Where have you been “pleasegetreal”? Maybe if you said this a month earlier, we would have chanced our mind to pursue legal action!!!

Just give you a little update: the case has been opened.

Please get real…..no offense but you sound very uneducated about this whole situation.  Period.

People - Please Get Real !

ALL the plans (but for one) called for partitioning PS. I repeat… ALL the plans (but for one) called for partitioning PS - what changed was that instead of partitioning the section with big houses, they partitioned off the section with town houses. I would ask the PS honcho’s what deal they cut with who, to keep the houses and let the TH’s go?

I could go on and on too….But is all this worth it now? Threatening legal action? All these conspiracy theories? All this rehashing of the past rezoning activities? Name calling?

Do ya’ll really want to open this can of worms, and subject the area schools, parents and kids to months of potential uncertainty? Would a few disgruntled parents, subject the whole community to this? Seriously?

Why can’t we all move forward, and try to make our schools better? People, this is not SE DC, this is Leesburg and all schools are and can be equally good.

Bergel now is the biggest embarrassment for LCPS board!

Bergel, If I were you, I wouldn’t just walk out of a meeting, I’d walk away from the board position!

Thank you for your support “another sympathetic outsider”.  It is appreciated more than you know.  However,  we have a feeling that the current school board may just be deleting any emails referencing rezoning or cl19 etc….so it would probably be better if concerned constituents called the school board members instead.  Thank you again!

@ Skins Fan Loudoun- You are incorrect. I am a former Balls Bluff parent and although we are satisfied with our boundary assignment, some of us are grimacing at the process and outcome. This isn’t sitting very well with me personally, as this whole debacle brings me back to the equally chaotic Sycolin Creek boundaries hearing years ago.

Regarding the Sycolin Creek opening—What the folks who are commenting about that effort fail to mention here is that the original staff plan for Sycolin Creek moved the Spring Lakes Community to Balls Bluff, which benefitted Tolbert by reducing overcrowding and of course, benefitted Balls Bluff by balancing our ELL/FML numbers. Throughout the entire process of hearings and plan modifications Spring Lakes was, in fact, headed to Balls Bluff, a decision they fought behind the scenes until the bitter end. And of course, at the 11th hour on the night of the vote and away from the public eye, it was somehow decided to keep Spring Lakes at Tolbert and BB boundaries “as is.” That decision was upheld several years later when the boundary discussion was again resurrected due to severe overcrowding at BB and other Leesburg elementary schools. I cannot help but believe if the overcrowding issues at Tolbert and FHR were upheld at that time, it wouldn’t have snowballed into the utter disaster that we Leesburg parents are now facing, which is a poorly located school that, although necessary, one wants to go to.

So, let it be known that similar to River Creek and Red Rocks, Spring Lakes does have an effective process in process/people in place to keep their community at the very school they themselves select. I am not going to submit to any “hear-say” as to why that is, but I do think the time has come to take legal action against LCPS in an effort to shed some light on the “behind the scenes” processes that render these boundaries hearings to completely useless spectacles of chaos that only serve to divide our Leesburg community.

I agree wholeheartedly transparency of process is the real issue here, and support the parents of CL19 in their efforts to rectify that. And yes, I emailed the entire School Board to make sure my voice was heard.

Bergel already stated publicly on the evening of the vote that she did not have time to meet with her constituents on the boundary process, i.e. her job, family, etc.  ( Somehow she and Reed made the time to make a deal with “the political consultant” of SL and RC.).  Now, last evening she proved once again she is unfit to serve on the board.  I fully support any action against Bergel that aims to remove her from the board. (You could also view video where she interrupts a speaker because she deems the speaker’s remarks inflammatory.  I assure you the speaker’s femarks were not inflammatory, but, rather, were quite sound and reasonable.) If Ms. Bergel has any credibility, then she needs to put forth a considered defense of the plan.  As far as I am concerned, an unbiased analysis of the adopted plan versus the others that were up for consideration will demonstrate that it has very little merit.

In any case, the new school board must express their opinion on the matter.  And, as Mr. Pearsall said, if the county can produce a 10 page document outlining the rules regarding a bus trip, surely as much consideration should be given when 1000 children are being displaced.

Bergel couldn’t take the heat! Hey, she was the one who lit a fire under her own rear…

Money talks but there will be repercussion down the road…

She most definately couldn’t take the heat so she got out of the kitchen as fast as she could!!  What a shame as all fingers were pointing to her! She asked for community input but then disrespected the public yet again by leaving….what a shame!

I can only help but wonder if Bergel was sick or could she just not take the heat ?  Truth hurts…..

PS is really not the only one upset, at this point. But for all the communities that think this is an unfair decision and if you truly believe that the board members had any violations during the process, you really need to speak up.
Not just to the new members, it has to be done in court!

I just want to say that this school board decision has brought a community together…if nothing else, thank you for that atleast…..as Easy e and flava flav once said….“fight the power”!!!!!!

Ok.  I plan on sending an email to each member of the school board this weekend and making it clear that I expect a response.  I will not be attacking, but asking for a genuine explanation to how this decision was made.  What is the logical basis and how can they justify it.  I will be posting the response, if any.  If I am ignored (as I was during the planning process), I will also be posting that information.  Instead of speculating on message boards, I think it is time to request an explanation.

Well said FedUp.

If you cut through the bickering on this blog, you do find that there seem to be genuine concerns about the process, compliance with policy, and the adverse impact that the adopted plan may have on several Leesburg schools. 

Citizens can continue to rant here, and on other blogs, but that will not help the students or improve the process for future adjustments (which are a certainty).

If you have a concern, desire accountability, or think this warrants reconsideration, you MUST speak up. 

Attend the school board meeting at 6:30 pm Tuesday January 10.  Call in advance to be placed on the list to speak (571-252-1020) and then show up and tell them your concerns.  Public comment is in the beginning of the meeting, so you won’t have to stay long.  It is quite simple and quite powerful.

This new board ran on a platform of representation of the citizenry, transparency, accountability.  They want and need to hear from the public.

All I keep reading over and over again are derogatory comments pitting one group/cluster against another.  We all need to step back and look at the bigger picture ..... how and why the School Board went about this boundary process!!!!!  No one will get anywhere blaming others for their choice of house or neighborhood- this should not be about how big or small your house is, only about the level of education your child will be receiving in this county.  It is not the fault of a child living in an “affluent neighborhood” that another child goes to either an over crowded or under-performing school.  Did that “affluent child” choose their school or were they placed their by LOUDOUN COUNTY???  Why did Loudoun Couny create the initial boundaries in the first place that determined the unbalanced we currently have? 

