Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over the past decade our school is gone from capacity to 20 something percent over capacity. It's really overcrowded. I wish more people would on enroll. They're just not building all these new schools like Woodward fast enough to deal with all the growth. I saw an ad from Blair the other day saying he wanted to build 30,000 more affordable housing units. All I could think about was do we have schools for all those new students?

During the pandemic, our W school brought in a bunch of portables. I guess because of the projected enrollment. They have sat empty for two years.

W's get all the resources.

You do realize each portable costs about $80,000 plus the cost of installation? And you do realize that portables have a history of growing mold that affects the health of teachers and students?

Such a waste. The money would have been better used fixing the HVAC in the school.

The HVAC has nothing to do with portables. The portables are about space and $80K isn't bad for the price.

MCPS is wasting over $80K a unit that isn't even in use? I hope that's reported to the Maryland IG.

Did they use it at one point?

What point would that have been? No need during FY21 because of online learning then hybrid learning the last quarter. They are not being used this year. So no, they have not been used for the two years they have been in place.

BTW the HVAC system is notoriously breaking down. Some classrooms are saunas while others are freezing. The lack of air filtration isn’t great when COVID is a problem in the school. Classes have about 32 students per class so more teachers (including substitutes when teachers are in quarantine) are all things money would be better spent on.

Saying they weren't used as schools were virtual is silly. Come MS and HS, 30+ students is normal at every school. If you want lower numbers in K-3rd, you need to go to a title one or focus school.

30+ students maybe normal in MCPS, however it’s not a best practice in teaching. Teachers are burning out and it’s impossible to meet the individual needs of students at 30+ students. This is especially true given gaps in learning many students have from online learning. MCPS is wasting tons of money instead of focusing on decreasing class sizes and services for students.

Agreed. Just because MCPS is forcing such large class sizes, does not mean it’s best for students. It’s actually terrible.

And also agree that MCPS wastes an incredible amount of money on initiatives that have very little benefit for students.

In order to reduce class sizes, they'd have to bring in more portables or build more schools. But, agree much more can be done.

So the PP who was claiming enrollment was declining has been dismissed as another kook?

The proof of declining enrollment has already been sited in this thread. The discussion moved on to MCPS unethical waste of funds.

It's declining so much they can't build new schools fast enough to keep up with the rate of growth! Sorry but your crazy fictions don't line up with reality the rest of us are living.

Huh? 12 pages and every single point was well-cited. You two clowns were the only two that based their entire narrative on your own fabricated reality!

If you mean just personal anecdoes that are impossible to prove one way or the other sure.

But what about BOCCE!!!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The MCPS enrollment figures did drop, so not sure why anyone argues about that? The other person cited a SY 2010-11 figure of 144,000? And in 2019 it was 165,267, but then in Sep 7, 2020 dropped to 162,656 and the official Fall 2020 dropped again to 160,564 Students.
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/mcps-enrollment-down-more-than-2000-students-through-first-week-of-school/

The answer about the class size issue is "it depends." Over half are over-utilized and 19 schools are under-utilized (meaning enrollment numbers are below 80% of the school’s program capacity). This report explains it well:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/publicinfo/Boundary_Analysis/interim-report/01_Introduction.pdf

But I don't think that utilization is the big story here. My question is about who got bigger slices of pie. What's interesting is that some schools lined up for capital improvement are officially under capacity (Poolesville, for example) and some that are crumbling (Ex. Wootton) are kicked to the curb. Ex. Poolesville is way out in the middle of nowhere, is currently underutilized, yet is increasing its seat capacity while Watkins Mill, Springbrook, Magruder, BCC are all 300 over utilization according to this document:
https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/Archive_MP20_EntireBook.pdf

Why? No idea.

So they've gone up like 30% over the past decade but dropped briefly during a pandemic? Umm okay - sounds like your arguing semantics to confuse people into buying into a false narrative here.

The trend over the past couple of years is decreasing enrollment. People have lost faith in MCPS. What is your source to show enrollment will be going up?

