MCPS was Stopped from Moving Seven Locks ES to another site. IG Exposed MCPS Fib about Cost Data.

In 2006, MCPS was stopped by the Montgomery County Council from moving Seven Locks Elementary School to another site after a scathing report was released by the Montgomery County Inspector General.  The IG found that MCPS had fibbed about construction costs.  

A few weeks after the IG's report was released the County Council defunded the project and Seven Locks Elementary School was not moved. 

The superintendent's plan had been to hand the existing site over to developers. 

Here's the timeline of what happened: 

FEBRUARY, 2006: Montgomery County Inspector General Thomas Dagley releases a 25-page report that faults MCPS for providing misleading and inflated cost data about renovating Seven Locks Elementary and failing to provide the board and council with information about two less costly options on the site. The report also states that MCPS misrepresented community sentiment in reports to the board and council. In response, Councilmember Howard Denis (R-1) says he’ll introduce a CIP amendment to halt plans to build on Kendale and instead build a new school on the current Seven Locks site...

https://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2006/feb/14/seven-locks-controversy-timeline/

The Montgomery County Council affirmed March 28 that it will not fund the construction of an elementary school on Kendale Road in Potomac — an outcome that was nearly inconceivable three months ago...

https://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2006/mar/28/if-not-kendale-then-what/

Seven Locks Elementary Holds Town Hall to Address Incidents at the school, changes "follow-up" structures.

Good evening 4th grade families, 

Based on the outcomes of this afternoon's Town Hall, our follow-up structures have changed, and we will no longer be having small group meetings. Dr. Bingham sought out several of you this evening, who she will be speaking with directly, and that information will be shared with the larger team as we move forward. If you did not connect with Dr. Bingham, someone else who was a part of our panel today or would like to meet with me, please reach out directly. Our goal is to listen to your concerns and address each of them with care and attention. Additionally, Dr. Crews has coordinated additional counseling services to be on-site tomorrow and through the week. If you would NOT like your child to have any support from a school counselor, please reach out to me directly. I look forward to continuing to partner to support our students' safety and well-being. Respectfully, Mrs. Carr 

Ilana Carr Seven Locks Principal 

Seven Locks ES: 300-Linear Foot Retaining Wall up to 9 Feet in Height

It's the hottest thing in MCPS new school construction! It's the Retaining Wall! 


As Superintendent Jerry Weast supersizes schools in Montgomery County he is increasingly using Retaining Walls to push construction to the edges of existing school sites.

We have shown you the 7 (yes, now 7) Retaining Walls coming to McKenney Hills ES, the extensive concrete walls at Francis Scott Key MS (one shown to left), the Cabin John MS "Wall" that has now been cut down after community protest, the walls at Parkland MS, and now we see that the Mandatory Referral report for the Seven Locks ES modernization underway also shows a significant Retaining Wall.

The location of the Retaining Wall at Seven Locks ES is shown in red on the diagram below. The report states that the Retaining Wall at the Seven Locks ES site will be a 300-linear foot retaining wall up to 9 feet in height.

From the Mandatory Referral Report (page 8):

Kennedy HS New Cell Tower Installations

The February 3, 2010 meeting minutes for the Transmission Facilities Coordinating Group shows the following entry:

Clearwire application to attach antennas on a 130' high monopole on JFK High School property, 1901 Randolph Road, Silver Spring (Application #200908-09). Condition: Submission of a structural analysis report to DPS and a copy to the Tower Coordinator that shows the antennas can be safely attached, and on Clearwire having a legal interest in the Public Schools property for attachment of these antennas

JFK High School would be John F. Kennedy High School. (Nice way to be transparent in the location!) According to these minutes this is for additional cell tower antennas to the Kennedy High School cell tower. Questions:

• Are these additional antennas being discussed in the Kennedy High School community like they were in the Whitman High School community? 
• Will the placement of these antennas get the media coverage like the Whitman cell tower issue?
• How much income will these additional antennas generate for the local school principal's fund and the MCPS real estate office?

Here's the BIG question. The meeting minutes note that Clearwire is being asked to show that they have a legal interest in the public schools property. Does Clearwire have a legal interest in this public school property? Good question!


How can Clearwire have a legal interest in the Public Schools property when the Board of Education has never signed over any property rights for the installation of cell towers? As we know from Board minutes the Board of Education has never voted on the placement of a cell tower on public school property in Montgomery County.  From Maryland Public Information Act requests we know that Superintendent Jerry Weast has been signing cell tower leases.


We look forward to obtaining and making available to the public the result of this inquiry by the Transmission Facilities Coordinating Group. We'd like to know too!  




And by the way, Seven Locks Elementary - you are getting a new cell tower right across the street from the school.