Takoma Park residents, where do your kids go to HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the city and are exploring neighborhoods in Maryland to move to with our Elementary age kids. Takoma Park is very high on my list.

One issue I can't get past though, is how far away Montgomery Blair is. It's outside the beltway! Is that where most high schoolers go to school? Does it get annoying to have to drive so far every day, for activities, etc? I was hoping to live somewhere where the local schools are really a part of the community, but I'm afraid it will feel disconnected in TP. What has your experience been?

Thanks so much! I'd also love any other points of view on TP, but this is the issue weighing most on my mind.

Blair was originally in Takoma Park but was relocated to downtown SS in the 1930s and to its current location in 1998. The reason it is where it is now is because that's where the county could get sufficient land to build a new HS. The bus ride isn't that bad, at least compared to the other magnet kids who come from much further away.

It's really too bad, given the population boom since 1998, that MCPS wasn't able to keep a high school in DTSS in addition to the new Blair location. We need another downcounty high school.

This is absolutely true. I think the Board needs to demonstrate some problem solving skills here. Be creative! Be solution oriented!

They could use the former Adventist elementary school, which is only a few miles from Blair, to siphon some kids off for part of the day. For example, CAP kids have their classes in half-day blocks. Are magnet kids the same? If you took half the CAP kids and half the magnet kids out for a half day, that's 400 kids out of the school at a time.

Or you don't focus on the CAP and magnet kids, and run some other program half day. With an hour lunch, you can transport the kids back (and then the new group to the campus) during lunch.

Or you don't link it to Blair at all, and set up an entire small HS serving a specific community and they can share extracurriculars with the big high school.

The point would be to get the number of kids on campus a little closer to 2000 and alleviate some of the burden on the infrastructure.

Close in east county just isn't a high priority for the board. They mostly cater to the wealthy west county liberals.

Evidence? Or just your bias showing though?

The evidence is as plain as day. There is NO high school located in that part of Montgomery County. This is different than every other area and demonstrates a clear bias. It is not unlike the county putting the bulk of the low-income housing in the same area for decades.

Which part of MoCo are you talking about? There are several high schools in "close in east county". Perhaps not south of the beltway - the real estate is too expensive there.

There are 0 high-schools close in (inside the beltway and east of the park), but maybe your idea of close in is upper malborro or poolesville.

Where, in the 2 1/2 miles (at its widest) between the beltway and DC/PG lines, do you have 40 acres for a new HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the city and are exploring neighborhoods in Maryland to move to with our Elementary age kids. Takoma Park is very high on my list.

One issue I can't get past though, is how far away Montgomery Blair is. It's outside the beltway! Is that where most high schoolers go to school? Does it get annoying to have to drive so far every day, for activities, etc? I was hoping to live somewhere where the local schools are really a part of the community, but I'm afraid it will feel disconnected in TP. What has your experience been?

Thanks so much! I'd also love any other points of view on TP, but this is the issue weighing most on my mind.

Blair was originally in Takoma Park but was relocated to downtown SS in the 1930s and to its current location in 1998. The reason it is where it is now is because that's where the county could get sufficient land to build a new HS. The bus ride isn't that bad, at least compared to the other magnet kids who come from much further away.

It's really too bad, given the population boom since 1998, that MCPS wasn't able to keep a high school in DTSS in addition to the new Blair location. We need another downcounty high school.

This is absolutely true. I think the Board needs to demonstrate some problem solving skills here. Be creative! Be solution oriented!

They could use the former Adventist elementary school, which is only a few miles from Blair, to siphon some kids off for part of the day. For example, CAP kids have their classes in half-day blocks. Are magnet kids the same? If you took half the CAP kids and half the magnet kids out for a half day, that's 400 kids out of the school at a time.

Or you don't focus on the CAP and magnet kids, and run some other program half day. With an hour lunch, you can transport the kids back (and then the new group to the campus) during lunch.

Or you don't link it to Blair at all, and set up an entire small HS serving a specific community and they can share extracurriculars with the big high school.

The point would be to get the number of kids on campus a little closer to 2000 and alleviate some of the burden on the infrastructure.

Close in east county just isn't a high priority for the board. They mostly cater to the wealthy west county liberals.

Evidence? Or just your bias showing though?

The evidence is as plain as day. There is NO high school located in that part of Montgomery County. This is different than every other area and demonstrates a clear bias. It is not unlike the county putting the bulk of the low-income housing in the same area for decades.

Which part of MoCo are you talking about? There are several high schools in "close in east county". Perhaps not south of the beltway - the real estate is too expensive there.