It all comes down to the choices made by the ones who run our school system, not the parents everyone wishes they could blame.  This boundary change should alarm even the families that are not moved.  We all need to ask how and why the decisions were made regarding the boundaries because this decision it is only going to hurt all of our kids in the long run! Power comes in numbers and I beg you all to come forward and question this decision. 

Why are they repeating the same problems at different schools? Should we know if a “higher up” in our school system lives in a cluster that did not get moved and has a child that attends FHR before the process starts? Could there be a conflict of interest there…...???? Does Bergel really have these “relationships” that she is being accused of?  Makes you wonder!!!!  I am glad CL-19 is standing their ground and filing an appeal. I only hope they investigate the lack of transparency and conflict of interest situations because I would not be surprised if that has more to do with their move.

FDK info:  shortsightedness exactly my point.  Staff responded that there is not money in the budget (TODAY. This minute.) to support FDK.  Could they not have considered or mentioned that they would be this requesting funding within weeks???  And that the money may be approved and available when the new boundaries take effect?  Either they were not thinking, or they were playing games.

The plan that did the “best” job of the board’s stated objectives- balancing demographics, fewer split feeds, and provided for full day kindergarten was spoken in favor of over and over again in the boundary hearings and we ended up with a plan that did NONE of the objectives- I have children who are staying at FHR and I am not convinced the board chose the best plan for ALL of Leesburg.  This board needs to revisit this decision.

They did discuss FDK during the rezoning process, briefly.  But when they asked staff if there was sufficient space in the budget to actually fund FDK, staff said no, so it became a non-issue.  Staff will continue to propose it as part of their budget request, but that doesn’t mean it will be funded.

In Hatrick’s proposed budget there is funding for full day kindergarten “in schools that have available space”.  Keeping some schools near capacity will preclude those schools from having FDK.  I can hear those parents now shouting, “Hey!  We want full day kindergarten too!”.

Why wasn’t this considered????  With the opening of Douglass there certainly could have been plenty of seats in all of leesburg’s elementary schools to accommodate FDK.  But, not so with the adopted boundary plan.

Perhaps the school board secretly enjoys boundary adjustments .. Cause they’ll be another one coming when FDK is implemented.  (in the budget for next year!)

Come on School Board… THINK!

Yes, Tolbert maybe over capacity by a few kids for the next 2 years and goes BELOW capacity after that. If you average it out over the next 5 years, Tolbert is NOT over capacity. The same applies to ALL the schools. So the over capacity issue has no real standing and not a concern to most of the parents whose kids are going to Tolbert and other Leesburg schools.

I guess no one wanted to see their schools rezoned, which became obvious from the 50+ speakers at the various school board public meetings. ALL the plans put forward by various parties, called for the splitting of PS (but for one plan, which only got one vote), and nothing that is being said on this forum will change that.

Now that the rezoning has concluded, all the parents and the students, should use this opportunity to make their respective schools the best possible centers of education and learning.

Calculator Boy:
796 may be the Capacity of the school, the current actual enrollment is 974 students. Math is good, but reading is fundamental.

http://profiles.lcps.org/portal/page/portal/LCPS/ES/SCHOOLENROLLMENT:GRADE?NAME=“TOLBERT ELEMENTARY”

But in fairness though you are right, we are actually right at 5% of the total enrolled students. BTW, projected enrollment for next year at Tolbert is 801, still over capacity!

https://lcps.org/cms/lib4/VA01000195/Centricity/Domain/66/douglass school es 15/School Board Adopted Plan Enrollment Projections with Secondary Feeds and Reassigned Students.pdf

I understand that the new board has NO INTEREST in reopening this can of worms.  However, so many of them ran on the platform of community engagement and transparency so they should, at a minimum, respond to community concerns regarding how this plan was deemed most aligned with objectives and how this plan best serves students.  IMO, the demographics distribution at Douglass is indefensible since they has previously determined that it will provide an undue burden on teachers.

Wow, calculator boy, that makes so much different!

Gibbs:

Just a clarification.  The capacity of Tolbert is 796.  Your 52 students make up 6.5% of that, not the “less than 5%” you mentioned.

Skins Fan Loudoun:
Try visualizing this. You buy your family a nice place almost across the street from a great school that is in a equally great community. A few years from now, when you have kids in that school and/perhaps some that will be starting very soon, the school board decides that your kids and the closest 50 neighbors of yours will go to a school miles away in a not so nice neighborhood while the rest of your community gets to stay at your school. Oh, and by the way, ENTIRE communities that are farther away will also get to stay at your school. Then you get to see them drive by you as you wait for the bus to ship your kid off while you see your neighbors down the street, who you were just with at your community Easter Egg hunt that weekend, are walking their children to class, while your daughter is asking you why she doesn’t get to go to her school anymore with her friends. (OK that may be a little excessive but not far fetched.)
Now tell me would you HAPPY with the rezoning and still STAND by that decision? I have no doubt that the staff will make Douglass a great school, so that is not in question. I am not trying to throw other communities under the bus as I am sure they had the same goals of staying together at their school. However, if that scenario played out on you, wouldn’t it seem that you and your neighbors were carved out, and I wouldn’t say sacrificed but it kind of feels like it, to satisfy something or someone else? Our children make up less then 5% of the students at Tolbert, yet they were still ripped out, and the school is still OVER capacity.

Skins Fan Loudoun，you sound like hated Douglass school that much?! Douglass is not the end of the world. Many many people including LCPS teacher highly speak of the new principle. It is also positive source of teachers going to be there.
As an PS resident, I’m not fighting against the school, we are all fighting for the unfair plan.
With us moving, not only the school board broke up with our community, it left Douglass with high Free Lunch and ELL ratios. Like others point out if Spring Lake moves as the entire community all the problem would be resolved. Douglass will have a quite balance ratios, none of the other schools would still suffer from over capacity! Or, just move us as the entire Potomac Station!
And Skins Fan Loudoun, you tell me why is it such a horrible thing to go to Douglas!!!!

Come on now: LOL, I really wish more people would read your comment. Also, the same people who are raising hell about this redistricting would happily use Sycamore Hill, Evans Ridge and other similar communities to meet the FRM and ELL numbers in any school near or far, if it helps to send their own kids to the school of their liking.

Skins Fan Loudoun:  If all of potomac station was rezoned to Douglass i bet it wouldn’t be an issue…the fact that a section was sacrificed (52 students) and seperated from the rest of their community is the issue here….would you be o.k with this decision if it were your child?

I am sure that some parents from CL 19 (and some others who claim they don’t even live in PS) are unhappy with the rezoning. These parents claim that a grave injustice has been done to them, but would happily send other kids (from another community) to Douglas, in a heart beat.

