Where will new Sligo Creek ES be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The TP fix is in. It's no coincidence that Kate Stewart and Marc Elrich both live in Takoma Park and this proposal directly benefits Piney Branch.

To recap, PBES gets a brand new pool and gets to travel about a mile up the road while it's renovated while 1) SCES is moved (without a feasibility study, possibly to a beloved neighborhood park) 2) SSIMS is closed forever, 3) two middle schools (though of course not TPMS) become significantly bigger, 4) buses from all over the county will clog DTSS and the list goes on.

There's no way Taylor would have proposed this if he didn't think he had the votes. The fix is in. He must have gone to Stewart and Elrich in advance to secure their votes in exchange for PBES getting a sweet deal. The worst part about it is that Stewart is also supposed to represent the SCES and SSIMS communities. It's disgusting.

TPMS is already the largest middle school in the DCC, with a capacity of 1257.

That's beside the point. The point was Takoma Park schools stand to benefit from all these plans, while Silver Spring schools stand to lose...a lot. And Silver Spring's representatives live in Takoma Park, so they don't seem to care. People in TKPK are even testifying and writing petitions to close Silver Spring schools because it makes their renovation more convenient. From a community that supposedly values democratic processes and diversity, it's pretty sickening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is very complex. And based on the way things have been going, I’m not sure they are going to adequately engage the communities that will be affected by changes. But hopefully I am wrong.

If they do add part of SCES to the ESS catchment area and try to keep kids together for MS/HS, it seems like adding everybody to Eastern (which is slated for rebuild) and Northwood (which is brand new) would make more sense from a utilization perspective than adding more kids to TPMS and Blair, which are already at or near capacity. I don’t necessarily agree that it’s right, but I could see MCPS trying to make that point.

But ESS is so walkable to TPMS! That would be a major loss to this community.

Related, ESS is one of the schools untouched by the first 4 options that is now in play for the second set.

ESS is 1 mile from TPMS, along busy Piney Branch Ave. I wouldn't call that walkable.

I guess it’s all relative. I live in this neighborhood so your response surprised me. Yes, Piney Branch is busy. School to school is a 0.7 mile walk according to google. I live in between, half the distance from both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is very complex. And based on the way things have been going, I’m not sure they are going to adequately engage the communities that will be affected by changes. But hopefully I am wrong.

If they do add part of SCES to the ESS catchment area and try to keep kids together for MS/HS, it seems like adding everybody to Eastern (which is slated for rebuild) and Northwood (which is brand new) would make more sense from a utilization perspective than adding more kids to TPMS and Blair, which are already at or near capacity. I don’t necessarily agree that it’s right, but I could see MCPS trying to make that point.

But ESS is so walkable to TPMS! That would be a major loss to this community.

Related, ESS is one of the schools untouched by the first 4 options that is now in play for the second set.

ESS is 1 mile from TPMS, along busy Piney Branch Ave. I wouldn't call that walkable.

I guess it’s all relative. I live in this neighborhood so your response surprised me. Yes, Piney Branch is busy. School to school is a 0.7 mile walk according to google. I live in between, half the distance from both.

Needless to say I’d be ticked to trade my kids’ 7 minute walk for a bus ride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is very complex. And based on the way things have been going, I’m not sure they are going to adequately engage the communities that will be affected by changes. But hopefully I am wrong.

If they do add part of SCES to the ESS catchment area and try to keep kids together for MS/HS, it seems like adding everybody to Eastern (which is slated for rebuild) and Northwood (which is brand new) would make more sense from a utilization perspective than adding more kids to TPMS and Blair, which are already at or near capacity. I don’t necessarily agree that it’s right, but I could see MCPS trying to make that point.

But ESS is so walkable to TPMS! That would be a major loss to this community.

Related, ESS is one of the schools untouched by the first 4 options that is now in play for the second set.

ESS is 1 mile from TPMS, along busy Piney Branch Ave. I wouldn't call that walkable.

lol do you live here? A mile by car if you must, less on foot. Who doesn’t consider a 15 minute walk doable? Piney Branch is busy but not especially notable for the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

That's beside the point. The point was Takoma Park schools stand to benefit from all these plans, while Silver Spring schools stand to lose...a lot. And Silver Spring's representatives live in Takoma Park, so they don't seem to care. People in TKPK are even testifying and writing petitions to close Silver Spring schools because it makes their renovation more convenient. From a community that supposedly values democratic processes and diversity, it's pretty sickening.

+100000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The TP fix is in. It's no coincidence that Kate Stewart and Marc Elrich both live in Takoma Park and this proposal directly benefits Piney Branch.

