E.J. Costello rides the school bus for an hour from his home at the base of Bull Run Mountain to Marstellar Middle School in Manassas. When he finally arrives, the seventh-grader has to elbow his way through crowded hallways and overflowing classrooms. His mother, Gail Costello, is mad. It's just ludicrous.
Many parents agree.
But critics, particularly those in the rural areas of the county, contend that growth limits will only worsen the problem by ensuring that schools never get built in areas that sorely need them. And until they do, many warn, they won't support growth limits. I feel like the kid at the back of the class who keeps holding up his hand and holding up his hand and finally, when the teacher calls on him, the bell rings. A lot of people out here feel that way. We don't want to hold up our hand anymore.