Let it be known that most of the parents whose kids are going to Balls Bluff, Tolbert, Frances Hazel, Catoctin, Sycolin Creek,...., are pretty HAPPY with this rezoning and the long term stability it brings to the area schools, and will STAND in complete solidarity by this decision, and with the school board who worked long and hard to find a suitable solution to this complex issue.

Ms. Bergel has been saying alllllllllllll night at tonights school board meeting about the importance of public input….oo bad they don’t listen to it.  Time to give the lady more of what she wants!

All, the one and only plan that kept PS together received how many votes again?  1. One vote.  This whole thread is hard to comprehend when you see that the only vote to keep PS together was the gentleman from Leesburg.  The staff plan split the northeast portion of Potomac station out of Tolbert and the plan that “kept” Potomac Station together sent Sycamore Hill elsewhere. There was no good solution and to make it as simple as one community vs. another is ridiculous and far to simple.

I’ll make it easy. Here is the phone number and email addresses. Just put a . between the first and last name and the (at) symbol lcps.org at the end as the comment system won’t let you post email addresses though they are publicly available by law.

571.252.1020

Debbie Rose

Eric Hornberger

Thomas Reed

Jill Turgeon

Kevin Kuesters

Jennifer Bergel

Jeff Morse

Bill Fox

Brenda Sheridan

Speak up- you are exactly right!!!! Start blowing up the school boards phones with calls and emails with mail!!!  This does affect all schools in leesburg area…..bottom line is their publicly stated goals were not met.  Period. Their first meeting is tonight to discuss the budget….the more people who are upset with this decision who show up tonight the better.

A circuit court petition will not be successful in this town.  Best bet is for large numbers of people from different neighborhoods and backgrounds to speak up.  It cant just be the people who are moving to Douglas or the school boards response will be that they simply cant make everyone happy.  Parents from Catoctin who know first hand of the challenges faced when FRM and ELL numbers are high should speak up.  Parents in support of full day kindergarten but will now find some schools are too full to support it should speak up.  Parents whose kids will be attending schools with large class sizes due to full capacity should speak up.  This decision effects more then just the students moving to douglas.

Just talk to a few board members to follow up with the Letter of Intent. It seems it is something so insignificant and they have so much else to worry about on their plate. I guess that is why they chose to split CL19. Only 52 school age kids involved, what kind of voice could we have!
Circuit court is the only solution!
Whoever out there if you can, please contact them! “The voice” is what they want!

I really think we should publicly request the School Board to justify their decision:  They are elected, paid officials who are supposed to make decisions that are best for the entire student body…not for a few neighborhoods or deep pockets or the loudest complainers.  It is something that should not be let go until Ms. Bergel and her cohorts publicly respond….I suggest people write letters to the school board (email) asking for an explanation AND if they go unanswered, we utilize public forums, such as all of the editorial sections of the newspapers in the area.  This is ridiculous and not right.  Someone needs to start explaining….if they can honestly say they made the best decision, then explain it.  Provide us with an explanation of why it makes sense to break up PS, leave SL at Tolbert and create an overage AND a high ELL and FRL rate at Douglass when those were two criteria that they went on and on about at the beginning.

HeSaidSheSaid:  My community is not affected by this decision.  Most folks on this thread and most folks who spoke out AGAINST the approved plan are not affected.  Consider that 75% of Leesburg communities felt there was a better solution.  And then, the mere fact that the school board would chose an inferior plan that does NOT best serve Leesburg students (by their own stated standards) raises eyebrows and concerns from many LCPS parents.

Here are a few things to consider -
The School Board publicly established goals for redistricting.  They then chose to reject a plan that would have achieved these goals, and adopted a plan that fails to meet many of their stated goals.

Among the established, yet failed, goals:
- Goal: Reduce ELL/FRM to ~22% in each school in order to alleviate the burden on teachers, improve school resources, and provide better education for all students. The School Board repeatedly stated that schools with >30% ELL/FRM needed to be “fixed”.    Then, the school board rejected the plan that achieved the demographic distribution goal and, instead, approved a plan that simply shifts “the problem” from one school to another.  (And, after all their talk about how horrible a problem this is.. you wonder why parents are upset about sending their kids there.)

- Goal:  Relieve overcrowding and establish sustainable capacity for the duration of the planning period (6 yrs).  The school board again rejected the plan that put all area schools under capacity and provided space for growth (or Full Day Kindergarten, perhaps) for the duration of the six years.  Instead, they chose a plan that leaves several schools at capacity—and that rise OVER capacity during the planning timeframe while other schools remain well under capacity for years.  (crystal ball says:  “another boundary adjustment “.)

- Goal:  Relocate the fewest number of students while still achieving other stated goals.  Again, they reject the plan that offered the fewest student moves, fewest community splits, yet still met goals.  Instead, choosing a plan moves more kids and splits communities.

- Goal:  Direct Feed Clusters.  Once again, rejected the plan that creates direct feeds for 90% of Leesburg Elem schools, and, instead, adopted a plan that further reduces direct feeds.  (crystal ball: “MS and HS boundary adjustment”)

OK.  With that said, skepticism is established.  Hmmm.  What’s the logic?  Then you think:  Why would they choose to meet with some communities and not others?  What is the relationship between Bergel and the SL HOA?  Does the fact that school administrators and political activists live in communities that were able to remain unaffected with the adopted plan have undue influence over the decision?  Etc. 

Maybe it’s all a conspiracy theory.  Put emotions aside, listen to the school board meetings where they emphatically state their objectives, review the data, understand the proposed plans, and then decide for yourself.  I think, as a parent, you may find it all very disturbing.

SL kids already attend Tolbert and have every right to continue to go to Tolbert, like PS kids do.
The CL 19.1,19.2,19.3 split was debated by the elected school board and an agreeable compromise was reached and voted upon. I guess it’s time to stop the conspiracy theories and the bickering, and give the kids that are going to Douglas a chance to make it a success, which wouldn’t be hard to achieve considering that they have a principal who is from and passionate about the area, and the added attention each teacher would be able to give to the kids, considering the smaller class sizes.

Hesaidshesaid:  I ask you to explain how it makes sense to break off a small section of Potomac Station when they could have KEPT it with the rest of the neighborhood at Tolbert by sending another ENTIRE neighborhood to Douglass (Spring Lakes).  It is absolutely ridiculous.  Had SL gone to Douglass, Tolbert would be under capacity (under the existing plan, they are at), Douglass’ controversial rates would be lower (as they are, they are the highest of all the schools that were discussed in the planning…at a much high rate than “acceptable”) and a neighborhood would have stayed together.  I am not in PS, but I am a tax payer who is a little disgusted by this crap.

