Overcrowding at Bethesda Elementary (BE)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

MCPS IS OVERCROWDED AND IT'S SHAMEFUL HOW LATE THE STATE AND COUNTY ARE RESPONDING. DEVELOPERS ARE FRIENDS WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AT EVERY LEVEL. THEY ARE GIVEN PRIORITY OVER OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.

(Just pointing out that

1. there's a housing shortage
2. people need places to live
3. developers build housing (probably a developer built your housing)
4. at least since World War II, during times of growing enrollment, school construction has lagged behind enrollment in Montgomery County)

DP but the development that's going on around downtown Bethesda is primarily luxury condos priced at $1.5 million and up. Whether these are the folks with young kids enrolling in the schools, I've no idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, last night was back to school night at BE. I expected overcrowding, but this was a new low. Physical Education classes have been doubled up, with almost 60 kids in a period. This means that for half the time, half the kids sit while the other run around. Not kidding--this is really happening, have verified with a couple of parents. They can no longer fit all the kids into the art room, so they now wheel an "art cart" into some classrooms for the kids to do art. The school is now so overcrowded that it seems to me like an emergency. What is most frustrating is the total lack of concern by our elected officials and school administrators. We (parents) have been warning about this for years. We've all seen the construction. Whatever the cause--teardowns, condos, apartments--does it matter? What is the plan for next year? Three classes in one P.E. period? I know the boundary study is forthcoming, but this is an issue now.

Our ES has PE outside almost all year due to lack of space..yours seems like a teacher shortage.

They have 2 PE teachers per doubled up PE classes. This is common at many schools.

wonder if it's a space shortage rather than a teacher shortage. There's only one gym, after all. So there's a limit to how many kids you can fit in it. There are 4 kindergarten classes at BE with 28 kids each. Even two classes is a lot of kids to have running around in a gym at one time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

MCPS IS OVERCROWDED AND IT'S SHAMEFUL HOW LATE THE STATE AND COUNTY ARE RESPONDING. DEVELOPERS ARE FRIENDS WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AT EVERY LEVEL. THEY ARE GIVEN PRIORITY OVER OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.

(Just pointing out that

1. there's a housing shortage
2. people need places to live
3. developers build housing (probably a developer built your housing)
4. at least since World War II, during times of growing enrollment, school construction has lagged behind enrollment in Montgomery County)

This “time of growing enrollment” has been going on for over 10 years with no sign of abating. It’s not simply a time of growing enrollment, it’s a long and consistent trend of growing enrollment that cannot be adequately addressed without new schools and more seats. MCPS is trying, but the CIP and school budget was dramatically underfunded through the last recession and we are reaping the hardships of that with a construction project backlog that would take 15 years and increased funding each of those years to clear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, last night was back to school night at BE. I expected overcrowding, but this was a new low. Physical Education classes have been doubled up, with almost 60 kids in a period. This means that for half the time, half the kids sit while the other run around. Not kidding--this is really happening, have verified with a couple of parents. They can no longer fit all the kids into the art room, so they now wheel an "art cart" into some classrooms for the kids to do art. The school is now so overcrowded that it seems to me like an emergency. What is most frustrating is the total lack of concern by our elected officials and school administrators. We (parents) have been warning about this for years. We've all seen the construction. Whatever the cause--teardowns, condos, apartments--does it matter? What is the plan for next year? Three classes in one P.E. period? I know the boundary study is forthcoming, but this is an issue now.

Our ES has PE outside almost all year due to lack of space..yours seems like a teacher shortage.

They have 2 PE teachers per doubled up PE classes. This is common at many schools.

Suggest they go outside and break the classes in to two..

DP

How would this work? Then, they would need two PE teachers.

Uh, it clearly says above that they have 2.

OP didn't say they have 2 PE teachers. Unless you're assuming that the third poster is the OP??

At our ES, we have classes doubled up, but often it's just one PE teacher. Sometimes the PE teacher gets an assistant, but it's not always.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My youngest just graduated from Bethesda Elementary last year and I love that school.

Ms. Seymour has worked incredibly hard for years to bring awareness of downtown overcrowding, as have the Principals at the middle school and high school level for our cluster, as well as the surrounding clusters. I hope you're not blaming each school's administration, but rather the lack of funding and inertia at the County and State level. They hold the purse-strings.

There is a study being done right now to assess where to put in a new elementary in our area, and whether to share it with the Walter Johnson cluster, also overcrowded. Woodward high school will be opened in 2025 on Old Georgetown Rd, which will provide some relief at the high school level.

