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washingtonpost.com By
Christina A. Samuels Placing a "traditional school" program at a school under construction near Manassas Mall would not do enough to ease crowding at Cedar Point Elementary, according a survey conducted by Prince William County school staff. But another idea is gaining traction: sending newcomers to the Cedar Point district away for a few years, until the school system has time to catch up with the fast growth in the western neighborhoods. The Ashton Avenue school near the mall is set to open next year. The boundaries have not been drawn, but parents in Sheffield Manor, Saybrooke and Victory Lakes are worried that their children might be pulled out of Cedar Point and sent to the new school, which is seven miles away. The county originally planned to build an elementary school closer to the neighborhoods, but the developer did not provide land quickly enough for the school to be constructed by this fall. The School Board asked parents whether they would consider voluntarily sending their children to Ashton Avenue if it housed a program similar to that at Pennington School, which has a strong academic and disciplinary focus. Surveys were sent to parents at Loch Lomond, Mullen and Bristow Run elementary schools in addition to Cedar Point. Only 80 Cedar Point parents said they would consider moving their children. At Mullen, 123 parents expressed interest; 63 at Loch Lomond, and 11 at Bristow Run. For a school projected to be nearly 400 students over its 850-student capacity, the interest level was not high enough to make a difference. With that plan shelved, the idea of picking a date, after which any newcomers to the Cedar Point boundary area would have to go to the new school, is gaining some favor. Such a move, if approved, would last only until closer schools could be built. One positive is that "the people who are already in this school won't be moved around again," said Milt Johns, School Board representative-elect for the Brentsville District, which includes these neighborhoods and schools. Newcomers would know up front that they face a temporary busing situation before they buy their house. Terry Lemons, who leads a community group formed to keep neighborhood children at Cedar Point, agrees that there are benefits to a "last in, first out" temporary solution. "It recognizes that people who have lived in the neighborhood have already gone through some moves," Lemons said. "There's a real element of fairness to it." The school district is forming a boundary committee for the Ashton Avenue school, as well as a boundary committee for an eastern-end school that will draw students from Leesylvania, River Oaks and Swans Creek elementary schools. Volunteers
for either committee can call David Beavers at 703-791-7312. |
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