Residents appeal MCPS boundary changes, challenge legality of diversity focus

[Anonymous]

Once you look up the racial compositions in these schools and the final results, you will see that the Superintendent's final plan increased Hispanic and African American populations and decreased white and Asian American populations in Rocky Hill MS, and he decreased Hispanic and African American populations and increased white and Asian American populations in Neelsville MS. MCPS's numbers clearly show that. In effect, he moved Hispanic and African American students from Neelsville MS to Rocky Hill MS and white and Asian American students the other way. This is racial balancing.

disguised under the umbrella of FARMs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Once you look up the racial compositions in these schools and the final results, you will see that the Superintendent's final plan increased Hispanic and African American populations and decreased white and Asian American populations in Rocky Hill MS, and he decreased Hispanic and African American populations and increased white and Asian American populations in Neelsville MS. MCPS's numbers clearly show that. In effect, he moved Hispanic and African American students from Neelsville MS to Rocky Hill MS and white and Asian American students the other way. This is racial balancing.

disguised under the umbrella of FARMs?

Seriously, y'all.

First you tell us how diverse Cabin Branch and Gibbs already are. Then you tell us that reassigning Cabin Branch and Gibbs is reassigning white and Asian-American kids. Which is it?

(Since I live here, I'll tell you which it is: Cabin Branch and Gibbs are diverse areas, which means that a lot of Hispanic and African-American kids are getting reassigned from Rocky Hill MS to Neelsville MS.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Once you look up the racial compositions in these schools and the final results, you will see that the Superintendent's final plan increased Hispanic and African American populations and decreased white and Asian American populations in Rocky Hill MS, and he decreased Hispanic and African American populations and increased white and Asian American populations in Neelsville MS. MCPS's numbers clearly show that. In effect, he moved Hispanic and African American students from Neelsville MS to Rocky Hill MS and white and Asian American students the other way. This is racial balancing.


disguised under the umbrella of FARMs?


Seriously, y'all.

First you tell us how diverse Cabin Branch and Gibbs already are. Then you tell us that reassigning Cabin Branch and Gibbs is reassigning white and Asian-American kids. Which is it?

(Since I live here, I'll tell you which it is: Cabin Branch and Gibbs are diverse areas, which means that a lot of Hispanic and African-American kids are getting reassigned from Rocky Hill MS to Neelsville MS.)

The data on the demographic outcome changes doesn't seem to match your experience though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Once you look up the racial compositions in these schools and the final results, you will see that the Superintendent's final plan increased Hispanic and African American populations and decreased white and Asian American populations in Rocky Hill MS, and he decreased Hispanic and African American populations and increased white and Asian American populations in Neelsville MS. MCPS's numbers clearly show that. In effect, he moved Hispanic and African American students from Neelsville MS to Rocky Hill MS and white and Asian American students the other way. This is racial balancing.


disguised under the umbrella of FARMs?


Seriously, y'all.

First you tell us how diverse Cabin Branch and Gibbs already are. Then you tell us that reassigning Cabin Branch and Gibbs is reassigning white and Asian-American kids. Which is it?

(Since I live here, I'll tell you which it is: Cabin Branch and Gibbs are diverse areas, which means that a lot of Hispanic and African-American kids are getting reassigned from Rocky Hill MS to Neelsville MS.)

The data on the demographic outcome changes doesn't seem to match your experience though.

So your position is that Cabin Branch and Gibbs actually aren't diverse?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Once you look up the racial compositions in these schools and the final results, you will see that the Superintendent's final plan increased Hispanic and African American populations and decreased white and Asian American populations in Rocky Hill MS, and he decreased Hispanic and African American populations and increased white and Asian American populations in Neelsville MS. MCPS's numbers clearly show that. In effect, he moved Hispanic and African American students from Neelsville MS to Rocky Hill MS and white and Asian American students the other way. This is racial balancing.


disguised under the umbrella of FARMs?


Seriously, y'all.

First you tell us how diverse Cabin Branch and Gibbs already are. Then you tell us that reassigning Cabin Branch and Gibbs is reassigning white and Asian-American kids. Which is it?

(Since I live here, I'll tell you which it is: Cabin Branch and Gibbs are diverse areas, which means that a lot of Hispanic and African-American kids are getting reassigned from Rocky Hill MS to Neelsville MS.)

The data on the demographic outcome changes doesn't seem to match your experience though.

So your position is that Cabin Branch and Gibbs actually aren't diverse?

I don' t know much about Cabin Branch area, but Gibbs ES is interesting.

