Mommy Life: Loudoun County Public Schools Valley and Woodgrove secret meeting 6/9?

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June 8, 2010 6:23 PM

Loudoun County Public Schools Valley and Woodgrove secret meeting 6/9?

lcps logo.jpg Not sure what to make of this - but I received it in my email and it looked like it needed to be passed on.

I had heard that they were allowing student transfers from Valley to Woodgrove - which was kid of shocking since LCPS policy about school boundaries has been strictly enforced as long as we've lived here - since 2002. Also, there was no public announcement that we had a choice. As a family whose siblings will be split between the two schools next year, this concerns me.

One thing is for sure: when meetings are not publicly announced, there is surely something someone is trying to hide. I hope many parents will be attend this meeting to find out how many under-the-table transfers have already been given out and why more are being encouraged.

Please pass this on to all Western Loudoun high school parents.

Perhaps the best idea would be to postpone this meeting and announce it properly with a clearly defined purpose and agenda:

ALERT: Disturbing New Developments in the Opening of Woodgrove HS; Unannounced Meeting for Wednesday, 9 June
Concerns are mounting on several fronts around a growing number of students and a second wave of teachers transferring to Woodgrove HS. These student transfers are being allowed under LCPS policies meant to address overcrowding run the risk of turning LVHS from the largest County high school into the smallest in a single year. In addition, these transfers mean at least four additional car trips on Purcellville and surrounding roads per student per day as bus transportation is not offered. This would make the traffic study used to project costs for the school even more invalid and violate the intent of the settlement to have all in Town students attend LVHS.

The real issue is the disparate treatment being afforded LVHS students in the coming years. Already dealing with facilities long neglected when improvement funds were frozen to influence public opinion, lack of funds for overdue maintenance to sports and practice fields and now facing an exodus of many of the best and brightest teachers and coaches, LVHS could find itself going from a school teachers and students seek to one not making the grade. This was not what anyone had in mind when seeking to think of the children in placing the second high school within a mile of the existing school.

Some parents have asked for answers. Priscilla Godfrey, Blue Ridge School Board member, has set a date and time (LVHS, Wednesday, June 9th at 6 p.m. in the LVHS library) to talk with parents interested in transferring. Note, the purpose was not about maintaining parity, addressing how to allow students who wish to remain but were denied the right to stay LV, siblings separated, or the plans to rebuild the accelerated decay of the LV physical plant due to overcrowding. The meeting has not published, placed on LV's website, nor did Ms. Ross send out a voice message letting everyone know it was scheduled. Instead, in the course of asking for some explanations, the meeting came to light from Ms. Godfrey (unfortunately, Jennifer Bergel was not included in Ms. Godfrey's planning either having learned late this weekend about the plan).

I encourage anyone with students remaining at LVHS, scheduled to attend or concerned about community based schools to go out on Wednesday to ask questions about how our students will be taken care of during this transition. The two high schools can work cooperatively to ensure parity or become bitter rivals through mismanagement of the process. LCPS has not handled any other opening of a HS with this much disregard for the long term effects. Parents have requested Ms. Godfrey provide information on policies, numbers of transfers to date, and plans for addressing and delivering the promised facility upgrades promised to LV.

Add your voice to ensure our Western High Schools are both outstanding secondary education institutes and stop the neglect of a storied high school. Our children are too important for closed door, exclusionary meetings. Come out to help defend and preserve the Viking heritage of excellence and support the development of Woodgrove. Let your opinions and questions be heard.