Dundalk to School Board: Keep Eastwood Open
The Baltimore County Board of Education hosted a public hearing Tuesday to allow residents to weigh in on the proposed closure of Eastwood Elementary Magnet School.
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The crowd at Tuesday night's public hearing to discuss the proposed closure of Eastwood Elementary Magnet School was more quiet than those of recent meetings, but residents were no less passionate about the message they delivered to the Baltimore County Board of Education.
"Keep Eastwood open" came across loud and clear from the majority of the nearly 30 speakers who signed up to address the board at the Dundalk High School gathering.
With rare exception, the speakers were passionate and emotional about keeping the small, intimate, close-knit neighborhood school open, and the few people who spoke in favor of closing Eastwood and merging it with Norwood Elementary and Holabird Middle schools were school system employees.
Linda Gossman, a Gray Manor resident who witnessed the closure of her neighborhood's elementary school some years ago, implored the school board to keep Eastwood open.
"An elementary school is a vital part of every community," Gossman said in her testimony. "It brings a community together, it brings parents and children together, it brings grandparents together."
Gossman believes the need to close a school and reuse the property for another purpose is because elected leaders "haven't used tax dollars well."
"Things get tough, and we look at what we can get rid of," Gossman said.
One Norwood Elementary School teacher said that, "with all due respect to parents, (teachers) have been educated in a traditional way, and here is what you need to know."
She told the audience that the school system's proposal "is the absolute best thing for our children."
The proposed pre-k to eighth-grade science, technology, engineering and math academy is the future of the community's children and will fulfill them socially and academically, the teacher said.
Norwood fourth-grade teacher Dawn Peake said that teachers were first concerned about their jobs and where they would work next year, but now, "Our fears are at ease."
In recognizing the comments made by many Eastwood parents that their small school is a family that looks out for one another, Peake said the newly merged school community would be three times stronger.
"As we embark on this exciting adventure, we're all in this together," she said.
One speaker said that school system officials are quick to point out that Eastwood students have "great opportunities" ahead of them, but he hasn't been able to get anyone to explain exactly what those opportunities are.
"Eastwood is being penalized for the sake of an over-crowded school and an underutilized school," he said, speaking of Norwood and Holabird, respectively.
Eastwood, the school being recommended for closure, is operating just about at capacity, with an enrollment of 191 students in a building rated to handle 197 students.
Norwood is about 90 students over capacity, and Holabird is nearly 400 students beneath capacity.
Speaker after speaker told school board members of their anger, disappointment, distrust and frustration with the process, the suddenness of the decision and the perception of that decision being made behind closed doors.
Many parents say the academy might end up being a good idea, but they are concerned the plan is being rushed through in too short a period of time, potentially setting the program up for failure.
And in the mean time, they said, the students who were experimented upon will not get a "do-over."
Parent Ericka Sapp said she is tired of students being used as guinea pigs at the whim of the school system.
She told school board members to "suck it up, make it work and quit wasting money."
Sapp wondered aloud why County Executive Kevin Kamenetz appears to have so much say in school system decisions, and why no other options were considered.
She too questioned the integrity of the process so far, and said such a major decision should involve a process in which officials "assess, develop, plan, implement and evaluate."
"It's not safe to use our kids as guinea pigs," she said.
Laura Frasca, the parent of an Eastwood student and PTA member, said she has one student in the school now and another looking forward to entering kindergarten in the fall.
"She's been looking forward to attending Eastwood for two years," Frasca said. "Closing Eastwood will destroy the essence of our program; why not model our school instead?"
She suggested creating the pre-k to eighth-grade STEM academy by merging Norwood and Holabird. Such a move would take care of the over-enrolled Norwood and under-enrolled Holabird while leaving the integrity of the Eastwood program in tact.
The smallness and intimacy of Eastwood is one of the reasons the program works so well, she believes.
"You cannot super-size us like a value meal at McDonald's," Frasca said.