I read through most of the comments and many of them sounded more like hearsay (he said.. she said..) to me, rather than anything that provided any factual or concrete evidence, or valid logic. I have yet to come across a school redistricting where everyone went home happy, and this happens to be yet another instance of the same.

He WAS on the LCRC until he essentially got booted out when Sell took over. But he is on the SL HOA and was Bergel’s defacto campaign manager.

How cozy.

Parent-
Spring lakes HOA director is Communications Director for Loudoun County Republican Party.

These parents don’t stand a prayer with the “new order”.

Parent-  I couldn’t have said it better myself!  Thank you!!!!

I agree with “Baffled”.  The million dollar question is…. why would the Board split a community just to allow Springs Lakes to remain at Tolbert, keeping them over capacity. 

The numbers are clear and only a toddler may not understand the logistics.  By sending Spring Lakes to Douglass and allowing PS CL 19.0 to remain at Tolbert with their community, the Tolbert capacity is lowered, the Douglass capacity is increased by approx. 70 students which in turn improves the FRL and ELL numbers at Douglass. Douglass can hold several hundred more children.  Using this solution, the Board would have achieved all of their goals. 

Also, integrating back to Harper Park will be easier for those living in Springs Lakes, because they will do it as a whole community.

Something went really wrong here.  I think the Board knows they screwed up and I don’t think CL 19.0 should stay quiet (something the Board probably wasn’t expecting).

Good for them!

Everyone learned what they really need to do to ensure their kids have a good education.  Pay your kickbacks to your local politicians, including school board incumbents. 

Maybe instead of spending extra money on a house, and a “neighborhood”, you should just spread it around to the pols with their hands outs.  Get your neighbors to do the same, and the “worst” neighborhood in Leesburg would be going to the best school.

Unfortunately, Potomac Station people will not learn to obey, instead they are going to send the school board to court.

@David, @call me K

you guys couldnt be more right, potomac station needs to obey and learn their place.

I bet a large portion of people now up in arms over this redistricting are also people who selected “yes” on the ballots for the building of new schools. 

You can’t have it both ways.

Do you know what the great separator will be between the rich/middle class kids and the poor/ESL/ELL kids?  Middle school.  Once they all mesh together in middle school, the rich and middle class kids go on to honors classes and are kept together and the poor kids who very rarely care about their grades get put in the special classes.  I know this because this is how it worked in 1993 when I entered middle school and again in 1996 when I entered high school.  You put up with their antics and outbursts and unwillingness to learn and then you get separated.  And you go on to do well in your classes and go to college and return back to your hometown to see those kids walking the streets doing the same nothing with their lives as before.  We had no ESL kids in my graduating class but out of the poor kids who did graduate on time, only two have made something of their lives.  The rest work in fast food or don’t work and just brag about being gangstas on Facebook.

“how this went down”??????????

Interesting choice of words for a normal, straight forward, above board vote on school boundaries.

Its almost like when Bergel said that she had communities “competing”.

But I digress…obviously nothing to see here. Call me K said so, we should all go home.

Stinky Business you couldn’t be more wrong on how this went down, but your conspiracy theories are fun to read. Call the men in black won’t ya.

Its not just Potomac Station that was split.  CL19 was one bloc before Spring Lakes split it into 3 parts. 

The Potomac Station homes by Battlefield got a free ride to stay at Tolbert because they were in CL19 with Evans Ridge.  PS thought it was safe until the last minute Spring Lakes move during the busy holidays. 

By splitting CL19, PS could be carved out from CL19 to save Spring Lakes which has 130 kids vs. 50 kids in PS.

Now those 2 CL19 neighborhoods criss cross each other going to school to keep SL at Tolbert.

@Baffled

My friend in River Creek told me the following:

Spring Lakes tried to piggy back on the efforts RC was making but SL didnt have much influence with RC who was fighting Beacon Hill plan at the time.
RC and SL had closed door meetings with Bergel and it is their impression that the political consultant from Spring Lakes bartered helping out Bergels reelection campaign to keep Spring Lakes at Tolbert.  All perfectly legal.

Spring Lakes is the “community member” who put forward the map plan to move Potomac Station CL19 subset to Douglas and keep CL19 Evans Ridge projects at Tolbert.  Moving Evans Ridge puts Douglas at 75% free lunch.   

The political consultant (same one working against the Lansdowne HS) lives in Spring Lakes and is on their HOA board.  RC may have purchased the knife to split Potomac Station but Spring Lakes stuck it in.

If this is truly the case, its just another sorry example of how Loudoun County schools operate.

Baffled:

That questions has been asked many times but the board hides behind the dais and doesn’t answer anything.

The simple answer is that there are resident of Spring Lakes that are either elected officials or are extremely well connected to elected officials.

You could ask the same question about River Creek and The answer would be the same. There is no logical explanation that they are the furthest east planning zone and drive clear across to the other side of the city to attend school.

If anyone sat thru these meetings they now know that this wasn’t about the kids, it was a political game by the entrenched good ol boy network.

I can not wrap my brain around this obvious, glaring issue:  the adopted plan could have kept ALL of Potomac Station together if it had just moved Spring Lakes instead of CL19. Doing that would have also brought the numbers at Tolbert down. It would have increased the higher income base at Douglass. WHY was Spring Lakes given priority over CL 19?!?!  That is what folks should be asking. The board should put CL 19 back at Tolbert and move all of Spring Lakes to Douglass.  Disclaimer:  I do not live in Potomac Station or Spring Lakes but my children WILL be attending Douglass.

Another year, another problem created by the school board.  If the goal is to distribute the poor kids to the various schools then DON’T OPEN A SCHOOL IN THE MIDDLE OF POOR KIDS. 
Stop trying to “plan” our kids education by trying to bus kids from one area to another only to have them go to a different school next year.  People pick where they live - and one of the first things we look at are the schools.
Just one look at the adopted plan doesn’t pass the laugh test.
https://lcps.org/cms/lib4/VA01000195/Centricity/Domain/66/douglass school es 15/SchoolBoardAdopted.pdf

Yes growth is hard to plan around but the incredible stupidity of opening Douglas and then bussing kids from that neighborhood around town is about the dumbest decision that has been made - and the board has made some dumb ones over the years.

My advice to the parents - some kids will enjoy the challenge.  Some will not.  It will affect some terribly - watch for the signs.  Get professional help.  Wish I did.

My advice to the school board - stop it.  These are the future of Loudoun.  Stop sacrificing some for others.  Giving to one group takes away from another.

