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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Farquhar Middle School modernization: A parent's perspective.


On behalf of the Ashton, Sunshine, Sandy Spring, and Olney parents whose children will attend Farquhar Middle School (FMS) I would like to thank the MCPS staff for their work on the FMS Modernization effort. We parents were initially very excited to hear that the much needed FMS modernization feasibility study was underway. This excitement quickly dissipated to dread and united opposition to the (seemingly preferred) options that would require bussing students 1 hour and 10 minutes each way to the Tilden Holding Center. What has transpired over the last four months is a refreshing example of government and community working together to find solutions that truly meet the students’ needs while being sensitive to the greater community. We are again excited with the recommended options that bring a needed modernized middle school with an additional park to the community.

Driven by the knowledge and scientific evidence of the direct and indirect negative impacts of long duration bussing the parents worked very hard with MCPS staff to identify and explore many options looking for innovative solutions. These included solutions that would allow students to remain on-site during construction through technology alternatives and placement of structures to help meet the aggressive Gold LEED standard that MCPS desired to be achieved. It seemed that road block after road block was discovered with stream beds, geo-thermal system requirements, roofing requirements, and the like. We also investigated options that would send the students to other facilities. This included other near by elementary schools, high schools, alternative buildings that are planned to be put in the MCPS inventory for holding centers, splitting the children up among the local middle schools, and even using privately owned school building. All to no avail, each option was assessed by MCPS staff and deemed not feasible or as having too many constraints compared to the Tilden option; further, many parents did not want delays to the modernization so options that pushed the schedule to the right were not palatable.

This left parents very concerned and even more dedicated to finding a good option for the children. It is well known that land along Batchellor’s Forest Road is planned for development so questions as to the plot next to FMS were raised. It was discovered that (in accordance with the Olney Master Plan, 2005) the land is to be dedicated to Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), for use as an active park. The idea of a land-swap was brought to life.

The land-swap option uses land directly adjacent to the existing Farquhar to build the new Farquhar. The existing Farquhar site, upon completion of the new school, would then become the new park. Some have suggested that this option “clearly violates” the 2005 Olney Master Plan; however, it would seem that providing the Olney community an active park with ballfields is consistent with the intent of the Master Plan and delivers on an identified community need that will not likely be achieved in the near future given today’s fiscal constraints. In fact, page 28 of the plan states:
Analysis of recreation resources in Olney, included in the Park and Trail Analysis for the Olney Planning Area, indicates that three additional ballfields are needed in the area. The (see the Parks and Recreation Chapter) 17.4-acre portion of the property is appropriate for ballfields and possibly other active recreation since it is clear with no significant environmental features, and can share its ballfields and parking area with the adjoining middle school site. Access to the ballfields should be from the Old Vic Boulevard extended and through the middle school property.”

MCPS has taken the idea of the land-swap and developed two options that are deemed feasible as documented in the [Draft]  July 2011 FMS Modernization Feasibility Study report. One option is a two story building preferred by the FAC and the other is a three story building preferred by MCPS staff. Developing these options with MCPS staff has been in the spirit of cooperation and democracy that our community aspires to and MCPS is meeting M-NCPPC’s criteria of equal or greater value in a trade with a lot that is 18% larger. Community benefits associated with the land-swap include established amenities, such as ball fields and tennis courts frequented by the community, as well as a parking lot that can also be used during Farquhar events to reduce parking issues on Batchellor’s Forest Road. Furthermore, M-NCPPC and the community will likely have use of a park sooner given the limited budget we are dealing with and cost savings associated with a partially established park. MCPS will also save money by not having a dedicated bus route to the Tilden Holding Center. We are using all our precious resources wisely.

The development and analysis of these options demonstrates the positive outcome that can be achieved in an open and participatory working group. The FMS modernization process has been an example of successful collaboration between the school system and the community. The FAC Committee held publicized open meetings beginning in March 2011, which were well attended by parents and community members. This provided opportunity to address a multitude of suggestions and alternatives from both MCPS staff and the community. The community submitted suggestions and alternative options that were responded to by MCPS staff, presented, and posted online for the community to read and respond.