Parents are also not happy with the possibility of third- and fourth-graders interacting with middle schoolers.
Ann Ritchie, a grandparent and retired teacher, reminded board members that, when school system officials wanted to remove sixth-graders from elementary school and create the middle school model that consisted of grades six, seven and eight (as opposed to seven, eight and nine of the old junior high school model), the rationale was based upon sixth-graders being too old and mature to be mixing with the younger students.
"Now you're telling us that it's OK to put fourth- and fifth-graders in middle school?" she asked.
While many community members believe they are the underdogs who have been left out of the process, and that the input they are now being allowed to give is too little too late in what they perceive to be a "done deal, at least one school board member is on their side.
"Oh, Eastwood has to say," board member and Dundalk resident Ed Parker said after the meeting. "We can have it all—we have to leave this great little school, and create a STEM academy.
"The center of this all has to be what is best for our kids for them to reach the potential they all have—not what's best for the budget, not what's good for one building or another."
School board President Lawrence Schmidt said the board is scheduled to vote on the matter at its March 5 meeting.
The board will accept additional written comments until then. Comments may be mailed to the board at 6901 Charles St., Towson, MD 21204.
DARRELL HAMMERBACKER
11:34 pm on Tuesday, February 12, 2013
We must remember who elected these people and how they abuse their power against the very people who put them there,they are nothing but employees of the County and we the people are the County and if you want things to change for the best you must rid the County of these arrogant Leaders and put real level minded People in their place.The Leaders have failed in many ways and the future is very dim under their liberal rule.It's up to you and only you.
Freddy
8:50 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Does anyone have the number of students for the following schools
Eastwood, Colgate, Berkshire? Does one school offer something the others doesn't? Or is this just over boundaries because I don't want to send my child over to that school?
Buzz Beeler
10:55 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
One speaker did have all the numbers concerning enrollment of the various schools.
Freddy
11:16 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
What I look at is 3 elementary schools with in a mile of each other and if there is no over crowding I say consolidate. No difference with other services, the FD has 2 fire houses within miles of each other that run less than 1000 calls per year combined. Why? Why do we have school police and then have County police protecting our students at schools? Consolidate Consolidate Consolidate.
tim sapp
9:49 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Freddy Norwood is over crowded and Colegate, Eastwood are all at capacity. But there are 5 middle schools in a close radius that are under-enrolled, common sense say merge them!!!
NottinghamFamily
8:55 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
While I do not live in this community, I have a very dear friend whose children at Eastwood will be directly impacted by this event. What I find most interesting is the many comments made in this article, but not much feedback from the board in the form of explanations and answers. Especially needed is an explanation regarding the comment made by Ann Ritchie, questioning the now reversing opinions that it's now OK for older students to mix with younger students. In my opinion, they are willing to create any explanation in order to move this closure forward. Baltimore County's police department needs to find another venue to operate from, regardless of the closing and sale of the North Point Government Center. Using Eastwood as a scapegoat in this sale is deplorable and if it happens, it will NOT be the will of the people. Two teachers stood up in favor? For what....their jobs? Far too many parents and families have spoken up about this and if the board votes in favor of the closure, there should be an investigation into who knew what and who pressured whom. There is no way a vote can be made for this in concert with community feedback. Shame on the county for doing this to families.
tim sapp
10:00 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
I live in the Eastwood community and am sickened by this whole ordeal. My community has been in decline and now i fear the police station will accelerate it. There has been alot of sneakiness going on. I was at the meeting and one of the teachers that stood up was not truly in favor but hopeful they hasty plans will work out. Dec 10th was when we were told school was closing, in subsequent meetings were told to choose between 2 options and one was worse then the other and no options were agreed upon so BCPS chose the options for us and have yet to answer questions regarding saftey, entrance times, bus routes, etc.. We keep getting we are working on that, omg!!! As far as how much money will be saved BCPS said they are uncertain, so let me get this straight, you may or may not save money!!! Now maybe others can see the frustration with this poor plan for STEM. Middle school kids and elementary kids are in different stages of development and should be educated separately.
