Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Superintendent Dallas Dance officially recommended the closure at a late-January board meeting.
(Update 11:10 p.m.)— Following long, contentious debate, the Baltimore County Board of Education voted Tuesday night to approve a proposal by Superintendent Dallas Dance to close the Eastwood Elementary School facility. "I think ultimately in our roles as board members to look at education opportunities for students we just felt [the Eastwood STEM magnet program] is an exceptional program that should be expanded," Board President Lawrence Schmidt said after the vote. Dance's recommendation calls for Eastwood's program to be merged with Holabird Middle School and Norwood Elementary School as a new pre-kindergarten through eighth grade school housed on the Holabird Middle and Norwood campuses effective in the 2013-2014 school year called the…
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
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.
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 …
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Parents of students at Eastwood Elementary School, which faces the closure of its building, allege that the school system is acting unlawfully.
The Baltimore County Public Schools administration is refuting allegations from Eastwood Elementary School parents that it acted improperly in an effort to consolidate three Dundalk schools. The proposed merger between Eastwood, Holabird Middle School and Norwood Elementary School would result in the closure of Eastwood. "I feel like I was left out of the process," said Dan Ricci, an Eastwood parent, at a December Board of Education meeting. "I don't know if there were laws broken...certainly something unethical and unprofessional must have happened." Superintendent Dallas Dance recommended to the board at a Jan. 22 meeting that the three schools should operate as one kindergarten through eighth STEM magnet program at the Norwood and …
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Parents from the Dundalk elementary school, which is slated for a merger with two other area schools, complained about communications from the school system.
Parents of students at Eastwood Elementary Magnet School in Dundalk packed a Tuesday night Board of Education meeting to say they felt duped by the school system. During a Dec. 10 meeting at Holabird Middle School, school officials broke the news to Dundalk families that they intend to merge Eastwood, Holabird and Norwood Elementary Schools. The process includes shutting down the Eastwood facility, although the school system denies this means the end of the school. The closure of the Eastwood facility is part of a larger plan by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz to sell property to construct new county buildings. The Eastwood property may be used for a new police precinct. "We feel betrayed," Eric Williams, an Eastwood parent, said to the …
Monday, December 17, 2012
Parents opposed to closure of Eastwood Elementary Magnet School will attend Tuesday's Baltimore County Board of Education meeting.
Stunned by what many believe to be an "out of the blue" decision to close Eastwood Elementary Magnet School, local parents plan to take their concerns to the Baltimore County Board of Education meeting Tuesday night. In a hastily called meeting held Dec. 10, Baltimore County Public Schools officials told parents of their plans to close Eastwood at the end of the current school year, and shared with them two options for their students' futures. The plan potentially affects Norwood Elementary and Holabird Middle schools in addition to Eastwood. Parents were told of two options on the table for the three schools. One would merge all three schools, creating a pre-K-8 academy that would be a magnet program for science, technology, engineering …
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Three Dundalk schools will be housed in two facilities as the school system makes plans to turn property over to the county.
School officials announced plans to consolidate three Dundalk schools into two facilites Monday night, but denied a larger county trend. At a meeting with Dundalk families at Holabird Middle School, Deputy Superintendent Kevin Hobbs said the Eastwood Center Elementary Magnet School property will be turned over to the county for redevelopment at the end of the current school year. School officials are considering options to house the Eastwood, Holabird and Norwood Elementary School programs between the Holabird and Norwood facilities. The current Eastwood site could possibly be used for a new area police station. "You're always looking to respect the best use of space," he said following the meeting. "The conversation about Eastwood has …
One proposal would merge Eastwood and Norwood Elementary and Holabird Middle schools into a K-8 STEM academy.
About 150 Dundalk residents and school children attended a meeting Monday night at Holabird Middle School that addressed the futures of three Dundalk schools. Parents said they were notified of the meeting late last week and were given little information as to what it was about. The meeting was called to discuss a potential reorganization of Eastwood Elementary Magnet, Norwood Elementary and Holabird Middle schools. At its end, some parents thought school officials delivered mixed messages. School system Deputy Superintendent Kevin Hobbs told those gathered that no school was being closed, but parents said they heard something completely different. "Nothing's being shut down, nothing's being lost, we're not losing a school," Hobbs told the…
Monday, December 10, 2012
The plan involving Eastwood and Norwood Elementary Schools and Holabird Middle School appears tied to possible sale of government land for redevelopment.
UPDATED (1:29 a.m.)—Parents at two Dundalk Elementary Schools learned Monday night of a plan that will close one school and possibly lead to the building of a new police station. The plan involving Eastwood and Norwood Elementary and Holabird Middle schools appears tied to an expected proposal from County Executive Kevin Kamenetz to sell county property for redevelopment. Kevin Hobbs, Baltimore County Public Schools deputy superintendent, told about 150 people gathered Monday night in the cafeteria of Holabird Middle that Eastwood Elementary would be closed at the end of the current school year. Hobbs said the Eastwood building will become "the property of the county." He declined to elaborate on what the potential uses might be. Multiple …
Thursday, November 29, 2012
School and police officials determined the boy did not intend to harm anyone with it.
An 11-year-old Holabird Middle School student is facing charges after allegedly bringing a starter pistol to school on Wednesday. A school resource officer and principal discovered the weapon in the boy's locker after being informed by another student, Baltimore County Police said in a news release. They determined the boy, who reportedly said he wanted to show the pistol to his friends, did not intend to harm anyone. The boy was charged as a juvenile with possession of a deadly weapon and possession of a deadly weapon on school property. Police said the starter pistol found is commonly used to start swimming or track events.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Free flu shots will be available at Holabird Middle School on Oct. 13.
Flu season is here and the Baltimore County Department of Health is offering a slate of free services to help residents combat cold weather illnesses. County residents can dial in to on-call pharmacists on Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. when the department presents Ask a Pharmacist Day, according to a health department statement. Whether you want information on what kind of flu vaccine is right for you; you have questions about over-the-counter or prescription cold and flu medicines; questions about medical conditions and flu vaccination eligibility; or tips on how to avoid colds and the flu, call 410-887-2243 to talk with a pharmacist. On Saturday, free flu shots will be offered at five clinics around the county, including one at Holabird …
Buzz Beeler
6:44 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
Jean, good post. A lot of people probably did not know about this, especially from the east side. more ›