Montgomery Square Citizens' Association

The purpose of the Forum is to learn more about what MCPS has proposed to address overcrowding at our elementary schools and at our middle school, Julius West, including how enrollment estimates are made and how the proposal that was put forth by Superintendent Starr on October 28 was arrived at.  Both Bruce Crispell, the Director of Long Range Planning for MCPS, and Dr. Donna Hollingshead, our Community Superintendent, will be presenting information and answering questions for the Community.  The purpose of this Community meeting is to help provide ALL in our cluster — those with children in schools as well as those who live near schools (both with younger kids and those without kids) who have an interest in the schools in our community with information about the proposed plans and path forward.

You may know that the Superintendent recommended a new 740-student elementary school to be built on the current site of the Children’s Resource Center on W. Edmonston Drive (off Wootton Pkwy) in order to address elementary overcrowding in the Richard Montgomery Cluster. (Based on community input, the proposal to add office space to the school has been dropped!) No additional elementary additions are being recommended at this time.  The proposal is for the new elementary school to be finished by August 2015 and we can expect a boundary study that will determine who will attend the new school beginning sometime in 2013.  It is possible that YOUR address could be re-assigned to the new school –even if you are a current walker!  Come learn more about how this proposal will address Ritchie Park’s overcapacity situation and how a boundary study process works, including your role!  Will this be enough new seats?  Will it eliminate portables and bring our kids back inside the building, freeing up play space at our school?  Come ask!

For middle school capacity issues, the Superintendent has recommended an addition to Julius West Middle School, to be completed by August 2016, to bring its classroom capacity from about 1000 to 1444.  This would make it the largest middle school in Montgomery County.  Join us to discuss this proposal to understand why it was proposed and what options that leaves for our cluster, if any.

If you have a child in grade 3 or younger, these proposals will affect you DIRECTLY!  PLEASE SHARE THIS MEETING INVITATION WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS WHO HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE NOT YET IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL — they TOO are affected DIRECTLY and probably are not on the PTA e-list!

Also, our cluster will be testifying before the Board of Education (BOE) on Monday, November 14 at the hearing beginning at 7:00pm.  Plan to join us in school colors and with signs to show the BOE that you want new school capacity in our cluster!  The BOE will vote on Nov. 17 and the County Executive and County Council will make their recommendations, with a final vote in May 2011.