Freddy
6:48 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Tim
How will a police station accelerate the decline of a neighborhood?
Ashley Virginia
10:53 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Freddy, the police department will require more space, taking away playgrounds and feilds. They also test there alarms every morning at an early hour and no one wants to live near that.
Also, sex offenders are required to report to the station either, each week, every six months or every year depending on their offense.
QuietButAngry
6:39 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
The 2 teachers that spoke were asked to speak by the Norwood principal. They do not represent the opinions or feeling of teachers at the schools involved! Teachers are not happy at all with this change or how it is happening. The problem is, teachers have to be careful because this is their job, their family income! If teachers speak up against this there will be reprocusions that could effect their job/career. Ask any teacher other than those 2 and you'll get a totally different story!!!
Concerned Citizen
9:28 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The county can expand the magnet program to almost 2,000 students versus 191 by closing Eastwood and merging the schools. Sounds like I'd be furious at the selfishness of the Eastwood school if I had children at either of the other 2 schools. This is a no brainer, CLOSE down Eastwood and expand this program to almost 10 times the students.
NottinghamFamily
9:39 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
While I looked at your previous comments (no commentary needed) all I can say is that until you understand the scope and detail of a magnet program (you can't just allow 2,000 student to just *bam!* be magnet students. There are admissions criteria, teacher qualifications and training and many other aspects and dimensions to this. Just "merging a school" does not make it a magnet program. Merging Norwood and Holabird makes much more sense and if they want to begin the long process of becoming a magnet school fine, but your comment makes no sense and has no facts to back it up.
Ashley Virginia
11:36 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Then merge Halibard and Norwood and make them a "community" magnet school. Leave Eastwood out of it. Let them remain a true magnet school.
I rememeber someone saying last night something about schools in the area running k-12 and they "work". Those schools are private school! There maximum capacity is anywhere from 300 to 400 give or take. The class size is about 20 students. I went to one of those schools and they keep elementary seperate from the middle and high school.
If they do this bullying will be aweful. And BCPS do not deal with bullies no matter how much they say they do. They just sit by and watch. You all think suicides, eating disorders, self harm, etc. are bad now in high school freshman? just wait it will be ten times worse if this "merge" happens. It may even travel into middle and maybe even elementary kids. This government is using the children of Dundalk as guinea pids and it is unexceptable.
tim sapp
9:44 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
A no brainer would be to close the under-enrolled middle schools not close a elementary school that is at capacity and stuff them in a overcrowded school and dump 4th and 5th graders in a middle school. Selfish of Eastwood parents no!!! Selfish of county to force a land grab and make more empty promises, YES!!!
Buzz Beeler
11:19 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
A rush to judgement in any major decision is not a good idea. The interesting part about this is the statements they have made at another meeting.
Mr. Kamenetz said that if the RFP's submitted were not comparable to the existing facilities at the Government Center they will go back to the drawing board. The only reason for the closure of the school in my opinion is to have a location for the new police precinct.
Not only that, but the council will have to vote on the issue of the sale of the Government Center.
Ashley Virginia
2:26 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
That's because Kamenetz has not informed the bidders that they are required to rebuild the building to standards we currently have.
tim sapp
8:33 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
I agree and I would say the rush to close this school is nothing other then politics. Some pockets will be lined when all said is done and it won't be the tax payers. The school building is owned by the school system and the county executive should not be able to force the closure for the building. The worst part of this is the closure of the school is going to be for the police station to be temporaily housed. Knowing this makes me furious, disrupting our children and the residents of Eastwood to temporaily house the police station is a bad move, that no doubt will cost more money (building needs up- grading for air conditioning and fitted to house the police and the holding cells). It would make sense to upgrade their existing building, but the county is known for not spending money wisely and doing business as inefficiently as possible..With the delcine in dundalk and the increased population of low income residents it would make sense to keep good schools to attract decent people into the community. But it seems the plan is to drive them out, wtg!!!
