Split articulation (bussing) for the new BCC Middle School?

[Anonymous]

Thanks to the PPs for digging through the numbers. I can see why this is going to be such a hot potato.

The big uncertainty seems to be RCF, right? Are there RCF parents here who feel strongly one way or another? I'd be curious what you think.

Also, for the PP who parsed the FARMS numbers, if you really wanted to have some kind of parity in the overall FARMS population distribution, wouldn't you try to pair Somerset or Westbrook with CCES & NCC at the new school? I don't even know where Westbrook is, but Somerset seems almost as close to the new site as Bethesda Elementary? That way the county could get to about 9 and 10 percent FARMs for each of the groups of kids going to either middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to the PPs for digging through the numbers. I can see why this is going to be such a hot potato.

The big uncertainty seems to be RCF, right? Are there RCF parents here who feel strongly one way or another? I'd be curious what you think.

Also, for the PP who parsed the FARMS numbers, if you really wanted to have some kind of parity in the overall FARMS population distribution, wouldn't you try to pair Somerset or Westbrook with CCES & NCC at the new school? I don't even know where Westbrook is, but Somerset seems almost as close to the new site as Bethesda Elementary? That way the county could get to about 9 and 10 percent FARMs for each of the groups of kids going to either middle school.

Westbrook kids can walk to Westland. They are not going anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to the PPs for digging through the numbers. I can see why this is going to be such a hot potato.

The big uncertainty seems to be RCF, right? Are there RCF parents here who feel strongly one way or another? I'd be curious what you think.

Also, for the PP who parsed the FARMS numbers, if you really wanted to have some kind of parity in the overall FARMS population distribution, wouldn't you try to pair Somerset or Westbrook with CCES & NCC at the new school? I don't even know where Westbrook is, but Somerset seems almost as close to the new site as Bethesda Elementary? That way the county could get to about 9 and 10 percent FARMs for each of the groups of kids going to either middle school.

Exactly, if the issue is Farms split up the two most wealthy schools.

RCF parent here.. I personally want my kid to go to the closest school no matter the demographics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to the PPs for digging through the numbers. I can see why this is going to be such a hot potato.

The big uncertainty seems to be RCF, right? Are there RCF parents here who feel strongly one way or another? I'd be curious what you think.

Also, for the PP who parsed the FARMS numbers, if you really wanted to have some kind of parity in the overall FARMS population distribution, wouldn't you try to pair Somerset or Westbrook with CCES & NCC at the new school? I don't even know where Westbrook is, but Somerset seems almost as close to the new site as Bethesda Elementary? That way the county could get to about 9 and 10 percent FARMs for each of the groups of kids going to either middle school.

Westbrook kids can walk to Westland. They are not going anywhere.

That may be true but there are a bunch of Pyle kids that can walk to Westland too. I think distance will be considered as a factor but not the factor. As someone whose kid was first bused a few miles east to RHPS and now is bused a few miles west to Westland I can say that busing a couple of miles isnt a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Exactly, if the issue is Farms split up the two most wealthy schools.

RCF parent here.. I personally want my kid to go to the closest school no matter the demographics.

In your opinion which are the two most wealthy schools?

News flash for RCF parent, every parent wants their child to go to the closest school. "Wealthy" schools aren't your default bussing schools as a punishment for being wealthy.

CCES and NCC students are already bussed away from their neighborhood schools that are within WALKING distance of their homes for the K-2 grades, which RCF, Bethesda, Westbrook and Somerset do not have to experience.

Let another BCC cluster school take on a bit of ownership for diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Exactly, if the issue is Farms split up the two most wealthy schools.

RCF parent here.. I personally want my kid to go to the closest school no matter the demographics.

In your opinion which are the two most wealthy schools?

News flash for RCF parent, every parent wants their child to go to the closest school. "Wealthy" schools aren't your default bussing schools as a punishment for being wealthy.

CCES and NCC students are already bussed away from their neighborhood schools that are within WALKING distance of their homes for the K-2 grades, which RCF, Bethesda, Westbrook and Somerset do not have to experience.

Let another BCC cluster school take on a bit of ownership for diversity.

There's no newsflash... You being bussed away is a problem. I'm willing to be bussed, by default if nothing changed we'd have to hike it to Westland. Minor inconvenience... But my only point is why scream about diversity and bussing and Somerset and Westbrook are of the hook and don't have to be concerned about either. Why does NCC and CC? If diversity was so important changing things on the west end of the cluster would be on the table. It's not... *shrug*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to the PPs for digging through the numbers. I can see why this is going to be such a hot potato.

The big uncertainty seems to be RCF, right? Are there RCF parents here who feel strongly one way or another? I'd be curious what you think.

Also, for the PP who parsed the FARMS numbers, if you really wanted to have some kind of parity in the overall FARMS population distribution, wouldn't you try to pair Somerset or Westbrook with CCES & NCC at the new school? I don't even know where Westbrook is, but Somerset seems almost as close to the new site as Bethesda Elementary? That way the county could get to about 9 and 10 percent FARMs for each of the groups of kids going to either middle school.