The few families I knew that left during DL have now returned. It seems like you're just trying to spin this into something that it isn't.

And the few families I know left and are happy with private. MCPS said people who left during online learning would come back this year but the reality is that numbers declined further.

The date of the county published shows enrollment next year is on the rise. So it looks like people are returning at least most of them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The MCPS enrollment figures did drop, so not sure why anyone argues about that? The other person cited a SY 2010-11 figure of 144,000? And in 2019 it was 165,267, but then in Sep 7, 2020 dropped to 162,656 and the official Fall 2020 dropped again to 160,564 Students.
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/mcps-enrollment-down-more-than-2000-students-through-first-week-of-school/

The answer about the class size issue is "it depends." Over half are over-utilized and 19 schools are under-utilized (meaning enrollment numbers are below 80% of the school’s program capacity). This report explains it well:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/publicinfo/Boundary_Analysis/interim-report/01_Introduction.pdf

But I don't think that utilization is the big story here. My question is about who got bigger slices of pie. What's interesting is that some schools lined up for capital improvement are officially under capacity (Poolesville, for example) and some that are crumbling (Ex. Wootton) are kicked to the curb. Ex. Poolesville is way out in the middle of nowhere, is currently underutilized, yet is increasing its seat capacity while Watkins Mill, Springbrook, Magruder, BCC are all 300 over utilization according to this document:
https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/Archive_MP20_EntireBook.pdf

Why? No idea.

So they've gone up like 30% over the past decade but dropped briefly during a pandemic? Umm okay - sounds like your arguing semantics to confuse people into buying into a false narrative here.

The trend over the past couple of years is decreasing enrollment. People have lost faith in MCPS. What is your source to show enrollment will be going up?

The few families I knew that left during DL have now returned. It seems like you're just trying to spin this into something that it isn't.

And the few families I know left and are happy with private. MCPS said people who left during online learning would come back this year but the reality is that numbers declined further.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The MCPS enrollment figures did drop, so not sure why anyone argues about that? The other person cited a SY 2010-11 figure of 144,000? And in 2019 it was 165,267, but then in Sep 7, 2020 dropped to 162,656 and the official Fall 2020 dropped again to 160,564 Students.
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/mcps-enrollment-down-more-than-2000-students-through-first-week-of-school/

The answer about the class size issue is "it depends." Over half are over-utilized and 19 schools are under-utilized (meaning enrollment numbers are below 80% of the school’s program capacity). This report explains it well:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/publicinfo/Boundary_Analysis/interim-report/01_Introduction.pdf

But I don't think that utilization is the big story here. My question is about who got bigger slices of pie. What's interesting is that some schools lined up for capital improvement are officially under capacity (Poolesville, for example) and some that are crumbling (Ex. Wootton) are kicked to the curb. Ex. Poolesville is way out in the middle of nowhere, is currently underutilized, yet is increasing its seat capacity while Watkins Mill, Springbrook, Magruder, BCC are all 300 over utilization according to this document:
https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/Archive_MP20_EntireBook.pdf

Why? No idea.

So they've gone up like 30% over the past decade but dropped briefly during a pandemic? Umm okay - sounds like your arguing semantics to confuse people into buying into a false narrative here.

The trend over the past couple of years is decreasing enrollment. People have lost faith in MCPS. What is your source to show enrollment will be going up?

The few families I knew that left during DL have now returned. It seems like you're just trying to spin this into something that it isn't.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The MCPS enrollment figures did drop, so not sure why anyone argues about that? The other person cited a SY 2010-11 figure of 144,000? And in 2019 it was 165,267, but then in Sep 7, 2020 dropped to 162,656 and the official Fall 2020 dropped again to 160,564 Students.
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/mcps-enrollment-down-more-than-2000-students-through-first-week-of-school/

The answer about the class size issue is "it depends." Over half are over-utilized and 19 schools are under-utilized (meaning enrollment numbers are below 80% of the school’s program capacity). This report explains it well:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/publicinfo/Boundary_Analysis/interim-report/01_Introduction.pdf

