allowing us to improve the educational opportunities for our children. By adding a second site we are able to reach our goal of providing a full elementary Montessori program with minimal changes to the existing Hillbrook campus and by designing a model building at Valleybrook.
3. Why does MSNV need to apply for Special Exceptions?
The Special Exception process is required for any private school operating in a residentially zoned area. It is through a Special Exception application that we ask the County to permit changes in operating procedures, physical structures, and capacity. Furthermore, the SE process for the Valleybrook site is required due to the change in ownership.
The requests we are making in our SE applications are based on a 10-year projection, and will allow for flexibility in planning. This flexibility is necessary considering our plans to have two campuses and given the uncertainty of what the County will allow at each site.
4. What are the Special Exceptions that MSNV is applying for?
The requests we are making in our SE applications are based on a 10-year projection and are being made to allow for flexibility in planning. This flexibility is necessary considering our dual campuses and given the uncertainty of what the County will allow at each site.
In the Hillbrook SE application, we are asking to expand enrollment from 135 to 179 children. This is only 29 children more than our original approved enrollment ceiling of 150 students. In the next couple of years, we will pursue a modest physical expansion to allow for increased height in a multi-purpose room (created mainly from space within our existing footprint). The SE will also allow for the possible addition of two classrooms for future use, if and when we reach our maximum number of 179 children. The plans call for us to minimize the environmental impact of any changes, and to that end we are exploring the possibility of adding a green roof to a portion of the existing building.
In addition to physical and capacity changes, the Hillbrook SE application will include a request for modified development conditions, including permission to enroll children from ages 18 months through 8th grade. Our immediate plans include one classroom of 4th through 6th graders and do not include the addition of a 7th/8th grade class. It is also important to note that the Montessori philosophy combines multiple grade levels into one classroom. In adding 4th through 6th grades, we are actually adding only one classroom at this time. If MSNV ever added a 7th and 8th grade, this would likely be only one classroom of students. These changes, if all undertaken, would be implemented in phases.
At Valleybrook, we are asking for an age range of 18 months to 8th grade, a maximum student body of 150, flexibility in meeting times and dates, and the ability to add to the existing building footprint to accommodate our specific Montessori classroom configurations. We are also considering a few environmentally conscience approaches to storm water management on the Valleybrook site including a green roof and a pervious surface in the parking areas in which such a surface is allowed. by county standards.
5. When will the expansion be completed? Will it be phased? Which class will be the first to benefit from it?
Expanding our school on the two sites will take place in phases over the next few years. It is our hope that, pending acceptance of our Special Exception at both sites, we can complete the purchase of Valleybrook and begin construction next summer (Summer of 2008). By doing so, we will be able to begin operating a two-campus scenario in the Fall 2008.
6. What steps does MSNV take to help ensure that drivers to the school are safe and courteous?
As part of a condition of enrollment of their children at MSNV all parents, guardians, and other caregivers responsible for transporting students to and from MSNV must sign an agreement to abide by the MSNV “Standards of Driving Conduct” both on the grounds and in the neighborhood. The standards for driving in the neighborhood are:
- Drive 25 mph
- Come to a full stop at all stop signs (no rolling stop)
- Do not block driveways or intersections while in carpool line (allow a minimum of 10 feet around driveways)
- Use extreme caution around pedestrians
- Obey school bus laws
- When possible, stop and allow neighbors to back out of their driveways
7. How has MSNV worked to improve traffic?
The school has established a traffic committee to improve traffic and address any compliance issues. Most recently the traffic committee has streamlined the carpool procedure, increased the number of families carpooling to the school, posted reminder “Drive 25” signs in the neighborhood, purchased “little green men” reminders for neighbors to display, and held several traffic forums with the neighborhood to discuss traffic concerns. As well, MSNV’s weekly newsletter more frequently than not includes traffic reminders as a means of informing our parent body.
8a. How will the proposed changes to the Hillbrook SE affect traffic?
Assuming that our Special Exception applications are approved, the first phases of the expansion plans will likely reduce the number of car trips through the Hillbrook neighborhood. This is because the school plans on housing fewer, but predominantly older, students at the Hillbrook site. The majority of the preschool-aged children would attend the Valleybrook site.
