The board decided in favor of Option A and I am honestly still in shock that our efforts reached this result. This outcome belongs entirely to you since I never expected such a response when I first hit publish. Please keep an eye on the school board updates to ensure …
February 25, 2014
Final supporters
.
There are currently 2 options that will be proposed to the BCPS school board to address overcrowding in elementary schools in our area and re-draw boundary lines to populate the new Mays Chapel elementary school.
OPTION HIGHLIGHTS
Demographics: Option A provides a better demographic balance for all of the involved schools. Therefore, Option A better conforms to the BCPS redistricting criterion of maintaining socioeconomic diversity at ALL schools. This is important because we want all of the children in the area to have the best chance to succeed academically. Research shows that students of all socio-economic levels will perform better academically when they are in a mixed socio-economic school rather than one with a high percentage of lower socioeconomic status students. Therefore, BCPS should choose an option that provides a better demographic balance among all schools.
Option B would exacerbate the current imbalance of socioeconomic diversity (measured by the percentage of students receiving free or reduced price meals - referred to as the FARMS percentage)at central areas schools. The 10 schools in the central area have an average FARMS of 20%, but most of this percentage is concentrated at Padonia, Warren, and Pot Spring schools. Neither of the redistricting options on the table would greatly affect the demographics of Padonia or Warren, but the two options have very different impacts on Pot Spring. Option B would increase the FARM% at Pot Spring Elementary from 41% to 48% while keeping the FARM% at neighboring Pinewood and Timonium schools very low—6% and 9%, respectively. On the other hand, Option A would slightly lower the FARM% at Pot Spring (to 39%) while Pinewood and Timonium would still remain under the area average at 10% and 19%, respectively.
The FARM% at Pot Spring has increased by 20% in the last five years and Pot Spring has not received additional resources to offset this increase. It is critical to select a redistricting option that mitigates this trend.
We find it unacceptable that any plan would increase the FARM% at a school that already has more than double the area average of FARMs students. Pot Spring does a great job educating students of diverse socio-economic levels; let’s not stretch the school’s resources so thin that the level of service drops. Minor increases in the FARM percentages at multiple schools will allow all of the schools in the central area to maintain their high achievement.
Relieving Overcrowding: The redistricting process is supposed to provide relief to overcrowded schools, but in Option B two schools that are not slated for additional construction in the next couple of years still remain OVER CAPACITY- Riderwood 102% and Timonium 107%. Although Riderwood would only be slightly over-enrolled at first, their enrollment is projected to increase over time, so it makes sense to provide relief now rather than later. Option A relieves overcrowding by reducing Riderwood and Timonium to fit their capacity while also keeping other schools that are not anticipating relief in the near future at or below capacity.
Concluding Remarks: We know that there is a vocal group of parents who support Option B only because this Option would leave their school untouched. We think that Option B has been recommended primarily because it affects the least number of students overall. However, this difference is negligible because Option B impacts 15% of the students that live in the boundaries of the 10 schools and Option A impacts 16%. Either way, most students stay at their current school. It does not make sense to favor an Option just because it affects 1% fewer students. Furthermore, the number of students affected has never been part of the redistricting criteria!
We urge the board to make a decision that adheres to the BCPS redistricting criteria rather than one that merely appeases a vocal subset of its constituents.
We are requesting your signature to petition the BCPS Board to select Option A when considering the redistricting options for the BCPS elementary schools.
Below is a list of upcoming meetings. There is a group ready to speak at each meeting with prepared statements.
YOUR ATTENDANCE IS URGED AS A SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR OUR SCHOOL.
February 11 – School Board Meeting – Recommendation made to the Board at this meeting – ESS Building 7pm
February 25 – School Board Meeting – ESS Building 630pm
February 26 – Public Hearing - Loch Raven High School 7:00pm
March 11 – School Board Meeting– Board Decision will be announced -- ESS Building 7:00pm
Blog with current updates: http://potspringstrong.blogspot.com/
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
February 7, 2014
February 6, 2014
I truly never imagined that one hundred people would feel strongly enough about this to add their names to the list. I am just a neighbor who saw a problem and this response belongs entirely to all of you.