The resultant recommendations deliver to the Olney community a needed park with existing ballfield and protect “rural open space” and the “low-density character of the Southeast Quadrant”. It is clear that the land-swap options (both the 2-story and the 3-story) are the best option for Farquhar modernization, because only they option meet all of the following community needs:
  • Keep kids & families in the community during modernization, avoiding LONG bus rides to Bethesda,
  • Avoid $1.5 million in transportation costs,
  • Maintain the rural feel of the school’s road – the new building can stay two stories vs. three for an “on-site” option, and
  • Jump-start the building of a planned park in Olney – one that will have fields, tennis courts, or even possibly a gym ready-made, saving taxpayer dollars on park construction
Many in our community including, the following, endorse the land-swap:
  • homeowners Associations located within the Farquhar Middle School boundary,
  • all PTAs from the feeder elementary schools and Farquhar Middle School,
  • the Mid-County Citizens Advisory Board,
  • State Senator Karen Montgomery, District 14,
  • State Delegate Anne Kaiser, District 14,and
  • State Senator Roger Manno, District 19.
Certainly, details will need to be worked out to ensure that the implementation (i.e., access to the school, traffic flow, etc…) conforms to the Master plan and the concerns of SEROCA and the local residents are addressed.

It is not often that a parent’s group can publicly thank MCPS, so I am particularly thrilled to be able to do. MCPS staff was open in dialog with the community and addressed our concerns through modernization feasibility study process.

Jennifer McKneely
Member of Future Farquhar Community Coalition and Sherwood Elementary School Parent

14 comments:

  1. Neighbors are community too. Neighbors are permanent while parents are transitory. All parties must be at the table when these decisions are made. Parents will be at the school for 3 years, neighbors will be there for 50.

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  2. We are all part of the community. When you buy your house there is always the chance that things will change. Why should an entire community send children on a 1 hour bus ride for 3 or 4 neighbors. This is based on the overall good of the community not 3 or 4 landowners!!!!

    What about the teachers who are excellent at FMS should they be uprooted for maybe their entire career for three or 4 neighbors?

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  3. Last time I checked, the parents at Farquhar include a LOT of "neighbors" as I myself grew up in MoCo, as a matter of fact I go back 4 generations and my kids, who will attend Farquhar are 5th generation natives of MoCo, does that meet the 50 year criteria you cite, Anonymous? It doesn't matter if we live on top of the school or within a few miles, there are a lot of natives in this area (Ashton, Sandy Spring, Silver Spring, Brinklow, Brookeville, etc.) who take great pride in sending their children to their alma mater and/or to the system their previous generations attended. Not everyone can be a direct neighbor of Farquhar as the same family has owned the land next to it for many generations, the rest of us have to live within close proximity. The number of extended families living near each other and going to school together out here would surprise you. We don't plan to leave anytime soon.

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  4. These Farquhar parents and their outrageous threats and attempts at holding a community at ransom make me embarrassed to live in Olney and reminds me of why i didn't want my children to go to Sherwood cluster schools.

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  5. That's right, holding the community ransom because we don't want our kids on buses for hours on end. We are so EVIL.

    Explain how we are holding a community ransom again? I think I missed that part. How is all of Olney affected? Please, I am a slow learner. Must be growing up in rural MoCo, but I am confused, I would appreciate your help.

    BTW, feel free to be embarrased to live in Olney as we understand as it is why so many of us live in other communities. The world does not revolve around Olney as most of Olney, including GOCA, thinks.

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  6. As an educator and parent, I am glad to see the county really trying to work with tha parents on this issue. I for one feel that the amount of time these children will have to spend on a bus is deplorable. Not to mention the added expense to the county in these already difficult economic times. The land swap option is the best option.

    I am having a hard time understanding the why there is opposition from the neighbors. This situation is not one where the county is coming in and declaring
    "immanent domain". The portion of the land to be utilized with the land swap was
    sold, by the neighbors in opposition, to a developer. If they wanted to have
    control over what was to be built next door, maybe they shouldn't have sold off
    much of their land.

    The county needs to do what is best for the children. Period. End of argument!