Although future plans may entail an increase of students at the Hillbrook site, MSNV has no immediate plans to increase enrollment at Hillbrook because it is directing its financial resources to the renovation of the Valleybrook site. However, should enrollment needs and financial resources allow for growth at the Hillbrook site, MSNV will take steps to mitigate the traffic impact on the Hillbrook neighborhood. Toward that end, MSNV has hired a professional traffic consultant to make a detailed study of the traffic volume and patterns surrounding the school and propose ways to mitigate the additional traffic should enrollment be increased at this site. The traffic study will take place when both MSNV and Poe Middle School are in session. If necessary due to timing, the traffic consultant’s report will be submitted as a supplement to the SE application.
8b. How will the proposed changes to the Valleybrook SE affect traffic?
The majority of MSNV parents use the carpool procedure offered by the school to drop-off and pick-up students directly at the front door of the school. MSNV anticipates that this door-to-door procedure will greatly improve the flow of traffic in and around the Valleybrook school. To facilitate this procedure MSNV’s architect has designed a new driveway to maximize the number of cars that can pull-up, unload, and load their children at the door. This will allow the carpool line to flow smoothly through the school lot with minimal queuing and no need for parking on the street during a normal school day.
In an effort to identify further improvements, MSNV has also hired a traffic consultant. Based on data collected and observations made at key intersections surrounding the school, the traffic consultant will make specific recommendations to improve traffic flow and mitigate the impact of the proposed expansion. As part of the study, the consultant will also consider factors such as the anticipated routes taken by parents, peak travel times through the neighborhood, and the efficacy of staggered start times. Because the traffic consultant cannot take accurate traffic counts until Beechtree Elementary and Valleybrook are in session, the consultant’s report will be submitted as a supplement to the application in the Fall 2007.
9. What were the findings of the 2007 Hillbrook NuMetrics Traffic Analyzer study?
At the request of our Hillbrook/Tall Oaks neighbors, MSNV traffic was analyzed at two intersections in the neighborhood (Kingston/Pacific and Conti/Dodson) by a traffic consulting group, NuMetrics Traffic. The study shows that although there was more traffic when MSNV was in session, this traffic traveled at slower speeds. Here are two graphs illustrating the data:
As part of the upcoming traffic study, the traffic consultant will collect more detailed counts of the traffic generated by MSNV and provide further analysis of the NuMetrics data.
10. Has MSNV ever considered using a bus service?
In the mid-1980s through the early 1990s, MSNV operated a door-to-door bus service as a convenience for parents. However, given that our students were spread over a large geographic area, a door-to-door route was not efficient. Additionally, because most of MSNV’s students are between the ages of 2 and 4, the loading, unloading, and safe transport of these young children poses special safety concerns that makes routine busing difficult. As an alternative to a bus route, MNSV encourages its families to carpool. Carpools have been an effective and efficient means of reducing trips through the neighborhood and have provided safe, reliable transportation for all our children, most of whom are still in car seats. In the 2006/2007 school year many MSNV families carpooled and brought at least two children to school each day, thereby reducing the number of trips through the neighborhood on a regular basis.
11. Which classes will be at the Hillbrook campus? The Valleybrook campus?
Our current plans include housing the lower (1st through 3rd grade) and upper elementary (4th through 6th grade) classes, as well as two primary (3 years old through Kindergarten) classes, at the Hillbrook site and the pre-primary (age 2) and primary classes at the Valleybrook site. After extensive work with our architects and the School Growth Committee, this plan optimizes the current spaces both educationally and financially. Yet, ultimately the final plans will be determined by what the County grants us in the Special Exception process.
12. Will there be enough play space for the children at each campus?
Yes. Our site plans are designed to meet all playground square footage requirements at both campuses.
13. Did MSNV ever promise the Hillbrook/Tall Oaks neighbors never to expand at this site?
No. After our last Special Exception Application in 1993, where modest changes were made to the operation of the school, MSNV did write a letter to the community that stated that any future growth would consider the needs of the neighbors. The letter also maintained that we “have no plans to alter the operation of the school in any way that would disrupt the residential character of the Hillbrook/Tall Oaks community.” In addition, the letter addressed MSNV’s “hope that our successors will work cooperatively and sensitively with members of your community to address whatever concerns and hardships might arise.” We are happy to provide a copy of this letter to anyone who requests one.