To recap, PBES gets a brand new pool and gets to travel about a mile up the road while it's renovated while 1) SCES is moved (without a feasibility study, possibly to a beloved neighborhood park) 2) SSIMS is closed forever, 3) two middle schools (though of course not TPMS) become significantly bigger, 4) buses from all over the county will clog DTSS and the list goes on.

There's no way Taylor would have proposed this if he didn't think he had the votes. The fix is in. He must have gone to Stewart and Elrich in advance to secure their votes in exchange for PBES getting a sweet deal. The worst part about it is that Stewart is also supposed to represent the SCES and SSIMS communities. It's disgusting.

TPMS is already the largest middle school in the DCC, with a capacity of 1257.

That's beside the point. The point was Takoma Park schools stand to benefit from all these plans, while Silver Spring schools stand to lose...a lot. And Silver Spring's representatives live in Takoma Park, so they don't seem to care. People in TKPK are even testifying and writing petitions to close Silver Spring schools because it makes their renovation more convenient. From a community that supposedly values democratic processes and diversity, it's pretty sickening.

This is dispiriting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The TP fix is in. It's no coincidence that Kate Stewart and Marc Elrich both live in Takoma Park and this proposal directly benefits Piney Branch.

To recap, PBES gets a brand new pool and gets to travel about a mile up the road while it's renovated while 1) SCES is moved (without a feasibility study, possibly to a beloved neighborhood park) 2) SSIMS is closed forever, 3) two middle schools (though of course not TPMS) become significantly bigger, 4) buses from all over the county will clog DTSS and the list goes on.

There's no way Taylor would have proposed this if he didn't think he had the votes. The fix is in. He must have gone to Stewart and Elrich in advance to secure their votes in exchange for PBES getting a sweet deal. The worst part about it is that Stewart is also supposed to represent the SCES and SSIMS communities. It's disgusting.

TPMS is already the largest middle school in the DCC, with a capacity of 1257.

That's beside the point. The point was Takoma Park schools stand to benefit from all these plans, while Silver Spring schools stand to lose...a lot. And Silver Spring's representatives live in Takoma Park, so they don't seem to care. People in TKPK are even testifying and writing petitions to close Silver Spring schools because it makes their renovation more convenient. From a community that supposedly values democratic processes and diversity, it's pretty sickening.

Yes, I agree, but you have a stronger argument if you leave out the "though of course not TPMS" since it has already been made significantly bigger.

[Anonymous]

There is a solution for TPES. It should be rebuilt on the Washington Adventist parcel that is open for redevelopment. The current parcel of land for TPES is too small. Rebuilding in the same location would be a waste.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a solution for TPES. It should be rebuilt on the Washington Adventist parcel that is open for redevelopment. The current parcel of land for TPES is too small. Rebuilding in the same location would be a waste.

TPES isn't being rebuilt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it feasible to site a elementary school at Nolte Park but also maintain a park and playground that's still accessible to the rest of the community (at least on weekends and during the summer)?

It's about 16 acres. You can fit a school and park there. If your main priority is having a walkable school, this location would fit your needs. It is however, the last large community park in the immediate area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a solution for TPES. It should be rebuilt on the Washington Adventist parcel that is open for redevelopment. The current parcel of land for TPES is too small. Rebuilding in the same location would be a waste.

The Adventist site isn't for sale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't like the idea of turning SSIMS into a holding school and then closing it, but they said they were doing it to renovate Eastern and Sligo Middle, which are not west county or rich.

But I agree that shutting down schools in a central dense area is a bad idea, and I think MCPS needs to provide a lot more information on what led them to come to the conclusion that this option was better than renovating or tearing down and rebuilding those schools in the same l studocation.

Regarding your first point, no - - both Eastern and Sligo MS students will remain on-site during construction. Eastern will have a new school constructed next to the old school (which will remain occupied) and Sligo MS is only getting an addition.

The only school slated to utilize the SCES/SSIMS property as a holding school in the FY27-32 CIP is Piney Branch Elementary. Meanwhile, Highland View is getting a replacement school, but HVES kids will be bussed way up Colesville to Fairland Center. Apparently, only PBES kids are special enough to warrant a close-in holding school and requiring the closing of a neighborhood school to accommodate that. While I am sympathetic to PBES' need for renovations, it's worth noting that we are only talking about grade 3-5 kids. Both Highland View and Woodlin before it are K-5 schools and so you have 5-year olds having to endure long bus rides (Woodlin was a Grosvenor Center for two years I think?)

