A Comparison of Class Sizes at Sycolin Creek ES and Evergreen Mill ES

The following is in reply to inquiries about class sizes at Sycolin Creek and Evergreen Mill elementary schools.
 
Below you will find a table comparing current classes at EMES and SCES. As you can see, while there is some variation, one school’s classes are not consistently larger than the other school’s. Please also understand that class assignments are made on a very student- specific basis at the individual school level, which means that there are good pedagogical reasons why some classes are slightly bigger or smaller than other classes in the same grade level. These same educational concerns also account for some variation in class sizes between schools, as some schools’ student populations have more educationally-challenged students than do other schools.

The total of 512 students at SCES includes 9 overflow students from CSES, and 2 from Tolbert ES. It also includes 32 AYP transfer students from Catoctin ES. In addition to the 512 regular education students, there are another 105 special program students at SCES, for a grand total of 617. As you can see, the projection of 375 regular education students was 94 students under the actual 469 regular education students in attendance at the beginning of the 2007-08 school year, excluding the 11 overflow and 32 AYP transfer students.

CSES overflow students were directed to SCES rather than EMES because at the time the decision was made it was thought that there would be fewer students at SCES than at EMES. As it has happened, the 9 students overflowed from CSES could now return since changes there have resulted in space being available again, but all those students have chosen to remain at SCES, which is their right under our policies. Initially, Tolbert ES overflow was directed to SCES, and the two students who were sent there have chosen to remain there. Subsequently, two additional TES overflow students were re-directed to Balls Bluff ES as were those from Frances Hazel Reid. The FHRES students have now all been able to return to FHRES as space became available there again. In sum, at this point there are only four elementary students out of the thousands in the Leesburg area that have had to be overflowed from their regularly assigned school (i.e., TES), and could not now return to their home school at this time.

AYP transfers were also directed to SCES rather than EMES because, again, at the time that decision had to be made it was thought that there would be fewer students at SCES than EMES. Making such a switch now would seem to be disruptive to those students, and would only reverse the situation, as the difference in student population between SCES (617) is only 29 students more than EMES (588). Of the 32 AYP transfer students from Catoctin ES, only six had actually taken an SOL (the others being in grades below Third Grade, and therefore not yet old enough for SOL testing), and of those six taking the SOL only two failed the test. Eleven of the 32 AYP transfers were First Grade students, hence the higher First Grade numbers at SCES, and the need for another First Grade class.

You will have to draw your own conclusions, but for my part while I support the objectives of No Child Left Behind, the Catoctin ES situation is a good example of the need to reform some of its provisions that can lead to these types of circumstances. On September 11, 2007 the Loudoun School Board approved a set of recommendations to our congressional delegation for reform of NCLB. I actively participated in all of the committee meetings that developed those recommendations and fully support them. Regrettably, I was unable to attend the September 11, 2007 Board meeting when they were adopted due a previous unalterable professional commitment that evening. Had I been there I would most certainly have voted in support of the recommendations.

As you can see, the beginning of the school year is a very fluid situation, with families moving in and out of attendance zones during the first few weeks of the new school year, which is why we wait until September 30 for our official enrollment numbers.

I have been reviewing the situation with the Superintendent and his staff, and the school administration has decided to open one additional First Grade class and one additional Fourth Grade class at SCES. Transfers to these new classes will be offered within the next few days on a voluntary basis to students in the current Grade One and Grade Four classes at SCES. This should lessen the numbers in all of those grades’ classes.

In light of this greater than anticipated growth, yesterday I asked that the School Board Finance, Construction and Site Acquisition Committee at the earliest opportunity begin looking into options for additions to existing Leesburg area elementary schools, while the planning staff continues to seek a site for another elementary school to serve Leesburg and areas north of the town in the direction of Lucketts. On the basis of this most recent demographic information such a dual course seems prudent to me given the challenging and uncertain nature of site acquisition and development in the needed time frame.

It's Time to Build Woodgrove High School at the Fields Farm & to Secure Land for a High School and Middle School North of Route 9 in the Lovettsville Area·

I continue to urge a partnership among Purcellville, the School Board and the Board of Supervisors that both meets town needs and provides for the opening of Woodgrove HS at Fields Farm by fall 2009.  This is unquestionably the most immediate and practicable solution to the urgent need for more high school seats in western Loudoun.

At the same time, I am actively facilitating the public process of locating and acquiring a high school/middle school site near Lovettsville for future use, or as an alternative to the Fields Farm for HS-3 should that become necessary. To this end, I have a record of actions to make this a reality. They include:

1.      Advocating and voting for inclusion of bond money on this November 6th’s ballot for the purchase of land for a high school site for HS-10 in the Lovettsville area;

2.      Urging and working to organize the open dialogue with Lovettsville area residents and elected leaders that began with the community meeting on July 24, 2007, continued with the firehouse meeting in late August, and will take the next step with a work session with the Lovettsville Town Council on October 25, 2007, in the effort to explore all options in determining the optimal location for HS-10;

3.     Producing a broad-ranging list of fifteen properties under consideration for HS-10 (listed below and to be supplemented with additional information for the October 25 Lovettsville Town Council work session) and;

4.  Working with the  LCPS administration develop a plan comparing a range of interim measure options for relieving crowding at Loudoun Valley High School, which can be reviewed and commented upon by the public.