School Board Votes On Majority Of Redistricting Proposals Reported by: Megan Healey
Tuesday, Oct 16, 2007 @11:20pm EST
HAGERSTOWN, MD – The Washington County school board has started to vote on a series of re-districting proposals that would affect 20 schools starting next year.

Tuesday night the board voted unanimously to pass 17 of the 20 re-districting plans, leaving the three most controversial still up for discussion.

The proposals would realign 20 schools in order to populate two replacement schools, Pangborn and Maugansville, as well as fill the brand new Rockland Woods Elementary School. It's all said to accommodate the extra 300-500 new students Washington County sees each year.

Noticeably absent from Tuesday’s vote were three proposals, all of which concern moving students from Greenbrier and Boonsboro Elementary schools to Rockland Woods. At major issue is Boonsboro's magnet program, which several parents have cited as the primary reason they don't want to see their kids pulled from the school.

At least one board member has since suggested the magnet program be moved to Rockland Woods in order to better populate it, and alleviate major over-crowding issues at Boonsboro.

"If we are taking county dollars that are meant for all students and not providing for all students, I have a problem with that. Because I really believe that as board members we need to cater to every child in the district and not just one school's feeder pattern,” says school board member Bernadette Wagner.

"The issue of relocating the magnet program, which serves our school, has not been raised until the last minute, which in my view and several other views of parents in the southern part of the county, is that it's pretty capricious, pretty last minute and raises some real procedural questions,” says Boonsboro parent Heidi Welsh.

The board will re-convene on November 13th for a final work session to iron out issues with the last three proposals, with a final vote expected at their meeting on November 20th.

All of the redistricting changes will take effect at the beginning of next school year.

At least one board member has since suggested the magnet program be moved to Rockland Woods in order to better populate it, and alleviate major over-crowding issues at Boonsboro

Boonsboro is the Magnet School for "World Languages"(??). I remember when there was a movement to make a 'world language'...ha,ha..

So, basically, no parents are going to be happy with any outcome.

.

The above remark makes me wonder if this wasn't said to make the parents say-whatever you do, Don't do that...("please don't throw me into the briar patch, anywhere but the briar patch"...).

And why can't they move the kids from Greenbrier(some of whom live in Black Rock) to another school-such as Eastern which would be closer??

Would you want your Greenbrier kid going to Eastern?

Some folks move to certain places because their kids would go to certain schools. It is painful when redisticting screws that up.

Ah, yes, but change is inevitable, is it not? And yes, I bought my house to allow my children to go to a certain elementary school, but then they were sent to E. Russell Hicks MS & now SHHS...

The lesson should be more of: It is unfortunate, but such is life..

Washington County school redistricting changes approved
By ERIN CUNNINGHAM erinc@herald-mail.com

Seventeen redistricting changes were approved Tuesday by the Washington County Board of Education.

Among those changes was a decision to move 201 Paramount Elementary School students to Maugansville Elementary to relieve overcrowding at Paramount. The board also voted to delay the closing of Conococheague Elementary and to enroll only prekindergarten and kindergarten students at Funkstown School for Early Childhood Education.

Students now attend the school through second grade before moving to Emma K. Doub for third through fifth grade.

Emma K. Doub will remain Funkstown’s partner school.

Each vote was unanimous.

A committee began working on redistricting for many county schools earlier this year, and proposals were presented to the board in July.

Officials have said redistricting is necessary to relieve overcrowding at many of the county’s elementary schools and to fill a new Rockland Woods Elementary and replacement schools for Maugansville and Pangborn elementary schools.

All three are scheduled to open in 2008.

Board members did not vote Tuesday on three of the more controversial redistricting proposals. Board members have postponed making a decision on those changes, which would move 23 students from Boonsboro and 123 students from Greenbrier to Rockland Woods.

The board said Tuesday that it would vote on those proposals Nov. 20.

Former Board Member Jacqueline Fischer said she was concerned about delays in the redistricting process. She asked that the board adopt all 20 proposals immediately.

