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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Attending tonight’s meeting, the Superintendent opened by addressing Hagel Circle and it looks like they’ll be making corrections to the maps to send the kids to their community school of Lorton Station vs Halley (current school) or Gunston (proposed school)[/quote]

Keep in mind, Lorton Station already has over 700 students. An additional 146 students would lead to overcrowding. Lorton Station is not their community school. Gunston was built at the time Hagel Circle was. That was the original elementary school for Hagel.

Better solution is keeping Gunston or having them go to Halley which both schools could easily handle that amount of students. Keep in mind, there is a reason why Hagel Circle was zoned for Halley, it was a capacity issue. [/quote]

Gunston is one of the oldest elementary schools in the county. It was built in the 1950s. It was one of the only schools in Lorton! That’s not relevant to today, especially when Lorton has undergone substantial development since the.  Gunston doesn’t have the capacity because they’re on a septic system that already has issues. Lorton Station has capacity for 890 students, with approximately 700 current students there is plenty of room for Hagel Circle students to attend the elementary school within walking distance of their home. Lorton Station is also an AAP center - get rid of centers and there is even more space. [/quote]

Okay, let’s say as you propose Lorton Station Elementary becomes Hagel Circles assigned school. That would mean Gunston Elementary would be well under its capacity. What neighborhood should be added?  [/quote]

Gunston wouldn’t be under capacity. If you looked at the proposal you would see that multiple neighborhoods are being forced out of Gunston under the options to move Hagel Circle from Halley. That was part of the parents concern at the meeting on the 22nd, why was their school targeted to have neighborhoods moved out when Halley Elementary is the school that will end up at 68% enrollment? Even with the neighborhoods being moved out, there is only room for the Hagel Circle kids if Gunston starts using the two dilapidated module units.

Then it came up that if Halley has all of this extra capacity, it can be used for a Korean Immersion program that someone on the school board wants to create.

Also, Hagel Circle can access the Pohick Village townhouse community via walking path which is directly across from Lorton Station elementary. Mateo Dunne even confirmed this during the meeting on the 22nd. [/quote]

What you are saying about the capacity makes no sense.

Look at the PowerPoint slides provided before the meeting and still available. They did a study and found that there definitely is capacity to handle the Hagel circle community since they assigned Inlet Cove to Island Creek Elementary. They shuffled around some neighborhoods to accommodate so what you’re saying is not believable or able to be backed up with evidence.

Second, let’s say Lorton Station is walkable, why should that be a huge reason why Lorton Station should take it? Lorton station already serves two large apartment complexes which make up the majority of students there. Overcrowding will become an issue and need to be accommodated with six extra trailers. I spoke with Mr. Dunne and he confirmed this.

You know the real reason why most parents objected to it and it was displayed subtlety and blatantly that evening….. it’s because the reputation Hagel Circle has and it’s really unfair to that community to be pushed away. [/quote]

Honestly, PP you sound like a Lorton Station parent trying to avoid Hagel Circle being rezoned to its community school. So I guess it’s the pot calling the kettle black. Multiple posts have laid out why Gunston isn’t a good option for Hagel Circle, and why the ability to walk to a school is important for the lower income students. If Lorton Station is overcrowded it’s because it’s an AAP center for South County and Hayfield schools. Maybe FCPS can create a center at Halley with all of the excess capacity to alleviate the pressure on Lorton Station so that students who actually live in the community can attend. [/quote]

I don’t have any issue with Hagel Circle coming to Lorton Station. There already is over 50% of low income and high minority. It wouldn’t change much. It’s the overcrowding that is the issue.

An option would be to have Woods of Fairfax sent to Gunston elementary. That would be a better solution than adding 146 students.

