Flint Hill School

Flint Hill School is a private school in Oakton.

It was originally founded in 1956 as the Flint Hill Preparatory School for children in grades kindergarten through eighth by Don Niklason.[1]

On May 14, 1957, Rose Scouras, a 22-year-old fifth grade teacher, drowned in the recently-opened school's pool.[2]

The school benefited immensely in its early years from Virginia's opposition to school integration, as mandated by the United States Supreme Court's Brown vs. Board of education, through a program of tuition grants that allowed students to attend private schools. Even though Fairfax County public schools were segregated at the time, in 1959, for example, 44 students of Flint Hill from Fairfax County applied for the grants, causing Fairfax County Public School Assistant Superintendent George Pope to remark, "We've just about put that school in business." Fairfax County School Board member C. Turner Hudgins further commented "It's almost a public school, isn't it?".[3] A number of students from other counties also benefited from this program and chose to attend Flint Hill.[4]

In 1986, the school became a non-profit corporation.[1] Also in 1986, the school purchased 13 acres for a new campus.[1] This decision nearly doomed the school, and in 1989, a group led by developer John T. Hazel, Jr. attempted to buy the school from owner Glenn Rounsevell.[5] The opposition to this purchase, and the plans for the school laid out by Hazel, was so strong that a group of parents formed the Flint Hill Trust to attempt to buy the school themselves.[6]

However, the group withdrew their offer when they found out the price was $700,000 more than originally agreed on due to shenanigans by Rounsevell and his partner, Norris Mitchell[7] and the group led by Hazel acquired the school in 1990.[8]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Flint Hill School: History." Flint Hill School. Web. 08 Feb. 2012.
  2. ↑ "Teacher, 22, Drowns in School Pool." The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959): B1. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Washington Post (1877-1995). May 15 1957. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.
  3. ↑ "Fairfax Approves Tuition Grants for 60 to Attend Private Schools." The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973): B1. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Washington Post (1877-1995). Sep 20 1959. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.
  4. ↑ "Virginia Scholarships used most at New Private Schools." The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973): C15. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Washington Post (1877-1995). Nov 15 1959. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.
  5. ↑ Baker, Peter. "Va. Preparatory Schools New Owner Greeted with Suspicion and Scorn." The Washington Post (1974-Current file): B6. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Washington Post (1877-1995). Dec 08 1989. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.
  6. ↑ Howe, Robert F. "Flint Hill School Sold to Parents." The Washington Post (1974-Current file): B3. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Washington Post (1877-1995). Dec 16 1989. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.
  7. ↑ Howe, Robert F. "Parents Withdraw Bid to Buy Flint Hill School." The Washington Post (1974-Current file): A10. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Washington Post (1877-1995). Jan 03 1990. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.
  8. ↑ Anderson, John Ward. "Private School Seeks Industrial Bonds." The Washington Post (1974-Current file): B3. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Washington Post (1877-1995). Sep 15 1990. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.

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