Middleborough Elementary Parents Need a Bigger Fundraiser
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Joe Corbi's pizzas might be getting a little more expensive in the near future at Middleborough Elementary School.
Either that, or the PTA there may need to resort to selling items out of the Neiman Marcus catalog after one school official told them they might be able to get their air conditioning system they want by raising the $1.6 million themselves.
Last month parents of at the school wrote school officials and volunteered to privately purchase window units for classrooms at the school. (Both letters are attached to this story.)
Michael Sines, executive director of the school system's department of physical facilities, rejected the idea saying "in good conscience, I cannot support the proposal."
His letter went on to cite a number of reasons: mechanical and installation costs and the cost of installing remote thermostats in each room. Sines also wrote that the proposal could possibly create an unsafe condition for teachers and students based on national standards set by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
Then he offered another idea.
"A second option is to submit a proposal to fund the air conditioning project as a group or organization," wrote Sines. "Obviously this approach would require great sacrifice on the part of the organization and community. If this option is seriously considered, a member of the department of physical facilities would be assigned to assist in completing the necessary documents. The current project estimate to install a central air conditioning system is roughly $1.6 million. The first cost estimate for a central system is only $600,000 more than the window unit approach. When life cycle and maintenance and operational costs are factored in, the central system is actually less expensive over a 15-20 year period."
Sines closed the letter saying he hoped the information would be helpful and referred the parents back to their school principal.
The letter didn't sit well with Comptroller Peter Franchot, who chastised schools Superintendent Joe Hairston and Sines during a Board of Public Works meeting Wednesday.
"I don't think I've ever seen a letter like the one Mr. Sines sent residents," said Franchot.
patrick pfarr
7:34 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
This isn't a second option, it's plausible deniability, "intentionally setting up the conditions to plausibly avoid responsibility for one's actions or knowledge". We didn't say no, we offered a better idea............... It's BS. They know full well it won't happen.
David Taylor
8:13 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Don't parents in BoCo have the right to transfer their kids to another school? I'm not saying a different school is the answer, but that if all the parents put in for a transfer and demanded the school system honor the law, maybe they would be chided into doing the right thing here?
It's certainly better than raising $1.6M in a bake sale...
Dkennylee
8:50 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
1.6 mill my ass someone is crazy how about we find out how much it really cost also window ac fast and cheap ..thats the problem if it makes sence goverment needs to make it harder ....
K Blue
8:54 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Isnt the person who wrote that letter the same person who made an $8 million dollar mistake on the Milford Mill plans? If so, perhaps he can tell the public what efforts have been made to recoup that money and how much longer it will be before the County gets back that $8 million. That money could air condition 5 schools.
K Blue
9:02 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
"At the core of this unfortunate debacle is a procedural shortcoming, namely, as admitted by Michael Sines, executive director of physical facilities, the fact that the school system's policy fails to ensure the kind of internal oversight that requires that architectural drawings be thoroughly reviewed before construction projects be put out for bid. And so a lack of "internal oversight" is going to cost the county (and its taxpayers) millions of dollars and the Milford Mill community at least four months of added construction time." http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-01-20/news/bs-ed-bcps-letter-20110120_1_james-w-ancel-michael-sines-milford-mill-academy
Dkennylee
8:56 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
My brother does this for a living he tells me this figure is crazy. More like half or less for this school..of course the bigger the school, more money but the figure for this building is pure crap again crap!
Jackie Vernon
9:04 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Sines needs to go... The job can be done over the summer... No a/c in hot days causes kids to lose instructional time... And with the amount that oarents pay in taxes, there is now way you can fundraise that much $$$, not to mention that that $$$ should go to materials that can help teachers with more quality lessons...What is he thinking? I'm guessing he has other priorities than education ... Is he in a position where he can be voted out?
Bart
9:27 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Parents must NEVER be required to fill in the gaps that the County can't fill. It only expands and reinforces the gaps between the haves and the have-nots in our community. It is the responsibility of the County. That's what we pay taxes for.
