BOE to pave over $790,000 in Athletic Fields

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

too bad you can't

aspen hill is great area to live

peary hs was not demolished! drive by and see!

mcps doesn't own english manor. not their building

mark twain is now ewing center and is in constant use daily

bus depot won't fit on ewing property.

You're correct that MCPS doesn't own English Manor. Montgomery County does.

But I wonder why you think that the bus depot won't fit on the Twain/Ewing property.

read
do math

http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/council...m/2013/130211/20130211_ED1.pdf

[Anonymous]

According to property tax records, the building on Bestor is about half the size of that on Avery (Ewing). (Ewing is owned by MCPS; Mont. Co owns English Manor.)

If there is enough money set aside to redo English Manor, I can't imagine how much larger they'll go, as the current building that houses Alt Programs is under enrolled.

Ewing is certainly not state of the art, and to be fair to the students, technology is one way to enhance their many instructional needs. For example, a program as simple as READ 180 requires site licenses and computer for each student enrolled in that course.

However, if rate of attrition is high, which is indeed affected by the challenges the students face at home, the population goal of 300 is a stretch. Therefore, the idea of creating a larger building is simply a waste of money.

[Anonymous]

The MCPS plan is so bad from so many angles, it still makes me wonder: "What were they thinking?"

1. Locating the Alternative Education Programs (AEPs) in the middle of a residential neighborhood - to English Manor, a school that is more than a decade older than the Ewing Center (formerly known as Mark Twain) and that from what I have seen is in worse shape than Ewing - makes absolutely no sense.

2. Patricia O'Neill (president of the Montgomery County Board of Education) can feign shock at the residents' comments, but here is the language that they quoted, from Chapter 4 of Dr. Starr's Capital Improvements Program:
"The High School Program (grades 9–12) and the Middle School Program (grades 6–8) serves students who are not achieving at their potential for a wide variety of reasons. These reasons
include behavior and/or attendance problems, as well as students who have been involved in a serious disciplinary action that warrants a recommendation for expulsion and placement by the Office of the Chief Operating Officer in lieu of expulsion.
In addition to the middle and high school programs, the 45-day Interim Placement Program serves students in grades 6–12 receiving special education services. Students are placed in the program after a central office review and as a result of their involvement with controlled substances, serious bodily injury, and/or weapons."
In addition, MCPS School Safety Reports demonstrate a much higher level of fighting, insubordination, suspensions, and even police activity at the Ewing Center than at other MCPS schools. The recent Washington Post article spells out some of those numbers.
Clearly, there is very good reason for the community to be very concerned.

3. The Mark Twain Athletic park was built and maintained with nearly a million dollars from the City of Rockville as well as Maryland's Project Open Space. MCPS might be prevented from demolishing that park because of the City and State's interests there, as well as restrictions placed on the property by Project Open Space funding.

4. Does anyone think it is a good idea to demolish a school building that is worth tens of millions of dollars? Especially now, at a time of overcrowding and budgetary shortfalls on both the county and state levels? Or ever, for that matter? If the school is in bad shape, then shame on MCPS for letting it get that way. Shame on them for not spending the $16.6 million already planned for renovations. And shame on the Board of Education for all their pearl-clutching when a community says "Hey, wait a second..."

5. The current Shady Grove Depot is a flat site of more than 33 acres. The Ewing site is only 22.5 acres, and is heavily sloped towards Rock Creek (it borders Rock Creek Park). So it's not large enough. In addition to the issue of the Mark Twain Athletic park, the City of Rockville has imposed a Forest Conservation easement on the site of about 8 acres. So that only leaves about 15 acres, even if MCPS can demolish both the school and the athletic park. That won't even work.

6. The English Manor school is not owned by MCPS, and it is currently occupied by another school (The School for Tomorrow). That is yet another kink in MCPS's plans, not to mention zoning hurdles, environmental impacts, a pending appeal to the State Board of Education, the need for County Council approval.... and MCPS hopes to have the Ewing Center move to English Manor completed by August of 2017? Again, "What were they thinking?"

This is not simple NIMBYism. Everyone in Montgomery County should be indignant about how MCPS is failing to do even basic planning, and is wasting millions of dollars in the process.