Ashley Virginia
10:54 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Tim, we have been told it is a permanet move for the police station.
Ashley Virginia
11:31 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The north Point governement center is up for sale and Eastwood might close? and Kamentez is the one pushing it all. The point of selling the Government center was to raise money to fix AC, yet they are building a new school in May's Chapel, which the people do not want, and they wasnt to use 3.1 Million dollars to install security cameras in school?? What are schools now? Prisons? and where is all this money coming from? We do not have money to fix the AC but we have all the money to do these things?
Concerned Citizen
1:51 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
There are admissions criteria unless you have a sibling already there then you are grand fathered in. Merging just Norwood and Holabird fits your agenda. I pay County taxes and want to see them spent in a manner that supports as many people as possible. FYI, I don't care if you looked at my previous comments... Even the teachers are on board.
Ashley Virginia
2:25 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The teachers are on board only because they value not losing their jobs. and no there is no admissions criteria as far as i know. it is a "community" magnet school. Eastwood is a magnet school period.
tim sapp
9:40 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Sorry 2 teachers from the schools that stand to gain something does not make all the teachers on board. For the record the Norwood teacher expressed her concern with young 4th graders being with 8th graders but not publicly. But the Norwood PTA president voiced concerns with mixing of younger kids with older and concerned with the rushed plans. Teachers of Eastwood were told not to come!!! Your concern with taxes are valid but they are not doing this to save money!!! If so they would close one or more of the 5 middle schools that are under-enrolled and keep age appropriate kids together.
tim sapp
9:48 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Per BCPS own statements Holabird will be a community STEM and students in the area will still have it as their zoned middle school, currently magnet programs you apply for and are not Zoned for them. And the other students in the county may apply for the STEM. It will be a community STEM!!!
Freddy
2:38 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
When it comes down to dollars and cents it makes perfect sense to consolidate these schools just like it makes perfect sense to have a single police force in the county and to close fire stations that's only run 200 calls a year or volunteer stations that cant respond to calls when called upon. I for one am sick of being taxed to death. Times are tuff and the good days are behind us.
Ashley Virginia
2:47 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
If you are tired of being taxed to death then tell Kamanetz and every government official to stop using our tax money for stupid things. They have no money to fix the AC in schools but have the money to build a new school and install state of the art security cameras in schools?
How does it make sense? Do you want little children thrown into middle school before they are ready?
If it comes down to cents and dollars then close one of the three or four middle schools in the area that are under capacity and merge them. Eastwood is at capacity. they are making a school that is running at their limit close because two school a half a mile if not more awayare over capacity and under capacity
Buzz Beeler
9:51 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Freddy, there is one police force in the county. The officers in the schools are Baltimore County Police.
Freddy
6:50 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Buzz,
The Baltimore County school system has a small what they call a police force or they did at one time. On top of that Baltimore County has a sheriff department. To save money why not have ONE department?
tim sapp
8:21 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
It would make sense to combine schools that are underenrolled like the 5 middle schools, not place elementary school age kids with middle kids. Holabird middle and Dundalk middle could be combine and become the STEM. Also it makes no sense to disrupt a school for a police station that will be temporaily housed in the Eastwood building. More waste of tax dollars to close the school, now the kids that attend the school will be bused further and other kids will have to be bused to other other schools. Seems to me the county is not doing this to save money, btw other parts of the county get brand new schools while this area gets combined school with young children being exposed to things they are not able to handle!!! thanks to the inefficent government!!!
Freddy
8:45 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Tim
Have you seen the multi million dollar brand new high school?
What is happening now happened years ago when they closed Merritt Point, Fleming , Patapsco neck, Gray Manor, Inverness as well as many other schools in Dundalk.
Finally answer me this question Tim why is your neighborhood going to decline with a police station?