There are 0 high-schools close in (inside the beltway and east of the park), but maybe your idea of close in is upper malborro or poolesville.

Where, in the 2 1/2 miles (at its widest) between the beltway and DC/PG lines, do you have 40 acres for a new HS?

They seem to have no problem providing high schools in the wealthy part of the county but always come up short in the less affluent areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the city and are exploring neighborhoods in Maryland to move to with our Elementary age kids. Takoma Park is very high on my list.

One issue I can't get past though, is how far away Montgomery Blair is. It's outside the beltway! Is that where most high schoolers go to school? Does it get annoying to have to drive so far every day, for activities, etc? I was hoping to live somewhere where the local schools are really a part of the community, but I'm afraid it will feel disconnected in TP. What has your experience been?

Thanks so much! I'd also love any other points of view on TP, but this is the issue weighing most on my mind.

Blair was originally in Takoma Park but was relocated to downtown SS in the 1930s and to its current location in 1998. The reason it is where it is now is because that's where the county could get sufficient land to build a new HS. The bus ride isn't that bad, at least compared to the other magnet kids who come from much further away.

It's really too bad, given the population boom since 1998, that MCPS wasn't able to keep a high school in DTSS in addition to the new Blair location. We need another downcounty high school.

This is absolutely true. I think the Board needs to demonstrate some problem solving skills here. Be creative! Be solution oriented!

They could use the former Adventist elementary school, which is only a few miles from Blair, to siphon some kids off for part of the day. For example, CAP kids have their classes in half-day blocks. Are magnet kids the same? If you took half the CAP kids and half the magnet kids out for a half day, that's 400 kids out of the school at a time.

Or you don't focus on the CAP and magnet kids, and run some other program half day. With an hour lunch, you can transport the kids back (and then the new group to the campus) during lunch.

Or you don't link it to Blair at all, and set up an entire small HS serving a specific community and they can share extracurriculars with the big high school.

The point would be to get the number of kids on campus a little closer to 2000 and alleviate some of the burden on the infrastructure.

Close in east county just isn't a high priority for the board. They mostly cater to the wealthy west county liberals.

Evidence? Or just your bias showing though?

The evidence is as plain as day. There is NO high school located in that part of Montgomery County. This is different than every other area and demonstrates a clear bias. It is not unlike the county putting the bulk of the low-income housing in the same area for decades.

Which part of MoCo are you talking about? There are several high schools in "close in east county". Perhaps not south of the beltway - the real estate is too expensive there.

There are 0 high-schools close in (inside the beltway and east of the park), but maybe your idea of close in is upper malborro or poolesville.

Where, in the 2 1/2 miles (at its widest) between the beltway and DC/PG lines, do you have 40 acres for a new HS?

They seem to have no problem providing high schools in the wealthy part of the county but always come up short in the less affluent areas.

If it were remotely important to the board, they'd find a way to creative problem solve. I'm certain many densely populated cities manage to provide public high schools in urban areas with less than 40 acres of land.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the city and are exploring neighborhoods in Maryland to move to with our Elementary age kids. Takoma Park is very high on my list.

One issue I can't get past though, is how far away Montgomery Blair is. It's outside the beltway! Is that where most high schoolers go to school? Does it get annoying to have to drive so far every day, for activities, etc? I was hoping to live somewhere where the local schools are really a part of the community, but I'm afraid it will feel disconnected in TP. What has your experience been?

Thanks so much! I'd also love any other points of view on TP, but this is the issue weighing most on my mind.

Blair was originally in Takoma Park but was relocated to downtown SS in the 1930s and to its current location in 1998. The reason it is where it is now is because that's where the county could get sufficient land to build a new HS. The bus ride isn't that bad, at least compared to the other magnet kids who come from much further away.

It's really too bad, given the population boom since 1998, that MCPS wasn't able to keep a high school in DTSS in addition to the new Blair location. We need another downcounty high school.

This is absolutely true. I think the Board needs to demonstrate some problem solving skills here. Be creative! Be solution oriented!

They could use the former Adventist elementary school, which is only a few miles from Blair, to siphon some kids off for part of the day. For example, CAP kids have their classes in half-day blocks. Are magnet kids the same? If you took half the CAP kids and half the magnet kids out for a half day, that's 400 kids out of the school at a time.

Or you don't focus on the CAP and magnet kids, and run some other program half day. With an hour lunch, you can transport the kids back (and then the new group to the campus) during lunch.

