Superintendent to Make New Recommendation for Stone Bridge High School Attendance Zones

The Superintendent provided advance notice to the School Board late last week that the staff is preparing a new recommendation regarding attendance zones for Stone Bridge High School (SBHS). Last Spring the attendance zone process ended without the School Board resolving the overcrowding at SBHS.

 

Because it has become all to obvious that funding for future construction projects will be severely limited, the Staff's recommendation will propose to move the Lansdowne community's students to Tuscarora High School (THS) in a phasing that either starts in the past manner with all rising ninth and tenth grade students being assigned to THS or an a plan that would phase in one grade per year. In either case upper class-men will be given a choice of moving or staying.  However, its been over 40 years since LCPS opened a high school with a senior class and I don't expect to do it at THS.

 

The planning documents will be sent to the School Board in soft-copy later this week. The issue of determining SBHS's and THS's attendance zones will be presented as an Action Item to approve the attendance zone process calendar at our November 10th meeting. The process will include at least one public hearing and a School Board Attendance Boundary Work Session. The Superintendent expects adoption of a plan at our December 8th meeting.

 

I don't for see a need to consider attendance zone changes to Briar Woods, Broad Run, Heritage, or Loudoun County High Schools. Students that are currently in the approved Tuscarora High School attendance zone should not be involved in this rezoning process either.

Comments

[Diane]

Lansdowne has not one but two golf courses, right? Perhaps the developers of Lansdowne and the residents who enjoy this luxury can donate the land from one of those golf courses in order for their kids to get a high school built sooner rather than later.

[Anne]

Well, based on the comments that have been posted here maybe we should adopt a plan where:
1. All Ashburn students stay in a school with an Ashburn address therefore, all Ashburn middle school students will be required to attend Farmwell Station MS, Eagle Ridge MS or Stone Hill MS.
2. Since keeping HOA communities together is the single most important factor in determining boundaries and having students from adjacent HOA's attend the same school is irrelevant, Ashburn Village students shall all attend Stone Bridge HS, Broadlands students shall all attend Broad Run HS and Ashburn Farm students shall all attend Briar Woods HS. Other HOA communities shall be filled in to ensure that no two adjacent communities attend the same school.
3. Claiborne Parkway is only for the use of Lansdowne residents and Belmont Ridge Road is only for the use of Ashburn Farm residents as Ashburn Farm residents are not yet aware that Claiborne Parkway exists and actually goes over Rt 7.

Works perfectly with the priorities established for our students.

[openid.aol.com/dlromito]

Lansdowne has not one but two golf courses, right? Perhaps the developers of Lansdowne and the residents who enjoy this luxury can donate the land from one of those golf courses in order for their kids to get a high school built sooner rather than later.

[Jill T]

That's a great idea! Get a hotel to donate its land for a school! Maybe AOL can donate some land. Or the Redskins. They have plenty of land over there.

The golf courses are owned by the Lansdowne resort, folks. A private business. Lansdowne residents don't own those courses nor do they get to play on them unless they join the resort. I'm sure Ashburn members of the resort want that land donated for a school!

[openid.aol.com/dlromito]

Cavalier Development (Ashburn Farm) proffered land for Stone Bridge H.S., Sanders Corner Elementary, the Ashburn Library and lots of ball fields. Ashburn Village proffered land for two elementary schools and a middle school. Broadlands proffered land for two elementary schools and a middle school

Who was minding the store (or on the take) when Hobie Mitchell got to develop Lansdowne with only one school site while all that land went to private golf courses? Belmont CC's contribution of land for public purposes seems rather stingy as well.

[Alison]

I think many board members have already decided to movie Lansdowne students to Tuscarora, and I can understand that there are just no good solutions right now. Looking a few years down the road I am very interested to see how the Ashburn Farms Parents united group is going to deal with the overcrowding of Belmont Ridge Middle School. Will they suddenly start supporting a feeder system and claiming that proximity to a school means nothing??? Or will they be OK with a move down to Stone Hill Middle school (probably closer to AF than Lansdowne is to THS) when MS 5 opens and the DS kids move out of there. Can't wait for that one!

