FEAC Meeting 10/27/09 Good News

The FEAC committee met today to continue voting on the proposals for school redistricting in Washington County, MD.  Many decisions were made tonight but there were several left that were not addressed requiring the committee to schedule an additional meeting on Tuesday November 3rd.

Since this blog is focused on Keedysville, we will focus on the portion of the meeting that impacts our community.  For those parties interested in other areas affected by the proposed redistricting in Washington County, I would refer you to the Herald Mail or the official Washington County Public School website for details.  If at all possible, I would encourage you to attend the meetings which are open to the public.  

I am pleased to announce that the FEAC Committee made the decision to reject the proposal to send our children to Rockland Woods.  There was an additional proposal made and passed to send approximately 20 students from Keedysville to Pleasant Valley which is closer than Rockland Woods and feeds into Boonsboro Middle and High Schools.

The FEAC Committee meeting was originally scheduled to end at 8pm but ran late and ended at 9:30 in an attempt to complete voting on all of the proposals.  At time the meeting became fairly contentious especially involving the Boonsboro area.  Lorraine O'Connor, who represents Keedysville/Boonsboro on the FEAC committee, presented an alternative plan to alleviate the overcrowding at Boonsboro and was very passionate and outspoken about the negative impact on the Keedysville community.  Board of Education Donna Brightman was present as an observer in the audience.  

Adam Lewis, the co chair of the FEAC Committee, made a motion to recommend to the Board of Education for the magnet program to be taken out of Boonsboro and placed into the new Eastern Primary School.  His thought process was he felt as many as 50 students would voluntarily move with the program which would alleviate the overcrowding at Boonsboro. The problem with this thought process is out of the approximately 90 students involved in the magnet program at Boonsboro, 82 of those students are Boonsboro residents.  Although there was a recommendation to poll the parents involved in the program whether or not they would follow the program if it moved, the likelihood of parents doing so is slim especially considering they would have to provide their own transportation.  

So what is next?  The FEAC Committee will meet next Tuesday to go vote on the remaining discussions and finalize their proposal for the Board of Education.  They will simultaneously present their proposal to School Superintendent Dr Morgan and the Board of Education.  Dr Morgan can elect to accept, reject, or modify the proposal.  She would then present the plan to the elected Board of Education who will vote on it.  The FEAC Committee only makes their recommendation to the BOE, they do not make the decision.  Although it is very encouraging that the proposal to send our children to Rockland Woods failed, we must continue to press hard and continue to make our voice be heard.  Be on the lookout for our petition to sign which we would like to present next week.  If you live in Keedysville and would like to sign the petition or help gather signatures, send an email to keedysvilleredistricting@gmail.com

Thank you very much for all of the parents and citizens of Keedysville and the Boonsboro area who showed their support by attending the FEAC meeting tonight.  I know there were many other who were there in spirit but were unable to attend. 

The next FEAC Committee Meeting in on Tuesday November 3rd from 6pm to 8pm.

 

FEAC Meeting 10/13/09 Time is Running Out

 

The FEAC Committee met Tuesday night in Hagerstown to continue the discussion about redistricting.  This post is just to hit some of the highlights of the meeting.  Full minutes for the meeting will be available on the Washington County school website at some point in the future. Previous meeting minutes are online (although a bit delayed) and I would encourage interested parties to read them.

• There was discussion at the beginning of the meeting regarding communication the FEAC received from Senator Munson's Office and Senator Barbara Mikulski.  A comment was made that the matter was out of their jurisdiction. 

• Misty Roosa from Keedysville was mentioned in reference to a letter that was not responded to.  They said an apology letter has been sent but said that according to their records, Dr Spong did respond to her questions.  They also referenced a question from Michelle Green that they were still unsure as to whether or not it had been responded to.

• A motion was made by Kira Hamman  to set aside time in each FEAC meeting to answer questions from stakeholders who were present.  Lorraine O Conner (representative from Keedysville and Cannon Ridge resident) was very vocal to say that it was not necessary or appropriate and that the stakeholders had their opportunity to send letters and address the FEAC at the public forums.  She stated that the same concerns were repeated over and over and that she had even been approached at the bus stop that very morning by concerned parents.  FEAC Co Chair Adam Lewis and committee member Bert Iseminger both verbally said they had no problem with it but when it came to a vote, the only person that supported  it was Kira who made the initial motion.  Once again I am very disappointed in the committee and our representative Lorraine O Conner for the lack of courage to engage the stakeholders in an open discussion.  Although the meetings are public, they accept written statements from stakeholders and, in the case of the FEAC forums, they have listened to stakeholders statements, they have never directly answered questions from the stakeholders, preferring instead to issue written response, most of which are prepared by Staff.

