Alexandria resident and Cameron Station mother Katie Bilek has submitted the following Letter to the Editor regarding the Alexandria City School Board’s proposed redistricting plans.
Bilek argues that the plans unfairly target her neighborhood, Cameron Station, by arbitrarily dividing the planned community and redirecting half of its children from their walkable neighborhood school, Tucker Elementary, to Patrick Henry K-8.
The letter is in response to our ongoing coverage of the ACPS redistricting efforts and process.
Disclaimer: The views or opinions expressed within this letter to the editor are those of the author and are not necessarily the views of ALXnow or its advertisers. Have an opinion that you’d like to share? Email [email protected].
Letter to the Editor
One of the greatest threats to our children is the existence of ideologues in local office – those who seek these elected roles to enforce a dystopian fantasy of how they desire other people to live their lives. Lacking is the pragmatism or a vested interest in the outcome of the lives of children that are not their own. There is a certain elitism that marks these individuals, one that enjoys the safety of disaffection, disillusionment and (most laughably) a “not-in-my-backyard” mentality.
The Alexandria City School Board’s attempt at redistricting is representative of the bias and prejudice against West side residents – specifically those in Cameron Station – and fails to take into consideration the feedback of their very constituents whose lives it would affect.
I live in Cameron Station. I’m a small business owner and mother of two children who currently attend Tucker Elementary School. For those unfamiliar with Cameron Station, our neighborhood is a planned community founded 25 years ago with over 2,000 units, intentional neighborhood boundaries, private streets, a shared HOA and a common culture that prioritizes family and community. Cameron Station has a significant representation of military families in the neighborhood given our proximity to the Pentagon and surrounding military bases – families who obviously experience frequent moves and disruption every few years. Tucker Elementary School is within ¾ mile walking distance (or less) for all children in Cameron Station.
Unfortunately, a majority of the proposed redistricting maps have established an arbitrary line through the middle of Cameron Station, redirecting half of our children to Patrick Henry K-8 School. This school is located geographically twice as far away, creating new bussed populations of children and requiring some children to traverse Duke Street – literally the largest east-west corridor in the city of Alexandria. According to Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets (NOVAFSS), crash data from 2021 to 2024 ranked Duke Street as the most dangerous street in Alexandria City, with 30 vehicle crashes with injuries during this period of time. The intersection of Duke Street at Cameron Station Boulevard stretches seven traffic lanes wide.
For weeks, our Cameron Station community has tirelessly submitted our safety concerns, data-driven feedback and personal narratives as to why dividing our neighborhood is a poor decision. However, our submissions are met with indifference and a continued barrage of proposed maps that arbitrarily redistrict half of the neighborhood. A recent weeknight session with a school board member was particularly memorable for her decidedly set mentality, espousing a preconceived decision about Cameron Station’s fate that lacked empathy or desire to understand our point of view.
It is unacceptable that our school board members – elected to serve US, the people of Alexandria City in Cameron Station – refuse to act upon our redistricting concerns. Dividing a planned community as large as Cameron Station is unacceptable. Our children crossing Duke Street is unacceptable. Increasing reliance on an already overburdened transportation system is unacceptable. Failing to listen is unacceptable.
Stop the division of Cameron Station. Let Cameron Station children attend our neighborhood school.
Katie Bilek, Alexandria City and Cameron Station resident