MCPS IS OVERCROWDED AND IT'S SHAMEFUL HOW LATE THE STATE AND COUNTY ARE RESPONDING. DEVELOPERS ARE FRIENDS WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AT EVERY LEVEL. THEY ARE GIVEN PRIORITY OVER OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.

I'll tell you what we need to do: something has to give. The public school budget is already weighing extremely heavily on the State's finances. We need to take a good hard look at what we can cut from MCPS, to preserve a decent teacher:student ratio in core classes, which is the backbone of a good education. It's sad to say, but as a parent who has lived through multiple private and public school systems, here and in different countries, we cannot have our cake and eat it too. We can enact laws to stave off development, which will impact our local economy but stabilize the school system so it doesn't traumatize a generation of kids, but we can't magic money that doesn't exist to build new schools. Cuts are in order, whether we like it or not.

The question is: where?

+ 1 million

Adding additional Accessory Dwelling Units, and more high density housing is not going to alleviate any of the overcrowding in MCPS. Yet, County leadership continues to advocate for more development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, last night was back to school night at BE. I expected overcrowding, but this was a new low. Physical Education classes have been doubled up, with almost 60 kids in a period. This means that for half the time, half the kids sit while the other run around. Not kidding--this is really happening, have verified with a couple of parents. They can no longer fit all the kids into the art room, so they now wheel an "art cart" into some classrooms for the kids to do art. The school is now so overcrowded that it seems to me like an emergency. What is most frustrating is the total lack of concern by our elected officials and school administrators. We (parents) have been warning about this for years. We've all seen the construction. Whatever the cause--teardowns, condos, apartments--does it matter? What is the plan for next year? Three classes in one P.E. period? I know the boundary study is forthcoming, but this is an issue now.

Our ES has PE outside almost all year due to lack of space..yours seems like a teacher shortage.

They have 2 PE teachers per doubled up PE classes. This is common at many schools.

wonder if it's a space shortage rather than a teacher shortage. There's only one gym, after all. So there's a limit to how many kids you can fit in it. There are 4 kindergarten classes at BE with 28 kids each. Even two classes is a lot of kids to have running around in a gym at one time.

Unless you go outside for PE..which is actually a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, last night was back to school night at BE. I expected overcrowding, but this was a new low. Physical Education classes have been doubled up, with almost 60 kids in a period. This means that for half the time, half the kids sit while the other run around. Not kidding--this is really happening, have verified with a couple of parents. They can no longer fit all the kids into the art room, so they now wheel an "art cart" into some classrooms for the kids to do art. The school is now so overcrowded that it seems to me like an emergency. What is most frustrating is the total lack of concern by our elected officials and school administrators. We (parents) have been warning about this for years. We've all seen the construction. Whatever the cause--teardowns, condos, apartments--does it matter? What is the plan for next year? Three classes in one P.E. period? I know the boundary study is forthcoming, but this is an issue now.

Our ES has PE outside almost all year due to lack of space..yours seems like a teacher shortage.

They have 2 PE teachers per doubled up PE classes. This is common at many schools.

wonder if it's a space shortage rather than a teacher shortage. There's only one gym, after all. So there's a limit to how many kids you can fit in it. There are 4 kindergarten classes at BE with 28 kids each. Even two classes is a lot of kids to have running around in a gym at one time.

Unless you go outside for PE..which is actually a good thing.

I agree. I guess for Bethesda Elementary they'd use the field? Presumably that's not in use all the time and so could be available for PE. I have a kindergartener there so this is all new to me. My kid is very social so he loves having tons of classmates and tells me every day that he met new friends in class, and there sure are a lot to choose from!

[Anonymous]

Maybe we can bus kids from the overcrowded Bethesda ES over to another school - maybe Gaithersburg ES?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe we can bus kids from the overcrowded Bethesda ES over to another school - maybe Gaithersburg ES?

Can't speak to Gaithersburg but all the schools around here seem to be overcrowded. I know you're being facetious but I'd be surprised to hear Gaithersburg is not in a similar situation.

[Anonymous]

I saw a headline today in Bethesda Beat that new mixed-use development will be bringing 500 additional multi-family residences to Bethesda.

