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Friday, October 30, 2015

Exclusive Breaking News: Bowers Gives Away 18.5 Acres of MCPS School Land

PLEASE SEE UPDATE!

Is your local MCPS school overcrowded? Have you heard the Board of Education complain that they do not have any place to build more schools and that they can only build multi-level, overcrowded schools on too small lots?

Do you like being tricked?

Well Trick or Treat time is here, and the Parents' Coalition has heard that the Board of Education and Superintendent Larry Bowers have a big trick for parents this week!

The Trick is that without any public process or Board of Education public discussion or vote, Superintendent Larry Bowers is giving away 18.5 acres of open public school land.  

The Treat is that the land is being handed over to a no bid vendor.  

Where is this land located in the County?  It doesn't matter.  Public school land is a valuable asset and its disposition should be discussed in public by the land owner, the Board of Education.  The land could be used to build a school, it could be sold, or it could be traded.  The possibilities are endless, but, once again, usable public school land will disappear from the Board of Education inventory without any public process.  

We have seen over 176 acres of MCPS public school land lost since 1994.  
Say good-bye to another 18.5 acres this week and add it to the list of dedicated, public school land that was given in trust to the Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education for the benefit of public school children, and not used for the educational benefit of our children.  

Happy Halloween!  

17 comments:

  1. Exactly where is this property. What are the circumstances for the acquisition? Who or what entity is acquiring the land? What were the terms (how much did the property sell for?) Is there a news paper article or at lease an official notice in a "paper of record" (like the Sentinel)? Is this anything like the loss of Peary High School (19.5 acres worth nearly $20M sold in a special interest for $1.5M)?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good questions! Ask any Apple Ballot endorsed elected official in Montgomery County and they will be more than happy to not answer your questions! You've got the Board of Education, the County Council and the Montgomery County Delegation in Annapolis. Oh, you might have to make a campaign contribution to their re-election campaign in order to get them to talk to you, there is that. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Let's see...this blog posted a picture that cut off street names. Instead of being up front, you refuse to answer people who asked an honest question. And you wonder why this blog gets a bad rep.

      Delete
    2. WE GET A BAD RAP? HAHAHA

      IT'S NOT OUR LAND!!!!!

      Why don't you ask the land owner about this property?

      How is it that the Board of Education hides EVERYTHING and they get RE-ELECTED? Please explain!!!!

      So sorry you didn't like the image. If you actually read you would know the name of the property is right there and you could research it yourself.

      Talk about shooting the messenger. You are hysterical. If we didn't exist you wouldn't even know this property was gone. Ever.

      Delete
    3. With respect, there are a number of tags below the article which don't specifically label this plot of land. I'm also curious where the plot is, not to mention where "right there" the name of the property is to research, because I would like to do so without having to look up articles on each and every one of your tags. Why not be more forthcoming? *shrug*

      Delete
    4. *shrug* The Parents' Coalition does not own this land. This land is titled to the Board of Education and it has been deeded to them in trust for the education of public school children.

      Montgomery County voters LOVE the Apple Ballot candidates. The Apple Ballot candidates dominate the BOE, the Council, County Executive and legislature. Why aren't THEY MORE FORTHCOMING with their constituents? *shrug*

      Voters - THIS is who YOU vote for year after year after year. Call up your favorite Apple Ballot elected official and ask THEM about this 61 acres of public school land!

      Teachers - you keep endorsing these same people over and over and over. WHY? If you want information, then why don't you endorse people who actually are responsive to the voters?

      The Board of Education is the elected body that is making this decision. They get a stipend and a VERY generous expense account. What are they doing for those perks?

      Happy Halloween. Enjoy this week's Trick from your favorite candied Apples.

      Delete
    5. If you're so sure the BoE won't be "MORE FORTHCOMING" and disclose the location, why don't *you*?

      We know that *some* property is gone, and you're being no more forthcoming than the Board.

      Delete
    6. What does it matter? Did you read the post? Students have now lost 236 ACRES of public school land since 1994.

      Why is that year important? Because MCPS students have been in classroom trailers for 30 years.

