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New Ashburn Elementary School Boundaries

Discussion in 'Broadlands Community Issues' started by vacliff, Aug 24, 2012.

  1. Villager

    Villager Ashburn Village Resident

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    Even if boundary changes had been different, it wasn't like Mill Run and Hillside were going to be much under capacity anyway. I saw all the numbers and for right now that's just how it is. When another school is built there should be some relief for Broadlands but the two new schools under construction right now do more to relieve overcrowding in other areas. And as T8erman pointed out, some people REALLY REALLY REALLY want to stay at their schools no matter how overcrowded they are. Others disagree with that. Until another school is built to accommodate the growth on the other side of Belmont Ridge Rd. things will be crowded.

    I'm starting to understand the people who fought so hard for "smart" growth over the years. Developers keep building and building but the Board of Supervisors hasn't (or can't?) required them to proffer for schools for the residents.
     
  2. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

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    JD-
    First comment makes no sense. Mill Run's numbers are significantly lower than last year's. How does that mean they get MORE administrative help?
    Hillside's numbers will be larger than last year. How does that mean they won't get more admin help?
     
  3. jdhauer

    jdhauer Active Member

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    Once a school goes over 800 students, they qualify for an administrative intern and additional accommodations for SOL testing. Hillside is hovering in the 700s and over capacity, but not enough kids to get expanded testing or extra administrative help or extra special education support.
     
  4. Traci

    Traci New Member

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    I'm sorry you feel this way, everyone was reached out to and asked to participate. No one in MR "screwed" over anyone in HS. The decision to move DN 50 was made by the SB in order to satisfy the greatest number of DNs in Loudoun since there is a shortage of space and a domino effect is created with each move. I was not in favor of this move, and went to great lengths to fight it, so don't point fingers at those who fought for you.
     
  5. Traci

    Traci New Member

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    Steve, there's simply no need to be rude. If you had a better outcome in mind, perhaps you should have participated, those who did seemed to feel this was a desirable outcome given the alternatives.
     
  6. mminderl

    mminderl New Member

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    Traci is right. Those of us who were involved in this process were looking for the best outcome for the community. It's a little late in the game to be throwing opinions around now.
    It seems that some of you believe that it was actually possible to obtain the dream situation at MR, with small class sizes. That simply is not possible at this time. If you look at the capacity of all the schools surrounding us and current growth all around us, you will understand that. Our goal was to keep current MR students at MR, and hope for the shifting of students around us because we believe that MR is a fantastic school.
    You can be sure that if a large portion of MR students were moved out of MR, another group of students would have been moved in. Mill Run was not going to be operating under capacity, it's simply wasn't possible at this time.
    As for Hillside getting "screwed" by it's Mill Run neighbors, it's unfortunate that you feel this way. Hillside has been operating well under capacity and the school board has simply brought your capacity up to be more inline to the schools around you. This was not something we did to you. Students were shifted, as is the nature of a boundary change.
     
  7. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    Do you think I didn't participate because I didn't wear purple tshirts or some other stunt? Maybe you shouldn't pretend to know what other people are actually doing.

    And again.. you substitute your ideal as what we all support or believe. Don't be so pretentious.
     
  8. jdhauer

    jdhauer Active Member

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    You have no idea what I was or was not doing during the redistricting process so I am with flynnibus on this one. There is no deadline on having an opinion.

    Hillside is not under capacity - they are still over but less than their neighbors so they receive overflow. That means that there are kids coming in to the school not just from the Hillside DNs, but from Mill Run, Rosa Lee Carter, Legacy and Creightons Corner. That means that there are kids coming into classrooms and leaving classrooms at a very high frequency. Last year, my daughter's teacher issued at least five updated class rosters because the turnover was so high. Everyone seems to overlook the impact of overflow on the school receiving the kids when there isn't room at their home school. It's not small.

    I was specifically told by a member of the school board that Hillside's numbers need to come as close as possible to Mill Run's despite the smaller physical capacity of the school. It's a fact that a school with an enrollment in the 700s is screwed over when it comes to administrative workload and SOLs. I don't like seeing kids unable to have computer lab or library time for a month and half because of high stakes testing.
     
