Montgomery's school buildings should not be sold

The Washington Post: Letter to the Editor 

Regarding the Nov. 23 editorial "A fair school deal," on the proposed sale of the old Peary High School to theMelvin Berman Hebrew Academy:

My organization has a long-standing position opposing the sale of schools and future school sites owned by the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) because such sites constitute an irreplaceable form of public patrimony.

Many of these schools and future school sites have been offered by developers as the quid pro quo for getting approval for developments that significantly increase the number of students in county schools. They represent the high value that MCPS places on "community schools" - schools that provide free and excellent education to all children living within a given geographic area...

...We strongly believe, however, that this measure should never allow the permanent loss of a school. For our elected officials to sell off such a precious commodity shows a remarkable lack of foresight and vision.

Peggy Dennis, Potomac

The writer is president of the Montgomery County Civic Federation.