“I have grave concerns that the redistricting process is becoming mired in political agendas rather than moving forward with the best interest of the school system and its 21,000 students,” she said.

Fischer said that a delay in redistricting would mean that Greenbrier Elementary would remain severely overcrowded.

Board Vice President Wayne D. Ridenour said that Greenbrier Elementary is at 142 percent of state-rated capacity.

Fischer said that a delay in redistricting would mean that Greenbrier Elementary would remain severely overcrowded.

Board Vice President Wayne D. Ridenour said that Greenbrier Elementary is at 142 percent of state-rated capacity.

142%??? YIKES.

Wednesday November 21, 2007
Final Washington County school redistricting proposals shelved
By ERIN CUNNINGHAM erinc@herald-mail.com

Three proposals that would have moved students from Boonsboro and Greenbrier elementary schools to a new school opening next year no longer are being considered, at least for the moment.

Washington County Board of Education members did not vote Tuesday to approve those changes, which were the most controversial of the 20 original redistricting proposals being considered.
Board President Roxanne R. Ober said that those schools could be affected by additional recommendations the board asked school system staff and a committee to prepare. Seventeen proposals were approved earlier this year, affecting 17 schools.
"I don't see these specific things coming up again with this board," Board Member Ruth Anne Callaham sai She was referring to the three proposals that were not approved Tuesday. Those changes would have moved 123 Greenbrier students and 23 Boonsboro students to Rockland Woods.

"Remember, there is a child behind every number," said David Manganaro, who lives in the Black Rock community.

He was one of several parents of Greenbrier Elementary students who spoke out Tuesday against the plan to move students from that area to Rockland Woods.

The board did vote to have staff and a committee revisit redistricting and look for ways to relieve overcrowding at Boonsboro Elementary School.

That vote was 6-1, with Ober opposed.

I wanted it to be on a broader scale," she said, adding that there is overcrowding at many of the county's schools.

Board Vice President Wayne D. Ridenour said he expects new proposals and discussion on this topic by January.



A committee began working on a redistricting plan for many county schools earlier this year, and proposals were presented to the board in July. Officials have said redistricting is necessary to relieve overcrowding at many of the county's elementary schools and also to fill Rockland Woods Elementary and replacement schools for Maugansville and Pangborn elementary schools. All three schools are scheduled to open in 2008.

If no other redistricting changes are made, Assistant Superintendent for School Operations Boyd Michael said Rockland Woods will open with about 500 students and about 245 empty seats.



He said that the board could take no more action at this time on redistricting and revisit the topic again in about one year.

"(I'd like to) come back next September with new numbers, new data and see where we are," Michael said.



The board last week postponed making a decision on two of the more controversial redistricting proposals it is considering. The board postponed voting on the changes that affect Boonsboro and Greenbrier in early October and again later that month.



Dr. Rebecca Bye said she and other parents were cautiously optimistic and said that some board members and staff seemed reluctant to consider alternative solutions.



She suggested that elementary school students in the Black Rock neighborhood go to Smithsburg Elementary, or allow them to stay at Greenbrier.



"There is a concern about whether there is actual overcrowding at Greenbrier," Bye said.






Redistricting proposals not approved


· Establish partial west/north/northeast boundary for Rockland Woods Elementary by including all current Greenbrier Elementary and Boonsboro Middle/High areas east of the current Eastern Elementary district line to Md. 66 and south to the intersection of Md. 66 and Interstate 70. This would move 56 Greenbrier students to Rockland Woods.



· Establish partial east boundary for Rockland Woods Elementary starting at the intersection of Md. 66 and Interstate 70 moving south to the intersection of Md. 66 and U.S. 40, moving southwest to the intersection of Mill Point Road and Alternate U.S. 40. This would move 67 Greenbrier Elementary students to Rockland Woods.



· Establish partial south boundary for Rockland Woods Elementary by including all areas of Boonsboro Elementary north of Mill Point Road, west of Antietam Creek and north of Keedysville Road. This would move 23 Boonsboro students to Rockland Woods.