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Fairfax County school board approves historic school boundary changes
In an 8-to-3 vote, Fairfax County school board members approved amended school boundaries, finalizing the first district-wide redistricting plan in decades.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - In an 8-to-3 vote, Fairfax County school board members approved amended school boundaries, finalizing the first district-wide redistricting plan in decades.
The approved plan redraws school boundaries across Fairfax County in an effort to balance enrollment and school capacity.
What we know:
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid amended her initial proposal after getting feedback from the board and parents, cutting the number of students impacted from about 2,200 to 1,700.
The amended plan is designed to balance enrollment and school capacity, to reduce "split feeders" where kids from one elementary school go to multiple middle or high schools, and to eliminate what's called "attendance islands" — neighborhood pockets assigned to a school far from their area.
But one of the big concerns for parents is bus service. Students who choose to stay at their current school — even if they are rezoned — are not guaranteed bus service.
It's a move that could apparently save millions but leaves families to figure out alternative transportation, raising serious equity issues.
Parents speak out:
"If my child is already at a high school and the new boundary puts them somewhere else, she would not get a bus. She would not get a bus if she stayed at her original high school," parent Sonali Khadilkar told FOX 5. "As a family with two working parents, full-time and no extra car, that’s difficult for us to do pick up and drop offs."
"I do feel for the communities that are impacted without transportation. I don’t think that’s fair," parent Joyti Jiandani added. "I don’t think it’s equitable, and we have to be advocates for all the communities."
Another issue top of mind for some parents is student involvement in sports and how that would be affected if redistricting takes place.
One parent says some students are allowed to stay at their current school despite new boundaries, but if they do, they will be considered a transfer student, and transfer students are not allowed to play sports for one year according to state law.
"I’ve mentioned to the board that this is unfair going to affect scholarships, team bonding, team scholarships; they should not have to sit out every year," said Khadilkar.
What's next:
Parents whose children are rezoned will receive official notice from the district.
Meanwhile, the superintendent says her staff is working on a transportation plan. Those details may be available by next Friday.