Elementary school boundary studies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm letting people know about the crazy policy change that was made in an unscrupulous manner and encouraging people to keep a close eye on the BOE. I'm also letting people know that the BOE will probably take up the busing mantle once Covid has been dealt with. I also don't want people to be surprised when wacky boundaries are created to accommodate the elevated diversity factor in the boundary policy as we saw in Clarksburg.

As for unscrupulous people on the BOE, Lynne Harris lobbied for busing as MCCPTA president just a few months before announcing her candidacy for BOE even though MCCPTA had voted NOT to support that action. So there are definitely pro-busers on the BOE.

My kids are in high school so Covid delayed things long enough for them to get through school. So I'm doing all this for everyone else.

OK, you've done your job. We know.

The horse is dead. Save your strength for when they actually propose all this busing you're concerned about rather than trying to gin up outrage. (Or just give up the gin.)

(Hate when that happens!)

Man the tinfoil hat is cutting off circulation to their brain. Nobody is going to bus kids. I'm all for adjusting boundaries to reduce overcrowding and even improve diversity when possible but if they bus kids all over people will show up with torches and pitchforks. It's just not going to happen.

So you don't think there will be busing but you support "adjusting boundaries to reduce overcrowding and even improve diversity" which equals busing? Do you even hear yourself?

What do you want us to call those big yellow things that drive students to and from school every day?

Exactly. Pro busters would swear that they didn't want busing. All they wanted was for kids to attend schools with the right socioeconomic balance and, OK, that would probably involve putting kids on bus...er...long yellow people transport vehicles for hours longer per week. But it's NOT busing!

[Anonymous]

I really don't see what the problem is with "adjusting boundaries to reduce overcrowding and even improve diversity when possible." Seems like that is exactly what MCPS should be doing, when new schools open or there are overenrolled schools adjacent to underenrolled schools. And of course improving diversity is desirable. The walkers should stay walkers, and some of the people who already ride a bus may have to ride a different bus to the other school. I can see why they may not like that change, but that's how overcrowding is relieved. It's ridiculous that this is such a controversy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really don't see what the problem is with "adjusting boundaries to reduce overcrowding and even improve diversity when possible." Seems like that is exactly what MCPS should be doing, when new schools open or there are overenrolled schools adjacent to underenrolled schools. And of course improving diversity is desirable. The walkers should stay walkers, and some of the people who already ride a bus may have to ride a different bus to the other school. I can see why they may not like that change, but that's how overcrowding is relieved. It's ridiculous that this is such a controversy.

Some people like stirring up trouble. AKA trolls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really don't see what the problem is with "adjusting boundaries to reduce overcrowding and even improve diversity when possible." Seems like that is exactly what MCPS should be doing, when new schools open or there are overenrolled schools adjacent to underenrolled schools. And of course improving diversity is desirable. The walkers should stay walkers, and some of the people who already ride a bus may have to ride a different bus to the other school. I can see why they may not like that change, but that's how overcrowding is relieved. It's ridiculous that this is such a controversy.

There are many that agree with you, but this poster is obsessed with this issue and hijacks every thread that even remotely touches on school boundaries. It’s unfortunate because it prevents everyone else from having any type of conversation about it and inevitably devolves into people trying to make rational points and this poster ranting about “woke East county progressives”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't see what the problem is with "adjusting boundaries to reduce overcrowding and even improve diversity when possible." Seems like that is exactly what MCPS should be doing, when new schools open or there are overenrolled schools adjacent to underenrolled schools. And of course improving diversity is desirable. The walkers should stay walkers, and some of the people who already ride a bus may have to ride a different bus to the other school. I can see why they may not like that change, but that's how overcrowding is relieved. It's ridiculous that this is such a controversy.

Some people like stirring up trouble. AKA trolls.

I generally agree with you. It becomes a problem though when that priority is put above all else.

Take a look at the gaithersburg cluster. There are kids who are in the northern part of the cluster, who have crazy long bus rides to middle school. Despite the fact that there are 3-4 other middle schools which are closer in proximity.

