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Wellbeing Page 16 Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper • A Connection Newspaper June 5, 2014 Pockets of low-income students Poverty in the Classroom scattered through Northern Virginia. By Michael Lee Pope Her mother decided that Hybla The Gazette Vienna Falls Valley was not safe enough for her, Oakton Church choosing another school several hen Carla 29 miles away. Since that time, she Castro- 10 Arlington said, the school has improved. It Claure was 66 50 has new security measures, and W 2 approach- 7 the test scores have improved. Her ing the age when she would Fairfax sister now attends the school, and soon attend Kindergarten, 495 her mother heads the parent- her mother became increas- 5 teacher association. Nevertheless, ingly concerned about Hybla the school struggles with poverty. 123 4 Valley El- 236 Alexandria 400 According to a statewide database ementary 6 of poverty in the classroom, Hybla School. 7 Valley has the highest rates of stu- “In a lot of Fairfax 395 She wasn’t FAIRFAX dents who quality for free or re- Station 495 sure it was duced price lunch in Northern Vir- ways, Burke safe for her 3 ginia. government daughter, Springfield “We have a sense of urgency at and stories all times at this school,” said Hybla is more were circu- 9 Valley Principal Lauren Sheehy. “At lating another school, we may not need 286 1 responsive through as much skills and as much energy the neigh- 1 to get the job done. But here we to those 8 borhood 95 need 110 percent at all times, and who have about el- that’s what drives us every day.” ementary School Free or Performance school stu- Division Name Principal Reduced English Math Asian Black Hispanic White Other POVERTY SPREADS across the than to Price Lunch dents be- FCPS Hybla Lauren 89.32% 59% 62% 5% 15% 77% 2% 1% classrooms of Northern Virginia by those at the ing sus- 1 Valley ES Sheehy ZIP code, with poor neighbor- pended for APS Carlin Corina 86.32% 61% 69% 9% 10% 70% 6% 6% hoods logging the highest percent- 2 bottom.” having Springs ES Coronel age of students who quality for FCPS Lynbrook ES Mary 86.05% 54% 45% 13% 3% 77% 5% 2% — Del. Scott drugs. 3 McNamee free or reduced price lunch. Surovell (D-44) Then, one ACPS William Rosario 85.44% 60% 50% 6% 26% 54% 11% 3% Among all schools in Alexandria, day, she 4 Ramsay ES Casiano Arlington and Fairfax County, learned ACPS Cora Kelly Brandon 81.91% 71% 80% 1% 34% 59% 6% 0% Hybla Valley has the highest. Al- 5 Magnet ES Davis about a robbery that hap- ACPS Patrick Ingrid 81.86% 47% 51% 6% 49% 33% 8% 4% most 90 percent of students pened at the 7-Eleven on the 6 Henry ES Bynum qualify, making it one of the high- ACPS Jefferson- Rosalyn 81.66% 41% 50% 1% 67% 20% 10% 2% corner. The robbers hid at 7 est poverty schools in the region. the school to evade police. Houston ES Rice-Harris And even though Arlington FCPS Mount Vernon Pamela 79.88% 52% 53% 8% 29% 59% 2% 1% “It was known to be a bad 8 Woods ES Simpkins County has a reputation of being elementary school,” said FCPS Bucknell ES Timothy 79.09% 52% 42% 5% 15% 77% 2% 1% a wealthy enclave, Carlin Springs 9 Castro-Claure. “It has the Slayter Elementary comes in a close sec- FCPS Graham Tamara 77.66% 71% 83% 11% 14% 66% 9% 1% lowest test scores, and there 10 Road ES Ballou ond. More than 86 percent of its was a lot of crime in the FCPS — Fairfax County Public Schools; APS — Arlington Public Schools; students quality for free or re neighborhood.” ACPS — Alexandria City Public Schools See Poverty, Page 6 Hollin Meadows Gala Raises More Than $40,000 Annual Partnership Neighborhood Gala funds STEM at school. By Janelle Germanos “We formed five years ago as a Instead of saying goodbye to the on May 31, has so far brought in a of the children at Hollin Meadows, The Gazette result of budget cuts in Fairfax program, the organization takes net profit of $40,000 for the orga- a Title I school, have no idea where County that cut the funding for our matters into their own hands. Each nization. their food actually comes from, ince talk of budget cuts be- science and math focus programs,” year, it raises between $50,000 The garden is a great resource she says. gan in 2010, the Hollin said Diane Moery, the and $75,000 to completely fund for students, says Hollin Meadows “The garden is a great place for S See Hollin, Page 6 Meadows Partnership for organization’s chair. the program. PTA President Mary Paden. Many Science and Math has been hard Every year since the programs Right after the program