• The question of sending some students to Pleasant Valley came up again.  It is a possibility that up to twenty students could be sent from Boonsboro to Pleasant Valley without adding personnel or portables. 

• The magnet school system was discussed at length.  Ultimately it appeared to be decided that removing the magnet program from Boonsboro (and other schools) would be a detriment because it would cause a different fight and hurt the affected schools.  

• A committee member asked  if there would be a liberal policy about exceptions to the redistricting.  The response was rising fifth graders would be exempt.  Other than that, it would be on a case by case business although it was also stated that most principals would choose to say no to all request so they would not have to pick and choose. 

• They voted on some of the sections of the proposal focusing on the areas that showed little or no opposition.

• When the FEAC makes its recommendation, they will present it simultaneously to the Superintendent and the Board of Education.  The Superintendent has the option to make changes to the proposal before she presents it to the Board of Education.  The Board of Education then votes and makes the final decision.

• The last twenty minutes of the meeting were basically bickering about the impending deadline and what would be the best way to proceed.  An additional meeting was added since most members did not feel they would be able to complete it as planned at the next meeting.  The FEAC Committee can submit their recommendation with caveats (i.e. here is the best we can come up with although the stakeholders strongly disagree) and they can also roll out their recommendation in stages as long as future recommendations do not contradict previous recommendations.

• There was a lot of discussion about other schools that would be affected by the redistricting but this blog is focused on the Boonsboro/Keedysville Community. If you are interested in those areas, please watch the Herald-Mail who was represented at the meeting or better yet, make arrangements to attend the meetings whenever possible. They are open to the public.

The next FEAC meeting will be held from 6 pm to 8 pm on Tuesday October 27th.  The first order of business will be the discussion about Boonsboro.  Please mark your calenders and plan on attending this meeting.  Although we are not allowed to speak at this meeting, it is important to let them know we are there.

School Board Approves new Eastern Primary School

The school board chose to ignore public opinion and unanimously approve the new Eastern Primary school in Hagerstown.  Click on the link to read the Herald-Mail article and the comments from the readers.  There are 24 million reasons for the school board to force our children to attend Rockland Woods.  Eastern Primary will not be built until Rockland Woods is full.  

There are several seats up for election on the School Board in 2010 and I expect that we will see new leadership chosen by the voters.  

10/08/2008

Plans approved for new Eastern Primary school in Hagerstown

By ERIN CUNNINGHAM 
erinc@herald-mail.com

HAGERSTOWN — Plans for a new $22.2 million primary school across the street from Eastern Elementary School were approved Tuesday.

The Washington County Board of Education voted 5-0 in support of designs for the school that could enroll up to 620 students in prekindergarten through second grade and open in 2011. School Board members Ruth Anne Callaham and Bernadette M. Wagner were absent for the vote.

A new Eastern Primary School is one of five schools, including a new high school in Hagerstown's east end, that are being considered for construction in Washington County over the next six years at a total cost of $158 million. State money for Eastern Primary and other projects will be requested for the 2010 fiscal year.

The designs for Eastern Primary show a single-story, 77,523-square-foot building will be built on about 20 acres off Yale Drive. The design was prepared by Gilbert Architects Inc., based in Owings Mills, Md.

Rob Rollins, acting executive director for school operations, said the design is similar to three recently completed schools: Maugansville, Pangborn and Rockland Woods elementary.

Robert Spong, facilities planning manager, said the design documents approved by the school board Tuesday will be sent to state and Washington County officials for approval. Spong said he expected comments from county officials concerned about traffic patterns and intersections near Eastern Primary, which is to be built off Mount Aetna Road, near the new Washington County Medical Center site.

Board Vice President Donna Brightman said she'd like to see some flexibility with the design so older children could attend school there in the future if necessary.

Officials said that was possible by expanding on the planned wings of the building.

Preliminary plans call for construction beginning about one year from now and ending in April 2011.

