Controversial boundary change approved
By Claire Compton
The School Board voted 10-2 to approve a boundary adjustment that will affect South Lakes, Oakton, Chantilly, Madison and Westfield high schools.
Additionally, it will affect Thoreau and Langston Hughes middle schools, and Wolftrap and Sunrise Valley elementary schools in a move that will eliminate the Madison High School attendance island.
At-large members Tina Hone and Jim Raney voted against the boundary adjustment.
The board also voted 11-0-1 to approve a boundary adjustment for the Springfield Estates and Forestdale elementary schools. Hone abstained.
The plan approved will redistrict 139 students from Oakton High School, 18 from Madison High School and 69 students from Westfield High School into South Lakes High School in the 2008-2009 school year.
South Lakes will have 1,615 students next year, up from this year's 1,427. By the 2012-13 year that number will swell to 2,056.
The board member who has borne the brunt of criticism from various citizen groups and parents protesting the redistricting has been Stu Gibson, whose district encompasses South Lakes High School.
Accusations of a politically-motivated, personal agenda to bring students into South Lakes were not uncommon during the process, and Gibson addressed that allegation among others at the board's vote.
“We're a body, we act as a body, we decided last July we needed to address the overcrowding at Westfield and Chantilly and put more students at South Lakes,” he said.
In the wake of the decision, the largest of the citizen groups opposed to the boundary changes, Fairfax County Coalition of Advocates for Public Schools, continues to accept pledges of donations through its web site for its legal fund.
The form's disclaimer states that “pledges made here will only be used in the event of a lawsuit against Fairfax County School Board.”
Founder Nick Pesce told The Times on Feb. 25 that the group would have thirty days to file a lawsuit after a decision.
FairfaxCAPS Communications Committee member Scott Chronister would not disclose the amount the group has raised for the legal fund, but said the group is considering options.
“We're looking at what the best way is to try to ensure Fairfax County Public Schools be held accountable for their actions,” he said. “This could include legal action and it will most definitely include non-legal activities.”
FairfaxCAPS are opposing what they called a flawed process, study and decision. Chronister said the group will continue as a watchdog for the School Board.
“They are not working for the educational benefit of the kids in our county,” he said.
Chronister, who lives in a Fox Mill neighborhood that has been redistricted into South Lakes from Oakton, has a “vested interest” with children in 10th grade, sixth grade, second grade and two-year-old twins.
His sixth-grader will be his first child to possibly attend South Lakes, since the boundary changes grandfather current high school students.
At the core of the fight is setting a good example for his kids, Chronister said.
“We teach our kids they should not allow themselves to be bullied on the school yard. I don't think we as parents should be allowed to be bullied by the School Board,” he said.