Reply to Option H is permanent and the old Wootton HS campus will be closed for good?

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Reply to "Option H is permanent and the old Wootton HS campus will be closed for good?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Not trolling but trying to understand whether there is any valid basis to the “illegality” argument other than just posturing: these boundary study options are merely just options - Taylor may ultimately decide to propose to the council a modified version of one of the options or something entirely different. Survey responses aren’t votes and aren’t binding on them. If they do decide to close Wootton, they have plenty of time to notice public hearings and conduct impact studies. What is the basis for folks believing that all this work must be done prematurely? [/quote]

Because you are genuinely asking: any lawyer worth their salt would know there is no legal standing yet because you are right there is no harm done. That’s why the argument isn’t mcps is violating the law—the argument is Option H is violating the law. Hence, if Option H is chosen, MCPS is in violation of the law.

Lawyers use notices all the time to warn institutions. If you do this, we will be forced to sue you. [/quote]

Response got cut off.
To your second part—can’t they start all this process after going with H. The answer is no. MCPS can’t decide to do something without first doing all the things required. The point of the law isn’t so that MCPS can perform a checklist for the sake of doing so. The point of the law is to have good-faith engagement and impact studies. Thats why procedure matters. If Mcps decides first to close, then there is no point in doing all the things the state requires—their minds are made up. That’s why the law requires these protections before a decision is made. [/quote]

That doesn't make any sense. You need to make a decision to begin the process at all. Proposing something is not the same thing as making the final decision.

The whole thing is silly, though. Option H isn't closing a school. Keep the name and the boundary the same for a year if it is important to emphasize that. [/quote]

So that’s precisely why option H is dangerous. It’s mixing school closure and boundary at the same time (and even CIP). All of these are separate administrative and procedural decisions. They aren’t supposed to influence or be decided based on each other. That’s why the water surrounding H is already dirty.

To consider whether or not to close a school isn’t really a fair decision when it comes at the tail end and as a result of millions of dollars spent on a farce of a boundary study spanning across years. It would mean MCPS gave the illusion of choice and are only looking for facts to support its conclusion.

I’m not going to feed the trolls and explain why this is a school closure. There’s pages and pages on this thread about this. There’s also that modified H being floated.

Plus the person above made is super clear. What is staying the same? Name, kids, teachers, location. [/quote]

Yes, decisions get complicated. That isn't a reason to avoid them.

Even if you consider this a school closure, they're already following the spirit of the law regarding transparency and engagement , and to the extent that there might be additional steps, there are opportunities to do that. School closures never come up lightly. What you're suggesting now is that a district could never propose closing a school, as you're saying you can't even make the decision to even propose a closure without first going through a process. Turtles all the way down.

I'm coming around to the idea of phasing in the boundary changes a year after moving the school, just to emphasize the ridiculousness of the Wootton position and avoid attempts to drag it into court.[/quote]

You pretended to act like the defendant’s attorney, but you can’t avoid attempts to drag this into court. Wootton families feel threatened to lose their 55 year school and no way they’ll not attempt to bring lawsuits to MCPS. Any other schools facing the same situation would sue MCPS. 
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