School Board member Harry Holsinger does not like the idea of opening Dominion High School with 141 juniors in fall 2003 when Broad Run, Park View and Potomac Falls will be opening with more than double that.
"We have set up an expectation 11th graders don't have to go to a new school if they don't want to," said Holsinger (Blue Ridge).
In January, 146 rising juniors requested they be grandfathered at their current schools, leaving the new Sterling school with 711 students, half that of the three other high schools.
Dominion High School's opening required a change in attendance boundaries for the three eastern Loudoun schools, as adopted in April 2001 to go into effect for the 2003-04 school year. The school district conducted a survey to identify how many students currently in the 10th grade wanted to stay at their current schools instead of transferring to Dominion or Potomac Falls high schools. Forty-two percent of students requested to stay, agreeing to provide their own transportation. Students affected by the boundary changes were the only ones surveyed.
POTOMAC FALL High School's attendance is projected to drop from 1,641 students this year to a projected 1,431 students when Dominion High School opens next year. Likewise, Park View's student count is expected to decrease from 1,563 students to 1,441 students and Broad Run's from 1,520 students to 1,468 students. Loudoun high schools are designed for a capacity of 1,600 students.
"We are sacrificing one group of kids against another. It's unwise," Holsinger said, asking if the same classes would be available to a smaller 11th grade class. "I can't believe you could offer a high school program for juniors and seniors if you only have 141 students," he said. "To offer those courses, you're going to pay a premium ... or students can't take the classes."
"This is not without cost," said Chairman Joseph Vogric (Dulles), adding that students attending a new school are bused to other schools to take some courses. "There has to be another end to the policy than if there's room, we'll do it. ... I'm concerned about the 141 number ... and going that low."
Sharon Ackerman, assistant superintendent of instruction, said the projected student number was similar to that of Heritage High School when the Leesburg school opened in fall 2002. "We haven't had to put in a lot of increased staffing," she said. "More sharing of teachers, that's probably what we would look at here."
Geary Higgins (Catoctin) said the grandfathering policy will avoid disrupting students, while Candyce Cassell (Sugarland Run) said the policy "gives students the best perception of their opportunities."
"Not everyone requesting grandfathering follows through," she added.
Following the debate, the School Board voted 9-0 in favor of the grandfathering request.