Or you don't link it to Blair at all, and set up an entire small HS serving a specific community and they can share extracurriculars with the big high school.

The point would be to get the number of kids on campus a little closer to 2000 and alleviate some of the burden on the infrastructure.

Close in east county just isn't a high priority for the board. They mostly cater to the wealthy west county liberals.

Evidence? Or just your bias showing though?

The evidence is as plain as day. There is NO high school located in that part of Montgomery County. This is different than every other area and demonstrates a clear bias. It is not unlike the county putting the bulk of the low-income housing in the same area for decades.

The idea that there is a bias against Takoma Park residents is laughable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the city and are exploring neighborhoods in Maryland to move to with our Elementary age kids. Takoma Park is very high on my list.

One issue I can't get past though, is how far away Montgomery Blair is. It's outside the beltway! Is that where most high schoolers go to school? Does it get annoying to have to drive so far every day, for activities, etc? I was hoping to live somewhere where the local schools are really a part of the community, but I'm afraid it will feel disconnected in TP. What has your experience been?

Thanks so much! I'd also love any other points of view on TP, but this is the issue weighing most on my mind.

Blair was originally in Takoma Park but was relocated to downtown SS in the 1930s and to its current location in 1998. The reason it is where it is now is because that's where the county could get sufficient land to build a new HS. The bus ride isn't that bad, at least compared to the other magnet kids who come from much further away.

It's really too bad, given the population boom since 1998, that MCPS wasn't able to keep a high school in DTSS in addition to the new Blair location. We need another downcounty high school.

This is absolutely true. I think the Board needs to demonstrate some problem solving skills here. Be creative! Be solution oriented!

They could use the former Adventist elementary school, which is only a few miles from Blair, to siphon some kids off for part of the day. For example, CAP kids have their classes in half-day blocks. Are magnet kids the same? If you took half the CAP kids and half the magnet kids out for a half day, that's 400 kids out of the school at a time.

Or you don't focus on the CAP and magnet kids, and run some other program half day. With an hour lunch, you can transport the kids back (and then the new group to the campus) during lunch.

Or you don't link it to Blair at all, and set up an entire small HS serving a specific community and they can share extracurriculars with the big high school.

The point would be to get the number of kids on campus a little closer to 2000 and alleviate some of the burden on the infrastructure.

Close in east county just isn't a high priority for the board. They mostly cater to the wealthy west county liberals.

Evidence? Or just your bias showing though?

The evidence is as plain as day. There is NO high school located in that part of Montgomery County. This is different than every other area and demonstrates a clear bias. It is not unlike the county putting the bulk of the low-income housing in the same area for decades.

Which part of MoCo are you talking about? There are several high schools in "close in east county". Perhaps not south of the beltway - the real estate is too expensive there.

There are 0 high-schools close in (inside the beltway and east of the park), but maybe your idea of close in is upper malborro or poolesville.

Where, in the 2 1/2 miles (at its widest) between the beltway and DC/PG lines, do you have 40 acres for a new HS?

They seem to have no problem providing high schools in the wealthy part of the county but always come up short in the less affluent areas.

I suppose they could turn the current SSIMS back into a high school. But then SSIMS would have to go somewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the city and are exploring neighborhoods in Maryland to move to with our Elementary age kids. Takoma Park is very high on my list.

One issue I can't get past though, is how far away Montgomery Blair is. It's outside the beltway! Is that where most high schoolers go to school? Does it get annoying to have to drive so far every day, for activities, etc? I was hoping to live somewhere where the local schools are really a part of the community, but I'm afraid it will feel disconnected in TP. What has your experience been?

Thanks so much! I'd also love any other points of view on TP, but this is the issue weighing most on my mind.

Blair was originally in Takoma Park but was relocated to downtown SS in the 1930s and to its current location in 1998. The reason it is where it is now is because that's where the county could get sufficient land to build a new HS. The bus ride isn't that bad, at least compared to the other magnet kids who come from much further away.

It's really too bad, given the population boom since 1998, that MCPS wasn't able to keep a high school in DTSS in addition to the new Blair location. We need another downcounty high school.

This is absolutely true. I think the Board needs to demonstrate some problem solving skills here. Be creative! Be solution oriented!

They could use the former Adventist elementary school, which is only a few miles from Blair, to siphon some kids off for part of the day. For example, CAP kids have their classes in half-day blocks. Are magnet kids the same? If you took half the CAP kids and half the magnet kids out for a half day, that's 400 kids out of the school at a time.

Or you don't focus on the CAP and magnet kids, and run some other program half day. With an hour lunch, you can transport the kids back (and then the new group to the campus) during lunch.