It's 1/3 FARMs. Whites and Hispanics are about equal - under 20%. Asians and blacks make up the majority - at under 30%. So I would say it's diverse on many levels. But I'm sure the county disaggregated the data by comparing FARMs to race.

[Anonymous]

What rational was given for swapping students between Neelsville and Rocky Hill?

If the purpose of the boundary rezoning was to relieve crowding at Clarksburg High and fill the under enrolled new SV school, then why move a bunch of kids out of Neelsville into Rocky and vive versa? Other than demographic balancing, there is no capacity gain or loss from swapping students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I don' t know much about Cabin Branch area, but Gibbs ES is interesting.

It's 1/3 FARMs. Whites and Hispanics are about equal - under 20%. Asians and blacks make up the majority - at under 30%. So I would say it's diverse on many levels. But I'm sure the county disaggregated the data by comparing FARMs to race.

You can see what MCPS did, here.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/planning/UpcountyHSBoundaryStudy.aspx

The PPs who are saying that MCPS rezoned white and Asian-American students from Rocky Hill MS to Neelsville MS are basically saying, "I don't acknowledge the existence of the people in my community who are black or Hispanic."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What rational was given for swapping students between Neelsville and Rocky Hill?

If the purpose of the boundary rezoning was to relieve crowding at Clarksburg High and fill the under enrolled new SV school, then why move a bunch of kids out of Neelsville into Rocky and vive versa? Other than demographic balancing, there is no capacity gain or loss from swapping students.

"My goalsin developingmy recommendation wereto minimize the FARMS disparities at both the high school and middle school levels,while at the same time maximizewalkers at their current schools and reduce the utilization rates at schools to the maximum extent possible. After review of all the information and updated student enrollment projections, I recommend a variation of Option 11a, as I believe it does the best job to advancethe three policy factors for most of the schools involved in the boundary study by meeting these goals. "

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I don' t know much about Cabin Branch area, but Gibbs ES is interesting.

It's 1/3 FARMs. Whites and Hispanics are about equal - under 20%. Asians and blacks make up the majority - at under 30%. So I would say it's diverse on many levels. But I'm sure the county disaggregated the data by comparing FARMs to race.


You can see what MCPS did, here.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/pl...g/UpcountyHSBoundaryStudy.aspx

The PPs who are saying that MCPS rezoned white and Asian-American students from Rocky Hill MS to Neelsville MS are basically saying, "I don't acknowledge the existence of the people in my community who are black or Hispanic."

This document certainly makes it look like the only reason for the moves from RH/ Neelsville and Neelsville/RH are demographic. It more than doubled the Asian and white students at Neelsville while reducing AA and hispanic kids. It didn't change capacity for any of the kids and I don't think anyone is claiming that kids who live in the Cabin Branch neighborhood will be assigned as walkers to Neelsville.

As to whether Clarksburg is diverse -it depends on your definition. Does diversity include all races or just AA/Hispanic? Gibbs and Clarksburg ES are far more diverse than many other MCPS schools while Neelsville ES feeders waere far less diverse if you include all races. If you only include AA/hispanic kids as qualifying to be diverse then it reverses.

From the data it certainly appears that Gibbs and Clarksburg offered neighborhoods with the highest concentrations of Asian student and some white students which MCPS wanted to ship into a lower ranked school while Neellsville had many AA/Hispanic kids that MCPS wanted to ship into a higher performing school. An interesting note is that any of these parents could bring forward a complaint regardless of race.

The former Neelsville's kids could bring an appeal/suit claiming that they were rezoned for racial balancing and harmed by having to travel a longer distance to school or leave their community. The AA or hispanic in the Cabin Branch area could also join the complaint/appeal that is already been made that this area was targeted for having a high concentration of asian/white students. It doesn't really matter whether they are asian or white or AA or hispanic.

[Anonymous]

You all just keep repeating yourselves. And contradicting yourselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What rational was given for swapping students between Neelsville and Rocky Hill?

If the purpose of the boundary rezoning was to relieve crowding at Clarksburg High and fill the under enrolled new SV school, then why move a bunch of kids out of Neelsville into Rocky and vive versa? Other than demographic balancing, there is no capacity gain or loss from swapping students.

An earlier poster explained it well: "the move also helps with articulation. Previously, Daly/Fox Chapel kids went to Neelsville MS and then Clarksburg HS. Now, they will go to Rocky Hill MS and then Clarksburg HS. Similarly, without middle-school reassignment, Cabin Branch and Gibbs ES would have gone to Rocky Hill MS and then Seneca Valley HS; but instead they will go to Neelsville MS and then Seneca Valley HS. "

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
What rational was given for swapping students between Neelsville and Rocky Hill?