Anyway, if you look at p. 1-12 of the CIP, it lists the expected facility use schedule. This includes MCPS-owned properties that could potentially be developed into holding schools.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/departments/planning/fy2027/cip27_entirebook.pdf

Sligo MS is proposed to use the SSIMS building for one year during Sligo's construction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is very complex. And based on the way things have been going, I’m not sure they are going to adequately engage the communities that will be affected by changes. But hopefully I am wrong.

If they do add part of SCES to the ESS catchment area and try to keep kids together for MS/HS, it seems like adding everybody to Eastern (which is slated for rebuild) and Northwood (which is brand new) would make more sense from a utilization perspective than adding more kids to TPMS and Blair, which are already at or near capacity. I don’t necessarily agree that it’s right, but I could see MCPS trying to make that point.

But ESS is so walkable to TPMS! That would be a major loss to this community.

Related, ESS is one of the schools untouched by the first 4 options that is now in play for the second set.

ESS is 1 mile from TPMS, along busy Piney Branch Ave. I wouldn't call that walkable.

lol do you live here? A mile by car if you must, less on foot. Who doesn’t consider a 15 minute walk doable? Piney Branch is busy but not especially notable for the area.

Guess this is before your time, but an 11 year old was killed walking near to TPMS on Piney Branch by a car that ran off the road and hit her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The TP fix is in. It's no coincidence that Kate Stewart and Marc Elrich both live in Takoma Park and this proposal directly benefits Piney Branch.

To recap, PBES gets a brand new pool and gets to travel about a mile up the road while it's renovated while 1) SCES is moved (without a feasibility study, possibly to a beloved neighborhood park) 2) SSIMS is closed forever, 3) two middle schools (though of course not TPMS) become significantly bigger, 4) buses from all over the county will clog DTSS and the list goes on.

There's no way Taylor would have proposed this if he didn't think he had the votes. The fix is in. He must have gone to Stewart and Elrich in advance to secure their votes in exchange for PBES getting a sweet deal. The worst part about it is that Stewart is also supposed to represent the SCES and SSIMS communities. It's disgusting.

TPMS is already the largest middle school in the DCC, with a capacity of 1257.

That's beside the point. The point was Takoma Park schools stand to benefit from all these plans, while Silver Spring schools stand to lose...a lot. And Silver Spring's representatives live in Takoma Park, so they don't seem to care. People in TKPK are even testifying and writing petitions to close Silver Spring schools because it makes their renovation more convenient. From a community that supposedly values democratic processes and diversity, it's pretty sickening.

Yes, I agree, but you have a stronger argument if you leave out the "though of course not TPMS" since it has already been made significantly bigger.

Fair enough. The argument I was trying to make is that downtown SS is being asked to bear the entire burden of the county's need for a holding school. Including but not limited to 1) losing its middle school 2) losing the ability for MS (and maybe ES) kids to walk to school 3) adding more buses to the neighborhood -- both to bus kids out and bus kids in and 4) potentially losing its largest park. Worth noting too that Sligo MS and Eastern MS communties are also asked to increase the size of their schools -- Eastern to become a mega middle school. Meanwhile TP reaps all the benefits and bears none of the burden.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is very complex. And based on the way things have been going, I’m not sure they are going to adequately engage the communities that will be affected by changes. But hopefully I am wrong.

If they do add part of SCES to the ESS catchment area and try to keep kids together for MS/HS, it seems like adding everybody to Eastern (which is slated for rebuild) and Northwood (which is brand new) would make more sense from a utilization perspective than adding more kids to TPMS and Blair, which are already at or near capacity. I don’t necessarily agree that it’s right, but I could see MCPS trying to make that point.

But ESS is so walkable to TPMS! That would be a major loss to this community.

Related, ESS is one of the schools untouched by the first 4 options that is now in play for the second set.

ESS is 1 mile from TPMS, along busy Piney Branch Ave. I wouldn't call that walkable.

lol do you live here? A mile by car if you must, less on foot. Who doesn’t consider a 15 minute walk doable? Piney Branch is busy but not especially notable for the area.

Guess this is before your time, but an 11 year old was killed walking near to TPMS on Piney Branch by a car that ran off the road and hit her.

I live here so I am perfectly aware of that horrible incident, as I regularly walk by the memorial. That was 20+ years ago. I am very in favor of additional measures that slow and calm traffic, but they now have a 4 way stop. From what I understand of that case, I also think the driver was reckless.

TPMS is on Piney Branch, so everyone walking to TPMS deals with Piney Branch.