BOE Memer is proposing to study school boundary in MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's a good idea. Some clusters are way over crowded while others are under utilized. If they divide the county into four parts, the rezoning would be easier. HoCo rezones every few years. Yes, HoCo is smaller than MCPS, which is why I stated that MCPS should divide the county into four parts for rezoning purposes. Smaller scale, easier to rezone.

As for racial balancing.. I don't think it's about race as much as about FARMS/ESOL rate, and I think it's fine to balance out clusters for this purpose.

I live in the RM cluster and was involved in the rezoning when Rustin was opening. I know the fight will get ugly like it did for Rustin. But, this is one school district, and no one has the right to go to any one specific school. I don't think the BOE will accept busing from one side of the county to another. It's neighboring clusters that they will be looking at, not cross county clusters.

Having stated this, however, I do think they should also have some common sense when it comes to rezoning. Two of the options in the Rustin rezoning made zero sense. This is what I would be concerned about, that they throw up ridiculous options just to make the FARMs numbers look more even.

+1

For the most part I agree. I wouldn't bus anyone across the county but where there are easy opportunities to balance things out great. If done sensibly the overall bussing costs should be lower which leaves more funds for education which is honestly more helpful.

[Anonymous]

Considering the fools that were elected to the school board because no one took the election seriously, I’d say that the county is in trouble.
Those people aren’t qualified to do anything, much less change boundaries.

The whole county wide policy of segregating Latino immigrants into the Wheaton and Silver Spring areas to increase their bargaining power (Casa) and increase their access to services like year round schooling, Saturday school, summer school, legal services, healthcare services, housing and housing aid, etc, is a chosen policy . You can’t then twist it around and say that ‘white people’ are practicing segregation. If the county wants new immigrants to be schooled with a more mixed population then you have to have housing opportunities for them in those communities. You can’t start busing kids.

Though honestly they do already bus ‘rich’ kids as they cut the magnet programs in the so called rich areas and put them all in the Silver Spring and Wheaton areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly -- I think they need to at least consider this option. Some schools are massively overcrowded while other are under-utilized. Why build new schools when they could potentially solve the problem with redistricting. Isn't that a more cost effective solution?

Where is MCPS building a new school where they could solve the problem with boundary changes? Could you provide one specific example, please?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Considering the fools that were elected to the school board because no one took the election seriously, I’d say that the county is in trouble.
Those people aren’t qualified to do anything, much less change boundaries.

The whole county wide policy of segregating Latino immigrants into the Wheaton and Silver Spring areas to increase their bargaining power (Casa) and increase their access to services like year round schooling, Saturday school, summer school, legal services, healthcare services, housing and housing aid, etc, is a chosen policy . You can’t then twist it around and say that ‘white people’ are practicing segregation. If the county wants new immigrants to be schooled with a more mixed population then you have to have housing opportunities for them in those communities. You can’t start busing kids.

Though honestly they do already bus ‘rich’ kids as they cut the magnet programs in the so called rich areas and put them all in the Silver Spring and Wheaton areas.

Wait...WHAT??!! You think residential segregation began with Casa de Maryland? Are you forgetting years of racist red-lining in housing policy, not to mention formal and informal housing covenants that forbade sale of homes in certain communities to PoC? Not to mention the ways in which those communities are just plain uncomfortable for even middle class and upper middle class Black families, given that you are likely to have the cops called on you while out walking your dog?

I'm aghast at the lack of historical context in this post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Considering the fools that were elected to the school board because no one took the election seriously, I’d say that the county is in trouble.
Those people aren’t qualified to do anything, much less change boundaries.

The whole county wide policy of segregating Latino immigrants into the Wheaton and Silver Spring areas to increase their bargaining power (Casa) and increase their access to services like year round schooling, Saturday school, summer school, legal services, healthcare services, housing and housing aid, etc, is a chosen policy . You can’t then twist it around and say that ‘white people’ are practicing segregation. If the county wants new immigrants to be schooled with a more mixed population then you have to have housing opportunities for them in those communities. You can’t start busing kids.

Though honestly they do already bus ‘rich’ kids as they cut the magnet programs in the so called rich areas and put them all in the Silver Spring and Wheaton areas.

Wait...WHAT??!! You think residential segregation began with Casa de Maryland? Are you forgetting years of racist red-lining in housing policy, not to mention formal and informal housing covenants that forbade sale of homes in certain communities to PoC? Not to mention the ways in which those communities are just plain uncomfortable for even middle class and upper middle class Black families, given that you are likely to have the cops called on you while out walking your dog?

I'm aghast at the lack of historical context in this post.

I'm guessing that the top PP supported -- or was -- a losing candidate in the past BoE election.