Let me first say that I live in the section that is being rezoned and I will admit that I could have had more of a voice beforehand.
We are not affluent yuppies and make less than the average Loudoun county household income. I worked my butt off putting myself through college and grad school and working full time so I could provide a comfortable home for my family. Our children are not FRL or ELL and are also not white. Not that this should make any difference, but just putting it out there for all those that have a predisposed notion of what type of residents live in our section.
We are new residents to Virginia having moved from up north, where school zones are determined by proximity not demographics, and no we aren’t moving back so don’t tell me to do so (you should be glad people are moving in and not out of the area, just look at Detroit). We looked at many homes in the area when we moved down, even near where Douglass is built, but decided on our area of PS because of many factors which have been discussed already. The community, the area, the 5 minute walk to the schools is what sold us. If this area had been rezoned before we bought there was a very good chance we would have bought elsewhere.
I understand the issues with the demographic numbers and that is a bit of a concern for me, but my biggest issue is the proximity of the school and the area it is built in. Sorry if I offend anyone, but that area is just not one I would feel comfortable sending my child too. I would have absolutely no problem expanding Tolbert and having all the students that are suppose to go to Douglass instead go to Tolbert. That is just an absolutely terrible place to put a school, and I won’t even go into the logistics of school buses, kids, and traffic around congested Market Street.
I am sorry for the people that have already dealt with rezoning and I am glad that you have made a great school out of it. I feel for those that live in rural area and have to send their kids on a bus so far away, as I lived in the Midwest as well and spent 45 minute bus rides because the closest school was 10 miles away.
Do I feel that we maybe could have done more beforehand? Yes. Do I feel that something can still be done about it now? Absolutely. Some of the things in the process absolutely wreak of political and economical pressures, and I have read and heard too much information to think this decision was made with the best possible intentions for ALL residents. While some of the points brought up in the letter may not have a lot of legal merit they are definitely a concern, and certainly there is some moral merit as well.
I applaud the residents that previously voiced their concerns and those that are currently doing so. This decision is breaking our community apart, and you can already see it just in this comment thread.

“Pay attention to what the School Board is doing before they drop another school in a terrible location!”

“Kevin: sort of like paying $20 million for the NCC site for HS-8?”

who selected this site:  Yet another issue with this whole ordeal….The state of Virginia doesn’t require registered sex offenders to live or work within any required distance from a school….interesting huh?  There are about 60 registered within a mile radius!

The ELL and FRL numbers do not concern me, however the number of registered sex offenders by the school does, 2 within 1000 feet (source www.familywatchdog.us).

Who selected this site? And are their kids going here?

CL14 Parent….I for one, never said I didn’t have the same opportunites to participate in the process…so where are you getting this information from?  I am speaking for our cluster in General….alot of the ELL speakers, couples without children, etc did not know about it.  Did you know that a petition went around during this process in CL 19 which obtained aproximately 60 signatures asking to keep Potomac Station together?  What does timing matter anyway?  The bottom line, the decision was wrong on ALL levels and needs to be appealed.  All I am asking, is that those in the other clusters,  stop pointing fingers back and forth about who did what during the process.  It reminds me of my 2 year old saying that her 5 year old brother is not her best friend anymore cause he didn’t help her clean her room.  See what I am saying?  There is no point in beating a dead horse over this…what’s done is done and now it is time to move forward so that corrupt actions like this don’t happen to another community!  Happy new year to all of you.

Kevin,

If the Board was focused on what was best for the poorer communities, Douglass serves the proximity needs of the surrounding communities much like Tolbert serves the needs of Potomac Station.  The problem is there’s the sense among politicians that wealthier neighborhoods have a moral obligation to help these neighborhoods (notice they don’t do this in their own neighborhoods though, hypocrites).

Douglass is already standing as a community center, which is why it’s happening there.

OneLove:  Don’t think I’m bitter, or that I’m against CL19 - I’m not.  I’m simply baffled by your timing and your claims that you didn’t have the same opportunities to participate in the process as everyone else in the Leesburg planning area.

CL19 is paying the price of everyone’s apathy.

Pay attention to what the School Board is doing before they drop another school in a terrible location!  No one, absolutely no one spoke up about the site selection for Douglass, and this is the price they are now paying.  It’s a painful lesson, but sadly no one cares until it affects them.  Case in point.

CL14 parent: why are you so bitter? Fyi, I attended 2 meetings.  So what I didn’t speak to reiterate what the other 55 speakers said? I think cl19 may have a point….are you afraid that we may win this appeal and you may possibly be the cluster back on the chopping block? We appreciate all the efforts by everyone big or small and you are right, if we put this much effort into during the process and lawyered up, things may have been different.  Bottom line is, we are now seen as outcasts by the rest of Potomac station….your rude comments prove this is happening amongst a select few.  To everyone else, thanks for your continued support!

PS 19: Your combative post toward CL-14 is similar to what is posted on the PS message board from a couple of CL-19 folks.  You’d probably get a little more help from other CL’s if you’d tone it down.  There’s really no need to put CL-19 against CL-14 (or against the rest of PS).

Some offered to help CL-19 but found it quite unreasonable to be asked to spend hours/days/weeks taking petitions door-to-door in other CL’s when CL-19 did little before the vote and then given the same ramblings you just posted.  You won’t get far if you stay on that path.

CL14 Parent, Both love one and us were on the fight to keep your side staying in PS. Maybe it is our fault that we don’t go on PS message board, as my family has no kids in school age and we never know about it until the last weekend of the last hearing. We have started to talk to neighbors and having Petitions signed to save you! Of course your position is secured, it is understandable you don’t want us to do anything now to jeopardize your spot in Tolbert! Tell you what the first good plan amount all the proposal is to let CL 14 go!!! and we will fight till the end to let this happen! just like Bergel said herself PS has to be split, the question is how!

OneLove:  The initial meetings were coordinated on the HOA message board, in the same exact thread you’ve been using to complain about the results.  You had access to the same information that the rest of had access to.  You had every opportunity to participate and yet you chose to sit on the sidelines.  “some observations” is right, once again - more speakers came out from the CL15 than from CL19, and they weren’t going to be impacted no matter what. 

I understand that you’re upset at the decision that was made, and I understand why.  But the effort you’re spending now is the type of effort we would have loved to see from you during the process, instead of after the vote took place.

As for Bergel, she told the Washington Post she was “shaking” from pressure (RC?) as she made her decision. 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/loudoun-school-board-adopts-new-boundaries-for-leesburg-elementary-schools/2011/12/16/gIQARgh34O_story_1.html

She got in bed with the consultant who lives in Spring Lakes to split CL19 into CL 19.1, CL 19.2, CL 19.3 to keep SL at Tolbert.  He is the same one who is trying to derail the Lansdowne High School for his client.

She also implies her decision was based on the new Festival Lakes subdivision bringing in more non ELL/free lunchers to Douglass to balance things out. 