Luckily for OP, that doesn't appear to be feeding into Bethesda Elementary. But, in case anyone lives in the area where the additional housing is being proposed - just a heads up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

MCPS IS OVERCROWDED AND IT'S SHAMEFUL HOW LATE THE STATE AND COUNTY ARE RESPONDING. DEVELOPERS ARE FRIENDS WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AT EVERY LEVEL. THEY ARE GIVEN PRIORITY OVER OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.

(Just pointing out that

1. there's a housing shortage
2. people need places to live
3. developers build housing (probably a developer built your housing)
4. at least since World War II, during times of growing enrollment, school construction has lagged behind enrollment in Montgomery County)

This “time of growing enrollment” has been going on for over 10 years with no sign of abating. It’s not simply a time of growing enrollment, it’s a long and consistent trend of growing enrollment that cannot be adequately addressed without new schools and more seats. MCPS is trying, but the CIP and school budget was dramatically underfunded through the last recession and we are reaping the hardships of that with a construction project backlog that would take 15 years and increased funding each of those years to clear.

Trying? What do you consider trying. MCPS uses some of the Capital Budget to fund the Operating Budget! If they were "trying" they would devote all of the Capital budget money to Capital projects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe we can bus kids from the overcrowded Bethesda ES over to another school - maybe Gaithersburg ES?

Gaithersburg ES is incredibly overcrowded and there is a plan underway for a new elementary school to relieve overcrowding at Gaithersburg ES. Last I heard there are 800-900 kids who live in the walking area for Gaithersburg ES

[Anonymous]

Newsflash: it is NOT just BES, it is all over the county. The Pat O'Neil hater needs to go away, she doesn't set the budget MCPS asks for, Dr Smith and Dr Zuckerman do that. And then the County Council gives them less than what they ask for. And the Taxpayer League comes out and says the schools get to much money already.

School construction is way behind, the Planning Board says 200,000 more people are headed to the county and there is a housing shortage. The long range planning staff at MCPS is a JOKE. And then there are those crazies who think we can bus our way to a solution for overcrowding (newsflash #2, that is not going to happen). And we are supposedly in a great economy. Think about what is going to happen when the pending recession hits for real.

We as tax paying citizens need to unite, and demand more funds from the County Council for schools. Full Stop.

MCCPTA, why are you not pushing for this? 2 years ago, PTAs across the county united around more funds for all, and we got a tax increase (first in 9 years) and the recordation tax. All went to schools. Now the organization is nothing but divisive. Get your act together, pull the ENTIRE COMMUNITY together and do it again!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

MCPS IS OVERCROWDED AND IT'S SHAMEFUL HOW LATE THE STATE AND COUNTY ARE RESPONDING. DEVELOPERS ARE FRIENDS WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AT EVERY LEVEL. THEY ARE GIVEN PRIORITY OVER OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.

(Just pointing out that

1. there's a housing shortage
2. people need places to live
3. developers build housing (probably a developer built your housing)
4. at least since World War II, during times of growing enrollment, school construction has lagged behind enrollment in Montgomery County)

This “time of growing enrollment” has been going on for over 10 years with no sign of abating. It’s not simply a time of growing enrollment, it’s a long and consistent trend of growing enrollment that cannot be adequately addressed without new schools and more seats. MCPS is trying, but the CIP and school budget was dramatically underfunded through the last recession and we are reaping the hardships of that with a construction project backlog that would take 15 years and increased funding each of those years to clear.

Yes, that's how trends work. Enrollment grew in Montgomery County through the whole Baby Boom and suburbanization, then shrank in the 80s with the Baby Bust.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Newsflash: it is NOT just BES, it is all over the county. The Pat O'Neil hater needs to go away, she doesn't set the budget MCPS asks for, Dr Smith and Dr Zuckerman do that. And then the County Council gives them less than what they ask for. And the Taxpayer League comes out and says the schools get to much money already.

School construction is way behind, the Planning Board says 200,000 more people are headed to the county and there is a housing shortage. The long range planning staff at MCPS is a JOKE. And then there are those crazies who think we can bus our way to a solution for overcrowding (newsflash #2, that is not going to happen). And we are supposedly in a great economy. Think about what is going to happen when the pending recession hits for real.

We as tax paying citizens need to unite, and demand more funds from the County Council for schools. Full Stop.

MCCPTA, why are you not pushing for this? 2 years ago, PTAs across the county united around more funds for all, and we got a tax increase (first in 9 years) and the recordation tax. All went to schools. Now the organization is nothing but divisive. Get your act together, pull the ENTIRE COMMUNITY together and do it again!

Half of the county budget already goes to MCPS. How much more do you want to add?