Or you don't link it to Blair at all, and set up an entire small HS serving a specific community and they can share extracurriculars with the big high school.

The point would be to get the number of kids on campus a little closer to 2000 and alleviate some of the burden on the infrastructure.

Close in east county just isn't a high priority for the board. They mostly cater to the wealthy west county liberals.

Evidence? Or just your bias showing though?

The evidence is as plain as day. There is NO high school located in that part of Montgomery County. This is different than every other area and demonstrates a clear bias. It is not unlike the county putting the bulk of the low-income housing in the same area for decades.

Which part of MoCo are you talking about? There are several high schools in "close in east county". Perhaps not south of the beltway - the real estate is too expensive there.

There are 0 high-schools close in (inside the beltway and east of the park), but maybe your idea of close in is upper malborro or poolesville.

I would count Blair as close-in east county. It literally abuts the beltway. What difference would it make if it were just inside the belway vs outside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the city and are exploring neighborhoods in Maryland to move to with our Elementary age kids. Takoma Park is very high on my list.

One issue I can't get past though, is how far away Montgomery Blair is. It's outside the beltway! Is that where most high schoolers go to school? Does it get annoying to have to drive so far every day, for activities, etc? I was hoping to live somewhere where the local schools are really a part of the community, but I'm afraid it will feel disconnected in TP. What has your experience been?

Thanks so much! I'd also love any other points of view on TP, but this is the issue weighing most on my mind.

Blair was originally in Takoma Park but was relocated to downtown SS in the 1930s and to its current location in 1998. The reason it is where it is now is because that's where the county could get sufficient land to build a new HS. The bus ride isn't that bad, at least compared to the other magnet kids who come from much further away.

It's really too bad, given the population boom since 1998, that MCPS wasn't able to keep a high school in DTSS in addition to the new Blair location. We need another downcounty high school.

This is absolutely true. I think the Board needs to demonstrate some problem solving skills here. Be creative! Be solution oriented!

They could use the former Adventist elementary school, which is only a few miles from Blair, to siphon some kids off for part of the day. For example, CAP kids have their classes in half-day blocks. Are magnet kids the same? If you took half the CAP kids and half the magnet kids out for a half day, that's 400 kids out of the school at a time.

Or you don't focus on the CAP and magnet kids, and run some other program half day. With an hour lunch, you can transport the kids back (and then the new group to the campus) during lunch.

Or you don't link it to Blair at all, and set up an entire small HS serving a specific community and they can share extracurriculars with the big high school.

The point would be to get the number of kids on campus a little closer to 2000 and alleviate some of the burden on the infrastructure.

Close in east county just isn't a high priority for the board. They mostly cater to the wealthy west county liberals.

Evidence? Or just your bias showing though?

The evidence is as plain as day. There is NO high school located in that part of Montgomery County. This is different than every other area and demonstrates a clear bias. It is not unlike the county putting the bulk of the low-income housing in the same area for decades.

Which part of MoCo are you talking about? There are several high schools in "close in east county". Perhaps not south of the beltway - the real estate is too expensive there.

There are 0 high-schools close in (inside the beltway and east of the park), but maybe your idea of close in is upper malborro or poolesville.

Where, in the 2 1/2 miles (at its widest) between the beltway and DC/PG lines, do you have 40 acres for a new HS?

They seem to have no problem providing high schools in the wealthy part of the county but always come up short in the less affluent areas.

I suppose they could turn the current SSIMS back into a high school. But then SSIMS would have to go somewhere.

SCES too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the city and are exploring neighborhoods in Maryland to move to with our Elementary age kids. Takoma Park is very high on my list.

One issue I can't get past though, is how far away Montgomery Blair is. It's outside the beltway! Is that where most high schoolers go to school? Does it get annoying to have to drive so far every day, for activities, etc? I was hoping to live somewhere where the local schools are really a part of the community, but I'm afraid it will feel disconnected in TP. What has your experience been?

Thanks so much! I'd also love any other points of view on TP, but this is the issue weighing most on my mind.

Blair was originally in Takoma Park but was relocated to downtown SS in the 1930s and to its current location in 1998. The reason it is where it is now is because that's where the county could get sufficient land to build a new HS. The bus ride isn't that bad, at least compared to the other magnet kids who come from much further away.

It's really too bad, given the population boom since 1998, that MCPS wasn't able to keep a high school in DTSS in addition to the new Blair location. We need another downcounty high school.

