Loudoun Schools Dais

School Board Approves DuPree/Reed Modified Plan D for Dulles South Middle and High School Attendance Zones

The School Board approved  DuPree/Reed Modified Plan D  for the Dulles South High School and Middle Schools.  

I want to thank parents, staff, and School Board members that contributed to bringing this process to a satisfactory conclusion.  I have a backlog of nearly 100 e-mails concerning the attendance zone and I hope to send out replies this coming weekend. 

Additionally, I created an unscientific survey about the new process. I will be collecting inputs until Friday, May 21, 2010. 

DuPree/Reed Modified Plan D Will be Proposed for Dulles South Middle and High School Attendance Zones

Below is the e-mail Dulles School Board member Robert DuPree and I collaborated on concerning the attendance zones for the Dulles South middle and high schools.  DuPree/Reed Modified Plan D ** is the plan we intend to offer on Tuesday night. 

**The student numbers at DuPree/Reed Modified Plan D  are incorrect. I'll post the correct numbers later.

Fellow Board Members;

Earlier in this boundary process, we put forth a number of plans to serve as jumping off points for discussion, and we requested feedback from board members and the public. We also requested staff to recalculate all plans based on what we believe are more realistic growth expectations in the built-out planning zones, which board members have received and we have asked staff to post for the benefit of the public.

Based on the information and feedback we received, and especially the constructive comments from residents of the area, we dropped plans A, B and C last week, and we will now be dropping Plan D in its current form and Plan E. We are instead now putting forth a modified Plan D which adopts a suggested refinement to Plan D we received at the public hearing to shift planning zones 13.7 and 13.2 to HS-7 and keep them at Mercer MS. We will be putting this modified Plan D forward as a motion next Tuesday night and seeking its adoption.

We represent 100% (Tom) and well over 90% (Robert) of the affected students, and recognize that no solution will satisfy everyone or meet all of our own concerns. But after carefully studying all the input and proposals, we believe this modified Plan D will meet the greatest number of needs and concerns that we have heard expressed by members of the public who have diligently participated in this process.

We also know that no plan will hold for as long as would be needed under the CIP recently adopted by the Board of Supervisors – that is a mathematical impossibility for any plan given the number of students we expect in Dulles South under any scenario – but we will work with the public, you, our staff and hopefully the Board of Supervisors next year to get them to revisit and concur in a CIP schedule along the lines of the recommendations and schedule the School Board adopted in January. We must have the next middle school and high school in this area sited and funded in the near-term, not funded in FY 2017 or later as envisioned by the CIP adopted this year by the BOS.

Again, as the representatives, along with Priscilla, of the affected students, we ask that you give this modified Plan D your consideration and that you call us with any questions you might have.

Tom & Robert

The School Board's Killer Bees

The School Board deals regularly with the three B's: Boundaries (attendance zones), Buildings, and Budgets. All three are currently in play. We're considering revising the attendance zones for the Stone Bridge High School Cluster to relieve the student crowding. Crowding will be relieved with the opening of ES-20 next year, but we need to adjust the attendance zones throughout the Dulles South area. We've also started evaluating the Superintendent's FY2011-2016 Capital Improvements Program Capital Improvement Program.

But by far, budgets, specifically operating budgets will have the greatest impact on a student's education.  Mark your calendars and come out to speak on December 8th at the County government center or December 10th at the School's admin building about what the priorities should be for the County's FY2011 operating budget.  Here is the official announcement by the Board of supervisors:

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors has scheduled two public input sessions in December to allow members of the public to provide input and ideas for the proposed Fiscal Year 2011 budget for the county government and schools. Because of current fiscal challenges, the Board is seeking input prior to the budget presentation that normally occurs in February. The first session will be held Tuesday, December 8, 2009, at 6:30 p.m. in the Board Room of the Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street, S.E. in Leesburg. The second session will be held Thursday, December 10, 2009, at 6:30 p.m. at the Loudoun County Schools Administration Building, 21000 Education Court, in Ashburn. Each session will begin with an overview by county staff of the budget forecast as can best be provided at that time. “These sessions are in addition to the budget public hearings that we hold every year in February,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott K. York. “Due to the challenging budget situation that we are facing and the concerns that we all have about the forecast going into next year’s budget work sessions, I think it is important to provide an opportunity for citizens to give comment earlier in the process so that both the staff and the Board will have the public’s thoughts in mind before the proposed budget is completed.” Members of the public will be able to sign up in advance for the December sessions beginning Tuesday, December 1, 2009, at 8:30 a.m., by calling 703-771-5072 or 703-777-0200. Sign-ups will be taken through 12 noon, December 8, for the first session, and 12 noon, December 10, for the second session. Speakers are encouraged to prepare concise remarks and will be limited to two minutes. Speakers are welcome to provide written handouts to the Board. It is requested that 12 copies of written handouts be provided. Information about the Loudoun County budget, including the complete FY 10 budget document, is available online at www.loudoun.gov/budget.

