Upper Crossroads Letter

8/8/2019 Upper Crossroads Letter

1/8

Fallston,December6,2010

Membersoftheboard,Dr.Tomback:

MynameisCyrusEtemadMoghadamof, Uppercrossroads

neighborhood,inFallston.Afterleavingthelastboardmeeting,IfeltthattheonlytruegoaloftheSTAC

wastofillalltheschoolsevenlyagoalnotmetinitselfbasedonthedatafromtheSTAC.The

parametersset

for

the

STAC

as

stated

on

the

board

of

education

web

site

were

not

met

in

many

cases.

IhavegonethroughthelistwithrespecttoFallstonandpointedouttothenoncompliances

evenwhentherequirementsarequalitative.TherearetoomanytocoversoIwouldliketofocusonthe

moreimportancerequirementsastheyapplytoourchildren:

UndertheContinuityofNeighborhoodssection,themaingoalswerenotlookedatperMr.

Licata.Inhisownwords,distanceisnotanissue,somekidshaveover45minuteridesnorthofthe

county.Uppercrossroadshasbeensplitinthemiddledespitebeingoneoftheoldestneighborhoodsin

Fallstonitselfoneoftheoldestcommunitiesasawhole. The1milemaximumrequirementisnotmet

ascanbeseenintheattachedchart.Somestreetsarealsospitasshown.

InthecaseofMultiplesiblingsopportunitytoattendsameschool,thiswillnothappensince

theproposedplanistopossiblygrandfatheronlythefifthgraders.Inaddition,oneissuenotconsidered

isthesplittingofkidsbetweenFallstonMSandHSandJarrettsvilleadding7milesonewaycomparedto

YBESforparents.

UndertheTimingsectionaswellasTransportation,busridesareapriority.Rightnowmy

kidshavea2.5milesfromYBESwhichtakes 30minutes.Mr.LicatastatedthattheUppercrossroards

cornerisonly5.2milesfromJarrettsvilleElementaryduringthelastmeeting.However,wecannottake

aleftturnfromFranklinsChancesowehavetogotheotherroute,whichis7miles. Howcan7miles

(taking152

to

146

only

way

to

go

with

right

turns)

work

for

Uppercrossroads?

This

is

only

for

our

neighborhood,whatabouttheothers.Mr.Licatastatedthattherewouldbenoroutesdrawnuntilthe

redistrictingisapproved.

UndertheCapacity/Enrollment/Utilizationsection,theplanofbeinginthe8595%capacityis

notmet.Beforeredistricting,16schoolsareoverthe95%capacity,17after. Whyistheoldcapacityof

890beingusedforYBESbeforeand958aftertheredistrictingwhentherehavebeennostructural

changestotheschool?WhyisDarlingtonbeingincreased>100%whenDublinisat76%?Whyis

Edgewood,inthemiddleofpopulatedareasat50%(beingreduced)thesebeingexamplesthe

requirementsnotbeingmet.

Insummary,

Ihope

you,

our

school

board,

will

serve

your

first

customers,

your

children,

our

childrenandreverseoratleastslowdowntheprocesssuchthattheSTACparametersarethoroughly

reviewedandtheFallstonarea,asallotherareas,arefairlytreated.Thankyou

CyrusEtemadMoghadam

Uppercrossroadsneighborhood

Fallston,Maryland


2/8

Description Requirement St

Boundary

ExceptionsConsiderspecialprograms

Specialprogramswerenotd

boardmembersaskedforad

Keeppolicyinplace

NoboundaryexceptionsfordaycaresThiscreatesproblemsforfa

JarrettsvilleElementary

Maintainboundariesforspecialeducationstudentsinregionalcenters

uponparentrequest

Bemore

strict

with

boundary

exceptions

Continuityof

NeighborhoodsConsiderkeepingneighborhoodstogether

Fallstonisalargeneighboho

Uppercrossroadsneighborh

southbetweenYBESandJES

Defineneighborhoods

Keepnamedsubdivisionstogether,ifmustsplitupdosobyphaseUppercrossroadsisahistori

isbeingsplitbytheredistric

Multiplesiblings

opportunity

to

attend

same

school That

cannot

happen

since

obeingconsideredforgrandf

Considerthedivisionofroadsinthenorthregion

Neighborhoodsasdefinedbysubdivisionor"parceldevelopment"(i.e.

ForestLakes/HamptonRidge)

Attendingtheschoolclosesttocommunity

Fallstonneighborhoodsare

thanJarrettsville,notconsid

Fallstonnotconsideredaco

Don'tdividestreetsAtleasttwostreetsaredivid

maps(seeattached) mapi

Lookat

major

roads

as

natural

dividing

lines

Trytokeepdevelopmenttogetherifpossible

Considerthoseschoolswithinahighdevelopmentalarea(where'sthe

growth?)

