Overcrowding at Bethesda Elementary (BE)

[Anonymous]

Lynbrook was looked at as part of the siting decisions over Silver Creek MS and my recollection is that it’s been essentially vacant so long that they decided they’d have to tear it down and rebuild.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[

The problem isn’t the Principle or the teachers, it’s the number of kids. And it’s not a class size thing; there are just too many kids crammed into a small physical plant. There’s only one lunchroom and gym. You can’t just keep adding classes. The school has at least 100 too many kids now. What most parents who aren’t all up in County politics wonder is this: why don’t they refurbish and reopen Lynbrook? Half the kids at BE live in East Bethesda. They could all walk to school. If that can’t happen, send some kids to Chevy Chase ES. These of course seem like fartoo practical solutions, so they’ll never happen.

As far as I know, this is included in the study of options for Bethesda ES.

It would probably be pretty outdated and would need a very expensive refurbishment. At least from the outside it doesn't look so hot and the playground is crap -- unless they're going to use the neighborhood playground down the hill. And presumably it costs more to reopen a school in terms of additional staff than to add space and fewer staff to an existing school. You'd need a new principal, new office staff, etc ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[

The problem isn’t the Principle or the teachers, it’s the number of kids. And it’s not a class size thing; there are just too many kids crammed into a small physical plant. There’s only one lunchroom and gym. You can’t just keep adding classes. The school has at least 100 too many kids now. What most parents who aren’t all up in County politics wonder is this: why don’t they refurbish and reopen Lynbrook? Half the kids at BE live in East Bethesda. They could all walk to school. If that can’t happen, send some kids to Chevy Chase ES. These of course seem like fartoo practical solutions, so they’ll never happen.

As far as I know, this is included in the study of options for Bethesda ES.

Great, but my point is, it’s a problem *now*, and while studies are being done, kids are suffering. The bureaucratic sluggishness is a killer.

But you can't just up and reopen Lynbrook ES *now*. You'd basically have to tear it down and build a whole new school. So that's $25-30 million. Which would have to come out of the MCPS capital budget, just like all of the other capital needs.

It's not bureaucratic sluggishness, it's lack of $$$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[

The problem isn’t the Principle or the teachers, it’s the number of kids. And it’s not a class size thing; there are just too many kids crammed into a small physical plant. There’s only one lunchroom and gym. You can’t just keep adding classes. The school has at least 100 too many kids now. What most parents who aren’t all up in County politics wonder is this: why don’t they refurbish and reopen Lynbrook? Half the kids at BE live in East Bethesda. They could all walk to school. If that can’t happen, send some kids to Chevy Chase ES. These of course seem like fartoo practical solutions, so they’ll never happen.

As far as I know, this is included in the study of options for Bethesda ES.

Great, but my point is, it’s a problem *now*, and while studies are being done, kids are suffering. The bureaucratic sluggishness is a killer.

But you can't just up and reopen Lynbrook ES *now*. You'd basically have to tear it down and build a whole new school. So that's $25-30 million. Which would have to come out of the MCPS capital budget, just like all of the other capital needs.

It's not bureaucratic sluggishness, it's lack of $$$.

And time. Even if you had the money, it would take several years to do 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.

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.

They were trying to a boundary study which hasn't been done in over a decade but mcps parents threaten to die if their kid gets redistricted to a school with a lower gs rating than their current rating. Because your high mortgage was predicated on that.great schools rating do you're entitled to attend am overcrowded gs 9

lol
+1000

[Anonymous]

Still no comment on the elephant in the room??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Still no comment on the elephant in the room??

What would that be?