Parents sue over Virginia board’s decision to redraw attendance zones
A parent group from western Fairfax County announced that it is seeking a legal order to reverse a School Board decision to reroute thousands of students among five high schools in coming years. The lawsuit alleges that the board action was "arbitrary and capricious" because, among other reasons, members violated board policies when they decided which neighborhoods would be subject to attendance-zone changes and because they did not sufficiently analyze impacts on transportation or costs. The suit also alleges that the board exceeded its authority when it sought to balance socioeconomic characteristics in the schools. The suit lays out facts "ignored or not taken into account" by the board, said Steven David Stone, an attorney for 11 parents from various neighborhoods affected by the new zones. The suit challenges not only the way board members made their decision "but whether they have the power to do it," he said. Stone said he is not aware of a recent legal precedent for overturning a school boundary change in Fairfax. Parents hope to have a court hearing before the new boundaries take effect in the fall. About 100 people have donated money to support the litigation so far, according to Nick Pesce, president of a group of parents opposed to the boundary changes.
Source: Washington Post, 4/1/08, By Michael Alison Chandler