by Lillie Jessie

Reach out to your school board member to stop the delay in getting a new high school- It is not too late to prevent another delay!

Take a stand against overcrowding at Woodbridge High School to prevent current 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th Graders from experiencing overcrowding for all four of their high school years.

Email

• Our school board and asking them not to delay the 14^th high school: click here
• Email Dr. Lateef, who was elected by Occoquan voters to be Chair of the School Board, and ask him to honor his campaign promise and honor his statement of “promises made, promises kept” to Occoquan voters to continue to “address overcrowding by building new schools and adding new classrooms” click here
• Email the Superintendent to request no further delays to the 14^th High School click here.
• The markup meeting on this Wednesday March 13^th where a final decision about the 14^th high school will be made.

Your Voice can and will make a difference.

Our students deserve a solution to overcrowding at Woodbridge High School now, not in 2029.

If the current plan proceeds, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders slated to go to Woodbridge High School will experience overcrowding for all four years of their high school experience. 

Our students deserve a solution to overcrowding at Woodbridge High School now, not in 2029.

I have been honored to serve as your Occoquan representative on the Prince William County School Board for eleven years. During that time, I accomplished many things, of which I am very proud. Some of these included the reduction of trailers, improvements in infrastructure, and the additions to three of our schools in the Occoquan District, the first net zero school at Occoquan Elementary, and finally, a new high school for our eastern end after 20 years of waiting. I made a commitment to myself not to return to the Board during “citizen time” once my husband, Richard Jessie, took my seat, but recent events made it impossible for me to stay away.

The plan to delay the construction of the 14^th high school to 2029 was such a devastating blow that I had to put my advocacy hat on again. I will discuss this in more detail. I have learned things neither the central office nor I were aware of that were not considered when information about Woodbridge High School was listed in the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

Woodbridge High School is one of the oldest in the county, with the 2^nd largest population of approximately 2800 students.

I fought to have a new school in our district immediately. At the last board meeting, I said, “This is not right!” It is not right because:

• We have not had a new high school in the Occoquan area for 20 years.
• Woodbridge High School is almost 50 years old.  No one remembers a time when it was not overcrowded.
• Woodbridge is the 2^nd largest high school in the county,
• CIP reports will document that the 14^th high school delay started as early as 2016.
• This new delay will represent the 8^th delay of the new high schools.
• Woodbridge teachers have acted as human trailers inside the building since 2015.
• The CIP reported 0 trailers at Woodbridge High School. Our count remains at “0” because the sacrifices of 19 teachers who serve as human trailers have been overlooked.
• Other schools with ten trailers are slated for additions before we get a new school.
• When I was on the school board, the reasons for the delay included
• Land Shortage
• Delay in purchasing land- despite identifying the land over six years ago at the actual location of the new high school. The suggestion was disregarded until the appointment of a new facilities director 
• The new proposed delay would guarantee current 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders zoned to go to Woodbridge High School will experience overcrowding
• There is no guarantee that the new 14^th high school will proceed in 2029 as the current Board’s term ends in 2028
• The proposed plan allows the current School Board to overlook and disregard current overcrowding issues in the area with no solution

Since the CIP was written, two critical pieces of information have become available that should change the five-year delay plan.

The University of Virginia (UVA) Report and Current Local Housing Construction Do Not Match

This UVA report served as the basis for delaying the construction of all high schools in the county. This report claimed there would be a reduction in the population.

There are local reports that dispute the finding that there is not going to be a reduction in our population. There is research and what you see on the ground.

One only has to look at the thousands of residential apartments, condominiums, and various types of homes being built based on “local” demographic studies to know that we may have more students in this area.

19 Teacher Rovers, Classrooms on Carts at Woodbridge High, and No one Knew

I was a principal for 20 years, and having a few teachers on carts, usually art, music, or physical education, was not unusual.

 It is important to note that neither the central office nor I knew about the enormous number of rovers and the number of years this activity took place before the CIP report was written. Teachers on carts were not considered when planning the 14^th high school because no one knew.

When I learned about this only two weeks ago, I relayed that information to the central office. It was only then that a representative made a site visit. I am deeply disappointed that none knew that 19 teachers had chosen to become “trailers on wheels” but continued with plans to delay the new high school. It was this finding that made me come back to the boardroom.

I am not shocked because this school had a football stadium, gym, and field that had not been upgraded for over 40 years. A parent group (Parents Who Care) and coaches brought it to my attention. It took bringing the actual football players in the boardroom to get these updates.

We saw the same thing at Occoquan Elementary. About five years into my tenure, I noted that land behind the 100-year-old school belonged to our school system and could be used to upgrade the facilities. Construction of that school started at the end of my 11-year term.

 One may ask why the teachers haven’t complained. The answer is what happened when students, parents, and staff did complain about their conditions. The most vivid response was the presentation of a 5-foot banner highlighting everything done for Woodbridge. The school was humiliated by this “what more do you want” type of retaliatory gesture.

There are other reasons these teachers and most teachers do not complain:

1. They do not know they have the right to do so.
2. They do not like controversy.
3. As one said,” This is how it has always been done, followed by, “We make it work.”
4. They are worker bees and do not want to lose favor with those above them.
5. They accept what they get; it has become the norm.
6. Finally, and most importantly, some teachers have not been made aware of this change in opening date.

I am advocating for teachers because they will not speak out for themselves. The appearance of a lack of sensitivity for teachers having to rove from classroom to classroom sends the wrong message, especially when teacher retention is a national and local issue.

I commend the staff at Woodbridge for making such a sacrifice. However, I implore this school board to prioritize providing teachers with proper classrooms. 

I do not support delaying construction until August 2029, which is two years longer than was “authorized and voted upon” by the last Board. In doing so, this current Board is forcing our staff to work in an overcrowded school while using roving teachers longer than necessary.

Teachers at Woodbridge do not need to be on carts for another five years while we conduct studies. They have suffered enough!

If you agree that “this is not right,” call or write to your school board member immediately. You may click here to send a message to all Board Members. Your Voice can make a difference.

In Service,

Lillie G. Jessie

Former Prince William County School Board

Occoquan District Member