The Impact of Revisions to the Virginia Plan

According to these findings, George Mason’s Black student population experienced more dramatic growth compared to Fairfax County’s Black Resident population during the first ten years after the creation of the VPEO. George Mason’s population’s yearly growth was double that of Fairfax County. George Mason’s Black student population growth was booming compared to Fairfax County during the implementation of the VPEO. This indicates that George Mason’s growth cannot be cited as solely the product of contemporary diversification in Fairfax County. Potentially, the VPEO may have played a part in this gap.

Furthermore, while Fairfax County’s Black resident population growth remained largely consistent across the whole decade, George Mason saw a not insignificant leap from  75% growth in 6 years to 82% growth in 6 years after 1983. This data suggests that revisions to the VPEO may have made it more effective.