That crosses the line (law?).  Are they supposed to ban foreign language people from moving in because the school board says so?

CL-14 Parent:  I was just going by what Bergel’s response was to me.  What I saw was everyone from Potomac Station fighting for the entire community…Bergel may have just mis-spoken/deceived when she responded (because she specifically said Bergel 2 over Marshall, I posted the email exchange), in which case I apologize.

OneLove: There were more speakers from CL-15, CL-15.2 at each of the forums than there were from CL-19, and CL-15/15.2 were never on the chopping block.  I don’t want to sound like I’m against you guys winning your argument with the Board, because they really screwed you and I hope you guys win.  Good luck.

Cl14….maybe someone should have reached out to cl19 to get more involved.  The school board accomplished 1 goal…they separated a community.  We will give you a pat on the back for all your hard work if that is what you are looking for, but nothing any of us did made a difference in this process.  The school board members had their mind made up from the get go, but by law had to “entertain” the communities at stake by allowing all of “you” to pretend to have a voice in the matter.  We all know money talks.  Can’t we all just get along and support one another?

OneLove:  While I’m sure the emails you sent took a few minutes out of your day, some of your neighbors spent hours and hours meeting as an HOA, meeting with other communities in the planning zone, and meeting with Board members to understand what was important to them.  I’m sure the few minutes you spent typing an email felt like a fight, but you have no idea the amount of time that some of us spent.  “some observations” is spot on about the lack of involvement from CL19 during the process.

Some Observations:  I’m personally not aware of anyone in CL14 supporting Bergel Plan #2 OVER Bergel B, Amended by Marshall (which is the plan I think you’re referring to).  I am aware of CL14 people who said they’d rather have Bergel #2 than the Staff plans, though.

Just to clarify…..there WAS representation from cl19 at the meetings and there were emails sent to the school board in regards to keeping PS together, so to say that CL19 did nothing during the rezoning process is ridiculous.  There were a few of us who were involved.  The majority were not due to various reasons mentioned in the letter.  Just because these kind of school board decisions are made all the time doesn’t make it right hence an appeal to circuit court needs to happen.

Here’s Bergel’s response to me in case it helps clarify (my initial email is beneath that):

The Sycamore Hill community was split in the Marshall Amended plan. I also gave other points as to what I perceived as flaws. Notice too that Tolbert trends down: and many in the community there supported keeping the Bergel Plan 2 ahead of the Marshall Amended Plan.

Thank you for your comments.

Best Regards,
Jennifer

Jennifer K. Bergel
LCPS School Board
Catoctin District

Jennifer.Bergel@loudoun.k12.va.us
571-223-9724

Please be aware that correspondence sent by or to School Board members is subject to Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act.

Dear Board,

By adopting Bergel 2, you have already put Douglass at over 30% in both ELL and FRL.  Tolbert is over capacity for the next three years.  Reid goes over capacity after three years.  You also split up the Potomac Station HOA.  You made a conscious effort to keep every other HOA together except for Potomac Station.  Why?

Bergel B kept communities together and brought the demographic balance everyone was looking for; proximity was achieved and no school was left over capacity.  No community was torn apart, equally important.

Marshall correctly pointed most/all of this out. 

CL-19 is represented by 3 HOA’s, with the Potomac Station piece now separated from the rest of its community.  Stevens mentioned he couldn’t vote to split them up without representation, however the rest of Potomac Station spoke for them; they wanted to keep the community together.  If no representation came from Evans Ridge or Sycamore Hill, that’s their problem, not ours.  We live in a country where you’re free to make your concerns known, and they passed on that opportunity.

I was very surprised to hear your arguments and watch you vote for the very things you were championing during the public hearings, to be quite honest.  I never would’ve guessed you’d vote for a plan that left the new school in downtown at 30+% disadvantaged after seeing all the demographic numbers tossed around for the past several weeks, and puts 2 other schools over capacity at some point in your 6-year plan.

Leesburg Parent/Actually,

I should clarify: Bergel’s response to me didn’t say River Creek and LRR pressured her.  She said that residents of CL-14 were more in favor of Bergel 2 (the plan that passed) than the failed Marshall plan.  While most would probably agree that there was pressure (speculation is they were lawyer-prepared to do what CL-19 is trying to do now), she didn’t come out and say that.  I don’t think the rest of Potomac Station would’ve supported the plan unless the rest is true.

Actually,

Note: these were your points not mine.

1. I was simply making the point that agrees with you that yes they didn’t notify everyone, but I also find it an interesting point they made. I realize that the board did exactly the minimum required of them by code.

2. You cannot dismiss their point if they are in fact agreeing with you. They obviously believe there were better plans out there as well. They also believe that there were other factors out there than just adopting the best plan. Look at the post below me, apparently even Bergel acknowledged that RC & LARR pressure to stay at FHR was a deal breaker for other plans. If she did say that then she failed another part of the SB code of conduct. Shameful. They are simply doing something about this. Whether their appeal or lawsuit is successful, I applaud them for not taking this laying down.

3. I actually agreed that proximity isnt a major issue but it is an issue.

You might want to believe that these are easily tossed out as valid points but when these points and others begin to clearly paint a picture of either political corruption or an arbitrary and capricious end to illogical process then yes they do have merit.

Why did the board reject the Marshall Plan which would’ve left no schools near or over capacity, no schools near 30%, and kept all communities together?

I’m a fairly objective party.  I live in Potomac Station but wasn’t affected by any of the plans, and spoke in favor of keeping our entire community together at Tolbert (but nothing really at stake). 

Here’s what happened:

1. River Creek and Red Rocks were fighting hard to not be the ones sent to Douglass under Marshall’s rejected plan, despite that school having less than 20% FRL/ELL (lower than Reid would have been).

2. Chairman Stevens felt like Evans Ridge Apartments were being pushed out without their consent.

3. The Board wanted to satisfy Stratford’s request to voluntarily go to Douglass.

4. While all of the Potomac Station speakers spoke in favor of keeping the community together, many in CL-14 threw support to the plan that was adopted once they realized Marshall’s plan wasn’t going to pass particularly because of #1 above(this was Bergel’s response to me anyway) and they were safe from the staff plan that would’ve moved CL-14 to Douglass instead of CL-19.

5. Despite what you’re hearing from CL-19 folks, they were nowhere to be found at the public forums and only found out after the fact (evidenced by comments they posted on our community’s message board).  They pretty much have no one to blame but themselves for this, but one person in particular has been rather nasty in tone towards the rest of the community and probably won’t get much help as a result.  Getting involved in the process this late, their chances are slim to none, and slim is packed up and headed out the door.

I’m of the belief that people who work hard to live in nice communities should not be exposed to inner-city problems, so I really feel for CL-19.

