Your Redistricting Fever Box Score: 10-2

As expected, the Fairfax County School Board voted 10-2 to approve the awesome redistricting plan for South Lakes High School, ensuring that socioeconomically privileged brats and Bratz alike will learn together in perfect harmony.

Board member Stuart D. Gibson (Hunter Mill), a proponent of the plan, said it is "about making sure that all children we serve have the same access to the services we expect for all our children."

Two board members supported by anti-redistricting proponents voted against the plan.

Newly elected board members Martina A. Hone (At Large) and James L. Raney (At Large) urged the board to halt the process and rethink the school system's approach toward drawing boundaries.

Hone proposed a countywide moratorium on boundary changes, with exceptions for new schools, to allow a review of all attendance zones.

"I believe that this is the healthiest thing for our community to do," she said, "especially after this very difficult exercise: to stop, assess, plan and make the difficult decisions that we have to do countywide."

Her proposal drew an ovation from parents who oppose new boundaries but failed 10 to 2. Several board members said changes in western Fairfax are needed now. A moratorium "does not address the immediate problem," said member Tessie Wilson (Braddock).

The same majority held in the final roll call for the boundary plan, which concluded shortly before 11 p.m., with Hone and Raney dissenting.

Well, glad that's over. Now everyone can pick up the pieces from this contentious, often hurtful debate that literally split neighborhoods apart and work for what's best for the kids, right?

Some vowed to fight the plan in court if it was approved. Others said they would rather pay for private school or seek permission to place their children in another public school instead of South Lakes.

Oh. Well then. Turns out there was another awesome, less discussed redistricting plan in the works, too.

Last night the board also approved plans to move some students from Wolftrap Elementary School in Vienna to Sunrise Valley Elementary in Reston and from Thoreau Middle School in Vienna to Hughes Middle in Reston.

Here we go again!