Overcrowding at Bethesda Elementary (BE)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

+1 Million

Think about how much those bathrooms cost? Yet, they don’t have money to hire new teachers or add space

How many bathrooms have been installed, and how much did they cost? Please tell us.

DP

Would have to find the link. There was a link last year about a ridiculous amount of money that MCPS had already spent on this cause. And then additional funding that would potentially also be used for it.

Uh huh. How much, please?

[Anonymous]

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.

PP - I am also a BE parent, and at least for the 4th grade, this is not true about doubling up for PE and not having art in the art room. My DC has already had PE (with just her class, in the gym) and art (again, with just her class and in the art room). What grade is your child?

[Anonymous]

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.

PP - I am also a BE parent, and at least for the 4th grade, this is not true about doubling up for PE and not having art in the art room. My DC has already had PE (with just her class, in the gym) and art (again, with just her class and in the art room). What grade is your child?

DP

IME, this definitely can differ per grade. I have two kids at Focus ES. The older one does have her own PE class, and her class does go to the Art Room for Art. However, the younger DD has PE doubled up with another class this year (2nd grade) and also had that last year. This year, she has Art on a Cart, but last year she did have Art in the Art Room.

PP, have you been at BE every year, or is this your first year there?

[Anonymous]

I don't have the impression that Title I vs. Focus vs. Not Focus makes much of a difference here when the actual issue is a lack of physical space.

So, a school might have a different "guideline" for class size based on its percentage of kids receiving FARMS, but none of that matters if there is actually no physical space for extra classrooms.

So, for example, Takoma Park ES started last year with more kids than recommended for its Focus status in most classes/grades. That's not due to lack of funding, it is because they've fully maxed out classroom space + room for portables.

Rolling Terrace was able to get class sizes back down, but only after kicking out the magnet Spanish program and instituting a program for in-bounds kids only.

[Anonymous]

BE is the worst school in lower montgomery county and has been for years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BE is the worst school in lower montgomery county and has been for years.

The peanut gallery has been heard from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BE is the worst school in lower montgomery county and has been for years.

Why would you say this?

[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.

PP - I am also a BE parent, and at least for the 4th grade, this is not true about doubling up for PE and not having art in the art room. My DC has already had PE (with just her class, in the gym) and art (again, with just her class and in the art room). What grade is your child?

DP

IME, this definitely can differ per grade. I have two kids at Focus ES. The older one does have her own PE class, and her class does go to the Art Room for Art. However, the younger DD has PE doubled up with another class this year (2nd grade) and also had that last year. This year, she has Art on a Cart, but last year she did have Art in the Art Room.

PP, have you been at BE every year, or is this your first year there?

PP here. We have been at BE for four years. Our child is in 3rd grade. The school has gotten noticeably more crowded every year we have been there.

[Anonymous]

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.

You all fund and support Pat O'Neill on the Board of Education for decades. You get what you pay for.

Seriously. Get her out. Organize and have the PTAs select possible candidates.

[Anonymous]

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.

There is no plan. The BOE cares about equity and transgender restrooms. Seriously. They do not care about overcrowded classrooms. A group of parents from our nonW cluster testified about this last year and we were completely shut down.

The schools Principals are left to piece together coverage and classrooms and hallways are filled to capacity.

True. And ESL. Of course many / most teachers and principals are deeply upset, but this is County politics and BoE.

[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?

Central office administration. Janitorial. Have kids clean and landscape the schools!

[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)

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.

Certainly. Each year they have had to add more bus stops at the new buildings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Umm...the “County leadership” that advocated for this nonsense is Hans Reimer. Remember his name as he is already gunning to run for County Exec.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Hold the fort on this bs! It is your elected officials who are demanding multi family low income housing in huge numbers, not the developers. This is NOT profitable on any level. And if you think the numbers being used by your representatives which usually show a negative for families in these units are accurate you are sadly mistaken. Just sit outside the apartments on Westbard any morning and watch the number of county buses picking up students, hint, it is not just one bus. Multiple elementary school buses, etc. as is the case at the condominiums in Friendship Heights. You have families living in two bedroom units sometimes with three children and YOU as the voter have got to get that considered when school population numbers are being gathered for planning purposes. I really am so sick of the blame the business mentality when it comes to this matter. This is about your politicians and your planners, wake up and take action against those people. Constantly spewing hate at developers/businesses is just a foolish waste of time.

Who is demanding multi-family low-income housing in huge numbers?

That was Nancy Floreen’s doing. Now it’s mainly Reiner. Elrich pushed back and they hate him for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

And vote for, the Planning Board is not in your school's favor with all that apartment (live/work) density in downtown Bethesda. I mean, where did you think all those kids were going to go once those apartments were full? Insult to injury, the just announced and accepted 300 apartment units being built at the church site on Old Georgetown Road. Three guesses where these kids will go to school.

How many kids is "all those kids"?

And no, "I saw a bunch of kids getting on the bus" doesn't count as data.

DP

Sure it does.

If the pro-development crowd is arguing that you don't have many kids living in 1 and 2BR apartments, yet the bus routes from those apartments are full, then MCPS needs to change the way it makes projections.

One would think, yet sadly, no. They hired another garbage consultancy instead of listening to local volunteers who did a ton of free analysis for them.