February 6, 2014
I am truly overwhelmed by the momentum behind this request. This progress belongs entirely to the parents and community neighbors who saw the need for balance and decided to speak up.
Reached 100 supporters
February 3, 2014
February 1, 2014
I am honestly overwhelmed by how many people have signed so far. If you have a moment today, please send this link to a neighbor to help us reach that hundred mark.
109 Comments
Option A is more equitable for the area as a whole, and will use NATURAL BOUNDARIES to divide schools. Elementary schools are neighborhood schools.
Option A will reduced traffic to the entire York Rd/Falls Rd area as compared to B. It will also greatly reduce transportation costs to the county. Option A also accomplishes the diversity goal by making ALL schools more diverse. In Option B Pinewood, Riderwood, and Timonium have virtually NO diversity at all.
As a retired Baltimore Co. teacher and someone who has substitued at Pot Spring Ele. I support Option A which would provide a better demographic balance for ALL of the involved schools.
As it appears Option B would require bussing of students further away from the schools they currently attend, it should be voted down. One need only look to the history of bussing students to realize it creates as many problems as it solves.
Support Option A Do a better job of balancing the % of FARM kids among the existing schools. Pot Spring has too many already, with no additional resources to offset the associated costs.
Query -- could the much hyped "shrinking" kindergarten enrollment at Riderwood have anything to do with parents from a certain neighborhood waiting to register?
Option A seems better to me even though some children will have to spend way too much time on the school bus!
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The board decided in favor of Option A and I am honestly still in shock that our efforts reached this result. This outcome belongs entirely to you since I never expected such a response when I first hit publish. Please keep an eye on the school board updates to ensure …
February 25, 2014
Final supporters
.
There are currently 2 options that will be proposed to the BCPS school board to address overcrowding in elementary schools in our area and re-draw boundary lines to populate the new Mays Chapel elementary school.
OPTION HIGHLIGHTS
Demographics: Option A provides a better demographic balance for all of the involved schools. Therefore, Option A better conforms to the BCPS redistricting criterion of maintaining socioeconomic diversity at ALL schools. This is important because we want all of the children in the area to have the best chance to succeed academically. Research shows that students of all socio-economic levels will perform better academically when they are in a mixed socio-economic school rather than one with a high percentage of lower socioeconomic status students. Therefore, BCPS should choose an option that provides a better demographic balance among all schools.
Option B would exacerbate the current imbalance of socioeconomic diversity (measured by the percentage of students receiving free or reduced price meals - referred to as the FARMS percentage)at central areas schools. The 10 schools in the central area have an average FARMS of 20%, but most of this percentage is concentrated at Padonia, Warren, and Pot Spring schools. Neither of the redistricting options on the table would greatly affect the demographics of Padonia or Warren, but the two options have very different impacts on Pot Spring. Option B would increase the FARM% at Pot Spring Elementary from 41% to 48% while keeping the FARM% at neighboring Pinewood and Timonium schools very low—6% and 9%, respectively. On the other hand, Option A would slightly lower the FARM% at Pot Spring (to 39%) while Pinewood and Timonium would still remain under the area average at 10% and 19%, respectively.
The FARM% at Pot Spring has increased by 20% in the last five years and Pot Spring has not received additional resources to offset this increase. It is critical to select a redistricting option that mitigates this trend.
We find it unacceptable that any plan would increase the FARM% at a school that already has more than double the area average of FARMs students. Pot Spring does a great job educating students of diverse socio-economic levels; let’s not stretch the school’s resources so thin that the level of service drops. Minor increases in the FARM percentages at multiple schools will allow all of the schools in the central area to maintain their high achievement.
