Plans for Maryvale ES and Carl Sandburg School

Superintendent Starr has released a memorandum on the topic of "co-locating" Carl Sandburg School, currently a stand-alone special education school, with Maryvale Elementary School in Rockville. Curiously, the memorandum isn't signed.

The memorandum also cites the "Roundtable Advisory Committee" but doesn't list the members of the committee, or when they met. It does quite nicely outline concerns raised by the committee, and illustrate several possible building configurations.

Is the issue of "co-location" of Maryvale ES and Carl Sandburg School a foregone conclusion, or will the Board of Education carefully weigh the pros and cons of eliminating a valuable placement along the continuum of special education placements and services? Over the last ten years, the population served by Carl Sandburg School has changed, and the atmosphere and programming at Sandburg evolved to meet those needs. As the population of children with autism continues to grow, will MCPS regret losing a stand-alone special education facility for those children who need that setting?

Lastly: what does MCPS plan for the empty Sandburg facility if the children are moved? I suspect that MCPS has plans for that space that they haven't disclosed.

MaryvaleSandburg_SuperintendentsRecommendationForCollocation10142011