Frequently Asked Questions
Please send us your questions and we'll do our best to either provide or find the answers.
1. What is C.L.A.S.S.?
C.L.A.S.S. is a newly-formed group of Lovettsville-area residents concerned about the crowded school conditions and long bus rides our children — especially middle and high school students — must endure because of the lack of adequate school space in and around our town, and who want to promote a participatory process in which citizens have an effective voice in new school siting. The organization formed after last spring's controversy over a proposed multi-school site in Wheatland.
2. Who is leading the organization?
A committee of about 20 people launched the group in June 2009. New members have continued to join since that time. C.L.A.S.S. organizers are currently recruiting additional Lovettsville community members to become involved as the effort moves forward. C.L.A.S.S. shares some goals and priorities with other groups fighting for reform of the LCPS school siting process, for community-based schools, and for land-use policies and actions that respect the Loudoun County Comprehensive Plan. Some of our members are also members of other groups with similar interests, however we are independent and unaffiliated with with any other organization. Our information technology service provider — Arts & Letters — provides similar services to other commercial and non-commercial groups, including both the Wheatland Alliance and Small Town Schools, two groups often confused with C.L.A.S.S. (because we share certain goals), but who operate independently.
3. Why is there so much controversy about the location of new schools in western Loudoun, especially in and around Lovettsville and Purcellville?
Loudoun County as a whole has been growing very, very fast over the last 20 years, requiring construction of at least three new schools each year, on average — but most of those schools have been built in the eastern part of the county, where growth has been fastest. Western Loudoun is in the county's "rural policy area" as defined in the Loudoun County Comprehensive Plan adopted in 2001. In that Plan, the county adopted a sound policy of protecting farmland, restricting the density of population and housing, and concentrating the placement of schools and other public facilities in or near existing communities. These policies help to protect the quality of life that most people sought when they moved to our area. But new schools require a lot of land — currently (according to LCPS policies) 20 acres for an elementary school, 35 for a middle school, and 75 for a high school. Many of the potentially usable land parcels still available are located on narrow, unpaved roads without access to public water and sewer.
Lovettsville and Purcellville are both incorporated towns, requiring close coordination between town and county with respect to all public facilities, including the provision of water, sewer, and transportation corridors to service any new schools. Construction of these facilities is costly and is paid for using municipal bonds, whose interest is paid by all Loudoun taxpayers through their property taxes. There may be a misperception among some residents that the towns bear the cost of such facilities, but that is not true (see the answer to question 4 below). Lovettsville has only recently begun to experience rapid growth, with the development of major subdivisions including the Lovettsville Town Center project, increasing the urgency of need for new schools. At the same time, bus rides to existing schools have become longer as traffic clogs major routes to the south. Finally, many citizens have felt a lack of opportunity to participate meaningfully in decision-making on school siting. Opportunities for public comment have generally come only after sites have been chosen, sometimes (as in the case of Wheatland) even after land purchase contracts have been signed. C.L.A.S.S. hopes to facilitate a better process to engage citizens actively in finding solutions to the lack of local schools in and around Lovettsville.
4. Will in-town citizens be responsible for costs of school-related utility construction or ongoing cost of services (water/sewer) that the town would supply if school facilities were sited in or near Lovettsville?
No. Per Sally Kurtz, Catoctin Supervisor, "Up-front construction costs for utilities for any school is included via construction bonds put to voter referendum. In other words there's a lag period between purchase of land, or proffered site and construction of a specific school, so the school system has time to get a handle on what they anticipate those costs to be and it's included in the construction bond amount... all new utility construction pays it's way, so there is no burden on existing customers.... In short the public school system will pay it's part of the utility expansion like every other developer and it will pay rates established for users quarterly like every other consumer. No breaks (the current ES gets no break) nothing shifted to the back of In-Town residents, consumers."
5. What criteria are used to site Loudoun's new public schools?
The Loudoun County School Board provided the following list of criteria:
- projected student population (proximate to population);
- length of bus ride;
- proximate to location with other schools (clusters);
- size (acreage: ES: 20, MS: 35, HS: 75);
- access (vehicular and pedestrian);
- availability of utilities (either public or ability to provide onsite);
- physical characteristics (topography, floodplain, wetlands, geological features, tree cover, archaeological/historic inventory, rare and endangered specifies review, Phase I environmental);
- surrounding land uses;
- plan policies, zoning;
- cost/funding availability;
- willing seller/resident onsite.
The Western Schools Task Force Report of 2007 (also available here in Adobe Reader format) presented several recommendations on the issue of siting criteria, including modifying school building designs and capacities so new schools can fit on parcels that are available in suitable locations. Earlier recommendations presented in the Rural Loudoun Schools Study Committee Report of 1998 included strong support for community-based schools. These recommendations are not currently being implemented. Based on LCPS' most recent proposal (the 4,000 student complex at Wheatland Farm rejected in May 2009 by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors), LCPS' key criteria are site size, frontage on a major thoroughfare, and co-location of new facilities. LCPS also has urged eliminating criteria encouraging community-based school sites (see the Comprehensive Plan, pages 3-9) and Special Exception Permits for schools [citations needed]. In response to citizen outcry for siting reform, Supervisor Kurtz is working with the Joint BOS/School Board Committee to develop a new school site acquisition process, including use of a chart for comparing various aspects of each site being considered and incorporating early public input. A systematic, auditable acquisition process has yet to be formally adopted by the Joint Committee.
6. After the defeat of the LCPS schools complex proposal for Wheatland, what is happening now to bring new schools to our area?
LCPS has initiated an advertisement, published biweekly in the Loudoun Times Mirror through October 30th, to solicit offers to sell property in our area for new school constructionsee LCPS Request for Land for Public School Site(s) for details. C.L.A.S.S. is concerned that owners of eligible properties may be unaware of this opportunity, because the Loudoun Times Mirror is no longer delivered in our area, so we have written a letter to eligible property owners within three miles of Lovettsville to make them aware of the opportunity (see our News & Letters page to read this letter). We have also developed a survey to determine citizens' views about school siting in our area. —
7. Where do most western Loudoun students who live "north of Route 9" actually live?
As shown in the following map, the total LCPS K-12 enrollment of 2,145 students in the 2008-2009 school year includes 963 students in an around Lovettsville, 479 in and around Waterford, 298 along Route 287 south of Lovettsville but north of Wheatland, 295 in and around Hillsboro and Between-the-Hills, and 110 in the remaining area along Route 287 south of Wheatland to Route 9. This map shows graphically the enrollment figures published on the LCPS website.
8. How can I help?
There are several ways you can get involved, beginning by first taking our survey (just once per household, please). There will be ample other opportunities to volunteer in the future!