MCPS has a Division of Long Term Planning. But here is this week's planning surprise!
Three new classrooms will be added to the brand new Carderock Springs Elementary School currently under construction. See the picture at left. The roof is already on the new structure!
The MCPS Board of Education will vote to add 3 more classrooms to this almost complete new school on April 15, 2010.
MCPS announced on November 3, 2009, via the Carderock Principal that an Autism program would be added to Carderock Springs Elementary School. But it took 5 more months for MCPS administrators to figure out that the program would need space?
Did the Carderock Springs ES community reject the installation of classroom trailers? Because that is how this situation would have been handled at other schools.
How many MCPS elementary schools have classroom trailers in place and desperately need an addition? (Answer: 82)
Sorry 82 MCPS elementary schools with classroom trailers, Carderock ES just cut in front of you...
From Superintendent Jerry Weast's memorandum to the Board of Education:
Initially, the modernization of Carderock Springs Elementary School did not include planning for classroom space for the Autism Program. However, after discussions with staff in the Department of Special Education Services, it became apparent that including these classes at Carderock Springs Elementary School was essential.
The modernization of Carderock Springs Elementary School includes a third floor that has been master-planned for future classrooms. Division of Construction staff has determined that three of the ten master-planned classrooms can be built now to accommodate capacity in the school to house the Autism Program. The modifications to include the three classrooms on the third floor and modifications to ground floor classrooms for the Autism Program can be done during the current construction process and will be completed on schedule by August 2010.and don't miss this "Whereas" in Superintendent Weast's memo:
...WHEREAS, There are enough funds available in the modernization budget...
The presentation of the Carderock Springs ES modernization to the Board of Education.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/meetings/archive/2008-0108.shtm
MCPS decided that that 9 acre site could not accommodate a future addition as is planned for all other MCPS schools. So, as part of the construction, MCPS added a 3rd floor shell to this school. The shell area could then be built out when an addition was needed.
It has now been determined that Carderock Springs ES needs a 3 room addition and so Carderock has been moved to the top of the addition list and will be receiving a build out of 3 classrooms on the shell floor.
How many other MCPS schools have an empty 10 room shell as part of their facility for future expansion?
Any?
And yes, Carderock ES has been exempted from the use of portable classrooms.
ReplyDeleteAt minute 5:20 of the Board of Education meeting you can hear the MCPS representative explain that the site had been planned for the use of portable classrooms because the "build out of 3rd floor wouldn't be triggered until portables were on the site..."
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/meetings/archive/2008-0108.shtm
MCPS' James Song also noted to the Board in the meeting cited above that there were no plans to build out the 3rd floor of Carderock Springs ES in the 6 year CIP.
ReplyDeleteCost to rent a portable classroom for one year is $5,064.
ReplyDeleteI have publicly advocated for flexible construction of just this sort given the county council's tendency to approve housing construction without regard to infrastructure support.
ReplyDeleteWe should applaud this engineering adjustment.
Given the problems encountered with trailers (mold, cost, transport, loss of recreation area), we should be pleased with this move.
Carderock kids should not be housed in trailers either and their building has the capability to avoid their use. The construction crew is already available and disruption of school functions is NOT a factor. It would be downright stupid to use the 10 class expansion after using trailers in an interim period.
The reason NOT to do this is fear of the perception of favoritism. Pragmatism should trump politics here. So far, it has.
I live in Olney so I have no specific stake in this other than advocating sound fiscal management of our perpetually limited construction funds.
Long term, this seems to make more sense, though I may not be privy to some important details that would negate that impression.
No perception of favoritism. Fact.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the hold up on the Old Blair Auditorium? Rotting, rat infested "shell" for 10 years? The elementary school at that site has 4 portables.
That "shell" could have been renovated with these funds but guess that facility isn't in the right neighborhood.
Some MCPS elementary schools have had classroom trailers in use for OVER 20 YEARS.
But Carderock ES gets to ditch the BOARD APPROVED PLAN and get an additional $1.5 million in construction funds this year.
Pictures of the rotting Old Blair Auditorium "shell" that the MCPS Board of Education ignores. This space is connected to two schools.
ReplyDeleteSo while it rots and becomes rodent infested the students are just down the hall.
http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2010/01/wasted-school-space-10-years-and.html
How is it that the Carderock ES parents were able to fund and renovate their school bathrooms when the parents decided the bathrooms were in need of repairs?
ReplyDeleteThe funds were obtained by an outside Foundation that the Principal sits on as a Board member.
Can every MCPS school do this, just build/renovate as desired without Board approval?
Do you have some documentation that suggests the auditorium could be used to produce class space that would eliminate trailers?
ReplyDeleteMaybe it is possible, but the paperwork I saw claimed (perhaps incorrectly) that demolition was more cost effective than renovation. If that's the case, it's not terribly relevant how awful the auditorium is.
The Foundation question is worthy of a fresh entry. I'd been told that PTA's couldn't bestow gifts on schools. Why would a Foundation be allowed? It's a sure path to a two-tier school system when those with Foundations lobby for lower taxes because their schools don't require public funding.
@william jacobs:
ReplyDeleteDemolition? What project are you talking about?
The County Council will discuss the Old Blair Auditorium project tomorrow. There are 4 options in the Council packet with from 2 to 4 classrooms in each option. Demolition isn't an option and I have never heard that discussed for this space. The auditorium is part of the Old Blair building and part of a school in use.
http://oldblairauditorium.org/docs/auditorium_04162010.pdf
As far as the Foundation, welcome to Montgomery County! No problem with this type of funding. Perfectly fine with Superintendent Weast and the Board of Education. Board members Shirley Brandman and Patricia O'Neill both live in the Whitman Cluster. Did you miss when the Board of Education approved the $164,000 Foundation perks that are being added to the Carderock ES modernization, including the terrazzo tile entrance and amphitheater in the back?
Why do you think this school has skipped over the use of portables and gone right to a new addition???
Every other school in MCPS would have had portables placed at the school as the new building opened.
Now you see why the Whitman Cluster public comments to the Board are always so perky.
Council approval of $154,640 in perks paid for by Foundation run by parents and principal for Carderock ES:
ReplyDeletehttp://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2009/04/ervin-knapp-andrews-yes-to-terrazzo.html