K Blue
11:05 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Bart, I could not agree with you more. I dont think anyone is asking that the County school administration provide the ultimate in air conditioning, but they are required to provide a safe environment in which to learn and triple digit temperatures are not safe for students or teachers, not to mention the obvious impact these temperatures have on a child's ability to learn. The present administration appears to have been so singularly focused on integrating technology in the classrooms and Race to the Top funds that they have overlooked one of the most basic fundamentals -- a safe environment. That doesn't necessarily mean optimal given these times, but it should mean at a minimum adequate. Where there is a will, there is a way; not in the future, but now. I would like to know the date of the standards on which Sines is relying, and whether that report makes any recommendation at all what to do in the event of sustained classroom temperatures that these children are experiencing now if installing central air is not feasible financially. I am not buying the explanation that window units are not preferable to no units at all. Aren't there window units in other schools in other counties?
Cathy Fialkowski
11:02 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
I'm one of the parents who offered to by an AC unit for Middleborough, I have twins in 2nd grade there. I agree it should not be my responsibility to ensure that my child is in a safe climate controlled classroom, but obviously it is, and I'm desparate.
Baltimore County Parent
11:10 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
What I'd like to know is what was Sines's original estimate for installing central air conditioning in Middleborough Elementary school back when he was mandated to do a system-wide A/C study and estimate? As another reader pointed out on another patch article (http://towson.patch.com/articles/testy-exchange-punctuates-hairston-s-last-beg-a-thon-appearance) Sines estimated at that time it would cost a RIDICULOUS amount of money -> $450 million to air condition 94 schools = $4,787,234. per school. What was his estimate for Middleborough then (when he was trying to convince the county to give up on the idea) and how does it compare with his latest and greatest $1.6M estimate? Does anyone know? I have trouble believing any word out of this man's mouth. It would be nice to prove his previous estimate was grossly over-inflated.
Rus Vanwestervelt
6:16 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Bryan-- I hope you can answer this question. I keep hearing on the news how many millions of dollars have been raised for education through Maryland gambling. This is all "new" money that wasn't in the financial picture a few years ago. How are counties using this money? Wouldn't this be a good use of those funds? In Howard County, I understand that they are debating about using that money to convert the high school athletic fields to artificial turf!
Rus Vanwestervelt
5:27 am on Friday, January 27, 2012
My error-- The funds for the new turf fields (approved last night) were from the 50% alcohol tax increase that took effect July 1, 2011. http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/howard/news/ph-ho-cf-glances-turf-fields-0202-2-20120126,0,804453.story. Still...As Peter Franchot questioned: Is this really the highest priority in how these funds should be used? How did Baltimore County use their share?
Bryan P. Sears
12:03 pm on Friday, January 27, 2012
Rus: Baltimore County's share (about $7 m) went to various westside school projects. Here are links to two stories that might be helpful: 1. http://patch.com/A-mZkw and 2. http://patch.com/B-w55
Alan
11:49 am on Friday, January 27, 2012
Rus...Baltimore County used their $7 million to reward the districts whose delegates provided the most support in gaining the alcohol tax, not on need. Not a penny went towards providing air conditioning nor did one cent go to any schools located on the east side of Baltimore County. Among the projects supported was $200K for new stage lighting at Pikesville HS, and new foot lockers in other schools.
I too, like Cathy above, was one of the parents who was going to purchase an air conditioning unit for Middleborough and we were absolutely going to raise the monies to purchase the 25 individual air conditioning units needed to provide relief to the remaining classrooms and cafeteria within our children's school.
Alan
11:54 am on Friday, January 27, 2012
If anyone is interested in learning about the efforts we've done and are continuing to do, email your information to ac4middleborough@gmail.com
This is a county-wide issue and only with the support of other communities working together will the other HALF of Baltimore County Public School students learn in an equal environment that's safe and conducive to learning.
Alex Franckewitz
4:40 pm on Monday, August 6, 2012
I'm willing to bet Mr Sines children(s) school had air conditioning. Baltimore County Public Schools, I believe is the largest school system in the state. Look at Harford County Schools and most of there schools have air. Yes, they have less schools, Ah, they also have less taxes. It's obvious to me Sines needs to go. Every Baltimore County School parent should show up at the next District meeting and DEMAND he be replaced with someone who knows what there doing. United We Stand!....... Divided....... We Fall! Alex