At some point you have to ask yourself, is it right for those kids to have a 45 - 60 minute bus ride each way, when there are options where that could be 20-25 minutes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't see what the problem is with "adjusting boundaries to reduce overcrowding and even improve diversity when possible." Seems like that is exactly what MCPS should be doing, when new schools open or there are overenrolled schools adjacent to underenrolled schools. And of course improving diversity is desirable. The walkers should stay walkers, and some of the people who already ride a bus may have to ride a different bus to the other school. I can see why they may not like that change, but that's how overcrowding is relieved. It's ridiculous that this is such a controversy.

Some people like stirring up trouble. AKA trolls.

I generally agree with you. It becomes a problem though when that priority is put above all else.

Take a look at the gaithersburg cluster. There are kids who are in the northern part of the cluster, who have crazy long bus rides to middle school. Despite the fact that there are 3-4 other middle schools which are closer in proximity.

At some point you have to ask yourself, is it right for those kids to have a 45 - 60 minute bus ride each way, when there are options where that could be 20-25 minutes?

Those are old boundaries. The obsessed poster is only obsessed with boundaries established since 2018. As you say, a wholescale revision of boundaries (which won't happen) would reasonably result in many students attending schools that are closer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't see what the problem is with "adjusting boundaries to reduce overcrowding and even improve diversity when possible." Seems like that is exactly what MCPS should be doing, when new schools open or there are overenrolled schools adjacent to underenrolled schools. And of course improving diversity is desirable. The walkers should stay walkers, and some of the people who already ride a bus may have to ride a different bus to the other school. I can see why they may not like that change, but that's how overcrowding is relieved. It's ridiculous that this is such a controversy.

Some people like stirring up trouble. AKA trolls.

I generally agree with you. It becomes a problem though when that priority is put above all else.

Take a look at the gaithersburg cluster. There are kids who are in the northern part of the cluster, who have crazy long bus rides to middle school. Despite the fact that there are 3-4 other middle schools which are closer in proximity.

At some point you have to ask yourself, is it right for those kids to have a 45 - 60 minute bus ride each way, when there are options where that could be 20-25 minutes?

Those are old boundaries. The obsessed poster is only obsessed with boundaries established since 2018. As you say, a wholescale revision of boundaries (which won't happen) would reasonably result in many students attending schools that are closer.

Yes, I agree. a boundary study is necessary, because silly boundaries already exist. Old boundaries and new boundaries should be redrawn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't see what the problem is with "adjusting boundaries to reduce overcrowding and even improve diversity when possible." Seems like that is exactly what MCPS should be doing, when new schools open or there are overenrolled schools adjacent to underenrolled schools. And of course improving diversity is desirable. The walkers should stay walkers, and some of the people who already ride a bus may have to ride a different bus to the other school. I can see why they may not like that change, but that's how overcrowding is relieved. It's ridiculous that this is such a controversy.

Some people like stirring up trouble. AKA trolls.

I generally agree with you. It becomes a problem though when that priority is put above all else.

Take a look at the gaithersburg cluster. There are kids who are in the northern part of the cluster, who have crazy long bus rides to middle school. Despite the fact that there are 3-4 other middle schools which are closer in proximity.

At some point you have to ask yourself, is it right for those kids to have a 45 - 60 minute bus ride each way, when there are options where that could be 20-25 minutes?

Those are old boundaries. The obsessed poster is only obsessed with boundaries established since 2018. As you say, a wholescale revision of boundaries (which won't happen) would reasonably result in many students attending schools that are closer.

Yes, I agree. a boundary study is necessary, because silly boundaries already exist. Old boundaries and new boundaries should be redrawn.