[Anonymous]

There are a couple small boundary changes that could be made where an underenrolled school is close to an overcrowded one. But they are nowhere near as common as some people would like to think. When the BOE proposed to do this between Gaithersburg ES and some underenrolled Wootton ESs, the Gaithersburg ES were vehemently opposed and advocated strongly for an addition to Gaithersburg ES instead. Twinbrook families did not want their neighborhood split between different RM elementaries in the Rustin redistricting. This is not rich/white people not wanting low income kids going to school with their kids. This is all kinds of families wanting their kids to go to neighborhood schools and not be bussed further away, as well as most people liking their current school and not wanting to have to change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Considering the fools that were elected to the school board because no one took the election seriously, I’d say that the county is in trouble.
Those people aren’t qualified to do anything, much less change boundaries.

The whole county wide policy of segregating Latino immigrants into the Wheaton and Silver Spring areas to increase their bargaining power (Casa) and increase their access to services like year round schooling, Saturday school, summer school, legal services, healthcare services, housing and housing aid, etc, is a chosen policy . You can’t then twist it around and say that ‘white people’ are practicing segregation. If the county wants new immigrants to be schooled with a more mixed population then you have to have housing opportunities for them in those communities. You can’t start busing kids.

Though honestly they do already bus ‘rich’ kids as they cut the magnet programs in the so called rich areas and put them all in the Silver Spring and Wheaton areas.

You're info is very 2010. Things have changed. Very few rich kids get into these programs these days since they have a peer group at their segregated school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Considering the fools that were elected to the school board because no one took the election seriously, I’d say that the county is in trouble.
Those people aren’t qualified to do anything, much less change boundaries.

The whole county wide policy of segregating Latino immigrants into the Wheaton and Silver Spring areas to increase their bargaining power (Casa) and increase their access to services like year round schooling, Saturday school, summer school, legal services, healthcare services, housing and housing aid, etc, is a chosen policy . You can’t then twist it around and say that ‘white people’ are practicing segregation. If the county wants new immigrants to be schooled with a more mixed population then you have to have housing opportunities for them in those communities. You can’t start busing kids.

Though honestly they do already bus ‘rich’ kids as they cut the magnet programs in the so called rich areas and put them all in the Silver Spring and Wheaton areas.

Wait...WHAT??!! You think residential segregation began with Casa de Maryland? Are you forgetting years of racist red-lining in housing policy, not to mention formal and informal housing covenants that forbade sale of homes in certain communities to PoC? Not to mention the ways in which those communities are just plain uncomfortable for even middle class and upper middle class Black families, given that you are likely to have the cops called on you while out walking your dog?

I'm aghast at the lack of historical context in this post.

Exactly +1000

[Anonymous]

I hope this BOE member is going to attend the upcoming Rockville City Council meeting

Much of the school overcrowding has been a direct result of overdevelopment in the County.

Too many housing units are being built, without the appropriate schools being built.

And now developers are pushing for even more development at Twinbrook and RTC. This will directly impact Richard Montgomery HS.

I hope she makes her voice heard with the City Council.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly -- I think they need to at least consider this option. Some schools are massively overcrowded while other are under-utilized. Why build new schools when they could potentially solve the problem with redistricting. Isn't that a more cost effective solution?

Which schools in MCPS are underutilized?

[Anonymous]

Really, most families would prefer to send their kids to the closest school possible. Nobody wants their kids on a longer bus ride.

People want to send their kids to schools IN their community. And they want those schools to be good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly -- I think they need to at least consider this option. Some schools are massively overcrowded while other are under-utilized. Why build new schools when they could potentially solve the problem with redistricting. Isn't that a more cost effective solution?

Which schools in MCPS are underutilized?

Is this a serious question?

https://ggwash.org/view/66650/are-bad-school-boundaries-spurring-inequality-in-montgomery-schools

According to MPCS’s data, the elementary schools have a current deficit of 3,602 spaces, yet at least 34 elementary schools are currently underutilized by at least 50 spaces and up to as many as 192 spaces.

... 3,786 seats are available at many elementary schools where capacity exceeds enrollment

Just from my area, most of Wootton cluster is under utilized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really, most families would prefer to send their kids to the closest school possible. Nobody wants their kids on a longer bus ride.

People want to send their kids to schools IN their community. And they want those schools to be good.

Unfortunately, it's hard to get both for most people. Parents want what they want, but BOE's job is not to do what parents want but what's best for the students overall. Again, I don't think BOE will consider cross county busing, but more neighboring cluster busing. We have this now in MCPS, and I think they will just expand that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope this BOE member is going to attend the upcoming Rockville City Council meeting

Much of the school overcrowding has been a direct result of overdevelopment in the County.

Too many housing units are being built, without the appropriate schools being built.

And now developers are pushing for even more development at Twinbrook and RTC. This will directly impact Richard Montgomery HS.

I hope she makes her voice heard with the City Council.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope this BOE member is going to attend the upcoming Rockville City Council meeting

Much of the school overcrowding has been a direct result of overdevelopment in the County.

Too many housing units are being built, without the appropriate schools being built.

And now developers are pushing for even more development at Twinbrook and RTC. This will directly impact Richard Montgomery HS.

I hope she makes her voice heard with the City Council.

Actually much of the school overcrowding has been a direct result of people with children moving into existing residences.