Bill Lang's Statement at the School Board Meeting

Below is the statement read to the school board on October 6th by Keedysville resident Bill Lang against building the proposed Eastern Primary School.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the School Board, thank you for taking the time to hear my comments.  I am here today to challenge you.  I am challenging you to make a tough decision not a politically expedient decision.  I am challenging you to provide leadership and help guide our school system for the next 20 years.  I am challenging you to live up to your charge of establishing a vision for the community schools and to participate in the strategic planning.  I am challenging you to begin earning back the trust of the citizens of Washington County.  I am challenging you to act in the best interests of the tax payers of Washington County and the State of Maryland, as well as acting in the best interest of the children of Washington County.  You have before you a great opportunity, the opportunity to show true leadership.  A true leader is one who is willing to say we have made mistakes in the past and we are going to learn from those mistakes and do things differently this time.  A true leader is willing to delay a project that does not serve the overall community.  As I see it you have 2 choices before you, choice number 1 is to build Eastern Primary and spend $25 million dollars on a school does not have popular support, does nothing to relieve overcrowding in existing schools, will not be close to filled even when it is completed and as of today the assumption is that the children will come to this school based on a redistricting program that has not even been presented to the School Board.  Choice number 2 is not going to be an easy choice, but it is the right choice.  The School Board needs to not award the contract for Eastern Primary today.  You as the School Board need to stand up and say enough to this philosophy of we will build it then force them to come.  That has worked so well with Rockland Woods.  You need to say to the voters of Washington County, we understand your concerns and we are not going to spend $25 million of YOUR TAX DOLLARS on a building a new school until we are certain that it is in the right location and the maximum number of children will be positively affected by this new school.  You need to advocate for those students who are in the overcrowded existing facilities to get those facilities relief and build Eastern Primary will not do that.  Finally, you need to restore the trust of the electorate.  The electorate who hears things said by employees of the Board of Education like “it costs less to build a new school than to renovate an existing school” and that a new school will be built in South County when “the time is right to receive maximum funding from the state.”   So Mr. Michaels feels that the welfare of the students is trumped by state funding?  One of the School Boards mandates are to “advocate for the needs of all of the students” now is the time to do so.  You stand at a cross roads ladies and gentlemen, do you want to be remembered as the School Board that went along with the status quo and did the easy thing, or do you want to be remembered as the School Board that stood up for what is right and what is in the best interest of the students and tax payers of Washington County.  Again, thank you for your time 

Herald-Mail Article: Parents eye legal action to halt plans for Eastern Primary

Good article on parents attempt to stop the redistricting and the unnecessary construction of Eastern Primary.  Also attached are some of the comments posted by readers.  Click on the link to go directly to the article and read all of the comments as well as leave your own.

The Herald-Mail

http://www.herald-mail.com/

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(Credit: Chad Trovinger / Graphic Artist)

(Credit: Chad Trovinger / Graphic Artist)

10/03/2009

Parents eye legal action to halt plans for Eastern Primary

By DAN DEARTH 
dan.dearth@herald-mail.com

HAGERSTOWN — A group of parents with children in Washington County Public Schools said they might take the school system to court in an effort to halt construction of the proposed Eastern Primary School on the east end of Hagerstown.

Bill Lang, who has four children at Boonsboro Elementary School, said several parents are considering whether to pool their financial resources to take legal action.

“All options are open,” he said.

The $25 million Eastern Primary School is being considered as part of a redistricting plan to help alleviate overcrowding. If redistricting is approved, it would affect 20 of 26 elementary schools in the county and roughly 1,500 students. Many of those students would be bused to Eastern Primary School, which has a state-rated capacity of 695 students.

The school is slated to open in 2011.

The Washington County Board of Education is scheduled to consider a bid for the construction of Eastern Primary School during a meeting Tuesday.

Deputy Superintendent Boyd Michael said Eastern Primary School is in a location that can accommodate overflow from several schools.

“Eastern Primary is in a flexible area to work with,” Michael said. “You touch a lot of different districts.”

Michael said the construction of Eastern Primary School has been discussed for the past seven years. School officials also talked about building additions to Boonsboro Elementary, he said, but they didn’t think the additions would provide sufficient space to handle students from pending developments in that area.

Michael said officials intend to build a school in the southern part of the county when the time is right to receive maximum funding from the state.

“It just doesn’t justify a new school at this point,” he said.

The state has committed $14 million to build Eastern Primary School, Michael said last week. The remaining $11 million will be provided by the county.

Michael said he felt fortunate that Eastern Primary School was one of 25 proposed schools to receive state funding out of 90 requests.

Dottie Gruhler, who has two children at Old Forge Elementary School, said she believes school officials aren’t considering the best interests of the students.

“That irks me,” Gruhler said. “That is so wrong because they want to bus kids to fill a school ... Parents across the county are very, very mad.”

She said parents have been gathering petitions and took their fight to the public in a newspaper advertisement. On Sept. 27, an advertisement in The Herald-Mail encouraged parents to attend the school board meeting scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday to oppose the construction of Eastern Primary School.

“Eastern Primary represents $25 million of taxpayer money not being utilized where it is needed most,” the advertisement said. “... We would like to request an additional evening meeting be scheduled before the vote takes place to allow all the parents who work during the day to be able to attend this important meeting.”

