Former MCPS School For Sale. Will the Board of Education Reclaim this School to Ease Overcrowding or Let it Go for Housing? #BCC

A former Montgomery County Public School building and surrounding playgrounds are for sale.

The property is the former Larchmont Elementary School located at 9411 Connecticut Avenue in Kensington, Maryland.  The school and playgrounds are currently in the BCC Cluster.

Source:  MCPS Real Property Inventory

Historically, the Montgomery County Board of Education has had the right to reclaim former public school sites, even after they have declared them surplus and transferred ownership of them. 

However, we know from the Peary High School sale in 2010 that the Montgomery County Council doesn't care about the wishes of the Montgomery County Board of Education and will transfer public school buildings and land to private entities without the approval of the Board of Education.  

Has the Montgomery County Board of Education discussed the availability of the Larchmont Elementary School site? There is no indication from the Board of Education meeting minutes of any such discussion, but maybe they had the discussion in a Closed Session?

Have BCC Cluster current and future families been alerted to the fact that a public school site is up for sale in their area?  Have the surrounding communities been notified that a public school and surrounding playgrounds are available for sale and could potentially help to ease public school overcrowding?  

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/9411-Connecticut-Ave-Kensington-MD/20520245/

From the Offering Summary for this Property: 

Seller’s preference is that the Property be sold to a purchaser wishing to use the Property for an education use; Seller will consider offers from purchasers wishing to use the Property for other uses, pursuant to applicable codes and regulations. Time is of the essence as it pertains to the sale of the Property. Purchaser may acquire the entire Property or approximately 5.5 acres (inclusive of the conservation easement) to the south of the building; for a conceptual subdivision plan, click HERE. Offers will be accepted through October 2020 and seller will evaluate offers and select a purchaser by the end of November 2020. Purchaser shall be directly responsible for compensating its licensed real estate broker.

What Every MCPS Parent Should Know about the Proposed BCC Cluster Middle School

   What Every Parent Needs to Know About the Proposed B-CC Middle School #2 by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Rosemary Hills will assign students to classes based on neighborhood for 2012-2013 school year.

A boundary change is coming for the BCC Cluster in 2013-2014.  In the meantime, one principal is putting children from the same neighborhood into classes for the 2012-2013 school year.  

UPDATED July 2  for Rosemary Hills Elementary Parents: 
The RHPS [Rosemary Hills Primary School] principle is amenable to ensuring East Bethesda students who will go on to attend BE [Bethesda Elementary] will have some other BE [Bethesda Elementary] bound students in their classes for the 2012-2013 school year.  
Parents who noted they lived in East Bethesda on kindergarten orientation forms will be placed with some other East Bethesda students.  Parents of Grade 1 and 2 students, and kindergarten parents who did not indicate East Bethesda residency at orientation, who would like to be placed with other East Bethesda students should forward the request in writing to RHPS Principle Ms. Debbie Ryan(Debbie_C_Ryan@mcpsmd.org).  

UPDATE July 19, 2012 12:30 PM:  Someone edited the wording of this website page after we posted this paragraph.  So, for our readers, below is the screen shot of the original webpage that we took when the above paragraph was posted.  The words after the red update have now been changed on the website. The original July 2nd paragraph started with "The RHPS Principal is..."  and was posted above.  You can go to the actual website at the link above and see what they have posted now, but who knows, it may be changed again or deleted.

Options for BCC Boundary Changes

Patch: Options Presented For B-CC Elementary Boundary Study

Gazette: Bethesda-Chevy Chase boundary study meeting asks for community input

Meeting Offers Bethesda Residents Opportunity to Weigh in on Elementary School Zoning Changes

Monday May 16, 2011
New Boundary Study Presents 5 Options Affecting Bethesda ES, Chevy Chase ES, North Chevy Chase ES and Rosemary Hills ES

On Monday, May 16th at 7:30pm, a Public Information Session at Rosemary Hills Elementary School offers residents their last opportunity to provide feedback to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) regarding proposed changes to elementary school zoning, and have this feedback included in a formal study reviewed by the school Superintendent. The proposed changes affect children currently zoned to attend elementary school at Bethesda ES, Chevy Chase ES, North Chevy Chase ES and Rosemary Hills ES.