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  7. Time for a little history for those Olney residents that do not realize that the Board of Education GAVE AWAY a 30 acre school site in an EMERGENCY CLOSED Board meeting (zero public input - who cares about public input). Oh, maybe NOW it is obvious why the public should have notice of these major land decisions...

    Here's what one Olney group said in 2004:

    Olney may well need an additional school site. The former Olney High School site on Bowie Mill Road, which was declared surplus in 1996, should be reclaimed by the school board and held in reserve to accommodate future growth in Olney and the surrounding clusters.

    http://www.olneycoalition.org/OlneyMasterPlan/OMP32acre/Bowie.htm

    Imagine how that 30 acres could be put to use today.

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  8. Interesting little tid bit. Montgomery County still owns the 32 acre Olney High School site.

    That means County Executive Ike Leggett can turn it back over to the Board of Education for the use of the educational needs of county students!

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  9. Yes, the county has the site on Bowie Mill, which is the opposite side of Olney from Farquhar which would in no way benefit the communities currently served by the school - Ashton, Brinkow, Brookeville, Sandy Spring, Silver Spring, and part of southern Olney. That site would have served the communities that feed Redland/Parks/Magruder/Sherwood, Farquhar is a Consortium/Sherwood feeder and is located too far away for that land to help so it is a moot point.

    As for the issue of closed doors etc., in this case the land swap deal was completely in the open unlike what is happening in other parts of the county or at that time. The land swap idea was researched by a parent who found out that a park was going in next door. It was then introduced at one of the informational meetings held at the school and given to MCPS to run with (who, initially, was not too keen on the idea, probably because it came from the parents). It was always above board and in the minutes. Articles were in the Gazette, information was provided to GOCA, HOAs, PTAs, on listservs, etc. No one ever tried to cover this up and not share it with the whole community. Why the rest of Olney would have a problem with the Farquhar parents trying to do right by their children I have no idea. When Parks was built and Redland recently renovated I didn't think I knew what was best for their children and get involved, so why do they think it is okay to get involved in what is best for mine?

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  10. There is nothing moot about 32 acres of dedicated public school land that is still titled to Montgomery County and can be RECLAIMED by the Board of Education! This is a big county with lots of public school needs. That's why Master Plans and Long Range planning are so very important. None of these decisions should be made in secret or in haste.

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  11. The 32 acres, if it is actually still owned by Montgomery County, should be for exactly what the 2004 Olney Coalition said - FUTURE GROWTH in Olney. The Farquhar Middle School modernization is not to accomodate growth, but to modernize an old and badly outdated school. It is not adding any capacity to the system. Moving Farquhar to this site would waste land (32 acres is too large for a middle school) and be WAY outside the current district boundaries - requiring redistricting. If we think this process is contentious now, try living through a school redistricting!

    MCPS, in the case of Farquhar, has kept everything completely open during the feasibility study - and has arrived at an option that most all in the community find to be the best use of our collective public lands - the land-swap. It upholds the spirit of the 2005 Olney Master Plan, and if people had known in 2004/2005 that busing kids to Tilden was the plan for modernizing Farquhar, a land-swap could have been explicity mentioned by the Master Plan.

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  12. 1. The 32 acre Olney High School site is still owned by Montgomery County. All sites transferred to the County have a reclamation clause for the school system. (See BCC Middle School site selection going on now and the Board of Education's attempt to recall park land.)

    2. The 32 acre site can not all be built on. What is buildable would actually be more of a middle school site.

    3. "People" did know in 2004/05 that Tilden was the Holding School for middle school modernizations. That's not news.
    Tilden was the middle school holding school for MCPS.

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  13. 4. On a number of different projects the idea has been discussed of building a holding school that would later be used for a permanent school. Doesn't matter where it is located. There are lots of needs in the County. It is just one more possibility in the Long Range Planning for schools discussion.

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  14. As an Olney resident, I hope the Board of Education will pick the land-swap option. It is a win-win solution: more playing fields for the kids, teams, and parents; keeps the kids off the buses; stays in character with the master plan. Plus, all was accomplished at the series of open meetings that were advertised on the very large sign in front of Farquhar.

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