The problem isn't with doing the study or analysis. The problem is with the boundary policy that prioritizes diversity above all else. Yes, there are some wacky existing boundaries and yes, some places like Kensington seem to have fixed it so they always stay at WJ instead of Einstein. But there are more instances like PP mentioned in Gaithersburg that were done for diversity. It always was a factor but now it's the top factor. So any boundaries formed after the policy change will be even wackier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The problem isn't with doing the study or analysis. The problem is with the boundary policy that prioritizes diversity above all else. Yes, there are some wacky existing boundaries and yes, some places like Kensington seem to have fixed it so they always stay at WJ instead of Einstein. But there are more instances like PP mentioned in Gaithersburg that were done for diversity. It always was a factor but now it's the top factor. So any boundaries formed after the policy change will be even wackier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't see what the problem is with "adjusting boundaries to reduce overcrowding and even improve diversity when possible." Seems like that is exactly what MCPS should be doing, when new schools open or there are overenrolled schools adjacent to underenrolled schools. And of course improving diversity is desirable. The walkers should stay walkers, and some of the people who already ride a bus may have to ride a different bus to the other school. I can see why they may not like that change, but that's how overcrowding is relieved. It's ridiculous that this is such a controversy.

Some people like stirring up trouble. AKA trolls.

I generally agree with you. It becomes a problem though when that priority is put above all else.

Take a look at the gaithersburg cluster. There are kids who are in the northern part of the cluster, who have crazy long bus rides to middle school. Despite the fact that there are 3-4 other middle schools which are closer in proximity.

At some point you have to ask yourself, is it right for those kids to have a 45 - 60 minute bus ride each way, when there are options where that could be 20-25 minutes?

Those are old boundaries. The obsessed poster is only obsessed with boundaries established since 2018. As you say, a wholescale revision of boundaries (which won't happen) would reasonably result in many students attending schools that are closer.

Yes, I agree. a boundary study is necessary, because silly boundaries already exist. Old boundaries and new boundaries should be redrawn.

The problem isn't with doing the study or analysis. The problem is with the boundary policy that prioritizes diversity above all else. Yes, there are some wacky existing boundaries and yes, some places like Kensington seem to have fixed it so they always stay at WJ instead of Einstein. But there are more instances like PP mentioned in Gaithersburg that were done for diversity. It always was a factor but now it's the top factor. So any boundaries formed after the policy change will be even wackier.

Right. I'm the PP who brought up the Gburg cluster. I guess my larger point was that busing already happens to a certain degree. Those kids that live way up past Brink road are bused down to Gburg Middle because they are white.

So we need 2 things: -
- a rebalance of the boundary priorities, where diversity is not the number 1 consideration
- redrawing of the boundaries, because stupid clusters already exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Right. I'm the PP who brought up the Gburg cluster. I guess my larger point was that busing already happens to a certain degree. Those kids that live way up past Brink road are bused down to Gburg Middle because they are white.

So we need 2 things: -
- a rebalance of the boundary priorities, where diversity is not the number 1 consideration
- redrawing of the boundaries, because stupid clusters already exist.

They're bused to Gaithersburg MS because they go to Laytonsville ES. There isn't a middle school particularly close to Laytonsville. I'm looking at the map, and I see a bunch of them about 5-6 miles away. Which middle school would you have them be assigned to? And do that school and its feeder HS have room for another ES?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Right. I'm the PP who brought up the Gburg cluster. I guess my larger point was that busing already happens to a certain degree. Those kids that live way up past Brink road are bused down to Gburg Middle because they are white.

So we need 2 things: -
- a rebalance of the boundary priorities, where diversity is not the number 1 consideration
- redrawing of the boundaries, because stupid clusters already exist.

They're bused to Gaithersburg MS because they go to Laytonsville ES. There isn't a middle school particularly close to Laytonsville. I'm looking at the map, and I see a bunch of them about 5-6 miles away. Which middle school would you have them be assigned to? And do that school and its feeder HS have room for another ES?

I don't live there, but based on what people I know have told me, they want to be reassigned to Rosa Parks MS and Sherwood HS.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/planning/unityarea.aspx

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Right. I'm the PP who brought up the Gburg cluster. I guess my larger point was that busing already happens to a certain degree. Those kids that live way up past Brink road are bused down to Gburg Middle because they are white.

