At this evening's emergency Board of Education (BOE) meeting it was announced that County Executive Ike Leggett sent a letter to the BOE today announcing that the County was no longer interested in turning the Brickyard Middle School site over to MSI Soccer.
The owner of the Brickyard Middle School site is the Board of Education, as always. There is no longer a lessee for this property.
The site remains on the list of future school sites for MCPS.
The purpose of this evening's meeting was to read the letter from County Executive Ike Leggett. Nothing secret about the letter. No reason for the BOE to go into a closed session, and no reason for the BOE to withhold the letter prior to the meeting.
The BOE still doesn't understand that they are a public body doing public business.
Now lets get a school on the site and our kids out of trailers!
ReplyDeleteHopefully one incorporating a program with the Brickyard Educational Farm.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.brickyardeducationalfarm.org/
There'd be nothing like in for 500 miles around and it's a superb partner with Poolesville High's "Global Ecology House" magnet program
What there is nothing like is the private schools, private entities and private citizens that take over public school land in Montgomery County for pennies. Peary High School, Bradley Middle School site, Montgomery Hills Junior High etc... all school sites LOST because private interests demanded and were given the public school land for pennies.
DeleteEnough is enough. These acres are public school land dedicated for the use of public school children, not for the conversion of private entities. If the public school system doesn't want the land they can sell it at market rates and get the funds for the Capital Budget. Enough with the taxpayers assets being given away.
Want the land? Buy it.
Kudos to the people that got together, worked so hard, and spent hundreds of hours and a small fortune to keep this land in the public sector, for the public school system. This land is public property, one of many locations throughout the county reserved for public schools. It is not for soccer fields and it is not for farms and it is not for private schools. It is owned by the public and it is kept in reserve for public schools.
ReplyDeleteThe value of the land includes 30 years of organic soil.
ReplyDeleteA middle school constructed to reduce the footprint could produce a PUBLIC program of agriculture education.
The two are not necessarily exclusive. Poolesville in the Ag Reserve is not that far from the same idea.
Where was this plan before Ike Leggett decided he wanted the land to hand over to MSI Soccer?
DeleteThere is no such thing as '30 years of organic soil.' Check the requirements for an organic farm. Three years, that is all. The Potomac Patch has a great article about the organic requirements, athttp://potomac.patch.com/articles/department-of-ag-answers-organic-farm-certification-questions-c8881d31.
ReplyDeleteMD requirements are similar to those of other states. From the Patch: Baldwin: Prior to obtaining certification, a farm must have three consecutive years without application of any synthetic pesticides, fertilizers or any other prohibited substances applied to the fields. The organic farm then applies for certification to a USDA accredited certifier. (The Maryland Department of Agriculture is an accredited certifier.) The application process requires the submission of an organic system plan which details how the farmer will meet the requirements of the NOP regulations. The plan must include substances to be used to produce organic crops, methods of improving soil quality, seed and plant sources, crop rotation plans and methods of preventing contamination of organic crops.