Part of Potomac Station’s problem is the geo-political divisions within the community.  Part is on County side; part is on Town side.  Potomac Station apartments aren’t even in Potomac Station HOA (they should change their name) but are a wedge cutting off CL-19 from the rest of the community.  As a result, CL-15 and CL1-19 are only partly Potomac Station, and CL-19 doesn’t border any other part of Potomac Station (because of their location and that they’re all townhouses, they’re more aligned with Sycamore Hill than with the rest of Potomac Station).

And by the way, Potomac Station borders River Creek, Spring Lakes, Lansdowne, Red Rocks and Sycamore Hill HOA’s, and is the least affluent of the bunch.

To Leesburg Parent, regarding your points:

Point 1:  Since, as I stated, the school board did follow the proper policy for notifying people, this is still irrelevant.  There is no requirement to notify homeowners who do not have school age children.  Like it or not, the Board does not have to meet a requirement that does not exist.

Point 2:  Yes, there were other plans, and I think that some of the other plans were better than what passed, and better than the Staff plans.  I agree with you there.  But in the end, the Bergel By Request Plan B got an up/down vote and failed.  Bergel Plan #2 passed.  The only other plans on the table for a vote that evening were Staff plans or the Ohnieser plan.  The Ohnieser plan couldn’t pass, leaving only the Staff plans.  You’re also right about FRL/ELL percents under the Staff plan - but the Board did say throughout the process that they were more concerned about FRL than ELL.  So CL19 would have had a demographic figure in the 30s either way. 

Point 3:  As I stated, CL19 did get a bad deal with respect to proximity.  But you missed my point.  The plan, as a whole, was good with respect to proximity.  If CL19 can appeal simply because they got the short-end, what is to stop someone from appealing the next approved plan because they have to drive 2 miles too?  That’s still only half the distance that most people going to Sycolin have to drive.  It’s half the distance that some people going to Reid have to drive.  Someone always has to drive farthest.  I agree that it sucks for them, but it isn’t grounds to appeal.

So that leaves your point about transparency as the only remaining, valid point.  Then why not make the argument about that, and that alone?  Why water down a legitimate argument with three that are so easily tossed out?

Some interesting questions/points raised by “Actually Involved”. Let’s look at them a bit further.

Point 1. CL19isnt saying they weren’t aware, they were because they have children in LCPS. They said that those who don’t have children weren’t notified and perhaps should have been because it could impact property values . Interesting point, and I would hopeless that we aren’t advocating doing the minimum.

Point 2. There were more plans than just the staff and the adopted plan. I believe each one of these plans had Tolbert well under 30%. This wasn’tt an either/or situation. It is also worth nothing that staff only had ELL not FRM over 30, which goes to indicate that this entire process was based on FRM.

Point 3. Proximity for CL19 is an issue because they go at least 10x further than Tolbert. Just because proximity isn’t an issue when your kids get to go where you want doesn’t make it a non issue for everyone.

I will say that of course they don’t want to there but when their points are bolstered by an arbitrary and illogical plan you cannot simply dismiss them out of hand.

I do agree with their assessment that the lack of transparency is a major issue and does lend itself for us to wonder whether “specific communities were given special interest based on economic and political influence”.

I support what they are doing with the appeal to the board and taking this to circuit court. The board has violated their own bylaws and several of them have violated the code of conduct.

Disclosure: I am not a resident of CL19.x nor are my children slated to attend Douglass or Tolbert.

Demographics isn’t the only concern.  Arranging child care will be an issue as well. Proximity 2 or 3 miles in the opposite direction does impact commute time for parents to get to work on time.  Though with the Staff plan the percent would be 30 FRL, it’s only one concern that we can work with, where child care and work is not affected.

Being a Leesburg area resident who was actually involved in the process, I find the CL19 residents a bit amusing. 

Regarding a few of the points raised by CL19 folks:

Notification:  You cannot claim to have been heavily involved in the process, yet cite that one of your chief complaints is that you were unaware your CL may be impacted.  CL19 was one of the major discussion points of every single work session and public hearing.  On multiple occasions, Chairman Stevens asked for reps to speak from CL19, and yet only one spoke up at the meetings.  Further, the Board followed their stated policy for notification, which does not require them to send every resident of the planning zone a letter via USPS.

Demographics:  First, demographics are only one of the seven planning criteria the Board has to balance.  Second, you claim one of your major concerns is about demographics, yet under the Staff plans you would have been zoned to Tolbert, and Tolbert would have had demographic percents in the 30s, just like Douglass now does.  Honestly - would you still be complaining if you were at Tolbert with a 30% FRL?  You simply don’t want to go to a school that’s farther away, and that’s completely understandable.  So let’s address proximity next.

Proximity:  First, Douglass is only 2 miles from CL19 - not 3 miles.  Second, remember that proximity isn’t just about you, it’s about EVERY student in EVERY CL.  Each of the plans on the table was nearly identical with respect to the average distance any given student would have to travel.  They were so close that the Staff and the Board considered it almost irrelevant, overall.  Some CLs are always on the long end of proximity, and under the plan that passed, CL19 was on the long end.  But, while the plans were nearly identical, there were still slight differences, and the plan that passed was actually the absolute BEST plan with respect to proximity, if you look at every single CL and not just yourselves.

So you can’t be upset about notification, because the Board followed the process.  You can’t be upset about demographics because we all know you wouldn’t be whining if you ended up at Tolbert and had FRL percents in the 30s.  And you can’t be upset about proximity, because the plan with the best overall proximity passed, even though it wasn’t best for you personally. 

So do you have any real complaints?

Thomas and John:  CL 19 (or 19.0) is only the Potomac Station Townhomes, CL 19.1 is the Sycamore Hill Development and CL 19.2 are the Evans Ridge Apartments (who get to stay at Tolbert). Potomac Station Apartments are not part of the Potomac Station HOA and get to stay at Tolbert as well. Sycamore Hill and Evans Ridge did not have representation at the meetings, where as ALL of Potomac Station were extremely vocal about keeping us all together.  So…in a nutshell our tiny section of Potomac Station (which includes 52 school age children) were separated from our community.

the article was a bit confusing as it states potomac station community includes c19 zone.  I thought the potomac station community did not encompass potomac station apartments and homes west of battlefield parkway.  In the debates leading up to tht board decision, the potomac station community like red rocks were quite vocal about staying together and did not want to be bussed to frederick.  Here is the attendance boundary for Frederick Douglass https://lcps.org/cms/lib4/VA01000195/Centricity/Domain/66/es_zones/FrederickDouglassES.pdf

Is there a boundry map that shows CL 19, CL 19.1, CL 19.2 ? Perhaps someone could put up a link or something? I am just curious what community streets(list of street names) fall under CL 19, CL 19.1, and CL 19.2.

