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The Prince William County School Board has approved development impact statements related to rezoning applications for several housing developments across the county.
The rezoning applications are for four development projects located across the Brentsville District, Gainesville District and the Potomac District.
The School Board unanimously approved the items on the April 17 consent agenda, which meant there was no discussion or debate on the matter.
Two of the projects are located in the Brentsville District. The first, Thomas Farm at Bristow Station, would rezone around 80 acres from agricultural zoned land to planned mixed residential.
The development impact statement for the proposed rezoning lists The Nokesville School – elementary and middle school – and the Brentsville District High School as the buildings that will be impacted by the development, which would create a total of 355 residential units combined of single-family and townhouse construction and would generate an expected 215 students.
A breakdown of the students that would be generated by the development shows there would be 95 elementary school students, 49 middle schoolers and 71 high school students.
The second Brenstville district rezoning application, Avera II, would rezone roughly 16 acres of planned mixed development land to planned mixed residential.
The development would create 277 multi-family residential units, generating an estimated 96 students. The schools listed as affected by the development include Victory Elementary School, Gainesville Middle School and Unity Reed High School.
The final two developments supported by the School Board are located in the Gainesville District and Potomac District. The proposed Smith Crossing rezoning application would rezone around 117 acres of agricultural land to planned mixed residential land. The project would create 385 residential units via single-family homes and townhouses, generating roughly 236 students to the surrounding schools. The development impact statement lists Tyler Elementary School, Bull Run Middle School and Battlefield High School, with the breakdown of students to be 104 elementary, 54 middle and 78 high school students.
In the Potomac District, the Triangle Baptist Church rezoning proposal would rezone just under 10 acres of land from residential to planned mixed residential land. The project would create a total of 110 units made up of townhouse and multi-family units. Roughly 55 students – 26 in elementary, 12 in middle and 17 in high school – would go to Dumfries Elementary School, Graham Park Middle School and Forest Park High School.
Overcrowding on the decline
Overcrowding in Prince William County schools has been a much-discussed item in School Board meetings lately and throughout the recent budget process. County staff have said projections show growth will decline and slow over time, but that doesn’t alleviate current overcrowding at several local schools. Several of the facilities listed as being affected by the proposed rezonings are also listed in the Capital Improvements Program as being overcrowded.
The Nokesville School, for example, is projected to be 561 students over capacity by 2028-29, prompting the school division to plan for an addition of 30 classrooms before the 2028-29 school year.
In the Potomac District, Forest Park High School is currently over capacity by 242 students, with projections showing that by 2030-31, that number will rise to 323 students.
The development impact statement, however, cites the delayed but forthcoming 14th high school as a measure that will address the current overcrowding and any additional students that are coming from the development in that area.
School Board Chairman Dr. Babur Lateef told InsideNoVa that in the past the school division would often oppose development projects unless there was a proffer or effort by the developer to mitigate the impact of an influx of students. But Lateef noted the school division’s recent projections for student population, which has prompted the change in response.
“Lately, what’s been happening is we have some schools and some areas that are actually at capacity or under capacity,” Lateef said.
The development impact statements will now be shared with the Prince William County Planning Office. The county Planning Commission and Board of County Supervisors will receive the development impact statements ahead of a final decision on the projects.