But I don't think that utilization is the big story here. My question is about who got bigger slices of pie. What's interesting is that some schools lined up for capital improvement are officially under capacity (Poolesville, for example) and some that are crumbling (Ex. Wootton) are kicked to the curb. Ex. Poolesville is way out in the middle of nowhere, is currently underutilized, yet is increasing its seat capacity while Watkins Mill, Springbrook, Magruder, BCC are all 300 over utilization according to this document:
https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/Archive_MP20_EntireBook.pdf

Why? No idea.

So they've gone up like 30% over the past decade but dropped briefly during a pandemic? Umm okay - sounds like your arguing semantics to confuse people into buying into a false narrative here.

The trend over the past couple of years is decreasing enrollment. People have lost faith in MCPS. What is your source to show enrollment will be going up?

The trend over the last few decades says increasing with a small decline during covid. I think that's why so many schools are overcrowded.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The MCPS enrollment figures did drop, so not sure why anyone argues about that? The other person cited a SY 2010-11 figure of 144,000? And in 2019 it was 165,267, but then in Sep 7, 2020 dropped to 162,656 and the official Fall 2020 dropped again to 160,564 Students.
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/mcps-enrollment-down-more-than-2000-students-through-first-week-of-school/

The answer about the class size issue is "it depends." Over half are over-utilized and 19 schools are under-utilized (meaning enrollment numbers are below 80% of the school’s program capacity). This report explains it well:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/publicinfo/Boundary_Analysis/interim-report/01_Introduction.pdf

But I don't think that utilization is the big story here. My question is about who got bigger slices of pie. What's interesting is that some schools lined up for capital improvement are officially under capacity (Poolesville, for example) and some that are crumbling (Ex. Wootton) are kicked to the curb. Ex. Poolesville is way out in the middle of nowhere, is currently underutilized, yet is increasing its seat capacity while Watkins Mill, Springbrook, Magruder, BCC are all 300 over utilization according to this document:
https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/Archive_MP20_EntireBook.pdf

Why? No idea.

So they've gone up like 30% over the past decade but dropped briefly during a pandemic? Umm okay - sounds like your arguing semantics to confuse people into buying into a false narrative here.

The trend over the past couple of years is decreasing enrollment. People have lost faith in MCPS. What is your source to show enrollment will be going up?

Anonymous wrote:The MCPS enrollment figures did drop, so not sure why anyone argues about that? The other person cited a SY 2010-11 figure of 144,000? And in 2019 it was 165,267, but then in Sep 7, 2020 dropped to 162,656 and the official Fall 2020 dropped again to 160,564 Students.
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/mcps-enrollment-down-more-than-2000-students-through-first-week-of-school/

The answer about the class size issue is "it depends." Over half are over-utilized and 19 schools are under-utilized (meaning enrollment numbers are below 80% of the school’s program capacity). This report explains it well:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/publicinfo/Boundary_Analysis/interim-report/01_Introduction.pdf

But I don't think that utilization is the big story here. My question is about who got bigger slices of pie. What's interesting is that some schools lined up for capital improvement are officially under capacity (Poolesville, for example) and some that are crumbling (Ex. Wootton) are kicked to the curb. Ex. Poolesville is way out in the middle of nowhere, is currently underutilized, yet is increasing its seat capacity while Watkins Mill, Springbrook, Magruder, BCC are all 300 over utilization according to this document:
https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/Archive_MP20_EntireBook.pdf

Why? No idea.

So they've gone up like 30% over the past decade but dropped briefly during a pandemic? Umm okay - sounds like your arguing semantics to confuse people into buying into a false narrative here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over the past decade our school is gone from capacity to 20 something percent over capacity. It's really overcrowded. I wish more people would on enroll. They're just not building all these new schools like Woodward fast enough to deal with all the growth. I saw an ad from Blair the other day saying he wanted to build 30,000 more affordable housing units. All I could think about was do we have schools for all those new students?

