Was the school half full or half empty?

The last awesome public hearing on redistricting South Lakes High School didn't draw nearly as many people as the first two. Of course, when 1,200 people still show up on a weeknight just a few shopping days before Christmas, it's not because they're excited about their awesome band programs.

School officials said the turnout last night could indicate that fewer parents think their children would be affected by a boundary change.

At a meeting Dec. 3, school officials presented four proposals that would affect many areas of western Fairfax. Last night, people were asked to comment on only one plan, which would shift high schools for about 900 students over the next four years.

School officials have urged parents to stay engaged because the proposal could change before they make a final recommendation to the School Board on Jan 10. The last day to submit comments online at the district's Web site, http://http:/www.fcps.k12.va.us/index.shtml, is Friday.

In the meantime, the divide and conquer approach seems to be working:

Some parents who live in the Floris Elementary attendance area whose children would go to South Lakes High rather than Westfield High asked neighbors to sign a letter to the School Board opposing the proposal.

"We have a sense of community" based around Westfield, said Amy Lei, a mother of two elementary school students. "My children don't want to go to that school."

Some parents who live in the McNair Elementary attendance area, in which students would not change high schools under the proposal, said they are appealing to the School Board and state lawmakers to stop the process. They are concerned that the proposal could change and affect them.

David Gu, a parent of two children at Oak Hill Elementary, said his first choice is to stop the redistricting. But, he said, "we will support this proposal."

Other parents whose children would not be affected supported the proposal, including many from Herndon High.

The strongest opposition came from parents whose children would have to change schools in coming years.

"This process is so divisive," said Lisa Capalbe, who lives in the Fox Mill Elementary area. "All the neighborhoods are trying to throw the other neighborhoods under the bus."

Speaking of "under the bus," we've made a lot of hay about the anonymous comments folks have made in one online forum. Fortunately, the right-thinking folks at the Free Republic, a fair and balanced group of true patriots, are taking a much more serious look at the underlying geopolitical issues involving this issue. And they're going to solve this problem once and for all, using only their bare hands -- to bang various tried-and-true epithets on their Cheetos-stained keyboards:

* How would you like to bust your ass all your life to afford a house in a good neighborhood, and then have these leftist losers bus your kid to the hood to attend school with the offspring of a bunch of welfare queens?

* Back in the 60’s when Reston was being built, everyone in No. VA rolled their eyes and knew this socialist nirvana was going to be nothing but trouble. We saw it as a trailer-trash magnet regardless of how “well-planned” the community was.

* Who voted in these leftists losers on the school board? Are any of these school board members speaking up about this abomination? Oh well.... people who elect scumbag Democrats get exactly what they deserve. I only hope that now that they've fouled their own nest they don't move to my area.

Funny... no mention of the band programs here.