KWScurti
3:19 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Kevin Kamenetzt is a idiot! Him and all his money hungry politicians care about is making their wallets fatter. I don't live in that community but it is a shame what he is doing to the children and their families. He would cut his own mothers throat if it involved him getting richer. Shame on all of the Maryland politicians. Prime example why I did not vote for his sneaky ass!!!! Double shame on the school board!
Ashley Virginia
3:28 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
If I am not mistaken the board was picked by Kamenetz. All he has done is hide behind his employees. I cannot wait for that man to show his face once so I can tell him how I feel about him.
tim sapp
9:32 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Eastwood closure is nothing more then land grab. County wants building it is housed in. A poorly thrown together plan to appease the county and not in best interest of students. As for the teachers speaking at meeting it was 2 and PTA president of Norwood who voiced her concern with young kids attending school with older kids. BCPS has promised more then they can deliver to Norwood and Holabird by promising them a 21st century school (housed in a 19th century building) of course they are for it they have nothing to loose. However it is different for Eastwood, they loose teachers, students and their fully enrolled school. Other options were never considered due to the county's desire for the Eastwood building. And for the record nowhere in BCPS do elementary school kids attends school with middle school kids. Why should they start now? As a parent of Eastwood student and resident of Eastwood community, way too many questions are left unanswered. Why the rush to start this STEM, what about saftey of young students, why no parental input was asked until decision was made to close the school? Why not combine middle schools? I 'll tell you why because dance and the gang sat in a office looking at numbers and never toured the schools or even considered the children affected!! In their own words K thru 8 schools have had bad reviews and are not modeled anywhere in the county. Why the rush to close the school and open the STEM program without any defined plan? Moronic!!!!
Buzz Beeler
9:07 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Freddy, the county assigns regular officers to the schools. They are called SRO's or School Resource Officers. They are in the middle through high schools. When I was still working they would come to me to set up traffic safety classes or school fairs on of various kinds of these issues.
You are probably thinking of the city where they do have school police force.
mom of 2
9:25 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Eastwood was open to be a handicap school not a magnet school in the long run it became a magnet school. This helped many parents in thier worries of sending thier children to the schools that they are not happy with!! the schoools that they did not want thier children to attend! For some reason parents never thought this would change! Now other children will benefit from a stem magnet school which is wonderful for other students, the students that might applied for Eastwood and did not get in but Eastwood parents are not looking at it in that view because you are only thinking about your own families!!!!!!!
tim sapp
9:56 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Not looking at it that way. Concerned with the safety of my 10 year old that will be mixed in with 15 year olds, in a new building in a hastily thrown together plan. Why the rush to make it a STEM? Would you want your 4th grader to attend class in a building where a sexual assault took place on a 13 year old? When there are 5 other middle schools under-enrolled why put elementary kids in with middle school kids? Why not get that STEM school by combining the middle schools? Why cause they want the building!!!!! Nowhere in the county has this been done, and the school board proposing this plan has research to show it doesn't work!!! Why should my child be a guinea pig for the sake of the county executive who is pushing this for the building!!!!
tim sapp
9:59 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Buzz a assault happened in the Holabird building with a drug resource police officer in the building!!! Funny how the educators have not addressed the concerns over student safety that parents of the elementary schools that will be forced into the school.
tim sapp
10:03 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
There are few good schools in the Dundalk area and Eastwood is one of them, why would you want that taken away? They say this will be a good thing for the community but it will not. The county made promises they will not keep and if you think the idea is great then send your kids there
Ashley Virginia
10:59 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
The children of Eastwood earn nothing. They lose a close nit school of only having twenty or so in a class to haveing over a hundred in a class. They can combine norwood and holibard and have the same plan but do not involve Eastwood. I am not a parent nor did I ever attend public school. I am speaking from my experience and from people I know. They know that little kids are not ready for middle school when they are in 5th grade and they shouldnt be foreced to.
tim sapp
10:08 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Freddy the police station brings, criminals, more traffic, noise from sirens, sex offenders must come to a area with alot of children, and the homeless offenders must report weekly, the police station is going to be directly across the street from our houses, the police station never closes. And the police station will be there temporarily!!! Ask any realtor good schools in a safe location attract people to a area not police station?Would you buy a house in across the street from police station? I would not and most residents agree with me!!!