was first at work raising money to sustain were put on the chopping block, cut, the group was able to raise key STEM resources at the school. the partnership has been hosting $95,000. But, it’s gotten a little bit 6/6/14 Requested in home in Requested Funds are raised every year for an annual gala to raise money for more complicated over the years. material. Hollin Meadows, a science and the programs. “Fundraising is always hard,” Time-sensitive Postmaster: math focus school, to provide a “We know it’s a good program, Moery said. “When the govern- Attention STEM resource teacher, a STEM lots of people out there that say ment shut down, it got a little Permit #482 Permit resource lab, an outdoor education it’s a good program, but we rec- tight.” VA Alexandria, PAID coordinator, 14,000 square feet of ognize that Fairfax County had to Even though it’s been difficult, Postage U.S. gardens, and more. make budget cuts,” she said. this year’s gala, which took place STD PRSRT www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ June 5-11, 2014 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Mount Vernon Gazette ❖ June 5-11, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Mount Vernon Gazette Editor Steven Mauren News 703-778-9415 or [email protected] Former lieutenant governor raises Two Million Dollar Primary $1.1 million; his competitors combined raise $1.4 million. By Michael Lee Pope The Gazette ampaign finance docu- ments released in the fi- C nal days before the June 10 primary show the seven candidates in the primary to replace long- time U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) have raised Source: Federal Election Commission almost $2.5 million. Former Lt. Gov. Don Beyer leads the pack with $1.1 million, tion Day, June 10, that money may give he spends it. Former Navy pilot Bruce campaign $200,000. Former Urban League three times as much as his closest competi- Beyer an edge. Shuttleworth, who dropped out of the race, of Northern Virginia president Lavern tor. “The real question is does Beyer perform loaned his campaign $330,000. He raised Chatman loaned her campaign $20,000. “Don Beyer is clearly the favorite,” said below his dollar totals and does somebody about $57,000 and spent about $80,000, And Del. Patrick Hope (D-47) loaned his Geoff Skelley, analyst with the University like Adam Ebbin punch way above his which means most of the loan can be writ- campaign $10,000. Whichever candidate is of Virginia Center for Politics. “He may not weight,” said Quentin Kidd, professor at ten off. successful in the primary will be able to win it with a particularly large plurality, but Christopher Newport University. “What this “Oftentimes when candidates loan money continue raising money heading into the he’s the favorite to win.” is really going to come down to is whether to the campaigns and they lose, they for- November general election. The six candi- Skelley said the dynamics of the campaign Beyer outdistances everyone else so much give the loans to their own campaigns,” said dates who are unsuccessful, though, will changed when Del. Charniele Herring (D- that even if he punches below his weight Stephen Farnsworth, professor at the Uni- have a much harder time raising money for 46) dropped out of the race and endorsed he still wins.” versity of Mary Washington. a lost cause. Beyer, which he said was a turning point in CANDIDATES HAVE NOT been shy about “If candidates feel it necessary to loan “The short term strategy seems to be to the campaign. throwing money at their own campaigns. money to their own campaigns, it isn’t a loan yourself money to demonstrate your Along with the name recognition he has The largest amount of self-financing comes big difference from a gift. They are prob- own commitment to your own campaign as a result of owning several car dealerships from radio personality Mark Levine, who ably not going to be able to generate the and that you at least have the ability to put in Northern Virginia, Beyer has more than loaned his campaign a total $400,000. Al- kind of enthusiasms necessary to pay them- some of your own money into the cam- $350,000 cash on hand heading into the though Levine raised only $88,000, he theo- selves back.” paign,” said Kidd. “But unless you can fol- final days of the primary. As candidates pre- retically has $293,000 cash on hand. But Several other candidates also loaned low that up with other big fundraising, I pare for the final push toward primary Elec- he would only need to raise the money if money to their campaigns.