But the real reason why Gunston parents objected was seen that night by all. I hope I can find a taped recording so everyone see the things said about Hagel Circle. It was extremely offensive and has no place at FCPS[/quote]
There’s a bit more nuance here. Lorton Station is already a Title I school (or at least, it was listed as one in the most recent CIP.) Gunston is not. When capacity numbers are thrown around, Thru is using Program Capacity. Program Capacity chances under Title I status. Gunston would likely become a Title I school under the current proposal, which might have cascading effects.

Unfortunately, nobody seems to be paying attention to these aspects. Graham Road is a prime example. It will loose Title I status under Scenarios 3 and 4, and the poverty will be concentrated at Timber Lane. Shrevewood will also pick up FARM students, but not quite enough for Title I status. They’re shifting around disadvantaged students while losing the resources meant to help them. [/quote]

What are you saying, what’s your point?

You heard what the administrators said, even becoming a Title 1 school does not adversely affect the level of education. Title 1 status provides additional resources to help students achieve success.

Hagel circle were being taught at Halley Elementary and they were not a Title 1 school.

You make no sense 
[/quote]
Program capacity changes when Title I is implemented. They’re proposing scenarios that could change Title I status without tracking how that impacts capacity utilization. I’m not saying one way or the other where students should be moved, but when they shuffle planning areas to utilize Gunston ES to 98%, that capacity could instantly disappear if they need to make program changes to accommodate an influx of Title I students. I don’t think these factors are being considered when they make their recommendations.

Halley, even with Hagel Circle does not qualify for Title I, so the same concerns do not apply. [/quote]

+1. This was also brought up at the meeting last week. The PP who keeps posting about the bigoted and evil Gunston parents is clearly a Lorton Station parent continuing to try to keep Hagel Circle from attending their neighborhood school.

Also, Gunston is located on Mason Neck and the Mason Neck Citizens Association has a lot of sway at the local political level. I believe when South County opened, it was Dan Storke who stepped in and ensured Mason Neck was zoned for South County. In return, Hunt Valley was moved from Lee to West Springfield.

The land swap that even allowed South County to be built involved land owned by a Mason Neck resident. [/quote]

I don’t mind Hagel Circle part of Lorton station. Lorton station wouldn’t change much as it is already a title 1 school. It is Gunston parents pushing Hagel circle students out.

If Hagel does become part of Lorton Station, then Gunston should take students from woods of Fairfax or one of the other neighborhoods. Why should Lorton Station take all those 146 students the whole inlet Cove neighborhood was re-zoned to Island Creek Elementary.

[/quote]

Inlet Cove and Lyndham Hill won’t need to be rezoned to Island Creek - they can stay at Gunston. That’s what all of the parents at the meeting wanted! To stay at the elementary school they have been zoned for since their neighborhoods were built. They don’t want to drive with rush hour traffic further away from their homes to go to Island Creek. There is no excess capacity issue at Gunston, the only school with an excess capacity issue is Halley.

The Fairfax Woods neighborhood also won’t be rezoned to Gunston. It’s technically walkable to Lorton Station and as has been mentioned throughout this thread, these lower income neighborhoods don’t necessarily have parents with cars who can get kids to school if they miss the bus. Lorton Station has always had these lower income apartment complexes, FCPS needs to get away from bussing kids out of their communities. [/quote]

You’re proving my point that this resistance to having Hagel Circle stems from Classism and discrimination based on Socio-economic status.

The parents that night preferred Inlet Cove and Lyndham Hill part of Gunston which are much further away from Gunston than Hagel Circle. That’s precisely because they are more of an affluent community and “won’t degrade the quality of education” as mentioned throughout the meeting. Walkability is being used as an excuse to move Hagel Circle out of Gunston and having it pushed onto Lorton Station which definitely not have the capacity. Lorton station would need additional trailers which they have already tried having removed.

I’ve visited Hagel Circle and it is entirely fenced in. There is no authorized safe way to get to Lorton Station without having to walk from Richmond Hwy and towards Lorton Station which is easily a 30-40 minute walk.

I know exactly what you are trying to do and I will expose it to all the committee members.[/quote]

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