B-CC/WJ capacity cluster meeting

[Anonymous]

Tonight's meeting at Ashburton on this issue had approximately 200 people there. The consultant report identifying potential sites seemed to be a complete waste of time and money.

Bottom line - Rec to the Superintendent will be to put an addition on Westbrook to build it to the 740 student standard; rezone between Somerset and Westbrook; build another addition on Bethesda ES, and propose a new ES to serve overflow from both BCC and WJ clusters.

Honestly, I can't imagine the "Joint ES" situation working out very well, unless they redistribute a lot of kids like dominoes from Bethesda ES and throughout the whole WJ cluster.

[Anonymous]

Also, I don't understand how MCPS does their calculations. They say WJ cluster will be over capacity by 106 students in the 6 year period, but just Farmland and Ashburton right now are 298 over ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tonight's meeting at Ashburton on this issue had approximately 200 people there. The consultant report identifying potential sites seemed to be a complete waste of time and money.

Bottom line - Rec to the Superintendent will be to put an addition on Westbrook to build it to the 740 student standard; rezone between Somerset and Westbrook; build another addition on Bethesda ES, and propose a new ES to serve overflow from both BCC and WJ clusters.

Honestly, I can't imagine the "Joint ES" situation working out very well, unless they redistribute a lot of kids like dominoes from Bethesda ES and throughout the whole WJ cluster.

Why not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tonight's meeting at Ashburton on this issue had approximately 200 people there. The consultant report identifying potential sites seemed to be a complete waste of time and money.

Bottom line - Rec to the Superintendent will be to put an addition on Westbrook to build it to the 740 student standard; rezone between Somerset and Westbrook; build another addition on Bethesda ES, and propose a new ES to serve overflow from both BCC and WJ clusters.

Honestly, I can't imagine the "Joint ES" situation working out very well, unless they redistribute a lot of kids like dominoes from Bethesda ES and throughout the whole WJ cluster.

Why not?

If they take 100 or 200 kids from BCC cluster, and put them in an ES with 540 kids from WJ cluster, it would create split articulation for MS, or potentially a new cluster boundary.

[Anonymous]

What was the upshot on them taking ayrlawn for this purpose? That seems to me such a dumb idea for a couple of reasons. I’m really pissed that MCPS didn’t move on some large empty sites that became available that would have made more sense, instead letting them go to developers to built more houses for kids that the schools don’t have capacity for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What was the upshot on them taking ayrlawn for this purpose? That seems to me such a dumb idea for a couple of reasons. I’m really pissed that MCPS didn’t move on some large empty sites that became available that would have made more sense, instead letting them go to developers to built more houses for kids that the schools don’t have capacity for.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What was the upshot on them taking ayrlawn for this purpose? That seems to me such a dumb idea for a couple of reasons. I’m really pissed that MCPS didn’t move on some large empty sites that became available that would have made more sense, instead letting them go to developers to built more houses for kids that the schools don’t have capacity for.

+1000

+1

But, this is the way things work in Montgomery County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What was the upshot on them taking ayrlawn for this purpose? That seems to me such a dumb idea for a couple of reasons. I’m really pissed that MCPS didn’t move on some large empty sites that became available that would have made more sense, instead letting them go to developers to built more houses for kids that the schools don’t have capacity for.

There is no final selection. The consultants were looking at geographically convenient parcels of 4 acres or more. Apparently, they lacked significant data about the parcels such as the possibility of buried munitions in one location.

There will be a process involving the community for final selection. Ayrlawn will be on the potential list because it is the location of a closed MCPS ES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What was the upshot on them taking ayrlawn for this purpose? That seems to me such a dumb idea for a couple of reasons. I’m really pissed that MCPS didn’t move on some large empty sites that became available that would have made more sense, instead letting them go to developers to built more houses for kids that the schools don’t have capacity for.

To be paid for with which money?

I only know of 1 recent case of MCPS buying privately-owned land for a future school, and it was a bad decision. This is the 12.7 acres they acquired in 2013 for $4.1 million, through condemnation, for Northwest ES #8. At the time, Matsunaga ES was way over capacity. But then enrollment at Matsunaga started decreasing, and they're no longer planning to build a school there any time soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tonight's meeting at Ashburton on this issue had approximately 200 people there. The consultant report identifying potential sites seemed to be a complete waste of time and money.

Bottom line - Rec to the Superintendent will be to put an addition on Westbrook to build it to the 740 student standard; rezone between Somerset and Westbrook; build another addition on Bethesda ES, and propose a new ES to serve overflow from both BCC and WJ clusters.

Honestly, I can't imagine the "Joint ES" situation working out very well, unless they redistribute a lot of kids like dominoes from Bethesda ES and throughout the whole WJ cluster.

Why not?

If they take 100 or 200 kids from BCC cluster, and put them in an ES with 540 kids from WJ cluster, it would create split articulation for MS, or potentially a new cluster boundary.

That happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, I don't understand how MCPS does their calculations. They say WJ cluster will be over capacity by 106 students in the 6 year period, but just Farmland and Ashburton right now are 298 over ...

and Blair is what 1000 over but it's in the DCC so nobody cares.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tonight's meeting at Ashburton on this issue had approximately 200 people there. The consultant report identifying potential sites seemed to be a complete waste of time and money.

Bottom line - Rec to the Superintendent will be to put an addition on Westbrook to build it to the 740 student standard; rezone between Somerset and Westbrook; build another addition on Bethesda ES, and propose a new ES to serve overflow from both BCC and WJ clusters.

Honestly, I can't imagine the "Joint ES" situation working out very well, unless they redistribute a lot of kids like dominoes from Bethesda ES and throughout the whole WJ cluster.

Why not?

If they take 100 or 200 kids from BCC cluster, and put them in an ES with 540 kids from WJ cluster, it would create split articulation for MS, or potentially a new cluster boundary.

That happens.

It seems preferable to overcrowding and underutilization.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, I don't understand how MCPS does their calculations. They say WJ cluster will be over capacity by 106 students in the 6 year period, but just Farmland and Ashburton right now are 298 over ...

and Blair is what 1000 over but it's in the DCC so nobody cares.

1. Blair is roughly 300 overcapacity.
2. Northwood and Kennedy are both getting additions to address the overcapacity in the DCC, in addition to the reopening of Woodward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, I don't understand how MCPS does their calculations. They say WJ cluster will be over capacity by 106 students in the 6 year period, but just Farmland and Ashburton right now are 298 over ...

and Blair is what 1000 over but it's in the DCC so nobody cares.

1. Blair is roughly 300 overcapacity.
2. Northwood and Kennedy are both getting additions to address the overcapacity in the DCC, in addition to the reopening of Woodward.

Woodward is for Potomac and that neighborhood near Einstein?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, I don't understand how MCPS does their calculations. They say WJ cluster will be over capacity by 106 students in the 6 year period, but just Farmland and Ashburton right now are 298 over ...

and Blair is what 1000 over but it's in the DCC so nobody cares.

1. Blair is roughly 300 overcapacity.
2. Northwood and Kennedy are both getting additions to address the overcapacity in the DCC, in addition to the reopening of Woodward.

Woodward is for Potomac and that neighborhood near Einstein?

No, Woodward is for WJ and the DCC. Specific boundaries will be decided in 2024, if the current schedule holds.