      That means that the entire time students have been in classroom trailers the Montgomery County Board of Education has been GIVING AWAY OPEN, USABLE PUBLIC SCHOOL LAND.

      And Montgomery County voters have continually voted the same rotten Apple candidates back in to office.

      Obviously, Montgomery County voters like overcrowded schools and have no regard for public school students.

      Public school land is nothing more than a commodity that can be traded for campaign contributions. That's all it is. So it doesn't matter where it is, no one on the Board of Education has any interest in Long Range Planning.

      Remember, the Board of Education intentionally gutted their Long Range Planning Policy back in 2005.

      http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2010/10/lost-school-planning-process.html

      That was 10 years ago. The disastrous consequences of gutting Policy FAA are evident. Yet, voters have kept the rotten Apples in office. Clearly, this is the will of the people.

      Public schools simply are not valued in Montgomery County.

      Delete
  3. PCMC using scare tactics instead of actually informing people. Shameful

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Scare tactics??? Thanks for that hysterical Halloween comment MCPS!
      Yes, we see who is commenting. You are a riot.
      You operate behind closed doors, in violation of the law and somehow a group of volunteer parents are responsible for your failure to do your jobs?
      This is great. Let's see if we can make this into a fun meme.

      Delete
    2. And just to be clear:

      IT DOES NOT MATTER WHERE THIS LAND IS LOCATED. IT IS AN ASSET OF THE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. THE DISPOSITION OF PUBLIC SCHOOL LAND IS OF INTEREST TO ALL MONTGOMERY COUNTY CITIZENS.

      THE LACK OF PROCESS AND THE FAILURE OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO INFORM, DISCUSS AND VOTE ON THESE MATTERS IS OF GREAT INTEREST TO ALL CITIZENS, NO MATTER WHERE THE LAND IS LOCATED!

      MCPS parents don't care about this land anyway, right? Overcrowded schools are #1, so there is no issue.

      Delete
  4. What plot of land is this?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ask your favorite Board of Education member or County Councilmember.

      Delete
  5. Our neighborhood recently learned that the owners of the section of land surrounding (and including) the Safeway shopping center on route 28 in Darnestown/Quince Orchard is attempting to rezone, build 180 "residential units", and eventually build what seems to be a mini version of Downtown Crown. This would be right across from Quince Orchard High School. They are taking community input through tomorrow. Please see the message below and consider sending a letter of opposition:

    "The community learned about the Johnsons' plans for the property surrounding the Safeway. What is now zoned for 30 single family homes would have 180 housing units plus there could be buildings as high as 6 stories. That number of families will cause a great deal of crowding for TMES, Ridgeview, and QOHS, but also traffic and safety issues with the high school right across the street. The community members gathered for the meeting Tuesday night at the Johnson property had 2 hours of hard questions for Russell Johnson and his attorney. This is a huge development, a huge change that impacts the whole Quince Orchard area in a very negative way.

    The county planning dept is currently putting the final recommendation report together regarding the Johnson annexation. If they do not approve the annexation, it means that the Johnsons would need to wait 5 years to develop the property. This is a huge delay. Please write or call Mike Bello at the planning dept with concerns. He's doing the report and the more people who write or call the better. By COB Friday (Oct 29). Share this info!

    Mike Bello, RLA, LEED AP BD+C
    Planner Coordinator
    Area 2 Planning Division
    Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
    8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring MD 20910

    301-495-4597
    301-495-1303 (fax)
    Michael.bello@montgomeryplanning.org"

    ReplyDelete
  6. Superintendent Larry Bowers
    Was given broader powers
    And sold the land to buyers
    To erect more cell towers.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Update: This post is incorrect. Bowers isn't turning over 18.5 acres of public school land, he's turning over 3 times that much!!!!!!!!!

    So to all the people that are interested in this issue, what has your favorite Apple Ballot Board of Education member, Councilmember, Senator or Delegate told you about this backroom deal that will rob public school students of dedicated public school land without a public vote of the Board of Education?

    ReplyDelete
  8. The Board of Education
    Decides proliferation
    Of classroom education
    Using portable expansion.

    ReplyDelete

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