During the pandemic, our W school brought in a bunch of portables. I guess because of the projected enrollment. They have sat empty for two years.

W's get all the resources.

You do realize each portable costs about $80,000 plus the cost of installation? And you do realize that portables have a history of growing mold that affects the health of teachers and students?

Such a waste. The money would have been better used fixing the HVAC in the school.

The HVAC has nothing to do with portables. The portables are about space and $80K isn't bad for the price.

MCPS is wasting over $80K a unit that isn't even in use? I hope that's reported to the Maryland IG.

Did they use it at one point?

What point would that have been? No need during FY21 because of online learning then hybrid learning the last quarter. They are not being used this year. So no, they have not been used for the two years they have been in place.

BTW the HVAC system is notoriously breaking down. Some classrooms are saunas while others are freezing. The lack of air filtration isn’t great when COVID is a problem in the school. Classes have about 32 students per class so more teachers (including substitutes when teachers are in quarantine) are all things money would be better spent on.

Saying they weren't used as schools were virtual is silly. Come MS and HS, 30+ students is normal at every school. If you want lower numbers in K-3rd, you need to go to a title one or focus school.

30+ students maybe normal in MCPS, however it’s not a best practice in teaching. Teachers are burning out and it’s impossible to meet the individual needs of students at 30+ students. This is especially true given gaps in learning many students have from online learning. MCPS is wasting tons of money instead of focusing on decreasing class sizes and services for students.

Agreed. Just because MCPS is forcing such large class sizes, does not mean it’s best for students. It’s actually terrible.

And also agree that MCPS wastes an incredible amount of money on initiatives that have very little benefit for students.

In order to reduce class sizes, they'd have to bring in more portables or build more schools. But, agree much more can be done.

So the PP who was claiming enrollment was declining has been dismissed as another kook?

The proof of declining enrollment has already been sited in this thread. The discussion moved on to MCPS unethical waste of funds.

It's declining so much they can't build new schools fast enough to keep up with the rate of growth! Sorry but your crazy fictions don't line up with reality the rest of us are living.

Huh? 12 pages and every single point was well-cited. You two clowns were the only two that based their entire narrative on your own fabricated reality!

If you mean just personal anecdoes that are impossible to prove one way or the other sure.

The MCPS enrollment figures did drop, so not sure why anyone argues about that? The other person cited a SY 2010-11 figure of 144,000? And in 2019 it was 165,267, but then in Sep 7, 2020 dropped to 162,656 and the official Fall 2020 dropped again to 160,564 Students.
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/mcps-enrollment-down-more-than-2000-students-through-first-week-of-school/

The answer about the class size issue is "it depends." Over half are over-utilized and 19 schools are under-utilized (meaning enrollment numbers are below 80% of the school’s program capacity). This report explains it well:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/publicinfo/Boundary_Analysis/interim-report/01_Introduction.pdf

But I don't think that utilization is the big story here. My question is about who got bigger slices of pie. What's interesting is that some schools lined up for capital improvement are officially under capacity (Poolesville, for example) and some that are crumbling (Ex. Wootton) are kicked to the curb. Ex. Poolesville is way out in the middle of nowhere, is currently underutilized, yet is increasing its seat capacity while Watkins Mill, Springbrook, Magruder, BCC are all 300 over utilization according to this document:
https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/Archive_MP20_EntireBook.pdf

Why? No idea.

Anonymous wrote:So 12 pages of posts and not a single instance of MCPS being unethical just a few anonymous personal anecdotes...

Hmm. So you're saying that MCPS is squeaky clean for each one of these issues?

