On January 15, 2015, County Executive Ike Leggett released a Memorandum on his recommended Capital Budget. Included in County Executive Leggett's Capital Budget is $32 million to build a bus depot at the Ewing Center School site. That budget item signals County Executive Leggett's approval of the Board of Education surprise plan to demolish an 85,400 sq. ft. public school building and replace it with a triple decker (maybe quadruple?) school bus parking garage.
County Executive Leggett's budget of $32 million for a new MCPS bus depot intentionally under funds the project. In 2009 the Board of Education discussed the cost to re-locate the MCPS Shady Grove bus depot and at that time the anticipated cost was triple the funding that Leggett is proposing today.
Why is the County Executive intentionally under funding the cost of moving the MCPS Shady Grove bus depot?
Is the County Executive trying to force MCPS to take the rest of the Capital funding needed to move the bus depot away from current MCPS school renovation, repair and construction funds?
Which school construction projects are going to get delayed for the construction of a new MCPS Shady Grove bus depot? Any parents want to volunteer their local school for a delay in construction funding so that the MCPS Shady Grove bus depot can be moved to satisfy the demands of a private developer?
There are two upcoming forums where parents can thank County Executive Ike Leggett for a plan that will rob public school students of classrooms and delay countless MCPS school construction projects so that a developer can take over County land for townhouses for more students.
ReplyDeleteClap really loud for the County Executive at these two public events where the public can speak:
Thursday, January 22, Mid-County Community Recreation Center, 2004 Queensguard Rd., Silver Spring
Monday, January 26, Bethesda Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor La.
They should use the school buses as portable classrooms.
ReplyDeleteBased on all the construction countywide, by the time they arrive at school it will be time for dismissal.
Brilliant idea!
DeleteCan you explain the part about County land for townhouses? Where? Please explain. I'm already disgusted with the shortsighted plan to build a bus depot on Avery Road but what is this about town houses?
ReplyDeleteThat's the whole point of all of this! More townhouses!
DeleteIt's called the Shady Grove Sector plan and the Board of Education discussed it back in 2009. Watch the video.
http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2015/01/starr-wants-to-put-400-buses-on-site.html
and here are the Planning Board documents on this plan.
http://www.montgomeryplanning.org/community/shadygrove/
It's all about what the DEVELOPER wants! Don't think for a moment that it is about children, they don't vote, don't contribute to campaigns and don't throw super cool cocktail parties.
And where will the children from these new townhouses go to school?
DeleteIn portable classrooms.
DeleteI went to this evening's forum, as did a handful of other residents of communities that would be adversely affected by the Blair G. Ewing demolition plan. Unfortunately, Mr. Leggett did not seem to see anything wrong with demolishing a perfectly good school, even after telling the audience that Montgomery County is nearly $238 million in the red.
ReplyDeleteMr. Leggett told the audience that the budgetary tricks the County was able to use in the past won't really help to close the current shortfall, so they'll have to make some painful cuts. Once the plan to demolish the Ewing Center goes forward, the State of Maryland may be owed a significant amount of money (i.e. in the millions) for the school. I wonder how that will affect the County's bottom line?
ReplyDeletePardon the vulgarity, but this whole scenario reminds me of the expression about trying to fit 10 pounds of [manure] into a 5-pound bag. :-(
ReplyDelete