Redistricting Forum Update

Claire Louder, 2006-2007 PTA Legislative Committee Chairman

On September 25, 2006, the Crofton Elementary School PTA hosted a redistricting forum. For those of you who may have missed it, here are the highlights of the information presented. This information came directly from representatives from Anne Arundel County Public Schools: Chuck Yocum, Specialist in Demographic Planning, and Alex Szachnowicz, Acting Director of Facilities.

(A PDF version of this summary is also available for download here.)

Frequently Asked Questions from the forum:
Who will be affected by redistricting?
When will redistricting occur?
When will redistricting take effect?
What is the redistricting process?
When will we know what school we'll be attending in the fall?
Will there be public hearings, and when?
Who decides the new boundaries?
How Does the MGT Facilities Report Fit into All of This?
Where can I get a copy of the MGT to read for myself?
What can we do now?

When Will Redistricting Occur?

Crofton Elementary, Crofton Middle School, and other Crofton area schools WILL NOT be redistricted this year (for the 2007/08 school year).
We WILL face redistricting in preparation for the opening of the new Gambrills Elementary School in the fall of 2008. The process will begin in the fall of 2007.

Redistricting Process/Hearings

Parents will have the opportunity to voice their concerns and opinions from the very start, before the superintendent even proposes boundaries to the Board of Education.

The process is:

Enrollment data is gathered from all schools by September 30th.
Call to redistrict comes from the Superintendent, Board of Education, School Administration, or the public.
Superintendent may form a committee of parents from all schools that could be involved in redistricting, with principals of affected schools nominating two voting members to that committee. This committee would meet with the help of school district staff to formulate proposed boundaries. Other interested parties may attend and be heard at those meetings, but only the voting members have a say in the final proposal presented to the Superintendent. This is a point at which Crofton parents can make their voices heard. (Alternatively, the Superintendent could ask staff to develop scenarios on behalf of the Superintendent; however, Chuck Yocum indicated that the parent committee is the preferred method.)
No later than the first Board meeting in December, the Superintendent must present the proposed redistricting plan to the Board of Education.
The Board considers the Superintendents recommendation and no later than the end of January votes in public session on what redistricting recommendations to take to public briefing and hearing. They can choose to accept or modify the Superintendents recommendation, or propose their own recommendation.
Once the Board votes, school district staff will conduct a briefing explaining what recommendations have been proposed. This is a time for questions and clarifications. No testimony will be taken.
After the briefings, the Board will hold a publicly-announced hearing (usually in February) and will accept verbal and written testimony on the proposed redistricting recommendations. This is another time at which Crofton parents should make their viewpoints known.
The Board then considers the testimony given and at the next Board meeting may amend the redistricting proposal or leave it as is. If they make changes, then steps 5,6, and 7 are repeated.
The Board must reach a final proposal no later than April 30th. Otherwise they must overturn their own procedures or start the whole process again the following year.

Who Will Be Affected by Redistricting?

An estimated 383 Four Seasons students currently within walking distance of the new Gambrills Elementary are expected to attend there starting in the fall of 2008.
The school district hopes to move approximately 200 students out of Crofton Elementary, moving them to either the new elementary school or other area elementaries, again in the fall of 2008.
Other schools which may have their boundaries adjusted include Crofton Woods, Crofton Meadows, Waugh Chapel, Piney Orchard, Odenton, and perhaps as far as Millersville.
Any enrollment shifts will include discussion of how the elementary schools feed the middle and high schools.
It is possible that the new Gambrills Elementary students would split at middle school, with half attending Crofton Middle School and half attending Arundel Middle School.
ALL OF THESE ISSUES WILL BE ADDRESSED AND DECIDED AT THE HEARINGS AND SUBSEQUENTLY DECIDED BY THE BOARD, NOT BEFORE.

How Does the MGT Facilities Report Fit into All of This?

MGT was hired to study the condition of school facilities and their ability to support the instruction occurring in them; this included overcrowding problems.
Their report is a recommendation only; it is not a blueprint for redistricting, nor did they make specific recommendations regarding redistricting boundaries beyond indicating which schools needed boundary adjustments.
MGT also identified buildings that were in deteriorating condition and prioritized those that needed attention; Crofton Elementary qualifies as a top priority for renovation, and should get funded in 2011 or 2012 (!).
The MGT report found no justification based on county attendance numbers for a 13th high school they found adequate capacity in existing high school facilities.
The MGT report is available to read on the county school website. This report is currently on the MGT Strategic Facilities Utilization Study page on the AACPS website. If that link doesn't work, visit www.aacps.org and look at the lower right for the green "Frequently Visited" box; the link for "MGT Strategic Facilities Utilization" is toward the bottom.

What Do We Do Now?

STAY INFORMED!!! The PTA Legislative Committee will continue to send you information as it becomes available to us, by fliers, Bypass the Backpack, the school newsletter, and emails to those of you who have indicated an interest in this issue. If you did not attend the hearing and want to receive updates, please email clairelouder@yahoo.com and we'll add you to the list. Well also be posting detailed information on the PTA website, www.ces-pta.com, soon.
ATTEND HEARINGS!!! The Board of Education notices NUMBERS at hearings, even if you dont want to talk and they usually ask all representatives from a school to stand up. We had several times last year that we needed parents to come to hearings we had 5-15 people, but Severna Park would have 40-50! It makes a difference.so please come.
DONT GET CAUGHT UP IN THE RUMOR MILL!!! If you hear a rumor about something affecting our children, check it out before you pass it along. You can call Chuck Yocum at the Anne Arundel County Public School System, 410-439-5683, for redistricting rumors, or Claire Louder, Legislative Committee Chairman, at 410-721-0350, and Ill track down answers on any school policy issue.
If your area is likely to be affected by redistricting, start talking to your neighbors NOW so you can come together on a plan to present to the school district about what you want. Its far more effective to speak with a single, well-reasoned voice, backed by a large group, than to have lots of individuals arguing and yelling.

Finally, thanks to the over 200 members of the Crofton community who turned out for the forum on September 25th. What a way to show the school district how much we care about our schools!!!

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Return to the Legislative Committee webpage for more redistricting information.

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