School Overcrowding

Your article "Baltimore Co. to act on school crowding" (Oct. 20) points out that we must deal with rising enrollments in the public schools. It seems the only solutions ever considered are to build more schools or to renovate or expand older ones - meaning we will be asked to fund more construction bonds and then raise more taxes to run the new schools. Meanwhile, successful private and faith-based schools are closing or barely surviving with empty seats. Yet no one seems to have the imagination to realize that they offer an excellent answer to school overcrowding that could save taxpayers money and provide immediate relief.

Learn from past for answers to overcrowding We have all heard, "If you don't learn from history, you are destined to repeat it. " We must learn from events 18 years ago when citizens wanted the (County Executive Dutch) Ruppersberger Administration to commit to the voters' approval to reopen Bloomsbury as a middle school. Instead, the county executive transferred the approved monies to other school projects. Citizens of Catonsville united and appeared before the Baltimore County Board of Education, the County Council, county executive and even held hands around Bloomsbury to no avail.

An article Thursday on school overcrowding in Baltimore County incorrectly listed the date that Lutherville Elementary School is scheduled to reopen. Classes will resume there in September 1993.With Baltimore County's school enrollment expected to soar from 90,000 to 120,000 by the year 2000 and with money tight, a special committee convened to find ways to alleviate overcrowding had little to offer residents at a meeting yesterday.The School Facilities Task Force, created by County Executive Roger B. Hayden, is charged with finding ways to solve overcrowding problems before June 30, when a temporary building ban runs out. The moratorium, approved by local lawmakers in August 1990, has stopped new construction in areas where schools are 120 percent over capacity.

If there is one problem we can be certain will not solve itself in Baltimore County, it is overcrowded schools. In fact, it is likely to get worse. Indications are that student enrollment in county schools is headed upward for at least a decade. The 2012 district-wide enrollment of 107,033 is expected to add another 1,409 this year, according to data released by the school system last month. The 10-year projected increase is 6,929 more students. This enrollment increase will hit elementary schools first, then move up into middle and high schools, according to the report.

Think school overcrowding is bad now? Fifty years ago, the Harundale Civic Association was grappling with the pain of Glen Burnie Junior High School bursting with 1,328 pupils - nearly twice the intended population. In the crush of the postwar suburban building boom, schools could not keep up up with housing construction. As The Sun reported on Feb. 5, 1957, the solution was splitting the school day into shifts, which was "accompanied by the objections of outraged parents," the paper noted.

After days of frustration and struggle over how to solve the school overcrowding problem, the Baltimore County Council voted last night to extend for three years a moratorium on residential construction around elementary schools that are 20 percent over capacity.The council faced the option of making the moratorium permanent, as proposed in legislation by County Executive Roger B. Hayden, or extending the 18-month temporary ban already in force.In their unanimous vote to extend, however, the council members also made it clear that they expect solutions to the nagging overcrowding problem other than a building moratorium to be developed.

The 5-year-old ban on building new homes near Baltimore County's most crowded elementary schools was extended for another year yesterday on a 5-2 vote by the County Council.But council members on both sides of the issue endorsed the idea of a quick, new study to find a long-term solution for the problem of crowded classrooms.Support for the measure by Kevin B. Kamenetz, a Pikesville-Randallstown Democrat who did not reveal how he would vote until the meeting convened, proved crucial in achieving the 5-2 margin necessary for the bill to take effect as an emergency measure.

After days of frustration and struggle over how to solve the school overcrowding problem, the Baltimore County Council voted last night to extend for three years a moratorium on residential construction around elementary schools that are 20 percent over capacity.The council faced the option of making the moratorium permanent, as proposed in legislation by County Executive Roger B. Hayden, or extending the 18-month temporary ban already in force.In their unanimous vote to extend, however, the council members also made it clear that they expect solutions to the nagging overcrowding problem other than a building moratorium to be developed.

It's not often that the state's chief tax collector makes a trip to Towson to share his views on local elementary school overcrowding, but Peter Franchot is not your average comptroller. Even by Mr. Franchot's just-spell-my-name-right standards of publicity, Wednesday's visit was notable: There was no pending state contract, tax issue or related matter to justify his decision to visit Rodgers Forge Elementary School as part of a broader school construction projects tour. Instead, it appears Mr. Franchot came to send a message.

The Baltimore County Council has decided to strengthen the county's restriction on development that might cause schools to become overcrowded. The change involving the adequate facilities ordinance directs the county's planning office to consider not only how crowded schools are today, but also how crowded approved developments are going to make them tomorrow. This is entirely appropriate. But, unfortunately, matters involving schools are rarely so cut and dried. There are occasions when development plans sit around for years.