Freddy
12:30 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Tim
Will have to disagree with you on this. Yes I would purchase a home if I was looking across the street from a station house. Crime maybe reduced just for the simple fact it's there. Are you aware there are 9 sex offenders in your neighborhood? And about another 20 plus surrounding your area. ON top of that you have multiple assaults in the area along with other various crimes. Siren noise will remain the same outside of daily checks. Never heard of homeless offenders reporting to a police station, for what?
I understand your frustration but the good times are gone and cut backs are needed and if consolidation is part of the solution then so be it. Like I said I hope other consolidations would be made as well in all forms of government. I am sick to seeing I'm giving the government over 34% of my earnings every two weeks.
Buzz Beeler
11:43 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Ashley, one way to find out how much thought or planning went into this is get the paper work, plans, studies, cost analysis along with other issues. This can be done with a PIA.
Then we will see how much planing went into this and not - just cause the chief said it was OK - sure!
Ashley Virginia
12:02 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Buzz, I have been involved with everything since it was announced in decemeber.
tim sapp
1:38 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Good Freddy there are 2 for sale right now. Let me know how it works out for you. Police station does not decrease crime in area, remember they are sitting in the station waiting for calls. They will bring more offenders to area more than that are already here.
Freddy
1:47 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
I will pass have a beautiful home by the college, which is the site of the BCoPD academy. And to correct you police officers don't sit in the station waiting on calls they travel their post. Even if they did sit in the station just think of the service you would get being so close.
tim sapp
1:49 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Some seemed to be confused, the plan is to close Eastwood (school at capacity), merge Eastwood students with Norwood (which is over crowded) by combining pre k thru 3rd grade at Norwood and Eastwood, while removing 4th and 5th grade students from Norwood and Eastwood and combining then with Holabird (under enrolled) middle school kids in a school that will have 800 plus kids from grades 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th!!! Explain to me how this is a good plan? Eastwood is not only losing but so are the 4th and 5th graders of Norwood!! And other students will loose as well since Norwood has no special education in place for prek thru kindergarten those students will be displaced as well. All this being done to elementary kids without even consideration of closing one of the many under-enrolled middle schools. And for the record when was the last time a new school was built in this region? Towson has some great new schools, we have old building with empty promises!!!Sounds like a poorly hatched plan wrought with failure!!! And to Freddy speak with a relator are and schools sell homes not police station!!!
Freddy
2:21 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Dundalk High School and Edgemere elementary are the newest schools in our area. Other schools that have been rebuilt Dundalk Middle and Dundalk Elementary with modifications done to various schools throughout our area.
Ashley Virginia
8:13 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Tim, obviously Freddy is under the impression that this merge is going to save him money in his paycheck. HA! It's going to take thousands of dollars to change Eastwood into the police station. And he obviously doesn't care about the students well being and where the Children of eastwood can safely play. All he cares about is how fat his wallet is, maybe he's a politician?
And Freddy, after every call an officer makes they are to return to the station to complete paper work. It is going to cause delays in answering calls to the other areas of Dundalk and that delay could mean someone's life. And homeless sex offenders are required to report to the station every week. So all the sex offenders in dudalk will be in Eastwood, with all the kids...
Freddy
8:24 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
This form of government is over as we know it so get use to it. The days of everybody getting what they want is done. Pack your kids up in your mini van and travel to the next school over. You are not the first school to go through this, get over it.
You are right I'm sick of seeing my tax dollars wasted. So if I'm in favor of moving 150 kids so be it.
As for police going back to the station after every call you just want to ask a patrol officer that question. But his answer will be NO. they code out calls in their vehicles and do reports as they sit their post. Yes when there is a lock up then its off to the station.