[Anonymous]

FYI: Community meeting on the topic at 7 pm at the Aspen Hill Library on January 6.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

too bad you can't

aspen hill is great area to live

peary hs was not demolished! drive by and see!

mcps doesn't own english manor. not their building

mark twain is now ewing center and is in constant use daily

bus depot won't fit on ewing property.

You're correct that MCPS doesn't own English Manor. Montgomery County does.

But I wonder why you think that the bus depot won't fit on the Twain/Ewing property.

read
do math

http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/council...m/2013/130211/20130211_ED1.pdf

For this to be an explanation, I think you need a few more details.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

too bad you can't

aspen hill is great area to live

peary hs was not demolished! drive by and see!

mcps doesn't own english manor. not their building

mark twain is now ewing center and is in constant use daily

bus depot won't fit on ewing property.

You're correct that MCPS doesn't own English Manor. Montgomery County does.

But I wonder why you think that the bus depot won't fit on the Twain/Ewing property.

read
do math

http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/council...m/2013/130211/20130211_ED1.pdf

The page cannot be found

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The MCPS plan is so bad from so many angles, it still makes me wonder: "What were they thinking?"

1. Locating the Alternative Education Programs (AEPs) in the middle of a residential neighborhood - to English Manor, a school that is more than a decade older than the Ewing Center (formerly known as Mark Twain) and that from what I have seen is in worse shape than Ewing - makes absolutely no sense.

2. Patricia O'Neill (president of the Montgomery County Board of Education) can feign shock at the residents' comments, but here is the language that they quoted, from Chapter 4 of Dr. Starr's Capital Improvements Program:
"The High School Program (grades 9–12) and the Middle School Program (grades 6–8) serves students who are not achieving at their potential for a wide variety of reasons. These reasons
include behavior and/or attendance problems, as well as students who have been involved in a serious disciplinary action that warrants a recommendation for expulsion and placement by the Office of the Chief Operating Officer in lieu of expulsion.
In addition to the middle and high school programs, the 45-day Interim Placement Program serves students in grades 6–12 receiving special education services. Students are placed in the program after a central office review and as a result of their involvement with controlled substances, serious bodily injury, and/or weapons."
In addition, MCPS School Safety Reports demonstrate a much higher level of fighting, insubordination, suspensions, and even police activity at the Ewing Center than at other MCPS schools. The recent Washington Post article spells out some of those numbers.
Clearly, there is very good reason for the community to be very concerned.

3. The Mark Twain Athletic park was built and maintained with nearly a million dollars from the City of Rockville as well as Maryland's Project Open Space. MCPS might be prevented from demolishing that park because of the City and State's interests there, as well as restrictions placed on the property by Project Open Space funding.

4. Does anyone think it is a good idea to demolish a school building that is worth tens of millions of dollars? Especially now, at a time of overcrowding and budgetary shortfalls on both the county and state levels? Or ever, for that matter? If the school is in bad shape, then shame on MCPS for letting it get that way. Shame on them for not spending the $16.6 million already planned for renovations. And shame on the Board of Education for all their pearl-clutching when a community says "Hey, wait a second..."

5. The current Shady Grove Depot is a flat site of more than 33 acres. The Ewing site is only 22.5 acres, and is heavily sloped towards Rock Creek (it borders Rock Creek Park). So it's not large enough. In addition to the issue of the Mark Twain Athletic park, the City of Rockville has imposed a Forest Conservation easement on the site of about 8 acres. So that only leaves about 15 acres, even if MCPS can demolish both the school and the athletic park. That won't even work.

6. The English Manor school is not owned by MCPS, and it is currently occupied by another school (The School for Tomorrow). That is yet another kink in MCPS's plans, not to mention zoning hurdles, environmental impacts, a pending appeal to the State Board of Education, the need for County Council approval.... and MCPS hopes to have the Ewing Center move to English Manor completed by August of 2017? Again, "What were they thinking?"

This is not simple NIMBYism. Everyone in Montgomery County should be indignant about how MCPS is failing to do even basic planning, and is wasting millions of dollars in the process.

I agree with this. All of what is going on here just sounds crazy to me.

