Fighting Against Over-Crowded Schools
We all value our children, don’t we? So why would we want them to go to school in crowded portables, shuttling in and out of school buildings to go to the bathroom, or to find a seat in a crowded cafeteria. The picture above is one of the so-called "super pods" that has been a fixture at Centerville Elementary School, a chronically over-crowded school. This is what happens when growth outpaces our school capacity. It’s what has been going in Urbana for many years now. It’s Elementary Schools like Deer Crossing, Centerville, New Market, and Urbana. It's Oakdale & Urbana Middle Schools, and Urbana & Oakdale High Schools, as well! All of these District 2 schools are expected to be over 100% of state rated capacity in the 2018/19 school year. All too many of them will be FAR over their capacity. All of these schools are in areas of continuing growth, with developers building despite the crowded school conditions. The houses keep coming because they have Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreements (DRRAs) that lock in their ability to build – regardless of school conditions. This is the legacy of Councilman Tony Chmelik’s patron and 2014 running mate Blaine Young. Urbana will soon have three elementary schools. However, with over 600 new homes yet to be built there, how soon will it be before a fourth elementary school is needed? There are plans for a new East County Elementary School sometime after 2022. Unfortunately, with all of the homes approved in the area, we'll need three or more new elementary schools! How soon will Frederick County Public Schools be forced to redistrict all across District 2 to deal with these issues? That’s the cost of uncontrolled growth. As your Councilman, I will always fight against developments that overcrowd our schools and hurt our children.
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