A Tale of Two Cities

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… They of different names but same zip code (Gaithersburg/North Potomac 20878) educate their children in more than a few elementary schools, but for the purpose of this story, the main characters are Rachel Carson Elementary School (RCES - Gaithersburg 20878) and Stone Mill Elementary School (SMES - North Potomac 20878). **Travilah ES (North Potomac 20878) is an interesting but bit player due to proximity. Based on proximity to Rachel Carson, Stone Mill is only 2.8 mi as the Google crow flies; Travilah is 3.7 mi.

Now the Gaithersburg Town Courier posted on Facebook that RCES is at 137% capacity, the calculated number from their posting of 889 students in a school with a capacity of 649. Not noted, but according to the accountability office, RCES was 68% white in 2010, one of the few domains of majority White anywhere in the Montgomery County school system. RCES appears to be the poor cousin in the 20878 zip at 14.2% FARMS (Free and Reduced Meals) - a FARMS rate 2.6 times that of SMES; the majority of the 13.5% Hispanic children and the 6.6% African American children at RCES are in the FARMS category

Looking just 2.8 mi down the road, RCES parents might wonder why the closer-to-Potomac SMES is only at 86% capacity; only 593 students in a school that can hold 689. This school is majority Asian (48%) and White (39.8%), an astounding total of 87.8%.

What do the communities say? In these worst of times, would Stone Mill open their arms to the less fortunate, overcrowded of Rachel Carson?

Will the Board of Soccer - er, Board of Education - weigh in on this?

Face it Rachel Carson parents - you're not a focus/red zone school, so you're unlikely to get any help from your elected officials.

** Then again, Travilah Elementary School at 3.7 mi from RCES has even fewer students (at only 83.8% capacity), and a very similar SMES - like majority of White/Asian (88.4%), but an in-between FARMS @ 8.2%. DuFief ES, another over capacity school in the same zip/Gaithersburg, but not as overcrowded as RCES, might want to appeal to their neighboring Travilah community.

- Agnes Jones-Trower