So we need 2 things: -
- a rebalance of the boundary priorities, where diversity is not the number 1 consideration
- redrawing of the boundaries, because stupid clusters already exist.

They're bused to Gaithersburg MS because they go to Laytonsville ES. There isn't a middle school particularly close to Laytonsville. I'm looking at the map, and I see a bunch of them about 5-6 miles away. Which middle school would you have them be assigned to? And do that school and its feeder HS have room for another ES?

I don't live there, but based on what people I know have told me, they want to be reassigned to Rosa Parks MS and Sherwood HS.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/planning/unityarea.aspx

Doing it this way would require MCPS to do away with the cluster model and create a system where people go to school closest to where they live as opposed to going to the MS that your ES feeds into. Because from a big-picture, practical standpoint, Laytonsville ES is 6 miles from G’burg MS and 5 miles from Rosa Parks MS, that is a negligible difference. Boundaries are never going to be able to please everyone and such a large school district cannot accommodate individualized preferences.

[Anonymous]

The problem isn't with doing the study or analysis. The problem is with the boundary policy that prioritizes diversity above all else. Yes, there are some wacky existing boundaries and yes, some places like Kensington seem to have fixed it so they always stay at WJ instead of Einstein. But there are more instances like PP mentioned in Gaithersburg that were done for diversity. It always was a factor but now it's the top factor. So any boundaries formed after the policy change will be even wackier.

I know there's no convincing you of this, but MCPS has been clear that only adjacent boundaries will be adjusted and that all four factors are under consideration.

What you call "prioritizing diversity above all else" is actually just "making diversity the tie breaking vote" and that's how we've seen it play out in all of the boundary studies that have come out since the new policy was adopted. Adjustments are made based on proximity, capacity, etc. but when those are equal and MCPS has to make a decision about which neighborhood goes where, the tie-breaking vote goes to diversity.

That honestly seems pretty legitimate to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't see what the problem is with "adjusting boundaries to reduce overcrowding and even improve diversity when possible." Seems like that is exactly what MCPS should be doing, when new schools open or there are overenrolled schools adjacent to underenrolled schools. And of course improving diversity is desirable. The walkers should stay walkers, and some of the people who already ride a bus may have to ride a different bus to the other school. I can see why they may not like that change, but that's how overcrowding is relieved. It's ridiculous that this is such a controversy.

Some people like stirring up trouble. AKA trolls.

I generally agree with you. It becomes a problem though when that priority is put above all else.

Take a look at the gaithersburg cluster. There are kids who are in the northern part of the cluster, who have crazy long bus rides to middle school. Despite the fact that there are 3-4 other middle schools which are closer in proximity.

At some point you have to ask yourself, is it right for those kids to have a 45 - 60 minute bus ride each way, when there are options where that could be 20-25 minutes?

Those are old boundaries. The obsessed poster is only obsessed with boundaries established since 2018. As you say, a wholescale revision of boundaries (which won't happen) would reasonably result in many students attending schools that are closer.

Yes, I agree. a boundary study is necessary, because silly boundaries already exist. Old boundaries and new boundaries should be redrawn.

The problem isn't with doing the study or analysis. The problem is with the boundary policy that prioritizes diversity above all else. Yes, there are some wacky existing boundaries and yes, some places like Kensington seem to have fixed it so they always stay at WJ instead of Einstein. But there are more instances like PP mentioned in Gaithersburg that were done for diversity. It always was a factor but now it's the top factor. So any boundaries formed after the policy change will be even wackier.

Right. I'm the PP who brought up the Gburg cluster. I guess my larger point was that busing already happens to a certain degree. Those kids that live way up past Brink road are bused down to Gburg Middle because they are white.

So we need 2 things: -
- a rebalance of the boundary priorities, where diversity is not the number 1 consideration
- redrawing of the boundaries, because stupid clusters already exist.

Agree. Instead we have a divwrsity-first boundary policy and stupid boundaries that can only get stupider when they are redrawn. Why? Because people of different SES don't live near each other. So the only way to get the perfect SES/racial balance that east county progressives want is with busing.