COSA required starting in fall 2027

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a DCC 8th grader and I have a couple different emails back from MCPS staff in response to earlier confusing notices stating that my child will remain at his chosen school which happens to be our current home school for 9th, but not for 10-12th. We received the jump start letter and weren’t interested, though even if we were getting to Northwood with no transportation options while Northwood is in a holding school nowhere near its home campus would be a nightmare. (The jump start program specified no transportation would be provided). It’s ridiculous that MCPS is jerking families around so much.

The website linked above clearly states that this year's 8th graders should have transportation to their DCC or NEC school for all 4 years. In the section for parents of current 8th graders it says that things should not change for those kids, including specifically that DCC and NEC bus transportation (i.e. neighborhood-based bus stops) will not change:

"Students in the Downcounty Consortium (DCC), Northeast Consortium (NEC), or other regional/countywide programs (like MC2 at Northwood, Regional IB at John F. Kennedy, Science, Math and Computer Science at Blair HS and etc.) can continue in their program until graduation. DCC and NEC bus transportation and central stop bus transportation continues to be available."

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/academic-programs-analysis/middle-school-students/

This is where you are interpreting something they did not explicitly say. You read that as guaranteeing transportation all 4 years. I read that as transportation is “available” in some form for the time being (next year), until they decide otherwise. The truth is that they actually have not designed routes or planned transportation for 2027 when the system swells to accommodate grandfathered kids in sun setting programs/consortia as well as kids in new and old boundaries from different grade levels, as well as students opting into new regional programs. This is why people said slow down and think through specifics. This is the argument for why the regional programs should not be “inextricably linked” with the boundary study because the transportation is going to be a definite problem both from a cost standpoint and from a practical issue for families needing transportation MCPS suddenly thinks is optional.

Exactly this. The most recent board meeting mentioned 'consolidation of bus routes in the 2027/28 school year.' There is absolutely no money in the budget for all the new buses they need with new boundaries, new programs, and grandfathered students. We always have a bus driver shortage and it will get even worse. So everyone should expect longer bus routes with stops further from their home in the 2027/2028 school year, even if your child attends their neighborhood school. Just imagine all the jobs that will need to be cut to pay for this transportation. The insistence by MCPS of implementing the regional model at the same time as the new boundaries is exacerbating the issue. MCPS is saying it will be more expensive in the short term, but cheaper in the long term. That may be true, but we don't have the money in the short term and we can't keep taking money from the CIP and moving it to the operating budget.

[Anonymous]

My child is in 5th grade, and we were told that although placement at the middle schools continued this year, if our child does not attend her future home middle school (Loiderman), then we would have to COSA for 7th grade and would not be guaranteed transportation. Most of the parents in our school are hispanic and I know that MCPS has not been very clear about this, so I think a lot of people will be very surprised a year from now when their child is forced to change middle schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a DCC 8th grader and I have a couple different emails back from MCPS staff in response to earlier confusing notices stating that my child will remain at his chosen school which happens to be our current home school for 9th, but not for 10-12th. We received the jump start letter and weren’t interested, though even if we were getting to Northwood with no transportation options while Northwood is in a holding school nowhere near its home campus would be a nightmare. (The jump start program specified no transportation would be provided). It’s ridiculous that MCPS is jerking families around so much.

The website linked above clearly states that this year's 8th graders should have transportation to their DCC or NEC school for all 4 years. In the section for parents of current 8th graders it says that things should not change for those kids, including specifically that DCC and NEC bus transportation (i.e. neighborhood-based bus stops) will not change:

"Students in the Downcounty Consortium (DCC), Northeast Consortium (NEC), or other regional/countywide programs (like MC2 at Northwood, Regional IB at John F. Kennedy, Science, Math and Computer Science at Blair HS and etc.) can continue in their program until graduation. DCC and NEC bus transportation and central stop bus transportation continues to be available."