Relieving Overcrowding: The redistricting process is supposed to provide relief to overcrowded schools, but in Option B two schools that are not slated for additional construction in the next couple of years still remain OVER CAPACITY- Riderwood 102% and Timonium 107%. Although Riderwood would only be slightly over-enrolled at first, their enrollment is projected to increase over time, so it makes sense to provide relief now rather than later. Option A relieves overcrowding by reducing Riderwood and Timonium to fit their capacity while also keeping other schools that are not anticipating relief in the near future at or below capacity.
Concluding Remarks: We know that there is a vocal group of parents who support Option B only because this Option would leave their school untouched. We think that Option B has been recommended primarily because it affects the least number of students overall. However, this difference is negligible because Option B impacts 15% of the students that live in the boundaries of the 10 schools and Option A impacts 16%. Either way, most students stay at their current school. It does not make sense to favor an Option just because it affects 1% fewer students. Furthermore, the number of students affected has never been part of the redistricting criteria!
We urge the board to make a decision that adheres to the BCPS redistricting criteria rather than one that merely appeases a vocal subset of its constituents.
We are requesting your signature to petition the BCPS Board to select Option A when considering the redistricting options for the BCPS elementary schools.
Below is a list of upcoming meetings. There is a group ready to speak at each meeting with prepared statements.
YOUR ATTENDANCE IS URGED AS A SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR OUR SCHOOL.
February 11 – School Board Meeting – Recommendation made to the Board at this meeting – ESS Building 7pm
February 25 – School Board Meeting – ESS Building 630pm
February 26 – Public Hearing - Loch Raven High School 7:00pm
March 11 – School Board Meeting– Board Decision will be announced -- ESS Building 7:00pm
Blog with current updates: http://potspringstrong.blogspot.com/
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
February 7, 2014
February 6, 2014
I truly never imagined that one hundred people would feel strongly enough about this to add their names to the list. I am just a neighbor who saw a problem and this response belongs entirely to all of you.
February 6, 2014
I am truly overwhelmed by the momentum behind this request. This progress belongs entirely to the parents and community neighbors who saw the need for balance and decided to speak up.
Reached 100 supporters
February 3, 2014
February 1, 2014
I am honestly overwhelmed by how many people have signed so far. If you have a moment today, please send this link to a neighbor to help us reach that hundred mark.
109 Comments
I am very much persuaded by the more balanced socioeconomic and minority student distribution of Plan A. Plan A also draws students from more (5 instead of 4) of the area schools to populate the Mays Chapel school, and leaves fewer schools with overcrowding problems. It seems as though fewer students will be transported across York Road under Plan A.
Option A is more equitable for the area as a whole, and will use NATURAL BOUNDARIES to divide schools. Elementary schools are neighborhood schools.
Option A will reduced traffic to the entire York Rd/Falls Rd area as compared to B. It will also greatly reduce transportation costs to the county. Option A also accomplishes the diversity goal by making ALL schools more diverse. In Option B Pinewood, Riderwood, and Timonium have virtually NO diversity at all.
As a retired Baltimore Co. teacher and someone who has substitued at Pot Spring Ele. I support Option A which would provide a better demographic balance for ALL of the involved schools.
As it appears Option B would require bussing of students further away from the schools they currently attend, it should be voted down. One need only look to the history of bussing students to realize it creates as many problems as it solves.
Support Option A Do a better job of balancing the % of FARM kids among the existing schools. Pot Spring has too many already, with no additional resources to offset the associated costs.
Query -- could the much hyped "shrinking" kindergarten enrollment at Riderwood have anything to do with parents from a certain neighborhood waiting to register?
Option A seems better to me even though some children will have to spend way too much time on the school bus!
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I am very much persuaded by the more balanced socioeconomic and minority student distribution of Plan A. Plan A also draws students from more (5 instead of 4) of the area schools to populate the Mays Chapel school, and leaves fewer schools with overcrowding problems. It seems as though fewer students will be transported across York Road under Plan A.