  9. mminderl

    mminderl New Member

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    JD- Hillside's enrollment this year is 719 (including overflow) and capacity is 716. So you're right in that HS is currently not operating under capacity, but it's actually pretty much on target. Next year, enrollment is projected to be 732. Only 13 more students than this year. I'm not sure if that actually qualifies as a "screwing" or not.

    Mill Run's projected enrollment next year is 890, compared to 1017 this year.
     
  10. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

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    JD- Then doesn't this mean Hillside will be much better off next year? (I am guessing it will no longer be an overflow school).
    Instead of the situation you described, the student population will be stable, albeit a tad larger.
    Do you know if it will still be designated for overflow?
     
  11. Traci

    Traci New Member

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    JD & Steve you are right I have no idea to what extend you did or did not participate. I do know that we reached out in multiple ways to the entire community, in an effort to find the best solution for everyone. As such, I find your comments inappropriate, especially in a public forum. If you'd like to continue to be part of the process in the future, there are FB websites and committess formed, and we'd certainly love your participation and input.

    FWIW, the SB actually recommended our wearing the same color so they could easily pick us out, and regardless more students were going to be moved in HS, the question was simply which DNs. BTW, MR also had DNs added...
     
  12. T8erman

    T8erman Well-Known Member

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    In all the of the postings and discussions I have read and heard, the overwhelming (only?) consideration was keeping Broadlands students in MR and HS, not once I did I hear anything about quality of education. Was this a consideration at all? Were there options of moving some kids out of Broadlands schools and having better class sizes?
     
  13. mminderl

    mminderl New Member

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    Yes, of course we all want better class sizes.
    Carisbrooke was moved out of Mill Run, but then VOW was moved in so it was a wash.
    The new townhomes being built east of MR, which are part of B'lands, are now zoned to Discovery.
    In addition, the board made it clear back in Oct. that someone from B'lands (MR) was going to move to Hillside to alleviate MR's overcrowding, so it simply because a matter of who that would be (ended up being the apartment complex).

    In order for any more students to be moved out of Mill Run, there would have to be a school with room to place them. Hillside is now at capacity. Moorefield will be over capacity by 25 students by the '14-15 school year and 125 over by the '15-16, so it wouldn't have made sense to move students there. While Discovery will be under capacity when it opens, there is a huge neighborhood building out around that school and the school board opted to leave room in the school for those students, or else our MR students would just get shifted back in as Discovery fills up. The board was striving for stability for the neighborhoods already completed, such as B'lands. Creighton is still over capacity and Legacy is still way over capacity.
     
  14. Sunny

    Sunny Chief Advisor

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    I don't understand why we don't have trailers at Mill Run. Baffling.
     
  15. jdhauer

    jdhauer Active Member

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    I was on the Facebook site until you or someone else who is an administrator removed me when you were all stating that only Broadlands people should be on the site. Well, I live in Broadlands and I found it really puzzling that I would be removed for no reason. I believe I had only made one comment with the group at all before I was removed and it had to do with class sizes. Why would I want to be a member of a group that doesn;t want me?

    Quite honestly, all of the comments about Hillside kids when the proposed DN spit came up WERE offensive - with people saying that they could not be moved to Hillside because it is not their community. Last time I checked, all of our kids are on the same swim teams, soccer leagues, go to the same grocery stores, and see each other in the BROADLANDS community. The kids all end up at Eagle Ridge and Briar Woods (for now) together. I always saw Broadlands as one large community, not the "Mill Run Community" and the "Hillside Community" before that but my eyes were really opened. I get not wanting your kids to be moved from one school to another but there's a lot nicer way to do than to denigrate your neighbors as if you and your "community" and your "community school" are somehow better than them.
     
  16. Traci

    Traci New Member

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    JD, I apoligize if you were inadverantly removed. If you'd like to email me on FB with your address, I'll be only to happy to ensure you're added back.

    I was at all but one PI session, and never heard anyone say anything unkind about HS, or the students. Some of us, myself included, noted it's not our neighborhood school and that our children would have to start over making friends. No one I know of claimed you are not part of our community. We were simply trying to clarify between neighborhood & community... For younger children, their sense of neighborhood is smaller & it really is easier for them to bond with children who live closest to their own home. I'm truly sorry if anyones comments offended you.
     

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