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/academic-programs-analysis/middle-school-students/

This is where you are interpreting something they did not explicitly say. You read that as guaranteeing transportation all 4 years. I read that as transportation is “available” in some form for the time being (next year), until they decide otherwise. The truth is that they actually have not designed routes or planned transportation for 2027 when the system swells to accommodate grandfathered kids in sun setting programs/consortia as well as kids in new and old boundaries from different grade levels, as well as students opting into new regional programs. This is why people said slow down and think through specifics. This is the argument for why the regional programs should not be “inextricably linked” with the boundary study because the transportation is going to be a definite problem both from a cost standpoint and from a practical issue for families needing transportation MCPS suddenly thinks is optional.

Exactly this. The most recent board meeting mentioned 'consolidation of bus routes in the 2027/28 school year.' There is absolutely no money in the budget for all the new buses they need with new boundaries, new programs, and grandfathered students. We always have a bus driver shortage and it will get even worse. So everyone should expect longer bus routes with stops further from their home in the 2027/2028 school year, even if your child attends their neighborhood school. Just imagine all the jobs that will need to be cut to pay for this transportation. The insistence by MCPS of implementing the regional model at the same time as the new boundaries is exacerbating the issue. MCPS is saying it will be more expensive in the short term, but cheaper in the long term. That may be true, but we don't have the money in the short term and we can't keep taking money from the CIP and moving it to the operating budget.

+1 and this poster is correct that they will probably squeeze regular routes to neighborhood schools as well.

I actually have no issue if they were to use actual student address/attendance data to overhaul routes with a thoughtful algorithm. What they actually do is just use vibes and guesses and you get what you get and you don’t get upset. Why on earth they don’t use real student data or even (gasp) ask family to indicate most convenient bus stops is beyond me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is in 5th grade, and we were told that although placement at the middle schools continued this year, if our child does not attend her future home middle school (Loiderman), then we would have to COSA for 7th grade and would not be guaranteed transportation. Most of the parents in our school are hispanic and I know that MCPS has not been very clear about this, so I think a lot of people will be very surprised a year from now when their child is forced to change middle schools.

Were you told individually or was this shared with the entire ES and by whom?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a DCC 8th grader and I have a couple different emails back from MCPS staff in response to earlier confusing notices stating that my child will remain at his chosen school which happens to be our current home school for 9th, but not for 10-12th. We received the jump start letter and weren’t interested, though even if we were getting to Northwood with no transportation options while Northwood is in a holding school nowhere near its home campus would be a nightmare. (The jump start program specified no transportation would be provided). It’s ridiculous that MCPS is jerking families around so much.

The website linked above clearly states that this year's 8th graders should have transportation to their DCC or NEC school for all 4 years. In the section for parents of current 8th graders it says that things should not change for those kids, including specifically that DCC and NEC bus transportation (i.e. neighborhood-based bus stops) will not change:

"Students in the Downcounty Consortium (DCC), Northeast Consortium (NEC), or other regional/countywide programs (like MC2 at Northwood, Regional IB at John F. Kennedy, Science, Math and Computer Science at Blair HS and etc.) can continue in their program until graduation. DCC and NEC bus transportation and central stop bus transportation continues to be available."

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/academic-programs-analysis/middle-school-students/

This is where you are interpreting something they did not explicitly say. You read that as guaranteeing transportation all 4 years. I read that as transportation is “available” in some form for the time being (next year), until they decide otherwise. The truth is that they actually have not designed routes or planned transportation for 2027 when the system swells to accommodate grandfathered kids in sun setting programs/consortia as well as kids in new and old boundaries from different grade levels, as well as students opting into new regional programs. This is why people said slow down and think through specifics. This is the argument for why the regional programs should not be “inextricably linked” with the boundary study because the transportation is going to be a definite problem both from a cost standpoint and from a practical issue for families needing transportation MCPS suddenly thinks is optional.

Exactly this. The most recent board meeting mentioned 'consolidation of bus routes in the 2027/28 school year.' There is absolutely no money in the budget for all the new buses they need with new boundaries, new programs, and grandfathered students. We always have a bus driver shortage and it will get even worse. So everyone should expect longer bus routes with stops further from their home in the 2027/2028 school year, even if your child attends their neighborhood school. Just imagine all the jobs that will need to be cut to pay for this transportation. The insistence by MCPS of implementing the regional model at the same time as the new boundaries is exacerbating the issue. MCPS is saying it will be more expensive in the short term, but cheaper in the long term. That may be true, but we don't have the money in the short term and we can't keep taking money from the CIP and moving it to the operating budget.

