Place an Ad | Subscribe | Advertise With Us

VHSL hears district appeals

By Dave Fawcett

Published: April 14, 2008

Heritage, Stone Bridge and Loudoun Valley met Monday in Charlottesville with the Redistricting and Re-classification Committee of the Virginia High School League to appeal its placement in the Group AAA Cedar Run District, starting with the 2009-10 school year.
Only one school, Stone Bridge, had its request granted.
VHSL executive director Ken Tilley said the R&R committee granted Stone Bridge's request to move into the Liberty District for a number of reasons. The school was already in the Northern Region, the Liberty Dis-trict had approved Stone Bridge coming in, the Northern Region would not be thrown off-balance with Stone Bridge staying put and Stone Bridge was the closest of the three Loudoun County schools to other Northern Region schools.
Loudoun Valley and Heritage, which is currently a Group AA school, had its requests to move out of the Cedar Run denied because the committee felt that it would provide better balance between the Northwest and Northern regions if the two schools stayed in the Northwest.
In addition, the committee said geography was less of a factor for those two schools in terms of district and regional competitions, Tilley said.
The R&R committee also granted the Group AA Northwestern District's request to split the district into two five-school leagues, beginning with the 2009-10 school year. Brentsville would play in the same district as Fau-quier, Kettle Run, Liberty and Warren County, while Handley, Millbrook, Sherando, Skyline and James Wood would play in the other.
The move already had the approval of its region.
"Staying with 10 would have been more limiting," Tilley said. "It affects future growth opportunities."
Appeals can be filed one more time in writing when the VHSL's Executive Committee meets May 7th to fi-nalize realignment plans, but no presentations will be allowed.