The big certainty is that, regardless of the outcome, there are going to be lots of people on DCUM complaining bitterly about it, including accusations that it was all rigged.

[Anonymous]

Somerset and Westbrook should absolutely not be taken out of consideration for attending middle school #2, nor should RCF be taken out of consideration for attending Westland.

It is blatantly unfair to make certain schools bear the brunt of bussing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Somerset and Westbrook should absolutely not be taken out of consideration for attending middle school #2, nor should RCF be taken out of consideration for attending Westland.

It is blatantly unfair to make certain schools bear the brunt of bussing.

But busing is the result to parents wanting to send their kids to better schools than they naturally align with. If everyone went to the closest schools, BCC wouldn't have to deal with the entitled parents East of Beach. But they do and if RCF and the like all go to #2 people will scream that the western schools were dumping their brown kids into the new school. Proximity and busing (note the one S pp) are not the primary concern, it is groups like the NAACP ensuring the sliver of silver spring kids get primary considerations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Somerset and Westbrook should absolutely not be taken out of consideration for attending middle school #2, nor should RCF be taken out of consideration for attending Westland.

It is blatantly unfair to make certain schools bear the brunt of bussing.

But busing is the result to parents wanting to send their kids to better schools than they naturally align with. If everyone went to the closest schools, BCC wouldn't have to deal with the entitled parents East of Beach. But they do and if RCF and the like all go to #2 people will scream that the western schools were dumping their brown kids into the new school. Proximity and busing (note the one S pp) are not the primary concern, it is groups like the NAACP ensuring the sliver of silver spring kids get primary considerations.

Why do you have such a chip on your shoulder about kids who live East of Beach being in BCC? What's with using words like "entitled"?
BCC is way closer to RCF than any other high school.

[Anonymous]

So how about this for groupings:

CC, NCC, and Somerset
RCF, Bethesda, and Westbrook

One goes to one MS, the other goes to a different MS.

The groups are pretty balanced in size, probably balanced for SES and race.

Then the decision would be which group gets which building? One groups goes to Westland, another goes to MS #2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So how about this for groupings:

CC, NCC, and Somerset
RCF, Bethesda, and Westbrook

One goes to one MS, the other goes to a different MS.

The groups are pretty balanced in size, probably balanced for SES and race.

Then the decision would be which group gets which building? One groups goes to Westland, another goes to MS #2.

That doesn't sound bad... it would be a way to equitably distribute the FARMS rate and make sure that Westland doesn't become another Pyle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So how about this for groupings:

CC, NCC, and Somerset
RCF, Bethesda, and Westbrook

One goes to one MS, the other goes to a different MS.

The groups are pretty balanced in size, probably balanced for SES and race.

Then the decision would be which group gets which building? One groups goes to Westland, another goes to MS #2.

Why not do it in such a way that busing is minimized? Saves money, allows for greater scheduling flexibility, and makes families happier. Not to mention, makes life a little less stressful for the kids (oh yeah, the kids, who cares about them?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FARMS rates are what MCPS will look at when deciding the boundaries. They don't care whether you are middle class or upper. They care about the number of poverty level students which is determined by the FARMS rate. That population needs the most financial and personnel resources because they have the highest ESOL needs and academic failure rates.

Each school contributes around 80 to 100 students.

Westbrook <5 percent FARMS
Somerset <5 percent FARMS
Bethesda 6.7 percent FARMS
Chevy Chase 14 percent FARMS
NCC 14 percent FARMS
Rock Creek Forest 24.3 percent FARMS

If you split geographically...

CCES, NCC, RCF which have a combined average FARMS rate of (24.3+14+14)/3 or 17.4 percent FARMS rate

Bethesda, Westbrook, Somerset have a combined average FARMS rate of (0+0+6.7)/3 or 2.23 percent FARMS rate.

You can see the socio-economic imbalance that would exist at the new middle school with a straight up geographic split. I foresee the Bethesda, Westbrook, Somerset consortium pushing hard for this option, this way Westland could emulate Pyle with it's lily white less than 5 percent FARMS rate.

A poster has written about the diversity the new apartments in Bethesda will bring. Families living at or below the FARMS rate are not going to be residents of those very expensive high rise apartments.

What's funny is, I'm a Westbrook parent and I would actually like more economic/racial diversity at our school. I don't think our school is any better than any other MCPS school, and I'd be delighted to have my kid in a school that resembles the kind of diversity we grew up with. But I don't want to bus my kid across town. If I were a CCES or RCF parent, I wouldn't want to bus my kid across town either.

[Anonymous]

Why are we talking about bussing? Almost everyone will have to be bussed, regardless of who goes where. Only the Westbrook kids can walk to Westland and only about half the current NCC kids can walk to the new school. It's not as if the CC kids will be able to walk to MS#2, they will still have to get on a bus. Yes, the trip can be shortened and I know that getting to Westland is a pain for most but most everyone will still have driving to do regardless.