I hope all this gets Taylor fired once the regional programs commence with what will be a very bumpy ride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a DCC 8th grader and I have a couple different emails back from MCPS staff in response to earlier confusing notices stating that my child will remain at his chosen school which happens to be our current home school for 9th, but not for 10-12th. We received the jump start letter and weren’t interested, though even if we were getting to Northwood with no transportation options while Northwood is in a holding school nowhere near its home campus would be a nightmare. (The jump start program specified no transportation would be provided). It’s ridiculous that MCPS is jerking families around so much.

The website linked above clearly states that this year's 8th graders should have transportation to their DCC or NEC school for all 4 years. In the section for parents of current 8th graders it says that things should not change for those kids, including specifically that DCC and NEC bus transportation (i.e. neighborhood-based bus stops) will not change:

"Students in the Downcounty Consortium (DCC), Northeast Consortium (NEC), or other regional/countywide programs (like MC2 at Northwood, Regional IB at John F. Kennedy, Science, Math and Computer Science at Blair HS and etc.) can continue in their program until graduation. DCC and NEC bus transportation and central stop bus transportation continues to be available."

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/academic-programs-analysis/middle-school-students/

This is where you are interpreting something they did not explicitly say. You read that as guaranteeing transportation all 4 years. I read that as transportation is “available” in some form for the time being (next year), until they decide otherwise. The truth is that they actually have not designed routes or planned transportation for 2027 when the system swells to accommodate grandfathered kids in sun setting programs/consortia as well as kids in new and old boundaries from different grade levels, as well as students opting into new regional programs. This is why people said slow down and think through specifics. This is the argument for why the regional programs should not be “inextricably linked” with the boundary study because the transportation is going to be a definite problem both from a cost standpoint and from a practical issue for families needing transportation MCPS suddenly thinks is optional.

Exactly this. The most recent board meeting mentioned 'consolidation of bus routes in the 2027/28 school year.' There is absolutely no money in the budget for all the new buses they need with new boundaries, new programs, and grandfathered students. We always have a bus driver shortage and it will get even worse. So everyone should expect longer bus routes with stops further from their home in the 2027/2028 school year, even if your child attends their neighborhood school. Just imagine all the jobs that will need to be cut to pay for this transportation. The insistence by MCPS of implementing the regional model at the same time as the new boundaries is exacerbating the issue. MCPS is saying it will be more expensive in the short term, but cheaper in the long term. That may be true, but we don't have the money in the short term and we can't keep taking money from the CIP and moving it to the operating budget.

+1 and this poster is correct that they will probably squeeze regular routes to neighborhood schools as well.

I actually have no issue if they were to use actual student address/attendance data to overhaul routes with a thoughtful algorithm. What they actually do is just use vibes and guesses and you get what you get and you don’t get upset. Why on earth they don’t use real student data or even (gasp) ask family to indicate most convenient bus stops is beyond me.

They also don’t really tell you what your assigned bus stop is. I believe there is an “assigned stop” in ParentVue that I saw once but they never sent us anything in the back to school packets/info. For 12 years they’ve only ever sent a letter that explains where to find all the routes for the school. We had always assumed we could pick whichever we wanted that we thought was closest or most convenient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is in 5th grade, and we were told that although placement at the middle schools continued this year, if our child does not attend her future home middle school (Loiderman), then we would have to COSA for 7th grade and would not be guaranteed transportation. Most of the parents in our school are hispanic and I know that MCPS has not been very clear about this, so I think a lot of people will be very surprised a year from now when their child is forced to change middle schools.

What is your currently zoned middle school? Is it Parkland or Argyle? If so, this seems wildly inconsistent with what MCPS has been saying publicly (that there are no changes to middle school programs or the Middle School Magnet Consortium) and is big news.

