Adam Longo to Board of Ed.: "Your projections are wrong. I urge you to connect with the great folks in your planning office and dig down deeper. Find out why the numbers are wrong." #ClarksburgElementarySchool

Adam Longo
Testimony to the Montgomery County, Maryland
Board of Education
March 5, 2020
Re: Clarksburg Cluster ES #9 Proposed Amendment

President Evans.
Members of the Board
Dr. Smith.

Good evening.
My name is Adam Longo and I address you today in opposition of the
proposed amendment to close Clarksburg Elementary School in
September of 2022 when the new Clarksburg Elementary #9 school is set
to open.
I currently have two children at Clarksburg Elementary School and next
year it’ll be three.
This is a fantastic school.
I’d like to publicly praise the teachers and staff at CES who are amazing,
deeply engaged and highly responsive.
But most of all incredibly caring and empathetic.
The Principal, Carl Bencal, assistant principal Darshan Jain.
The office administrators Shinita and Yvette and everyone who’s been
involved in my daughters’ education and success. There are obviously too
many to name.

I know when I send my kids off to Clarksburg Elementary each morning I
don’t have to worry because I know they’re in good and capable hands.
My worry instead rests with the decisions made by Montgomery County
leaders when it comes to the Clarksburg area.

The Planning Board, the County Council, the Superintendent and this
Board of Education.
I know none of you live in Clarksburg.
But it’s the wild west up there.

A cumulative lack of foresight and planning by each of the afore mentioned County boards has led to an explosion of development and growth while infrastructure and education .. have been an afterthought.

My biggest question for everyone on those Boards and this one: why aren’t we building schools and roads AT THE SAME TIME we’re building new neighborhoods?

But one step at a time .. let’s get to the meat of what we’re all here to
discuss.
The numbers and projections this Board will use to make it’s decision are
wrong.
(**see attachment)

This enrollment projection document was introduced to
the board in November of 2017 .. so 2 years and 3 months ago.
It was produced by the Site Selection Advisory Committee for CES #9.
So just two years ago, it was projected Clarksburg Elementary would have
462 students.
Guess what, we’re at 640 students. More than DOUBLE the intended
capacity of the facility.

The projections for 2023-2024 is that there’d be 589 students .. 4 and a half
years from now.
Again .. We’re at 640 students.

Its my understanding the planning office estimates CES will have 722
students .. in 6 years.
Nice try everyone. We’ll have that many next year.

Your projections are wrong. I urge you to connect with the great folks in your planning office and dig down deeper.  
Find out why the numbers are wrong. 

Take fifteen minutes and drive around in Clarksburg.

Bring your boots and saddle and stop in at the saloon.

We’ve got no less than 3 major neighborhood developments happening
simultaneously within the Clarksburg Elementary School zone: The Cabin
Branch development, rapid construction of townhomes on Shawnee Lane
within sight of Clarksburg high school and another single family home
development on the west side of 355 about a mile north of Clarksburg high
school.

And these are only the developments ACTIVELY under construction. How
much land is left that’s zoned for residential development that could be
bought and shovel ready within a few months?

We needed the new #9 elementary school like yesterday.

It’s already been delayed by a year .. and word going around is it could be
delayed ANOTHER year if the Capital Improvement Plan isn’t fully
funded??

Are we going to have to start stacking portables ON TOP of the school?

It’s clear to me the MCPS administration doesn’t have the right vision.
There’s no vision on how to address the current overcrowding situation at
Clarksburg elementary school.

There’s no vision about opening a new #9 school in 2 and a half years that
.. if you close Clarksburg Elementary .. will be over capacity the minute it
opens its doors.

Do not close Clarksburg elementary school in 2022. We need more
schools. Smaller schools. Not monstrosity education farms where a child could go all the way from K to 5 without the principal knowing their name.

Let me close by being real with you.

As a news reporter for the past 20 years, I have spent countless hours in
school board meeting rooms like this across the country.
Suffice to say, I’ve seen it all.
Here’s one thing I haven’t seen: School Board members actually lending
weight to the testimony they hear from the public.

I’d like to give this board the benefit of the doubt.
But then I watched from the sidelines what you did with the boundary
changes involving Seneca Valley, Neelsville and Cabin Branch.
Despite the enormous public outcry.
Not cool.

This is the first time I have ever addressed a group of elected officials in my
personal capacity.
Perhaps I’ve been jaded into thinking it’s a waste of my time and it won’t do
any good.

Please prove me wrong.
Thank you for the opportunity.
I yield the balance of my time.

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/BMEP2W602DD6/$file/Attachment.pdf