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Loudoun County school board votes down controversial rezoning plan Loudoun County school board votes down controversial rezoning plan
(about 11 hours later)
The Loudoun County school board voted down a controversial rezoning plan that would have sent the students from a largely poor, Hispanic neighborhood to two schools following criticism from parents and experts who suggested the proposal was akin to segregation. The Loudoun County School Board voted down a controversial rezoning plan that would have concentrated the students from a largely poor, Hispanic neighborhood in two schools after parents and experts criticized the proposal as being akin to segregation.
After emotional comments from parents and threats of legal action, the board voted 7-2 for a plan that represented a compromise between those who support economic integration and those who wanted children to attend schools closest to them. The board was tasked with redrawing boundaries to ease overcrowding. After emotional comments from parents and threats of legal action, the board voted 7-2 Tuesday night for a plan that represents a compromise between those who support economic integration and those who wanted children to attend schools closest to them. The board was tasked with redrawing boundaries to ease overcrowding.
“To say that this process has been hard is an understatement,” said board member Beth Huck (At-Large). As a parent, she said, “I want commmunity schools and I want diversity ... that being said, I’m looking to compromise.”“To say that this process has been hard is an understatement,” said board member Beth Huck (At-Large). As a parent, she said, “I want commmunity schools and I want diversity ... that being said, I’m looking to compromise.”
The controversial proposal — called Plan 12 — would have moved nearly all of the students who lived in a downtown cluster of apartments and townhomes to two schools: Frederick Douglass Elementary and Leesburg Elementary. Those schools would have seen a sharp rise in the number of poor students and English language learners, but proponents of the plan said it would have allowed them to focus resources to help high-needs students there. The proposal — called Plan 12 — would have moved nearly all of the students who lived in a downtown cluster of apartments and townhomes to two schools: Frederick Douglass Elementary and Leesburg Elementary. Those schools would have seen a sharp rise in the number of poor students and English language learners, but proponents of the plan said it would have allowed them to focus resources to help high-needs students there.
The vote came after dozens of parents rallied outside the Loudoun County Public School administration building in a demonstration organized by Educate Don’t Segregate, a parent group that formed in opposition of the plan. They were joined by members of the Loudoun County chapter of the NAACP, which took a stand against Plan 12.
“As an African-American, I find the whole concept of Plan 12 disheartening,” Phillippe Thompson, an attorney and the head of president of the chapter, told the crowd assembled in the parking lot. At the meeting, he threatened legal action of the plan moved forward.
Parents and board members who spoke in support of the controversial plan said that it was unfair to force children in downtown neighborhoods to attend schools far from their homes and expressed skepticism at the benefits of economic integration, which have been documented in several studies. They suggested that the standing policy of economic integration, which aims to disburse high-needs students to several schools, was unfair to poor families because it sent children to schools further from their homes.
“Why are we treating over 1,300 at-risk students differently than the other 4,700 students in Leesburg?” said Stephanie DeWan, who has three children at Evergreen Mills Elementary. “Not all students are being treated equally or fairly.”
Board member Debbie Rose (Algonkian), one of the supporters of the controversial plans, said she resented suggestions that it constituted segregation.
“It’s just a flat-out lie to say that we wanted to put all Hispanic students in one school and all white students in another,” Rose said, suggesting that opponents of the plan had misinformed Spanish-speaking parents. “I value diversity very much. I grew up in LA.”
But parents from the downtown neighborhood, who delivered comments in Spanish with the help of translators, said they did not want their children to be moved from their schools — a sentiment shared by nearly all parents.
“I don’t want the kids to be divided,” Griselda Fuentes, whose daughter attends Frances Hazel Reid Elementary, said tearfully. “This is going to cause great stress on our community.”
The plan that the board ultimately settled on leaves nearly all of the students who live in the cluster of downtown apartment complexes, where 84 percent of elementary school students live in poverty and 70 percent are English language learners, in the schools they currently attend.The plan that the board ultimately settled on leaves nearly all of the students who live in the cluster of downtown apartment complexes, where 84 percent of elementary school students live in poverty and 70 percent are English language learners, in the schools they currently attend.
“I believe it provides stablity to our at-risk students,” said Brenda Sheriden (Sterling), vice chair of the board.“I believe it provides stablity to our at-risk students,” said Brenda Sheriden (Sterling), vice chair of the board.
The vote came after dozens of parents rallied outside the Loudoun County Public School administration building in a demonstration organized by Educate Don’t Segregate, a parent group that formed to oppose the plan. They were joined by members of the Loudoun County chapter of the NAACP.
“As an African-American, I find the whole concept of Plan 12 disheartening,” Phillippe Thompson, an attorney and the president of the chapter, told the crowd assembled in the parking lot. At the meeting, he threatened legal action if the plan had moved forward.
Parents and board members who spoke in support of the plan said that it was unfair to force children in downtown neighborhoods to attend schools far from their homes and expressed skepticism at the benefits of economic integration. They suggested that the standing policy of economic integration, which aims to disperse high-needs students to several schools, was unfair to poor families because it sent children to schools further from their homes.
“Why are we treating over 1,300 at-risk students differently than the other 4,700 students in Leesburg?” said Stephanie DeWan, who has three children at Evergreen Mills Elementary. “Not all students are being treated equally or fairly.”
Board member Debbie Rose (Algonkian), one of the supporters of Plan 12, said she resents suggestions that the proposal amounted to segregation.
“It’s just a flat-out lie to say that we wanted to put all Hispanic students in one school and all white students in another,” Rose said, suggesting that opponents of the plan had misinformed Spanish-speaking parents. “I value diversity very much. I grew up in L.A.”
But parents from the downtown neighborhood, who delivered comments in Spanish with the help of translators, said they did not want their children to be moved from their schools.
“I don’t want the kids to be divided,” Griselda Fuentes, whose daughter attends Frances Hazel Reid Elementary, said tearfully. “This is going to cause great stress on our community.”