[Karen K.]

ChillaxChica suggested that Ashburn Farm always got it's way with boundary issues... HUH??? Ashburn Farm did not want to move 18 times in 20 years. Ashburn Farm did not want to have several elementary schools split into several middle schools.

Ashburn Farm does not like being on the chopping block so often. How many times has Lansdowne moved?? Um, I think NONE.

Ashburn Farm would like it's own middle school. I don't think you'll see a big fight to stay at Belmont because we realize it's in Lansdowne and it's crazy to suggest that Lansdowne leave their own school. We really do see the big picture and are not as "not in my backyard" as some folks may suggest.

[Jill T]

Not all of those 18 moves were negative developments for Ashburn Farm. 20 years ago, how many elementary and middle schools were in Ashburn? Some of the moves AF has "endured" over the years resulted in their kids moving to schools closer to home. Did AF parents really want their kids to continue going to school in Leesburg and Sterling? No. When schools got built in Ashburn (and there was no middle school in Ashburn for a long time), Ashburn parents wanted their kids moved to them. AF parents fought to have their kids moved from Broad Run to Stonebridge when Stonebridge was built. Yes, AF has been moved a lot, but not all of those moves were unwanted by AF residents.

[SBHS Parent]

For all those saying Ashburn Farm would never suggest Lansdowne kids leave Belmont Ridge, please see the middle school plan you proudly endorsed in the Spring. You were doing just that - moving 2 Lansdowne zones out of BRMS!!!

http://www.ashburnfarmassociation.org/PDFFiles/AFPU_MSPlanEndorsement.pdf

[Gloria]

margaret

[Gloria]

Margaret,

You are right to push for cross community solidarity. cool points to you. your spirit and logic are turned on too. this is all good. however, the real issue is lack of funding and real BOS support. there is none. and the boards are not cooperating with each other. AF has fought a good fight with the ad hoc joint subcommittee but to no fault of AF, some of the subcommittee members are using it as a pulpit for political grandstanding rather than real solutioning.

In my experience, to truly gather people in solidarity there must be a specific common goal. right now, lansdowne sees that a high school and middle school are needed fast and wherever fiscally possible the quickest. ashburn farm sees that they are needed but only in specific places. belmont country club is oblivious and the surrounding communities are not comprehending that they are next to find themselves with severe overcrowding which will drive more "interim to nowhere" solutions. unfortunately, as AF continues to engage and direct the representatives on the "best" location of hs and ms, the real issue, lack of funding continues to go unaddressed and alternative solutions are not discussed. we have all been duped.

Our true common goal is directing the boards to derive affordable solutions for the county asap-now. my case in point is that if we pushed right now to use purchased dig ready land, we'd find that the BOS flat out don't support building another school (MS nor HS)heck they've been talking about delaying the opening of schools behind doors. and likely few if any on the school board would support more schools either.

We can’t forget that back in january AF made a very convincing run multiple communities including the HS7 supporters on NOT supporting new high school's to be built. This group effectively threatened many school board and BOS members that their voting block was large and powerful. that has not been forgotten. who would want a new school on the november ballot as they announce their runs for additional terms. again the common ground is pushing for creative solutions asap- staus quo ain't gonna hunt.

[Ashburn Farm Parent]

Jill T - We'd be happy to attend an Ashburn Middle School. Unfortunately, Newton Lee was changed from a MS to an ES so that option went out the window.

[Ashburn Farm Parent]

ChillaxChica - Enough with the "Ashburn Farm doesn't give a cr@p about Landsdowne" because it simply isn't true. I haven't talked to a single AF parent who doesn't care and doesn't want the best for all children. I won't apologize for thinking that staying at my local high school is what is best for my kids.

[Loudoun Insider]

Ashburn and the northern Dulles areas have been planned for their current growth for years. The lots have been platted out and documented. The school system obviously is horrendous at planning to meet the challenges of seating all those students. How any of the planning staff still have jobs is beyond me.

[Laura]

Any new ideas now that the meeting is tomorrow?