This is absolutely true. I think the Board needs to demonstrate some problem solving skills here. Be creative! Be solution oriented!

They could use the former Adventist elementary school, which is only a few miles from Blair, to siphon some kids off for part of the day. For example, CAP kids have their classes in half-day blocks. Are magnet kids the same? If you took half the CAP kids and half the magnet kids out for a half day, that's 400 kids out of the school at a time.

Or you don't focus on the CAP and magnet kids, and run some other program half day. With an hour lunch, you can transport the kids back (and then the new group to the campus) during lunch.

Or you don't link it to Blair at all, and set up an entire small HS serving a specific community and they can share extracurriculars with the big high school.

The point would be to get the number of kids on campus a little closer to 2000 and alleviate some of the burden on the infrastructure.

Close in east county just isn't a high priority for the board. They mostly cater to the wealthy west county liberals.

Evidence? Or just your bias showing though?

The evidence is as plain as day. There is NO high school located in that part of Montgomery County. This is different than every other area and demonstrates a clear bias. It is not unlike the county putting the bulk of the low-income housing in the same area for decades.

The county did not "put" the "low-income housing" there. The housing was there. It remained comparatively affordable. So people who could afford it moved in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the city and are exploring neighborhoods in Maryland to move to with our Elementary age kids. Takoma Park is very high on my list.

One issue I can't get past though, is how far away Montgomery Blair is. It's outside the beltway! Is that where most high schoolers go to school? Does it get annoying to have to drive so far every day, for activities, etc? I was hoping to live somewhere where the local schools are really a part of the community, but I'm afraid it will feel disconnected in TP. What has your experience been?

Thanks so much! I'd also love any other points of view on TP, but this is the issue weighing most on my mind.

Blair was originally in Takoma Park but was relocated to downtown SS in the 1930s and to its current location in 1998. The reason it is where it is now is because that's where the county could get sufficient land to build a new HS. The bus ride isn't that bad, at least compared to the other magnet kids who come from much further away.

It's really too bad, given the population boom since 1998, that MCPS wasn't able to keep a high school in DTSS in addition to the new Blair location. We need another downcounty high school.

This is absolutely true. I think the Board needs to demonstrate some problem solving skills here. Be creative! Be solution oriented!

They could use the former Adventist elementary school, which is only a few miles from Blair, to siphon some kids off for part of the day. For example, CAP kids have their classes in half-day blocks. Are magnet kids the same? If you took half the CAP kids and half the magnet kids out for a half day, that's 400 kids out of the school at a time.

Or you don't focus on the CAP and magnet kids, and run some other program half day. With an hour lunch, you can transport the kids back (and then the new group to the campus) during lunch.

Or you don't link it to Blair at all, and set up an entire small HS serving a specific community and they can share extracurriculars with the big high school.

The point would be to get the number of kids on campus a little closer to 2000 and alleviate some of the burden on the infrastructure.

Close in east county just isn't a high priority for the board. They mostly cater to the wealthy west county liberals.

Evidence? Or just your bias showing though?

The evidence is as plain as day. There is NO high school located in that part of Montgomery County. This is different than every other area and demonstrates a clear bias. It is not unlike the county putting the bulk of the low-income housing in the same area for decades.

Which part of MoCo are you talking about? There are several high schools in "close in east county". Perhaps not south of the beltway - the real estate is too expensive there.

But Whitman and BCC clearly occupy land that isn't expensive

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the city and are exploring neighborhoods in Maryland to move to with our Elementary age kids. Takoma Park is very high on my list.

One issue I can't get past though, is how far away Montgomery Blair is. It's outside the beltway! Is that where most high schoolers go to school? Does it get annoying to have to drive so far every day, for activities, etc? I was hoping to live somewhere where the local schools are really a part of the community, but I'm afraid it will feel disconnected in TP. What has your experience been?

Thanks so much! I'd also love any other points of view on TP, but this is the issue weighing most on my mind.

Blair was originally in Takoma Park but was relocated to downtown SS in the 1930s and to its current location in 1998. The reason it is where it is now is because that's where the county could get sufficient land to build a new HS. The bus ride isn't that bad, at least compared to the other magnet kids who come from much further away.

It's really too bad, given the population boom since 1998, that MCPS wasn't able to keep a high school in DTSS in addition to the new Blair location. We need another downcounty high school.

This is absolutely true. I think the Board needs to demonstrate some problem solving skills here. Be creative! Be solution oriented!

