The Virginia High School League Redistricting and Reclassification committee will hear Hayfield Secondary School’s plea to join the National District on April 14. Hayfield, currently in the eight-team Patriot District, is appealing its blocked plan to join the National District, and a 14-member committee will listen to the Hawks’ arguments at 9:30 a.m. next Monday.
At a region-wide meeting in the fall, Hayfield’s proposal was opposed 4-3 by current student activity directors within the National District. Falls Church and the three Arlington schools voiced their opposition in the prospective move, while Edison, Mount Vernon and Stuart voted for the proposed realignment.
Outside of the district, the Northern Region’s director of student activity directors voted 25-4 in support of the Hawks’ move.
“They understand our problems and our situation,” said Hayfield director of student activities Steve Kewer. “They think it’s the right thing to do for the kids. “We have letters of support throughout the region. We have letters of Edison, Mount Vernon and Stuart so hopefully that’ll help us.”
Hayfield lost an initial appeal by a 10-2 vote from VHSL Redistricting and Reclassification committee on Jan. 22 to change districts beginning in 2009-2010. That forces April 14 as Hayfield’s final chance.
“I’m not a good gambler and I thought I was successful last time when I thought it was so obvious,” Kewer said. “I thought that was an easy sell, but apparently it wasn’t.”
Even if the school’s plea is granted, the school won’t be notified until 30 days after the hearing. Each side of the argument will be granted five minutes for a presenting opinion and five minutes for opposition comments.
Four of the seven National District schools have requested permission to voice their opposition to this appeal at the Richmond meeting.
The largest issue, according to the directors of student activities, has to do with travel. The drive from Yorktown to Mount Vernon takes approximately 40 minutes, not counting traffic. The trip from Yorktown to Hayfield would tack on an approximate 35-minute trip for each sport.
“We already have three schools on that side of Route 1,” said Washington-Lee director of student activities Carol Calloway.
Kewer contends in his argument that many of the opposing schools already play the Hawks in non-district games and that throughout the course of the season, the schools will only travel a mere 20 miles extra per season.
“The mileage and time is not a factor,” Kewer said. “They’re protecting their own interests and I respect that. I try to see the bigger picture and what’s good for the region…it’s easier to qualify for region contests with four out of seven, not four out of eight. That’s a concern for some of them.”
Hayfield was founded in 1968 and has an enrollment of 1,590, significantly down since South County was founded in 2005. The Hawks won the Patriot District in wrestling and have been competitive in boys lacrosse, but have largely had trouble matching up with schools like T.C. Williams, West Springfield and Lake Braddock — all schools with enrollments well over 2,000 students.
In 2007, the Hawks football team went 1-9 and failed to win a game in the Patriot District.
<b>ALSO ON THE VHSL</b> docket will be the fate of the three Loudoun schools. They are currently slated to head to the Northwest Region, but neither party is content with that result, which could start in 2009-10.
The Northwest Region will appeal the assignment of the three AAA Loudoun schools.
All three Loudoun schools are requesting to be placed in the Northern Region with Stone Bridge and Heritage opting for the Liberty District and Valley for the Concorde District. If the appeals don't win, all three are slated for the Cedar Run District in the Northwest Region. Northern Region chairman Mike Campbell will then speak against the Northwestern's appeal.