Crowding solution for Freedom Hill not so clear

The solution might seem simple.

Freedom Hill Elementary School in Vienna exceeds its capacity by about 100 students. Neighboring Lemon Road Elementary School in Falls Church is about 100 students under capacity. Why not shift 100 students from Freedom Hill to Lemon Road?

Parents of students at these schools say it isnt that easy because the debate is about which students get shifted. This week, Fairfax County Public Schools staged two community meetings to get parents views on two options of how to reassign students from Freedom Hill to Lemon Road.

Option A would reassign a portion of students living in Idylwood Apartments, located on the northwest side of Idylwood Road. Option B would reassign students living in Marshall Heights and Dominion townhomes and a portion of Idylwood Apartments to Lemon Road.

Both options would decrease student enrollment at Freedom Hill, as well as lowering the schools percentages of English for Speakers of Other Languages students and students eligible for free and reduced-price meals.

While Option B would see a greater transfer of students to Lemon Road, Option A shows a greater growth in students eligible for ESOL and free and reduced-price meals programs for Lemon Road, which would go from 21.7 percent ESOL to 28.4 percent and from 25.3 percent free and reduced-price meals to 30.8 percent.

The PTA believes Option B would be the most fair to both schools, said Lemon Road PTA President Jenn Brunner. It will bring the most students over to Lemon Road.

Additionally, she said the socio-economic demographics of the students who would be shifted under Option B more closely match the demographics at Lemon Road.

Freedom Hill parents, however, say they take a different view of these options.

Geographically, it makes more sense to us to keep those townhouses, said Freedom Hill parent Dianne Gurdak. I think anyone at Lemon Road would say Option B because they get less free and reduced lunch. They get less ESOL. And theyll say they are helping Freedom Hill, but its only 10 kids or so [more under Option B].

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Crowding solution for Freedom Hill not so clear