To the PP who comments that *I* (or someone else) should just come up with a better solution - that's ridiculous. That's what MCPS should be doing. And, it has not been the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Let's face reality. Aspen hill is not a desirable part of the county to live in.
Those days are long gone. Perry HS was demolished, and it's not a great place to live.

Why shouldn't MCPS reuse a building they own.

As for mark twain it's been closed since 2008.
Again why not move the bus depot to MCPS property

Makes perfect sence.

I don't think this is true. Yes, it's no longer Perry HS, but the space is now occupied by the Berman Hebrew Academy and is well maintained as far as I can tell (just from driving by - have never been inside).

Have you been to the area recently? The area where English Manor is located is a solidly middle class area, which is rare to find in MoCo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Let's face reality. Aspen hill is not a desirable part of the county to live in.
Those days are long gone. Perry HS was demolished, and it's not a great place to live.

Why shouldn't MCPS reuse a building they own.

As for mark twain it's been closed since 2008.
Again why not move the bus depot to MCPS property

Makes perfect sence.

I don't think this is true. Yes, it's no longer Perry HS, but the space is now occupied by the Berman Hebrew Academy and is well maintained as far as I can tell (just from driving by - have never been inside).

Have you been to the area recently? The area where English Manor is located is a solidly middle class area, which is rare to find in MoCo.

Berman HA purchased the land from Mo Co in 2010. So it's now privately owned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I don't think this is true. Yes, it's no longer Perry HS, but the space is now occupied by the Berman Hebrew Academy and is well maintained as far as I can tell (just from driving by - have never been inside).

Have you been to the area recently? The area where English Manor is located is a solidly middle class area, which is rare to find in MoCo.

It is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Berman HA purchased the land from Mo Co in 2010. So it's now privately owned.

And the Board of Education opposed the sale.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/28/AR2010102807285.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don't think this is true. Yes, it's no longer Perry HS, but the space is now occupied by the Berman Hebrew Academy and is well maintained as far as I can tell (just from driving by - have never been inside).

Have you been to the area recently? The area where English Manor is located is a solidly middle class area, which is rare to find in MoCo.

It is?

I think so! I'd love to hear about some close in suburbs that are within an hour commute of DC that are middle class. Can you think of any?

The single family houses in the area of the English Manor site are under $400K. Way more affordable than Potomac or Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Berman HA purchased the land from Mo Co in 2010. So it's now privately owned.

And the Board of Education opposed the sale.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/28/AR2010102807285.html

good find, PP!

from the article:

But council member Phil Andrews (D-Gaithersburg-Rockville) said the deal "smells."

Andrews said Leggett might be doing a favor for former Duncan aide Jerry Pasternak, who helped engineer an earlier lease for another Jewish day school and worked on the Peary deal while on Duncan's staff.

Leggett said Pasternak has been helping the county executive's campaign try to win voter support for the county's ambulance fee referendum in Tuesday's election, which Andrews opposes. Leggett denied any connection between the two issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don't think this is true. Yes, it's no longer Perry HS, but the space is now occupied by the Berman Hebrew Academy and is well maintained as far as I can tell (just from driving by - have never been inside).

Have you been to the area recently? The area where English Manor is located is a solidly middle class area, which is rare to find in MoCo.

It is?

I think so! I'd love to hear about some close in suburbs that are within an hour commute of DC that are middle class. Can you think of any?

The single family houses in the area of the English Manor site are under $400K. Way more affordable than Potomac or Bethesda.

yeah

MCPS land is rare. Sadly, you have a solidly middle class neighborhood who will lose, as the money and prestige in Aspen Hill are simply not there. Can you imagine if this were presented as an option in Potomac or Bethesda?

would never happen!

And correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Patricia O'Neill (BOE) live in Bethesda? It's easy to give up property to MCPS when it's not in your immediate area.

love the hypocrisy

I hope the residents of Aspen Hill win!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think so! I'd love to hear about some close in suburbs that are within an hour commute of DC that are middle class. Can you think of any?

The single family houses in the area of the English Manor site are under $400K. Way more affordable than Potomac or Bethesda.

That depends on how you define "middle class" and also how you define "within an hour commute" (e.g., door to door? by any mode?).