Spending 11 million in outside counsel
Spending ESSER III covid money on discrimination training, Kid Museum, bocce ball, etc.
Department of Education Office of Civil Rights last summer:
Ranked #5 in # Disability Discrimination Open Investigations of public school systems
Ranked #6 in # Sex Discrimination Open Investigations of public school systems
Ranked #5 in # Race Discrimination Open Investigations of public school systems
MSDE Letters of Findings for IDEA complaints
FOIA request for Resolution Agreements MCPS signed with OCR
High number of retaliation complaints being investigated by OCR
Excessive Office of Communication funding (implied they're monitoring social media and doing PR work)
Unused portable classrooms at a W.
Past five years of CFP's
Putting magnets in the opposite corners of the county where they're largely inaccessible by the rest of the county
Magnet lottery (versus merit-based)

Hmm. And your references are? (Drop links for each one pls.)

+1 Who’s the MCPS troll? Arguing that the sky is red when everyone can tell it’s blue doesn’t make the sky red.

MCPS really thinks anyone believes their gaslighting tactics? Another example of a lack of ethics in MCPS that they have their own propaganda machine that works on weekends and holidays.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over the past decade our school is gone from capacity to 20 something percent over capacity. It's really overcrowded. I wish more people would on enroll. They're just not building all these new schools like Woodward fast enough to deal with all the growth. I saw an ad from Blair the other day saying he wanted to build 30,000 more affordable housing units. All I could think about was do we have schools for all those new students?

During the pandemic, our W school brought in a bunch of portables. I guess because of the projected enrollment. They have sat empty for two years.

W's get all the resources.

You do realize each portable costs about $80,000 plus the cost of installation? And you do realize that portables have a history of growing mold that affects the health of teachers and students?

Such a waste. The money would have been better used fixing the HVAC in the school.

The HVAC has nothing to do with portables. The portables are about space and $80K isn't bad for the price.

MCPS is wasting over $80K a unit that isn't even in use? I hope that's reported to the Maryland IG.

Did they use it at one point?

What point would that have been? No need during FY21 because of online learning then hybrid learning the last quarter. They are not being used this year. So no, they have not been used for the two years they have been in place.

BTW the HVAC system is notoriously breaking down. Some classrooms are saunas while others are freezing. The lack of air filtration isn’t great when COVID is a problem in the school. Classes have about 32 students per class so more teachers (including substitutes when teachers are in quarantine) are all things money would be better spent on.

Saying they weren't used as schools were virtual is silly. Come MS and HS, 30+ students is normal at every school. If you want lower numbers in K-3rd, you need to go to a title one or focus school.

30+ students maybe normal in MCPS, however it’s not a best practice in teaching. Teachers are burning out and it’s impossible to meet the individual needs of students at 30+ students. This is especially true given gaps in learning many students have from online learning. MCPS is wasting tons of money instead of focusing on decreasing class sizes and services for students.

Agreed. Just because MCPS is forcing such large class sizes, does not mean it’s best for students. It’s actually terrible.

And also agree that MCPS wastes an incredible amount of money on initiatives that have very little benefit for students.

In order to reduce class sizes, they'd have to bring in more portables or build more schools. But, agree much more can be done.

So the PP who was claiming enrollment was declining has been dismissed as another kook?

The proof of declining enrollment has already been sited in this thread. The discussion moved on to MCPS unethical waste of funds.

It's declining so much they can't build new schools fast enough to keep up with the rate of growth! Sorry but your crazy fictions don't line up with reality the rest of us are living.

Huh? 12 pages and every single point was well-cited. You two clowns were the only two that based their entire narrative on your own fabricated reality!

Anonymous wrote:So 12 pages of posts and not a single instance of MCPS being unethical just a few anonymous personal anecdotes...

Yep...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over the past decade our school is gone from capacity to 20 something percent over capacity. It's really overcrowded. I wish more people would on enroll. They're just not building all these new schools like Woodward fast enough to deal with all the growth. I saw an ad from Blair the other day saying he wanted to build 30,000 more affordable housing units. All I could think about was do we have schools for all those new students?

During the pandemic, our W school brought in a bunch of portables. I guess because of the projected enrollment. They have sat empty for two years.

W's get all the resources.