Before you worry about sex offenders coming to your neighborhood due to the new police station FYI they already live there.
Ashley Virginia
11:01 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
There is a huge difference between 7 and many. I have lived in Dundalk my whole life and I am tired of seeing things taken away from us am our kids ring used as guinea pigs because the county has screwed up and is out of money. They want budget cuts and you want to save money, which yea right more will prob come out now, then close one of the many under enrolled middle schools in the region and merge them with holibard.
And since your for it, I guess when a fourth grader gets pregnant hurt even kills themselves their blood can be on your hands along with anyone else who is for this idiotic rushed plan
And as for their computers, a lot of them do not work. So Freddy check your facts out.
Buzz Beeler
8:35 am on Friday, February 15, 2013
Ashley, did they actually do any studies on the moves involving the schools that you saw. Did you see anything on the issues of cost involving the police station among other issues including renovation of the various buildings?
Ashley Virginia
9:03 am on Friday, February 15, 2013
No. There have been no studies that we are aware of, unless they are being kept secet because it will destroy Kamenetz plan. We are aware that the buli prints to revamp the school into the precinct have already been drawn up and have yet to be released to the public. They have to expand the parking lot, and tranform classrooms into holding cells, its going to be alot of money, but no one will answer any of our questions.
Freddy
5:14 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
All I see is emotions, emotions and more emotions and not a lot of logic from parents of the children that attend that school. Get over it.
Ashley Virginia
11:07 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Fact, Eastwood is running at capacity. Fact, Norwood is over and Holibard is under. Fact, Eastwood students are losing their small class sizes that help them excel and being forced into classes of at least 200 hundred students. Fact, Eastwood students will gain nothing. Fact 4th and 5th graders will be pushed into middle school before they are mentally prepared. Fact, You are an inconsiderate jerk who obviously cares nothing about children or Dundalk and probably work for Kamenetz.
Fact, I am not a parent of a student but am a college student who is tired of seeing the town I grew up in being trampled on by all the damn politicians who care nothing about us and do not even live here.
tim sapp
5:49 am on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Ashley I agree with you. Dundalk has not seen any good times in years. One new school built in our area in 30 years and mandatory repairs in others is squat. Empty retail spots, empty industrial spots and people fleeing the area. The county needs to stop wasting money like refurbishing a building for a temporay basis, and paying people to drive our elected officals around. There is alot of waste in the county and closing one elementary school while 5 other middle shools are underenrolled makes no sense and will cost tax payers more money. And per the BCPS officals who made the decisions with pressure from county executive who appointed them, they new toured any of the schools invilved, sound like good planning? NO!!!
Ashley Virginia
11:25 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013
Tim, I was just informed yesterday that the school board visited Holibard middle this week. From what I was told sound to be like they have already started to build classrooms for fourth and fifth graders yet the school board has not reached a decision? Sound fishy to me
Buzz Beeler
10:46 am on Monday, February 18, 2013
Ashley on the blog I wrote Mr. Sheppard stated in response to a question from the audience that the final decision would be left with Mr. Kamenetz. Connect the dots on the school board.
No one can tell me that in the short time that Dr. Dance has been here he has a handle on this issue.
The deal is done but on the down side I think it could cost Mr. Kamenetz his bid for a second term depending on the outcomes of the RFP's and the role of the PUD and its impact.
In Towson the outcry doesn't stop the movement of the FD, just the location away from the park.
Ashley Virginia
9:34 am on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
They still spoke up adn saved their park, Just goes to show that Dundalk has no voice in this government and that they could care less when it comes to any of us. All they care about is the money in thier pocket. And legally Kamenetz does not have the final say. The school board does. And according to the law this should have gone infront of rezoning by november 10th of last year.
Buzz Beeler
3:28 pm on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Tim, did you pass that information onto Marge about the assault? There should be a report filed. Sorry this comment took awhile, have been busy.