Open Enrollment

Howard County Schools Superintendent John R. O'Rourke presented a prioritized list of potential budget cuts to the Howard County Board of Education last night, repeatedly declaring that he was not enthusiastic about scaling back the school system's budget. "I don't want anyone to think that any of these items is a simple cut or an easy cut," O'Rourke said. "I will take full responsibility for this list and the priorities that are associated with this list." The proposed cuts, necessary to compensate for a $5 million gap between County Executive James N. Robey's proposed budget for 2002 and the amount requested by school officials, total about $6.2 million.

Board of Education to hold public hearing on open enrollment The Howard County Board of Education will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. March 8 on open enrollment options under consideration for the 2001-2002 school year: to continue the current moratorium on open enrollment for a second year, to repeal the open-enrollment policy or to continue to allow open enrollment in schools where space is available. The hearing will be held in the boardroom at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108, Ellicott City.

When the Leadership Committee on School Equity was looking for community input last school year about how to make schools in Howard County better, residents of Wilde Lake village were quick to hold a town meeting and come up chock-full of ideas. And when two seats on the school board became open last year, Wilde Lake residents held a forum to hear the candidates' views and impart their own. Last night, in true Wilde Lake fashion, concerned residents again convened to discuss a topic they can't seem to get enough of - education.

In an effort to extend greater benefits to less healthy people, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maryland is quietly introducing a novel, high-cost policy for high-risk subscribers.The new "substandard" policies, planned to cost 30 percent more than Blue Cross' regular policies, are aimed at people unable to qualify for the company's most popular individual coverage because of current or past health problems."What we're doing here is experimenting," said Linda S. Benedict, vice president in charge of Blue Cross' individual market division.

Upper Chesapeake to hold flu clinics Upper Chesapeake Health will hold flu clinics for ages 12 and older: Today: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Harford Mall. Friday: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Holy Spirit Church. Flu hot line: 443-643-2800. Medical van offers screenings Upper Chesapeake HealthLink's new medical mobile van will be in the Upper Chesapeake Medical Center's parking lot from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Free blood pressure, sleep disorder and body fat analysis screenings will be offered.

Students at River Hill High School who were forced to transfer from Glenelg High School in the fall might get a chance to return there for the 1997-1998 school year, according to a proposal discussed last night during a work session of the Howard County school board.The board also continued to struggle with setting boundary lines for the new elementary school in Ellicott City -- adding two more proposals to the already controversial debate.River Hill students might be permitted to return to Glenelg because River Hill's enrollment this year exceeded expectations, said school board member Stephen Bounds.

The state agency that regulates hospitals will allow Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maryland to keep a discount worth nearly $20 million pending a public hearing in September.The Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission yesterday agreed to take a second look at the 4 percent discount on hospital costs granted insurers that provide coverage to all comers during open enrollment periods.The hearing will determine whether the benefits provided to people turned away by other companies because of their medical conditions justify the millions of dollars in discounts to the Blues and a few other companies known as insurers of last resort.

About 200 students and parents in western Howard County have signed a petition asking the Board of Education to lift the one-year ban on athletes who return to Glenelg High School next year.Last month, the board designated five of the county's 10 high schools as "open enrollment" for next fall, allowing students who live outside the neighborhood to attend the school as long as they provide their own transportation.At the same time, the board upheld its long-standing policy, barring athletes from participating in sports for one school year.

Principal Stephen Gibson, Three years ago, a group of parents from the Columbia neighborhood of Clemens Crossing pooled their money to hire buses that would transport more than 100 kids from older, more diverse Wilde Lake Middle School to the newer Lime Kiln Middle in Fulton. That unusual decision sparked an angry response from many in Columbia who thought the parents were taking advantage of Howard County's open-enrollment policy to run away from the educational and social problems that came with diversity.

Before the bell rings at 8: 30 a.m. at Talbott Springs Elementary School, children scramble about, filling every crevice of the building -- gymnasium, main office, even two portable classrooms. But the packed appearance of the Columbia school belies a troubling exodus. In September 1998, the school system's most recent report shows, 235 pupils who live in the Talbott Springs district were attending other schools, including 106 who went to nearby Stevens Forest Elementary School. The transfer numbers have been growing every year since 1992, and are among the highest in the Howard County school system.