In March 2011, MCPS kicked off a boundary study for these Bethesda-area elementary schools to help alleviate over-crowding and to facilitate decisions about constructing school additions. MCPS has also been tasked with putting an end to articulation patterns established 30 years ago, but which now result in busing children to schools miles from their neighborhoods on increasingly congested roads.

The MCPS Superintendent will make a recommendation to the Board of Education (BOE) in mid October 2011, and the BOE will take action on boundaries and additions after a public hearing in late November. While there will be one more opportunity to provide public comments, the May 16 meeting offers the last opportunity for residents of Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Silver Spring to formally contribute feedback to the boundary study, through an evaluation sheet provided at the meeting and included in the formal report for the Superintendent.

Five Options up for Discussion

The following five options for Montgomery County Elementary School articulation have been presented in the boundary study. Incoming superintendant Dr. Joshua P. Starr (beginning July 1, 2011) will review the boundary study and accompanying public feedback from the May 16 meeting, and recommend one of these five options to the Maryland Board of Education:

Option 1: Neighborhoods form School Communities
-       All of East Bethesda goes to BE K-5.
-       Paddington Square Apartments (8800 Lanier Dr Silver Spring) and Navy Medical area (no students currently) to RHPS K-2, NCC 3-5 (6).

This option allows most children to attend the elementary school in their own neighborhood, and does not segregate communities by busing children to schools further away.


Option 2: East Bethesda Divided
-       East Bethesda Chestnut Street and south goes to BE K-5.
-       East Bethesda South Chelsea Lane and north (Glenbrook Village).
-       Paddington Square Apartments (8800 Lanier Dr Silver Spring), and Navy Medical area (no students currently) to RHPS K-2, NCC 3-5 (6).

This option divides East Bethesda in half, sending students on the south half to nearby Bethesda Elementary, and their neighbors one block south to Rosemary Hills in Silver Spring.


Option 3: East Bethesda and Silver Spring Cross-Bussing
-       All of East Bethesda and Navy Medical area (no students currently) go to RHPS K-2, NCC 3-5(6).
-       Paddington Square Apartments (8800 Lanier Dr Silver Spring) to BE K-5.
-       The portion of Summit Hills Apartments at 1703 and 1705 East West Highway Silver Spring to BE K-5.
-       The portion of Summit Hills Apartments at 8508 and 8510 16th St.Silver Spring to BE K-5.

Option 3 buses all of the children in East Bethesda several miles to Rosemary Hills in Silver Spring instead of allowing them to attend nearby Bethesda Elementary, and at the same time buses students the same distance from Silver Spring to attend BE.


Option 4: East Bethesda and Silver Spring Expanded Cross-Bussing
-       All of East Bethesda and Navy Medical area (no students currently) go to RHPS K-2, NCC 3-5(6).
-       Paddington Square Apartments (8800 Lanier Dr Silver Spring) to CC 3-5(6).
-       The portion of Summit Hills Apartments at 1703 and 1705 East West Highway Silver Spring to BE K-5.
-       The portion of Summit Hills Apartments at 8508 and 8510 16th St. Silver Spring to BE K-5.
-        The Barrington Apartments with addresses at 1900 - 1970 Rosemary Hills Dr and 1901 - 1929 East West Hwy Silver Spring to BE K-5.

Option 4 starts with the bussing of Option 3, but buses even more children from Silver Spring to Bethesda Elementary.


Option 5: Summit Hills Apartments to CC instead of NCC
-       All of East Bethesda goes to BE K-5.
-       Paddington Square Apartments and Navy Medical area (no students currently) to RHPS K-2, NCC 3-5 (6).
-       The portion of Summit Hills Apartments at 1703 and 1705, East West Highway to CC 3-5 (6).

Option 5 is very like Option 1 in that most children attend the elementary school in their own neighborhood. The exceptions in Option 5 are the residents of Summit Hills Apartments in Silver Spring. Instead of attending North Chevy Chase Elementary School 3-6, these children attend Chevy Chase ES instead. Children in neighboring homes are not affected by this articulation.


Complete details about the boundary study process and the proposed options are at the Montgomery County Schools website:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/planning/CommunityInfo_Boundary2.shtml

Public Information Meeting Date, Time, Location

Boundary Review for Bethesda, Chevy Chase, North Chevy Chase & Rosemary Hills Elementary Schools
May 16, 2011, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Rosemary Hills Elementary School, All Purpose Room
2111 Porter Street, Silver Spring, MD