Public invited to meeting tonight on Annandale Regional Planning Study

Parents of students in Annandale public schools are invited to a community meeting tonight on the Annandale Regional Planning Study. The meeting will be held at Annandale High School’s Clausen Hall, 7-9 p.m.

Several members of the study committee, including Annandale High School PTSA President Emily Slough, will provide an overview of what the study involves. The planning study committee was formed by the Fairfax County School Board to address overcrowding at Annandale High School and Poe Middle School and to explore options for determining the attendance boundary for the new elementary school being built on the site of the former Lacey Center.

With the deadline for a final report fast approaching, members of the Annandale Regional Planning Study are focusing on which options to present to the school board and how the options should be evaluated. Once the report is drafted, the committee will focus on soliciting community input. The final report is expected to be submitted to the school board on Feb. 10.

At the study committee’s meeting last night, the group addressing secondary school overcrowding discussed the idea of presenting several possible scenarios—involving not only boundary changes, but other issues such as changing schools’ grade configurations—and developing a system for evaluating the various scenarios. The rating system, not yet finalized, could include such factors as how many students would be affected, the impact on a schools’ special programs, and the impact on a school’s diversity. The group members generally agreed that it is important for all schools to have a balance in terms of the percentages of English language learners and students eligible for free and reduced-price lunches.