They could use the former Adventist elementary school, which is only a few miles from Blair, to siphon some kids off for part of the day. For example, CAP kids have their classes in half-day blocks. Are magnet kids the same? If you took half the CAP kids and half the magnet kids out for a half day, that's 400 kids out of the school at a time.

Or you don't focus on the CAP and magnet kids, and run some other program half day. With an hour lunch, you can transport the kids back (and then the new group to the campus) during lunch.

Or you don't link it to Blair at all, and set up an entire small HS serving a specific community and they can share extracurriculars with the big high school.

The point would be to get the number of kids on campus a little closer to 2000 and alleviate some of the burden on the infrastructure.

Close in east county just isn't a high priority for the board. They mostly cater to the wealthy west county liberals.

Evidence? Or just your bias showing though?

The evidence is as plain as day. There is NO high school located in that part of Montgomery County. This is different than every other area and demonstrates a clear bias. It is not unlike the county putting the bulk of the low-income housing in the same area for decades.

The county did not "put" the "low-income housing" there. The housing was there. It remained comparatively affordable. So people who could afford it moved in.

FALSE

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the city and are exploring neighborhoods in Maryland to move to with our Elementary age kids. Takoma Park is very high on my list.

One issue I can't get past though, is how far away Montgomery Blair is. It's outside the beltway! Is that where most high schoolers go to school? Does it get annoying to have to drive so far every day, for activities, etc? I was hoping to live somewhere where the local schools are really a part of the community, but I'm afraid it will feel disconnected in TP. What has your experience been?

Thanks so much! I'd also love any other points of view on TP, but this is the issue weighing most on my mind.

Blair was originally in Takoma Park but was relocated to downtown SS in the 1930s and to its current location in 1998. The reason it is where it is now is because that's where the county could get sufficient land to build a new HS. The bus ride isn't that bad, at least compared to the other magnet kids who come from much further away.

It's really too bad, given the population boom since 1998, that MCPS wasn't able to keep a high school in DTSS in addition to the new Blair location. We need another downcounty high school.

This is absolutely true. I think the Board needs to demonstrate some problem solving skills here. Be creative! Be solution oriented!

They could use the former Adventist elementary school, which is only a few miles from Blair, to siphon some kids off for part of the day. For example, CAP kids have their classes in half-day blocks. Are magnet kids the same? If you took half the CAP kids and half the magnet kids out for a half day, that's 400 kids out of the school at a time.

Or you don't focus on the CAP and magnet kids, and run some other program half day. With an hour lunch, you can transport the kids back (and then the new group to the campus) during lunch.

Or you don't link it to Blair at all, and set up an entire small HS serving a specific community and they can share extracurriculars with the big high school.

The point would be to get the number of kids on campus a little closer to 2000 and alleviate some of the burden on the infrastructure.

Close in east county just isn't a high priority for the board. They mostly cater to the wealthy west county liberals.

Evidence? Or just your bias showing though?

The evidence is as plain as day. There is NO high school located in that part of Montgomery County. This is different than every other area and demonstrates a clear bias. It is not unlike the county putting the bulk of the low-income housing in the same area for decades.

Which part of MoCo are you talking about? There are several high schools in "close in east county". Perhaps not south of the beltway - the real estate is too expensive there.

There are 0 high-schools close in (inside the beltway and east of the park), but maybe your idea of close in is upper malborro or poolesville.

I would count Blair as close-in east county. It literally abuts the beltway. What difference would it make if it were just inside the belway vs outside.

Meanwhile parents who live across the street complain their kids are bused elsewhere since its boundary has nothing to do with its location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the city and are exploring neighborhoods in Maryland to move to with our Elementary age kids. Takoma Park is very high on my list.

One issue I can't get past though, is how far away Montgomery Blair is. It's outside the beltway! Is that where most high schoolers go to school? Does it get annoying to have to drive so far every day, for activities, etc? I was hoping to live somewhere where the local schools are really a part of the community, but I'm afraid it will feel disconnected in TP. What has your experience been?

Thanks so much! I'd also love any other points of view on TP, but this is the issue weighing most on my mind.

Blair was originally in Takoma Park but was relocated to downtown SS in the 1930s and to its current location in 1998. The reason it is where it is now is because that's where the county could get sufficient land to build a new HS. The bus ride isn't that bad, at least compared to the other magnet kids who come from much further away.

It's really too bad, given the population boom since 1998, that MCPS wasn't able to keep a high school in DTSS in addition to the new Blair location. We need another downcounty high school.

This is absolutely true. I think the Board needs to demonstrate some problem solving skills here. Be creative! Be solution oriented!