Regarding the Solo Cup factory zoning ("No 'courtesy' for Wegmans," May 27), why is no one talking about using the facility for a new middle school in the northwestern part of the county? Franklin Middle School has 1,292 students, Deer Park Middle has 1,235 students and Pikesville Middle has 1,017. These enrollment figures are higher than the other county middle schools and having over 1,200 students in a middle school is ludicrous. The best use of this property would be a new middle school so that student enrollment at the aforementioned middle schools could be reduced to reasonable levels.

Your article "Baltimore Co. to act on school crowding" (Oct. 20) points out that we must deal with rising enrollments in the public schools. It seems the only solutions ever considered are to build more schools or to renovate or expand older ones - meaning we will be asked to fund more construction bonds and then raise more taxes to run the new schools. Meanwhile, successful private and faith-based schools are closing or barely surviving with empty seats. Yet no one seems to have the imagination to realize that they offer an excellent answer to school overcrowding that could save taxpayers money and provide immediate relief.

Anne Arundel parents, teachers and administrators filled Central Elementary School's gym this week to hear county schools specialist Chuck Yocum speak about the system's plans to redistrict Central, Davidsonville and Mayo elementary schools. After a lengthy and engaging question-and-answer session, Yocum said he was surprised to see that parents didn't respond with raised eyebrows and voices. "This has been one of the funnest [redistricting] meetings I've had," said Yocum, who oversees student demographic planning.

I read the story in the Sept. 21 edition of the Towson Times ("Towson-area enrollments prompt study for new elementary school"), and know from previous news coverage over the years about the overcrowding in our school system. First off, when I attended Baltimore County public schools, there was no such thing as overcrowding. That was because we did not have an overpopulation issue then. Just looking at the block where I live, there are 26 homes. Of those, 11 have school-age children (under 18)

I've always said school redistricting was a thankless job (you can look it up). It has to be done periodically because populations shift inevitably. But no matter how you do it, some will be convinced that officials of the school system don't give a hoot about their kids and are bent upon tearing apart neighborhoods for the sake of their own convenience or worse. So I can appreciate why Joel Gallihue, the county's manager of school planning, took exception to an editorial we ran recently bemoaning the county's ability to accurately predict the shifts in school populations and urging the county executive to appoint a panel to figure out ways to improve the methodology.

A developer's plan to build a $23 million school in Anne Arundel County in exchange for approval of a large-scale residential project got the green light from the Anne Arundel County Council last night. In the first step of the approval process, the council unanimously approved zoning for the Laurel project at its Monday night meeting. Councilman Jamie Benoit, who represents the Laurel area, said he reviewed the lease agreement between Severna Park-based Polm Cos. and Imagine Global Village Academy, and after making some amendments, was "satisfied" with it. Andrew Zois, president of Polm, said last night it was a "great victory.

Citing the potential for school overcrowding, the county administrative hearing officer yesterday denied a request by the owner of a large wooded tract on Marley Neck to rezone the parcel for a residential development.Jane Pumphrey Nes had envisioned putting townhouses, single-family dwellings and some back-to-back units on 112.57 acres along Marley Neck Boulevard near Tanyard Cove Road.Ms. Nes and her developer, Regency Homes Corp., had sought to change the zoning on the property from a mix of commercial, industrial and residential to residential R-10.

Stop crowding in Howard schools now, not later I was pleased to see Larry Carson's article ("Panel delays vote on schools," Jan. 26) concerning the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO). Having attended and testified at the County Council meeting to address and support the amendment to the APFO, I am pleased to note Councilman Guy J. Guzzone's desire to explore the issue and consider other alternatives. However, the amendment is fine as is and would go a long way towards addressing the issue.

Anne Arundel County schools Superintendent Kevin Maxwell gave the Board of Education his redistricting recommendations for Fort Meade's elementary schools Wednesday. Part of the plan alleviates overcrowding by turning West Meade Elementary into an early education center. Maxwell's proposal mirrors what parents, school officials and other Fort Meade residents developed earlier this year as a way to solve school overcrowding. This issue has particular significance because the base is expecting an influx of families by the federal Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)

Howard County's long struggle to eliminate school crowding seemed won over the past two years when no elementary or middle schools were projected beyond capacity, but this year six primary schools are on the annual list of future trouble spots. Unlike past years, crowded classrooms are predicted in older neighborhoods instead of in newer, more rural areas where multimillion-dollar schools were built early in the decade. In addition, school officials say newer apartment and condominium projects along U.S. 1, once expected to produce few school-age children, are outstripping predictions - something that could have implications for redevelopment of the town center in Columbia with 5,500 homes and apartments.