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The Prince William County School Board is considering changes to the division’s boundary planning process following a Sept. 18 presentation from the school division.
The changes come after the school division enlisted outside consultant National Demographics Corporation to conduct a review of the policy.
The division and National Demographics Corporation co-hosted a virtual town hall on the proposed changes at the end of August, where roughly 50 attendees learned about the changes.
Community members would have multiple options for input, including town hall meetings, parent focus groups, outreach to traditionally underrepresented families and involving school principals.
The proposal also includes changes to the policy criteria the division should consider when setting or changing boundaries.
“We’ve gone from a very general and kind of haphazard list that’s in the current policy to these four categories that are defined in much more definition in the regulation,” Johnson said.
The refined categories are as follows:
1. Optimize capacity — schools will be no more than 5% over capacity and no more than 20% under capacity
2. Student demographics — demographics of affected schools and neighborhoods should be considered
3. Local geography — considers proximity to school, walkability/transportation patterns, topography, minimize splitting neighborhoods, feeder patterns, contiguity
4. Student stability — try to avoid student school reassignments when possible
Under the proposed plans, the process for redistricting would be triggered by either the opening or closing of a school or by the board’s initiative following a capacity study report or other report to the board.
Occoquan School Board member Richard Jessie said it was important that both the School Board and principals are involved early in the process, something recommended by the consultants.
“ … because in the past, what happened, we were involved at the end, and then there are some things that we wanted to do. But it was sort of awkward, because the committee had already voted on it,” Jessie said.
Potomac School Board member Justin Wilk expressed concern about overcrowding at Covington Harper Elementary School, which currently has eight trailers.
Overcrowding at the school and other schools in the surrounding area has been a concern for Wilk and his constituents.
Wilk said he wanted options in the proposed policy changes that address what he called “inefficiencies related to the capacity management of Covington Harper elementary.”
Woodbridge District School Board member Loree Williams shared many of the same concerns as Wilk, primarily because changes in the Potomac District could have an impact on Woodbridge District schools.
“When you change a boundary to an existing school, it can affect a lot more than just the surrounding schools,” Williams said. “I have landlocked schools, we’re already overcrowded, they’re Title One schools, my buildings are some of the oldest … we’re already starting to have a problem before we even vote on the new boundary process.”
Jennifer Wall, the Gainesville District member, said she liked the focus on maximizing capacity utilization and the flexible approach to priorities when making boundary planning decisions rather than a stricter, hierarchical approach.
While Wall said she likes the incorporation of principals and more community engagement, she said she was concerned it could become “fraught with politics,” with community members lobbying principals to get their way.
“I am concerned a little bit that the focus groups could get unwieldy if we get too many and they’re too big,” Wall said.
In response to the concerns shared by School Board members, Superintendent LaTanya McDade stepped in, noting the policy changes the division put together are all based on feedback from the board and stakeholders.
“If there’s anything, any adjustments that the board would like to make, then the team is ready and willing to do that,” McDade said.
The superintendent cautioned against delaying making changes any further, as the division is required to update the policy every five years.
School Board Chairman Dr. Babur Lateef echoed McDade’s comments, telling his fellow board members they will have time to give further feedback to the division on the policy before the board takes an official vote on the policy, expected Oct. 2.