Notdiscussed,fluctionation

Fallston(BelAirRoad,Harfo

development butthatpart

growthunderthepresentp

Timing Redistrictentirecountynowwithplanoffutureschoolinplan Nofutureschoolsinplan


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Donotredistrictelementarystudentsmorethan1timewhilein

elementaryyears(K5)

Nomorethan30minutes(orsomereasonabletimeonthebuseachway)

Rightnowuppercrossroads

minuteride howcan7mile

waytogowithrightturns)w

Ensurethatallspecialservicesareincludedinallelementaryschools,but

maintaintheregionalservicesNoYMCAatJarrettsville

Capacity/Enrollme

ntUtilizationStickwith8595%capacity

Moreschoolsabovetheave

redistric,16schoolsoverth

after

Modifydistrictalleviateregion5overcrowding

CreateRedPumpattendancearea

Redistrictwithinregions

Staffing

Noportablesonschoolsites

Considerthecurrentuseofbuildingspaceforspecialprograms(utilization

rate)

Discussedduringthepresen

Equalizingclasssizeacrosscounty

Planfor10years(thisplan)trynottoredistrictagainfor10years

Redpumpissuebroughtup

Krchnavy alreadyovercap

workneededtobedone

Transportation 45minutelimitonthebusNotmet nonewrouteside

havea30minuteride2.5m

Combinebusstops

Createroutesforbusestoarriveanddepartontime

Minimizetime

on

bus Duplicate

requirement

Minimizewalkingdistance reconsiderpolicy

Considerfourthtierbuses/daycareissuesDaycareissuesnotdiscusse

Iquote"zipcodesdon'tmat

Limitbusridestonomorethan45minutes Duplicaterequirement

Minimizetotalmilesbusestravel

Congestion>Drivetime>45minutes>Congestion Duplicaterequirement

Increasingwalkingdistancewithinconfinedarea,withsidewalks


4/8


Grandfathering FifthgradershavechoiceofstayingincurrentschoolDuringthepresentation,no

made

MaintainoptionforfifthgraderstoremainincurrentschoolDuringthepresentation,no

made

Siblingconsiderations 5thgradechildand2ndgradechildDuringthepresentation,no

made

Onlyforfifthgraders finishouttheirlastyearDuringthepresentation,no

made

Studentsshould

not

be

redistricted

within

elementary

school

years

more

thanonce

Optionforincoming5thgraderstostayatcurrentschool(forfirstyearof

implementation)

Parentscan"optout"ofgrandfatheringinordertokeepfamiliestogether

nstructional

Program

Ensureinstructionalprogramsareconsistentfromschooltoschool(i.e.

childcare,music(band,etc.),afterschoolcare,beforeafterschool

programs

Specialprogramsnotdiscus

availabledocumentation

Studentsshould

have

equal

access

to

programs

(i.e.

G/T

program,

music)s Not

discussed

Resourcesshouldbecomparable(i.e.books,technology,intervention

programs)Notdiscussed

Schoolshousingregionalprograms(autism,CSP)shouldhavereduced

capacitytoaccommodateallneeds

Onlydiscussedinschoolswi

notforrestofschools

Cost Fillbusestocapacity Noplanningdonetodate

Don'tletcostofbusesdictateorimpact#ofbusesneeded

Operationalcostshouldbeo

expenditures schoolsshou

available

MiscellaneousTrytoavoid"smallpockets"ofstudentsfromoneelementaryschool

feedingintoadifferentmiddleschoolthantherestoftheirclassmates

NotconsideredbySTAC(an

Nov.29orDec.6meetings)

Theplanshouldbeasleastdisruptiveaspossible.Don'tmovepeoplefor

thesakeofmovingthem.Moveasfewstudentsaspossible

Fillingschoolsusedasprima

considered manyneighbor

othersacrosscountylines


5/8


PotentialGrowth Room/spaceforexpansionpotentialshouldbeconsidered If considerednotshown,on

Considerplacingschoolswherethemostexpansionmayoccur Boardstatedthatithasnoo

Security/

TransportatioDoorsidedropoffonmajorroadspj

Lefthandturns/difficultymaking Notconsidered,south152h

Historyofaccidentsonroads

Lengthof

bus

rides Duplicate

requirement

Adequatenumberofbusestoalleviatebehaviorproblems,overcrowding

atbusstops

Partnerwithroadsandzoningtolookcloselyattrafficpatterns,conditions

ofroadsNotconsidered

ClassSize Keepclasssizeslow,consistentwithcurrentBoardofEducationpolicy Requirementnotproven


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SplitstreetsinproposedYBES district


7/8

1mileradiusinproposeddistrict


8/8

117%isactually109%undernewcriteria,andfor2010its107% Therewere16sc

hoolsoveraveragecapacitybeforeredistr

ictandRedPump,21

after

Upper Crossroads Letter

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