Independence Community to PWCS 13th HS
The Issue
The small communities of Independence off Wellington and Sudley Manor and Sheffield Manor off Devlin Rd are currently zoned for Chris Yung Elementary, Gainesville Middle and Stonewall Jackson High Schools in Prince William County. Some of the proposed plans keep the communities zoned that way in order to better distribute minority, low English proficiency and low income populations between the new zones based on some public desire for that distribution.
The PWCS Planning Commission has stated that distributing based on race is "patently unconstitutional" as determined by the US Supreme Court. The primary divisions should be based on distance to the school and keeping the communities together. The minor differences between the presented plans in terms of demographic and economic disparity are not significant enough to affect the experience of the children in any of the schools, yet it will affect the times that students spend on buses and it will remove our neighborhoods from the Elementary - Middle - High School progression with their peer groups that they have built at a time when they depend on them the most through their development.
This is a very influential time and transition and to have to couple the challenge of new concepts in high school with having to navigate the social-emotional pressures of being separated from their classmates as well as athletic and extracurricular teammates makes it all that more of a challenge.
Independence and Sheffield Manor are the only communities from Gainesville Middle School would not progress from Middle School to High School with their peer groups if Plan 2 or Mr. Trenum's plans are adopted. At this age, peer support groups are very important and should not be dismissed as they have a great impact on the mental health of students, and therefor the morale and educational performance of the students.
Both communities are located on a projected extension of University Boulevard that would make the distance to the 13th High School very minimal as well.
Mr. Deutsch conducted a poll on Twitter to see the desire, it was overwhelming that the respondents did NOT support Plan 2, and of the plans presented, were in favor of Plan 1a.
Please zone Independence and Sheffield Manor with their peers to the 13th High School as Plan 1a represents and do not accept Plan 2 or the plans presented by Mr. Trenum!
The Issue
The small communities of Independence off Wellington and Sudley Manor and Sheffield Manor off Devlin Rd are currently zoned for Chris Yung Elementary, Gainesville Middle and Stonewall Jackson High Schools in Prince William County. Some of the proposed plans keep the communities zoned that way in order to better distribute minority, low English proficiency and low income populations between the new zones based on some public desire for that distribution.
The PWCS Planning Commission has stated that distributing based on race is "patently unconstitutional" as determined by the US Supreme Court. The primary divisions should be based on distance to the school and keeping the communities together. The minor differences between the presented plans in terms of demographic and economic disparity are not significant enough to affect the experience of the children in any of the schools, yet it will affect the times that students spend on buses and it will remove our neighborhoods from the Elementary - Middle - High School progression with their peer groups that they have built at a time when they depend on them the most through their development.
This is a very influential time and transition and to have to couple the challenge of new concepts in high school with having to navigate the social-emotional pressures of being separated from their classmates as well as athletic and extracurricular teammates makes it all that more of a challenge.
Independence and Sheffield Manor are the only communities from Gainesville Middle School would not progress from Middle School to High School with their peer groups if Plan 2 or Mr. Trenum's plans are adopted. At this age, peer support groups are very important and should not be dismissed as they have a great impact on the mental health of students, and therefor the morale and educational performance of the students.
Both communities are located on a projected extension of University Boulevard that would make the distance to the 13th High School very minimal as well.
Mr. Deutsch conducted a poll on Twitter to see the desire, it was overwhelming that the respondents did NOT support Plan 2, and of the plans presented, were in favor of Plan 1a.
Please zone Independence and Sheffield Manor with their peers to the 13th High School as Plan 1a represents and do not accept Plan 2 or the plans presented by Mr. Trenum!
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on June 19, 2019