They could use the former Adventist elementary school, which is only a few miles from Blair, to siphon some kids off for part of the day. For example, CAP kids have their classes in half-day blocks. Are magnet kids the same? If you took half the CAP kids and half the magnet kids out for a half day, that's 400 kids out of the school at a time.

Or you don't focus on the CAP and magnet kids, and run some other program half day. With an hour lunch, you can transport the kids back (and then the new group to the campus) during lunch.

Or you don't link it to Blair at all, and set up an entire small HS serving a specific community and they can share extracurriculars with the big high school.

The point would be to get the number of kids on campus a little closer to 2000 and alleviate some of the burden on the infrastructure.

Close in east county just isn't a high priority for the board. They mostly cater to the wealthy west county liberals.

Evidence? Or just your bias showing though?

The evidence is as plain as day. There is NO high school located in that part of Montgomery County. This is different than every other area and demonstrates a clear bias. It is not unlike the county putting the bulk of the low-income housing in the same area for decades.

Which part of MoCo are you talking about? There are several high schools in "close in east county". Perhaps not south of the beltway - the real estate is too expensive there.

There are 0 high-schools close in (inside the beltway and east of the park), but maybe your idea of close in is upper malborro or poolesville.

Where, in the 2 1/2 miles (at its widest) between the beltway and DC/PG lines, do you have 40 acres for a new HS?

They seem to have no problem providing high schools in the wealthy part of the county but always come up short in the less affluent areas.

Woodward is squeezing onto a relic of a site. All the recent upcounty high schools were built on developer donated land.

How much would 40 acres in TP go for? How many houses would have to be razed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the city and are exploring neighborhoods in Maryland to move to with our Elementary age kids. Takoma Park is very high on my list.

One issue I can't get past though, is how far away Montgomery Blair is. It's outside the beltway! Is that where most high schoolers go to school? Does it get annoying to have to drive so far every day, for activities, etc? I was hoping to live somewhere where the local schools are really a part of the community, but I'm afraid it will feel disconnected in TP. What has your experience been?

Thanks so much! I'd also love any other points of view on TP, but this is the issue weighing most on my mind.

Blair was originally in Takoma Park but was relocated to downtown SS in the 1930s and to its current location in 1998. The reason it is where it is now is because that's where the county could get sufficient land to build a new HS. The bus ride isn't that bad, at least compared to the other magnet kids who come from much further away.

It's really too bad, given the population boom since 1998, that MCPS wasn't able to keep a high school in DTSS in addition to the new Blair location. We need another downcounty high school.

This is absolutely true. I think the Board needs to demonstrate some problem solving skills here. Be creative! Be solution oriented!

They could use the former Adventist elementary school, which is only a few miles from Blair, to siphon some kids off for part of the day. For example, CAP kids have their classes in half-day blocks. Are magnet kids the same? If you took half the CAP kids and half the magnet kids out for a half day, that's 400 kids out of the school at a time.

Or you don't focus on the CAP and magnet kids, and run some other program half day. With an hour lunch, you can transport the kids back (and then the new group to the campus) during lunch.

Or you don't link it to Blair at all, and set up an entire small HS serving a specific community and they can share extracurriculars with the big high school.

The point would be to get the number of kids on campus a little closer to 2000 and alleviate some of the burden on the infrastructure.

Close in east county just isn't a high priority for the board. They mostly cater to the wealthy west county liberals.

That’s funny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the city and are exploring neighborhoods in Maryland to move to with our Elementary age kids. Takoma Park is very high on my list.

One issue I can't get past though, is how far away Montgomery Blair is. It's outside the beltway! Is that where most high schoolers go to school? Does it get annoying to have to drive so far every day, for activities, etc? I was hoping to live somewhere where the local schools are really a part of the community, but I'm afraid it will feel disconnected in TP. What has your experience been?

Thanks so much! I'd also love any other points of view on TP, but this is the issue weighing most on my mind.

Blair was originally in Takoma Park but was relocated to downtown SS in the 1930s and to its current location in 1998. The reason it is where it is now is because that's where the county could get sufficient land to build a new HS. The bus ride isn't that bad, at least compared to the other magnet kids who come from much further away.

It's really too bad, given the population boom since 1998, that MCPS wasn't able to keep a high school in DTSS in addition to the new Blair location. We need another downcounty high school.

This is absolutely true. I think the Board needs to demonstrate some problem solving skills here. Be creative! Be solution oriented!

