Kathleen Kobran will have a freshman and a senior attending Loudoun County High School this fall. She wants her freshman, Melanie, to remain after her sister, Shannon, graduates in 2006.
Loudoun County Public SchoolsÕ current admission and attendance policy, however, would prohibit Melanie from following in her sisterÕs footsteps. Boundary changes require Melanie to attend Freedom High School when she becomes a sophomore. Rising seniors and their siblings are allowed to remain at a previous school only until the senior graduates.
"The juggling them around within several years is very disturbing to families," Kobran said.
Mark Nuzzaco, chairman of the legislative and policy committee, introduced a policy amendment last month that would keep families together despite boundary changes. The proposal failed to garner enough support, so he withdrew it. Last week, he introduced a compromise amendment that generated additional debate. Board members said they needed time to review the matter before voting on it next month.
ÒIÕm trying to provide a choice for some families who feel strongly they donÕt want to force their kids to go to the new schools,Ó he said. ÒThe point is to give people an option to choose.Ó
The amendment would allow the rising seniorÕs brothers and sisters to remain in a school despite boundary changes. The policy would apply to rising sophomores, juniors and seniors. Originally, Nuzzaco also wanted to include rising freshmen, but he didnÕt have enough board support. He told the board that the policy would affect a small number of students. He plans to provide numbers at the next board meeting, Aug. 9.
Kobran said Melanie has Type I diabetes and stress increases her health problems. It also makes her irritable and it makes it difficult for her to focus, the mother said.
When boundary changes last forced Melanie to change schools, her health and academic performance plummeted, Kobran said. The school district agreed to let her go back to her previous school.
ÒThe idea of going to a brand new school is very frightening to her for two reasons,Ó the mother said. Melanie would be one of only two girls in her neighborhood attending Freedom High so she wouldnÕt know her classmates. She also fears getting singled out, because she wears an insulin pump.
ATTENDING LOUDOUN County would be easier, because she already has spent time with students there, Kobran said. She has been a runner for the color guard, removing hats, flags and other props when they are not in use. ÒShe has been around high-school friends even before she gets there,Ó the mother said.
Melanie also has spent time with the actors and actresses in the high-school drama productions, because Shannon had roles and Kobran handled make up for the cast.
Kobran said she hopes the School Board will amend the policy, for her daughter's sake and that of other families. "It's as though people are forgetting we are a community, family and friends. It is growth, but it is not good to rip people apart constantly."
If the board approves the amendment, the vote will serve as recognition that the county government is saying, ÒYes, we are a community,Ó she said.