You do realize each portable costs about $80,000 plus the cost of installation? And you do realize that portables have a history of growing mold that affects the health of teachers and students?

Such a waste. The money would have been better used fixing the HVAC in the school.

The HVAC has nothing to do with portables. The portables are about space and $80K isn't bad for the price.

MCPS is wasting over $80K a unit that isn't even in use? I hope that's reported to the Maryland IG.

Did they use it at one point?

What point would that have been? No need during FY21 because of online learning then hybrid learning the last quarter. They are not being used this year. So no, they have not been used for the two years they have been in place.

BTW the HVAC system is notoriously breaking down. Some classrooms are saunas while others are freezing. The lack of air filtration isn’t great when COVID is a problem in the school. Classes have about 32 students per class so more teachers (including substitutes when teachers are in quarantine) are all things money would be better spent on.

Saying they weren't used as schools were virtual is silly. Come MS and HS, 30+ students is normal at every school. If you want lower numbers in K-3rd, you need to go to a title one or focus school.

30+ students maybe normal in MCPS, however it’s not a best practice in teaching. Teachers are burning out and it’s impossible to meet the individual needs of students at 30+ students. This is especially true given gaps in learning many students have from online learning. MCPS is wasting tons of money instead of focusing on decreasing class sizes and services for students.

Agreed. Just because MCPS is forcing such large class sizes, does not mean it’s best for students. It’s actually terrible.

And also agree that MCPS wastes an incredible amount of money on initiatives that have very little benefit for students.

In order to reduce class sizes, they'd have to bring in more portables or build more schools. But, agree much more can be done.

So the PP who was claiming enrollment was declining has been dismissed as another kook?

That's not what was said. However, enrollment always fluctuates year to year.

Sometimes but if you take a longer term view it's way the H*LL UP! That's why they keep building new schools and everyplace is overcrowded. Duh!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over the past decade our school is gone from capacity to 20 something percent over capacity. It's really overcrowded. I wish more people would on enroll. They're just not building all these new schools like Woodward fast enough to deal with all the growth. I saw an ad from Blair the other day saying he wanted to build 30,000 more affordable housing units. All I could think about was do we have schools for all those new students?

During the pandemic, our W school brought in a bunch of portables. I guess because of the projected enrollment. They have sat empty for two years.

W's get all the resources.

You do realize each portable costs about $80,000 plus the cost of installation? And you do realize that portables have a history of growing mold that affects the health of teachers and students?

Such a waste. The money would have been better used fixing the HVAC in the school.

The HVAC has nothing to do with portables. The portables are about space and $80K isn't bad for the price.

MCPS is wasting over $80K a unit that isn't even in use? I hope that's reported to the Maryland IG.

Did they use it at one point?

What point would that have been? No need during FY21 because of online learning then hybrid learning the last quarter. They are not being used this year. So no, they have not been used for the two years they have been in place.

BTW the HVAC system is notoriously breaking down. Some classrooms are saunas while others are freezing. The lack of air filtration isn’t great when COVID is a problem in the school. Classes have about 32 students per class so more teachers (including substitutes when teachers are in quarantine) are all things money would be better spent on.

Saying they weren't used as schools were virtual is silly. Come MS and HS, 30+ students is normal at every school. If you want lower numbers in K-3rd, you need to go to a title one or focus school.

30+ students maybe normal in MCPS, however it’s not a best practice in teaching. Teachers are burning out and it’s impossible to meet the individual needs of students at 30+ students. This is especially true given gaps in learning many students have from online learning. MCPS is wasting tons of money instead of focusing on decreasing class sizes and services for students.

Agreed. Just because MCPS is forcing such large class sizes, does not mean it’s best for students. It’s actually terrible.

And also agree that MCPS wastes an incredible amount of money on initiatives that have very little benefit for students.

In order to reduce class sizes, they'd have to bring in more portables or build more schools. But, agree much more can be done.

So the PP who was claiming enrollment was declining has been dismissed as another kook?

That's not what was said. However, enrollment always fluctuates year to year.