Fairfax Parents Sue School Board on Rerouting
The Washington Post reports: ” A parent group from western Fairfax County announced yesterday that it is seeking a legal order to reverse a School Board decision to reroute thousands of students among five high schools in coming years.”
The lawsuit, filed Friday in Fairfax County Circuit Court, alleges that the board action was “arbitrary and capricious” because, among other reasons, members violated board policies when they decided which neighborhoods would be subject to attendance-zone changes and because they did not sufficiently analyze impacts on transportation or costs.
The suit also alleges that the board exceeded its authority when it sought to balance socioeconomic characteristics in the schools.
On Feb. 28, the board approved a plan to increase the enrollment of South Lakes High School in Reston over the next several years by shifting students who had been zoned to Westfield High School in Chantilly and Oakton and Madison high schools in Vienna. In addition, some students were rerouted from the Chantilly High School zone to the Oakton zone. The plan also moved some students from Wolftrap Elementary School in Vienna to Sunrise Valley Elementary in Reston and from Thoreau Middle School in Vienna to Hughes Middle in Reston.
Fairfax schools spokesman Paul Regnier said he would not comment on pending litigation.
It’s one of those things I truly don’t understand about America and Americans. Y’all are probably the most independent minded and responsibility minded (and family minded) people in the world, yet you’re allowing schools / the government to tell you where you child should go to school.
Yes, I know, the government started doing this in an attempt to end segregated schools, but still; this is such a tremendous limitation of parental rights. Not even Dutch people would accept it.
They’re displacing kids as if they’re toys.
The parents aren’t accepting it though, they’re suing.
Michael, how do local schools work in the Netherlands? Are parents free to send their children to any public school, anywhere? Are there any geographic limitations? Do the schools provide transportation for the kids to and from school?
I believe that is why the parents filed a lawsuit. They chose the schools for their children by purchasing homes districted for certain schools.