Several other parents whose children would be affected by redistricting said last week officials should build a school where it is needed instead of busing children halfway across the county. They suggested delaying the redistricting plan until more input can be gathered from the public.

In January, the board directed the Facilities and Enrollment Advisory Committee — an organization with members appointed by the board — to address the redistricting issue. The committee met several times and held three public forums in September to get feedback from the public. Each resident who wanted to speak was given three minutes. Committee members agreed to refrain from engaging in open discussions at the forums, in part to avoid confrontations.

Jennifer Ashbaugh, who has two children at Old Forge Elementary, said she believes the committee should have requested ideas from the public before creating a redistricting plan.

One of Ashbaugh’s concerns about redistricting, she said, is that children and their parents won’t be able to participate together in school activities because they’ll be too far apart.

“I would much rather my children be in (portable classrooms) ... than to be uprooted,” she said.

Lang said school officials should consider building on to overcapacity schools instead of busing kids from their communities.

“This isn’t rocket science,” Lang said. “It’s about doing what’s best for the children.”

He said the board should think long and hard before it approves Eastern Primary School.

“I can’t see how any politician would put themselves in this position,” Lang said. “They’re putting themselves out there.”

Lang said school officials created what he termed a “cloak of secrecy” by failing to notify specific neighborhoods about how they would be affected by redistricting.

Lisa Milligan, who has one child at Old Forge Elementary School, said she believes school officials should have created focus groups long ago to get the public’s input.

“All we’re asking for is communication,” she said. “It’s a trust issue.”

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Reader Comments:

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From:bumblebee Sat 03 Oct 2009 06:01:42 PM EDT	What is best for children isn't always just creating a bigger school at the same location. Children benefit from smaller school settings, as opposed to settings where they may be one of 500+ students. Smaller schools create a better sense of community, despite where a child's actual home may be. Additionally, adding portable classrooms doesn't fix overcrowding completely. For example, in a school that is to accomodate a certain number, cafeteria space is created to serve that number of students. Additional students mean that lunch shifts must start earlier, and go even later, meaning that other activities held in that room during the day (PE, and other programs),cannot occur during that time. Often, schools employ one PE, art, music, and media teacher. If numbers increase, additional teachers are needed, but facilities do not exist for these teachers. There are many issues to be considered. Money, space for a school, and parent desires do not always match.
From:whatruthinkin Sat 03 Oct 2009 06:41:14 PM EDT	Small schools are a good thing but Eastern campus will be anything but that, since it will have over 1100 students there! This is an obvious example of people NOT knowing what is going on with this redistricting!! The lunch room and "encore" class situations are valid points but the schools have that are overcrowded have been dealing with it just fine! People aren't saying don't redistrict, the are saying to delay it to get more feedback and more ideas from the general public. There are other, more cost effective ideas that are less disruptive to the children. LET'S REMEMBER THAT OUR NUMBER 1 PRIORITY SHOULD BE THE CONCERN FOR OUR CHILDREN!!!
From: I-question-why Sat 03 Oct 2009 08:51:03 PM EDT	Deputy Superintendent Boyd Michael said it just doesn't justify a new school in the southern part of the county at this point? Does he look at his own data? Boonsboro 121%, Greenbrier 127%, Sharpsburg 127% and even Old Forge on that side of town at 105%. Yet the current Eastern 83%. Seems to me there is more justification to build a school in the southern part of the county AT THIS POINT than there is to build another school at this location. I would like to know what justification Michael's has for this school if ALL students will need to be bused from other areas?
From:wlang10549 Sat 03 Oct 2009 08:52:18 PM EDT	funny that the time is not right to do something for the south county schools, I mean Boonsboro is at 121% of capacity, Greenbrier is at 127%, Sharpburg is at 122% and Pleasant Valley is at 90% but let's ignore those schools and build a primary school by the hospital. Why is it that the BOE can find the money to build new schools, yet they can't find the funding to upgrade the existing schools to a point that they can support their communities.
From: I-question-why Sat 03 Oct 2009 09:00:06 PM EDT	I guess Michael's doen't think that the southern part of the county would be able to handle a new school. After all, it is getting along just fine without electricity in its schools. Do you think Boonsboro will have heat this winter or should the kids add coal to their supply list along with the flashlights?
From:wlang10549 Sat 03 Oct 2009 09:16:19 PM EDT	bumblebee, I would agree smaller schools are better, but if you look at the ratings and the test scores for the south county schools you will find they are thriving even though they are overcrowded. Doing simple math (students divided by teachers) Rockland Woods has an average class size of 26 Boonsboro is 23, Greenbrier is 21 and Sharpsburg is 23 which schools are the students getting a greater sense of community.