Falls Church parents are furious over a proposal to build a public charter school just down the road from Falls Church High School, a diverse campus that’s wanting for programs and renovations. At best, they say, the school has been neglected by the Fairfax County School Board and would suffer more from the competition. At worst, they say school officials deem Falls Church High a school of immigrant parents who won’t raise a ruckus if treated unfairly.

The backlash was prompted by the proposed Fairfax Leadership Academy, which — if approved by state and local officials — would host an International Baccalaureate track and an Advancement Via Individual Determination program, which prepares low-income students for college in the ninth grade.