Stafford's schools were considered the region's best for years, but Spotsylvania has narrowed the gap

By KELLY HANNON and BILL FREEHLING
The Free Lance-Star
(Published 4/17/05)

WHEN Darryl and Jennifer Resio were house hunting in the Fred- ericksburg area in 1999, schools were their top priority.

They researched test scores in Stafford and Spotsylvania, and looked at the counties' demographics. They picked up on the perception, from their real-estate agent and others, that Stafford had better schools.

The Resios are not alone.

Interviews with local real-estate agents, parents and school board members revealed that, as recently as five years ago, community opinion favored Stafford schools based on slightly higher test scores and wider course offerings. Stafford's proximity to the flagship school district of Fairfax County underscored the sentiment.

But once-rural Spotsylvania has grown in population, and a competitive housing market has priced many buyers out of Stafford, nudging them to look for homes farther south.

So what do the numbers say today? An analysis of SAT scores, state standardized tests, teacher experience, gifted programs and the percentage of students going to college gives Stafford a slight edge, but there is evidence that Spotsylvania is closing the gap.

Stafford's average SAT scores are about 30 points higher than Spotsylvania's in recent years. Its students have performed better on statewide math and reading proficiency tests, and are more likely to attend college. Its teachers have a little more experience on average, its schools are all fully accredited and it has no classroom trailers.

Because of such numbers, Resio and her husband decided Stafford was the better place to start their family. They settled in a neighborhood in southern Stafford near Ferry Farm Elementary, where Resio is PTA president and is pleased with the school.

Many families have faced the same choice. According to the Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia, Stafford and Spotsylvania were, respectively, the second- and third-fastest-growing localities in Virginia from 2000 to 2004. Only Loudoun grew faster.

A small percentage of newcomers choose Fredericksburg, and a growing number are opting for Caroline and King George counties, but the vast majority settle in Stafford or Spotsylvania.

The school districts have much in common. Both participate in Commonwealth Governor's School, which offers a rigorous curriculum for gifted high school students. And they share responsibility for the Regional Alternative Educational Program.

But there are differences. Stafford has about 3,000 more students and a bigger budget. Spotsylvania is 400 square miles, while Stafford covers 270 square miles. The population density is higher in Stafford than in Spotsylvania--which has a rural southern end.

"There are enough differences between the two school divisions that people often need to be careful in making the comparison," said Jean Murray, Stafford schools superintendent.

Yet because of the similarities and their proximity to each other, the districts are frequently compared by school administrators and county supervisors--especially come budget time.

"There are so many similarities between the systems," said Spotsylvania School Board Chairman Martin Wilder. "Comparisons inevitably get made."

Stafford School Board chairman Tom Villacres said both school districts benefit from the friendly rivalry.

"I think there's a lot of synergy in having a county like us right next to us," Villacres said. "It really helps to be able to look and see if they've been able to overcome something we haven't and figure out how we can, or sometimes we do brag a little bit if we think we've overcome something they haven't."

Narrowing the gap

Spotsylvania's top school officials point out the district's progress during the past few years. Its average SAT scores increased 44 points between 1995 and 2004; Stafford's went up just six points. And Spotsylvania now offers 18 advanced-placement classes--two fewer than Stafford.

Wilder, who has been on the Spotsylvania School Board for 11 years, attributed the school system's transformation partly to the area's changing population.

"That's what happens when a community goes very quickly from being a very rural area to very suburbanized," Wilder said. "It takes a little while for the educational system to grow up."

In a recent telephone poll by the Virginia Tech Center for Survey Research, 68 percent of the Spotsylvania respondents said the county's schools have improved in recent years.

Spotsylvania Superintendent Jerry Hill said he's confident the current curriculum will lead to better performance data in coming years.

"We know we have room for improvement," Hill said.

Wilder said parents should focus more on differences between individual schools rather than comparing entire systems.

But parents should proceed with caution before forming an attachment to an individual school in either county, since attendance zones are often redrawn as schools are built to handle new arrivals.

Spotsylvania expects to add 1,100 new students next year, and Stafford is estimating 950 newcomers. Each county plans to open at least five new schools by 2010. Each has had to shift attendance zones to balance school populations.

"When [families] move into a house, they pretty much see the school assignment as being permanent and written in stone, and are very put-off when they find out they could live in the same house and go to a different school," Villacres said.

"Just by virtue of the fact we've grown so much in 10 years the chance that you're going to be in a new school is higher than in other counties," he added.

Residents seem to be adapting well to the changes. In another recent phone survey, conducted by the Center for Survey Research at the University of Virginia, about 81 percent of 843 Spotsylvanians polled said they're satisfied with the district.

Mary Beth Ruggieri shares that sentiment. She has lived in Spotsylvania for 18 years and has sent three children to Courtland High. She believes Spotsylvania has closed the gap with Stafford.

"I've seen what Stafford has to offer," she said, "and it doesn't seem that different to me."

A helpful new tool

Sifting through educational data can be overwhelming for incoming residents.

A new Web-based tool was recently introduced to help people compare Stafford with Spotsylvania, as well as with systems across the state and nation.

Financial data provider Standard & Poor's now offers detailed school comparisons at School Matters.com. The site offers data such as student performance, class size and per-pupil spending.

The new resource reflects the demand for a way to evaluate schools. But lately, some say, housing prices are overshadowing schools as the major factor for incoming families choosing a place to live.

Gail Penman of Century 21 Realty in Stafford said the Stafford bias she used to see among buyers has eroded.

"I don't see any real strong trend, one way or another," Penman said. "It's just a matter of how long [buyers] want to commute and what they want to pay for their house."

"The schools issue has been overridden by the pricing issue," agreed Connie Schwartzman of Weichert, Realtors.

In the past four years, Schwartzman has watched the emphasis buyers place on school test scores pale in comparison with selling prices. Today, more people are choosing their home first, and the school district second, she said.

"No matter how good the schools are, quote unquote, it doesn't make a difference if they can't buy a house," she said.

To compensate for a second- or third-choice school district, parents vow to be active participants in their child's education, either by volunteering or establishing a close relationship with the child's teacher.

"By and large, they're becoming very, very involved," Schwartzman said.

To reach KELLY HANNON: 540/374-5436 khannon@freelancestar.com