School Capacity Still an Issue
Even with addition of Butterfly Ridge Elementary, [design pictured above, courtesy of FCPS] FCPS struggles with overcrowding
Frederick County Public Schools’ consultant CropperGIS submitted a redistricting study to the Board of Education on Wednesday but the plan, now in its final form, appeared to satisfy no one.
The plan shows that even with the opening of Butterfly Ridge Elementary School in September 2018, FCPS will be unable to eliminate 23 portable classrooms, or lessen the impact on five elementary schools still at over capacity. New attendance boundaries are set for feeder areas, all in an attempt to make the overcrowding situation more equitable.
“Communication is not just about redistricting,” Board Member Joyce Schaefer said at Wednesday’s meeting, “We have to find some way to relieve the numbers.”
A majority of board members spoke on redistricting issues. They acknowledged that by not prioritizing various options and scenarios at the start of the process, the result had been a lack of clarity among multiple options in seeking consensus on how to best move forward.
“This seems to be a terribly antiquated approach to be looking at capacity,” Board Member Colleen Cusimano said. She went on to state her firm belief in school choice for families, in part based on her own experiences.
“We have to do this harder,” Vice President Elizabeth Barrett said. “We need a bigger redistricting conversation because given the explosive growth, we are going to have to do this every two years.” Barrett suggested the BOE look to use elementary school buildings with excess capacity, such as Myersville and Wolfsville with Middletown as the middle school feeder area.
Board Member April Miller, O.D., was strongly opposed to the concept of bussing elementary students out of their neighborhoods with its dislocation to families and local loyalties. “We do not split families,” Miller said.
The board discussed the cost of bussing, the failure to reduce pockets of poverty through redistricting, the impact of five schools still over capacity, and the continuation of explosive growth, especially on the east side of Frederick.
Superintendent of Schools Theresa Alban, PhD, offered a new direction by suggesting an expansion of the redistricting study to cover Frederick County in its entirety, as had been done in Carroll County. While the commitment to open Butterfly Ridge Elementary School in September 2018 was unaffected, the new, more comprehensive redistricting study could take up to two years.
“We have an obligation to look at it,” Brad Young, BOE President said, “But it will not be a fun process.” The community has ample opportunity to weigh in on redistricting issues at three public hearings.
They will held at 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria, as follows:
March 29 Orchard Grove Elementary School
April 5 Hillcrest Elementary School
April 26 Waverly Elementary School