If the purpose of the boundary rezoning was to relieve crowding at Clarksburg High and fill the under enrolled new SV school, then why move a bunch of kids out of Neelsville into Rocky and vive versa? Other than demographic balancing, there is no capacity gain or loss from swapping students.


An earlier poster explained it well: "the move also helps with articulation. Previously, Daly/Fox Chapel kids went to Neelsville MS and then Clarksburg HS. Now, they will go to Rocky Hill MS and then Clarksburg HS. Similarly, without middle-school reassignment, Cabin Branch and Gibbs ES would have gone to Rocky Hill MS and then Seneca Valley HS; but instead they will go to Neelsville MS and then Seneca Valley HS. "

Not really, it would have made more sense for proximity, continuity and articulation to keep Daly/Fox Chapel at Neelsville and then go to SV leaving CB and Gibbs at RH and Clarksburg. I can understand why from a racial diversity perspective MCPS did not want to do this. MCPS should be honest about it though and its a much stronger case to try to get the 2007 ruling overturned than to try to claim you didn't use race, especially when you published a racial impact table on your website as part of the announcement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What rational was given for swapping students between Neelsville and Rocky Hill?

If the purpose of the boundary rezoning was to relieve crowding at Clarksburg High and fill the under enrolled new SV school, then why move a bunch of kids out of Neelsville into Rocky and vive versa? Other than demographic balancing, there is no capacity gain or loss from swapping students.


An earlier poster explained it well: "the move also helps with articulation. Previously, Daly/Fox Chapel kids went to Neelsville MS and then Clarksburg HS. Now, they will go to Rocky Hill MS and then Clarksburg HS. Similarly, without middle-school reassignment, Cabin Branch and Gibbs ES would have gone to Rocky Hill MS and then Seneca Valley HS; but instead they will go to Neelsville MS and then Seneca Valley HS. "

Not really, it would have made more sense for proximity, continuity and articulation to keep Daly/Fox Chapel at Neelsville and then go to SV leaving CB and Gibbs at RH and Clarksburg. I can understand why from a racial diversity perspective MCPS did not want to do this. MCPS should be honest about it though and its a much stronger case to try to get the 2007 ruling overturned than to try to claim you didn't use race, especially when you published a racial impact table on your website as part of the announcement.

Except it was from a FARMS disparity perspective. Which is clearly explained in the superintendent's recommendation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What rational was given for swapping students between Neelsville and Rocky Hill?

If the purpose of the boundary rezoning was to relieve crowding at Clarksburg High and fill the under enrolled new SV school, then why move a bunch of kids out of Neelsville into Rocky and vive versa? Other than demographic balancing, there is no capacity gain or loss from swapping students.


An earlier poster explained it well: "the move also helps with articulation. Previously, Daly/Fox Chapel kids went to Neelsville MS and then Clarksburg HS. Now, they will go to Rocky Hill MS and then Clarksburg HS. Similarly, without middle-school reassignment, Cabin Branch and Gibbs ES would have gone to Rocky Hill MS and then Seneca Valley HS; but instead they will go to Neelsville MS and then Seneca Valley HS. "

Not really, it would have made more sense for proximity, continuity and articulation to keep Daly/Fox Chapel at Neelsville and then go to SV leaving CB and Gibbs at RH and Clarksburg. I can understand why from a racial diversity perspective MCPS did not want to do this. MCPS should be honest about it though and its a much stronger case to try to get the 2007 ruling overturned than to try to claim you didn't use race, especially when you published a racial impact table on your website as part of the announcement.

Except it was from a FARMS disparity perspective. Which is clearly explained in the superintendent's recommendation.

Trying to explain this to a segregationist is a fool's errand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Not really, it would have made more sense for proximity, continuity and articulation to keep Daly/Fox Chapel at Neelsville and then go to SV leaving CB and Gibbs at RH and Clarksburg. I can understand why from a racial diversity perspective MCPS did not want to do this. MCPS should be honest about it though and its a much stronger case to try to get the 2007 ruling overturned than to try to claim you didn't use race, especially when you published a racial impact table on your website as part of the announcement.

If MCPS admits racial balancing, the lower courts have to follow Supreme Court precedents and rule against it. In most cases, only the Supreme Court can overrule itself. Because the Supreme Court may not even take up this case, MCPS will have no choice but insists it is not about racial balancing.