I am just curious if anyone knew what elememtary school would someone living south of riverside pkwy, but north of potomac station drive ?

Gee Sunny…it says in the article that folks without children were complaining they never received any notices from the district that there could be boundary changes….try reading the article.  Second, you are living in Loudoun County where attendance boundaries change all the time—- there is no guarantee (ask the folks in Ashburn or the folks in Evergreen Meadows)—where did you ever get a guarantee on what school you would attend? Lastly, if you really felt your kid was going to be “damaged” going to this school than you would find a way to pay for private school.  But as usual, folks want the cheap, easy way to do things.  So you are pissed…now get over and make the best of the situation.  I repeat:  Grow Up and show everyone that this school can be great.  But as I said before I suspect there will be some of you who won’t want to put effort into it and would rather sit and complain.

I would like to point out a few things..(1)  Tolbert is the most DIVERSE elementary school in Leesburg so the diversity that will come along with Douglass is not the primary issue here.  As a matter of fact we would embrase the diversity.  My husband grew up being the only white kid in an inner city school in New York..so again, that is not the issue.  (2)For those of you who commented about us so called “Yuppies needing to get off our high horses” and that we are “affluent”...I hate to disappoint you.  Our townhome community of Potomac station, is filed with dual working parents, diverse cultures, renters and homeowners who are significantly underwater in their property values..so affluent, we are not!  What we are is a strong community who pay more HOA fees than the rest of potomac station, who chose to live/rent these homes because of the proximity to the elementary/middle schools.  We have 52 school age children who are bascially sacrificed to attend the new school miles away.  Bottom line is, we want our community to stay together….

Gosu -  “assimilate these first generation Americans”???  Did you go to school? Are you educated? Where does “illegal migration” translate into “first generation of American”?

Everybody who is illegal needs to be rounded up and deported. Those who wish to lawfully migrate to the US can apply through the proper channels. With preference to those who are a benefit to our society, not a drag.

As for the children, they should become the target of uncovering who’s family is illegally in the US. Parents of children enrolled in publicly funded schools should not only provide documentation of local residency, but also of national citizenship. After all, Federal money is spent to educate kids. So the children should be legal residents of the country.

Enuf-
You have no idea what youre talking about. You obviously werent affected by it. First, if you moved to a neighborhood because of the schools and that is taken away from you, you would be pissed too. Especially if the school is 6X further away and 1/3 of the kids are just learning english.  Second, the people of potomac station were involved throughout the whole process fighting to keep the community together. Third, most people cant afford private school and instead move to a nice area with a nice school. So its understandable when people get upset after they get screwed over

Dixie: while I’m not thrilled that we spend approximately $17 Million a year on teaching school kids English as their second language, its pretty callous to blame/harm the children for their parent’s relocation, legal or not. 

It seems to me that it is best to teach school kids English and hopefully assimilate these first generation Americans, as opposed to isolating them and exacerbating balkanization.

It’s OK, affluent yuppies. The brown people don’t bite.

Sorry, but you all knew this was coming….the boundary meetings were published multiple times in multiple local newspapers.  Yes, you actually had to do your homework and get involved from the get-go….you don’t get to whine that “no one told us”.  Grow up.  Your kids will be fine in spite of your hand wringing.  Evergreen Mill Elementary school also has a high free lunch and ELL number….you don’t see them complaining.  As for being close to the school…obviously you didn’t pay attention to the Sycolin Creek boundary meetings where Evergreen Meadows (across the street from the school) ended up miles down the road at Sycolin.  You have the ability to show your children and your fellow Tolbert neighbors that you can handle this in an adult manner and that this school can become a great school.  Get off your high horse and start working to set up a strong parental network of support for the school.  I agree that it is becoming more of “who you go to school with than where to go to school”.  And if you really don’t like it, stop wasting money on all the things you “need” and put your kid in private school.

To Observer,

Fact:  Every single speaker from Potomac Station stressed upon unity of community.  We did not want CL19 split and we fought for them.

Laura sounds very ignorant.

The real problem is from the illegals. The school system should mandate all students have SSNs. That’ll help keep out the illegals. Hopefully the new Sheriff starts the round up in 2012.

Laura-
Moving isnt easy or possible sometimes and private schools arent cheap

Catoctin school lost accreditation due to low test scores.  LCPS said it was because the ESL/free lunch was over 30%.  Surprise, no one wants to go there.  New zone takes it down to 18%.

Douglas school will have +30% ESL/free lunch.  So how is that not causing the same problem with the inferior school zone?!

This is very real and LCPS needs to do its job EDUCATION!

Laura,

We can’t wait to see your face if the school board do change the plan and putting your kids to Douglass!

well if people would stop moving here then we wouldn’t have this problem…snotty people need to grow up and if they don’t like it then move or put your kid in private school

Many people moved to those townhouses in potomac station because the elementary and middle schools were within walking distance. It doesnt make any sense to move them to a school thats more than 5X further away

Boohoo, that is called “rural living”.  If you don’t like it, I am sure there is a condo in Ashburn with your name on it.

Oh get over it.. try living out here in Western Loudoun where there are only two school for each level.. and my kid has to go to the middle school that is in the town over, and there is a middle school less than a mile away from our home.
Stop your Boo hooing.. so your kids have to go to school with kids of lower income levels…get over it!

My question is:  why did we build this school in the first place?  Look out to the 2017-2018 student enrollment projections and the school capacities.
There will be over 600 empty seats!!
If you didn’t build this school, you have a capacity of 5719 students and a total of 5992 students.  Less than 5% above capacity.  The existing schools could easily have accommodated this.
The taxpayers are once again getting fleeced by building an unnecessary school in a bad location while the School Board continues to build its empire.

They should be mad.  They got absolutely screwed.  Money talks though, even on the school board.  Sad huh?

Ironically, it is because of their own Potomac Station neighbors that CL19 was split.  The only plan not splitting CL19 was the Staff Plan Amended, but it split the single family homes section of Potomac Station therefore other parts of Potomac Station opposed it.  This nuance made the Board members decision for them, keep the largest section of Potomac Station at Tolbert and Spring Lakes as well, thus upsetting the fewest number of their constituents.

It may be distasteful, but probably not unlawful.

Everybody knows these debates aren’t about where children go to school, its whom the children go to school with.

John W. Tolbert Jr. Elementary is in a nice affluent neighborhood. Frederick Douglas Elementary School is in the town of Leesburg not far from the illegal hood rats that will likely also be at Frederick Douglas.

I assure you, the folks doing the shouting are all from Potomac Station because they see their children being downgraded.