They could use the former Adventist elementary school, which is only a few miles from Blair, to siphon some kids off for part of the day. For example, CAP kids have their classes in half-day blocks. Are magnet kids the same? If you took half the CAP kids and half the magnet kids out for a half day, that's 400 kids out of the school at a time.

Or you don't focus on the CAP and magnet kids, and run some other program half day. With an hour lunch, you can transport the kids back (and then the new group to the campus) during lunch.

Or you don't link it to Blair at all, and set up an entire small HS serving a specific community and they can share extracurriculars with the big high school.

The point would be to get the number of kids on campus a little closer to 2000 and alleviate some of the burden on the infrastructure.

Close in east county just isn't a high priority for the board. They mostly cater to the wealthy west county liberals.

Evidence? Or just your bias showing though?

The evidence is as plain as day. There is NO high school located in that part of Montgomery County. This is different than every other area and demonstrates a clear bias. It is not unlike the county putting the bulk of the low-income housing in the same area for decades.

Which part of MoCo are you talking about? There are several high schools in "close in east county". Perhaps not south of the beltway - the real estate is too expensive there.

There are 0 high-schools close in (inside the beltway and east of the park), but maybe your idea of close in is upper malborro or poolesville.

Where, in the 2 1/2 miles (at its widest) between the beltway and DC/PG lines, do you have 40 acres for a new HS?

They seem to have no problem providing high schools in the wealthy part of the county but always come up short in the less affluent areas.

I suppose they could turn the current SSIMS back into a high school. But then SSIMS would have to go somewhere.

Yeah but middle schools are usually smaller so that would have been easier to find a spot for SSIMS, in theory. But yeah, the window for building a new high school inside the beltway has probably passed. I think there were some opportunities (e.g., during the whole DTSS "revitalization" 20-25 years ago). There wasn't enough foresight that the trend of declining enrollments were going to tip back the other way as the neighborhoods turned over and development around the metro stations shot up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in the city and are exploring neighborhoods in Maryland to move to with our Elementary age kids. Takoma Park is very high on my list.

One issue I can't get past though, is how far away Montgomery Blair is. It's outside the beltway! Is that where most high schoolers go to school? Does it get annoying to have to drive so far every day, for activities, etc? I was hoping to live somewhere where the local schools are really a part of the community, but I'm afraid it will feel disconnected in TP. What has your experience been?

Thanks so much! I'd also love any other points of view on TP, but this is the issue weighing most on my mind.

Blair was originally in Takoma Park but was relocated to downtown SS in the 1930s and to its current location in 1998. The reason it is where it is now is because that's where the county could get sufficient land to build a new HS. The bus ride isn't that bad, at least compared to the other magnet kids who come from much further away.

It's really too bad, given the population boom since 1998, that MCPS wasn't able to keep a high school in DTSS in addition to the new Blair location. We need another downcounty high school.

This is absolutely true. I think the Board needs to demonstrate some problem solving skills here. Be creative! Be solution oriented!

They could use the former Adventist elementary school, which is only a few miles from Blair, to siphon some kids off for part of the day. For example, CAP kids have their classes in half-day blocks. Are magnet kids the same? If you took half the CAP kids and half the magnet kids out for a half day, that's 400 kids out of the school at a time.

Or you don't focus on the CAP and magnet kids, and run some other program half day. With an hour lunch, you can transport the kids back (and then the new group to the campus) during lunch.

Or you don't link it to Blair at all, and set up an entire small HS serving a specific community and they can share extracurriculars with the big high school.

The point would be to get the number of kids on campus a little closer to 2000 and alleviate some of the burden on the infrastructure.

Close in east county just isn't a high priority for the board. They mostly cater to the wealthy west county liberals.

Evidence? Or just your bias showing though?

The evidence is as plain as day. There is NO high school located in that part of Montgomery County. This is different than every other area and demonstrates a clear bias. It is not unlike the county putting the bulk of the low-income housing in the same area for decades.

Which part of MoCo are you talking about? There are several high schools in "close in east county". Perhaps not south of the beltway - the real estate is too expensive there.

There are 0 high-schools close in (inside the beltway and east of the park), but maybe your idea of close in is upper malborro or poolesville.

Where, in the 2 1/2 miles (at its widest) between the beltway and DC/PG lines, do you have 40 acres for a new HS?

They seem to have no problem providing high schools in the wealthy part of the county but always come up short in the less affluent areas.

If it were remotely important to the board, they'd find a way to creative problem solve. I'm certain many densely populated cities manage to provide public high schools in urban areas with less than 40 acres of land.

True, but they build up. MCPS do MCPS. It is like talking to a brick wall.