WASHINGTON — After heated debate, the Loudoun County School Board approved a new redistricting plan Tuesday night, hoping to put an end to controversy that has surrounded the issue.
The board describes the plan, called Plan 8, as a hybrid between the current district lines and those suggested in Plan 12 — one many said would effectively segregate students.
Plan 12 would have had students attend schools closer to where they live. Many parents worried that would send all students of a particular race or socio-economic status to the same schools, essentially creating segregation.
“Nobody on this board was trying to racially segregate anybody here,” said board member Beth Huck.
As districts stand now, many students ride buses to schools further away from their houses to ensure they have the same educational opportunities and to create diverse student bodies.
Plan 8 makes some adjustments to districts, but aims to continue having balanced student populations. “I’m looking for a compromise, and I do feel this Plan 8, with the amendments, is a compromise,” Huck said.
Not everyone was so easily convinced. Board member Eric DeKenipp didn’t think Plan 8 was enough, and said that a false campaign to paint Plan 12 as segregation may force the board to revisit the issue in a couple of years.
“Demographics seem to be the only thing we’re interested in, again, over every other criteria with these changes, and I can’t support that,” he said. “We have growth coming in. Again, we’re not considering that.”
“It both helps move us in a direction of community-based schools while balancing our at-risk population, so that the communities can support them,” Huck added.
The decision came after hours of emotional testimony from parents and community members, who wanted to expose their children to diverse learning opportunities.
But, as DeKenipp pointed out, many of those parents had to pack on to buses to get to the meeting, just as their kids do every day to get to class.
“Why does every other community get to go to school with their neighbors, but our … students don’t?” DeKenipp said.