But if you are currently zoned for a middle school outside of the MSMC and are being reassigned to Loiderman in 2027, then this is just the same issue that everyone in the county with a rising 6th grader or 9th grader has if they live somewhere where boundaries are changing-- those are the grades that always have to move when there are boundary changes (this year or in any previous boundary changes.) It's annoying for those grades but it's how things have always worked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is in 5th grade, and we were told that although placement at the middle schools continued this year, if our child does not attend her future home middle school (Loiderman), then we would have to COSA for 7th grade and would not be guaranteed transportation. Most of the parents in our school are hispanic and I know that MCPS has not been very clear about this, so I think a lot of people will be very surprised a year from now when their child is forced to change middle schools.

Were you told individually or was this shared with the entire ES and by whom?

I want to know this too! We were not told this at all. Many parents asked directly at the time of school choice and were told there were no changes to the MSMC.

[Anonymous]

Those MSMC principals also said boundaries for middle schools weren’t changing. They were clueless

[Anonymous]

COSAs were confirmed by the Community Liaison at our ES within the MSMC. No idea when this will be communicated to the masses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:COSAs were confirmed by the Community Liaison at our ES within the MSMC. No idea when this will be communicated to the masses.

Has the No Transportation been confirmed? Or is that just assumed with the COSA? This is going to screw over so many families. I cannot believe this crap. They at least need to have a couple of centralized bus stops in consortium.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:COSAs were confirmed by the Community Liaison at our ES within the MSMC. No idea when this will be communicated to the masses.

Has the No Transportation been confirmed? Or is that just assumed with the COSA? This is going to screw over so many families. I cannot believe this crap. They at least need to have a couple of centralized bus stops in consortium.

Transportation is not provided with a COSA. I don’t know why they made the change for MSMC, but I am assuming it’s due to budget. They know they can’t actually afford to do what they originally said they would do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:COSAs were confirmed by the Community Liaison at our ES within the MSMC. No idea when this will be communicated to the masses.

Has the No Transportation been confirmed? Or is that just assumed with the COSA? This is going to screw over so many families. I cannot believe this crap. They at least need to have a couple of centralized bus stops in consortium.

Transportation is not provided with a COSA. I don’t know why they made the change for MSMC, but I am assuming it’s due to budget. They know they can’t actually afford to do what they originally said they would do

I'm confused - so next year's 6th graders in the MSMC will get transportation regardless of where they attend, but for 7th grade both in and out of consortium have to transport themselves?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:COSAs were confirmed by the Community Liaison at our ES within the MSMC. No idea when this will be communicated to the masses.

Has the No Transportation been confirmed? Or is that just assumed with the COSA? This is going to screw over so many families. I cannot believe this crap. They at least need to have a couple of centralized bus stops in consortium.

Transportation is not provided with a COSA. I don’t know why they made the change for MSMC, but I am assuming it’s due to budget. They know they can’t actually afford to do what they originally said they would do

I'm confused - so next year's 6th graders in the MSMC will get transportation regardless of where they attend, but for 7th grade both in and out of consortium have to transport themselves?

This sounds so unexpected/inconsistent and problematic that I wonder whether someone got their wires crossed somewhere, whether the school staff or the parent reporting this to us. Can anyone else confirm that they heard that the MSMC is going away in 2027-2028 for in-bounds students, and they will need a COSA to stay if they're at one of the other two schools rather than their home school?

That said, I definitely don't put it past MCPS to actually make a decision this bad. I'm just surprised given how much it conflicts with what they said just a few months ago and the fact that it has not even been hinted at at BOE meetings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:COSAs were confirmed by the Community Liaison at our ES within the MSMC. No idea when this will be communicated to the masses.

Has the No Transportation been confirmed? Or is that just assumed with the COSA? This is going to screw over so many families. I cannot believe this crap. They at least need to have a couple of centralized bus stops in consortium.

Transportation is not provided with a COSA. I don’t know why they made the change for MSMC, but I am assuming it’s due to budget. They know they can’t actually afford to do what they originally said they would do

I'm confused - so next year's 6th graders in the MSMC will get transportation regardless of where they attend, but for 7th grade both in and out of consortium have to transport themselves?

Correct…if their COSA is even approved