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.

Staff Proposing Changes to Boundary Change Process

At tonight's School Board meeting, Dr. Adamo presented a draft proposal to revise the attendance boundary process. The recomendation will involve the School Board sooner in the process and allow parents to be aware of their board member's position earlier in the process. Here is the draft process:

 

 

 

STAFF PROPOSED SCHOOL ATTENDANCE BOUNDARY CHANGE PROCESS

Public Meeting Schedule

School Board Attendance Boundary Overview Session (Week 1)

School Board work session for staff to recommend the schools to involve in the attendance boundary change process, outline potential issues, provide current and projected student enrollments, and present a few initial school attendance boundary suggestions for School Board analysis. Information will be posted on the LCPS web site.

School Board Attendance Boundary Work Session (Week 2)

School Board work session to discuss staff suggested school attendance boundary changes, including School Board modifications and/or changes to school attendance boundary plan(s). Information will be posted on the LCPS web site.

School Board Attendance Boundary Work Session (Week 3)

School Board work session to refine School Board attendance boundary plan(s). New information will be posted on the LCPS web site.

Community Information/Public Comment Meetings (Weeks 4 & 5)

Draft School Board Plans

Staff will present School Board alternative attendance boundary plans(s) for public comment and review. New information will be posted on the LCPS web site.

School Board Attendance Boundary Work Session (Week 6)

School Board work session to discuss final School Board attendance boundary plan(s) and/or alternatives. All changes and/or suggestions will be posted to the LCPS web site

School Board Public Hearing(s) (Weeks 7 & 8)

At least one public hearing will be scheduled for community members to provide the School Board with input regarding the School Board’s attendance boundary plan(s).

School Board Recommendation (Week 9 or 10)

The School Board’s attendance boundary plan(s) would be placed on the next available School Board agenda, as an Information Item, for review and discussion.

School Board Action (Week 11 or 12)

The School Board’s attendance boundary plan(s) would be placed on the next available School Board agenda, as an Action Item, for review and adoption.

Stone Hill Middle School Boundary

UPDATE: After a series or motions, amendments and extended discussion, the School board approved the middle school boundaries for the Broad Run and Dulles districts. Here is a link to the PDF file of the Dulles North and South amended plan. I'd like to thank parents for their inputs. I still have over 200 e-mails in my in-box. I read every e-mail, and will respond. Your passion for your children's education is appreciated. One subject that didn't make it into a motion was the fact that these changes will not affect high school boundaries and that the middle schools will be split feeders (e.g. Eagle Ridge Middle School will 'feed' students into Briar Woods and Stone Bridge high schools.

Adjusting school boundaries is not an easy task. I've voted on more than a dozen boundary changes and they never get any easier.  One thing that I've always felt confident about was that your students will receive an outstanding education at which ever school they attend. In August of 2007, Stone Hill Middle School (MS) will open its doors in Ashburn. In shifting the attendance zones, we will impact Farmwell Station MS, Eagle Ridge MS, and Belmont Ridge MS. There have been several plans put forward that would also effect students attending Harper Park MS and Mercer MS. I will not support those plans. I'd like to bring stability to the built out areas of Ashburn, but that might not be possible. With the forecast for development, we'll be doing this again in several years. 

This boundary change will affect only Middle School attendance zones.  High school attendance zones aren't being adjusted.  If you are in the Stone Bridge High School attendance zone now, you'll still be there after the new middle school boundaries are approved on May 9th.

The boundary decision date was moved to Tuesday, May 9th to allow board members more time to evaluate several recent proposals. Please review the proposals below and let us know how the change impacts your planning zone, neighborhood, and or children.  Just saying I like Mr. Jone's plan doesn't help us. Saying Mr. Jones plan will allow our children to continue to walk to school in planning zone DN99 helps.

Here is a link to the Staff Recommendation.

Here is Mr. Ohneiser's (Broad Run District) original proposal

Here is Mr. Dupree's (Dulles District) original proposal

Here is Mr. Andrews (Potomac District) original proposal