The neighbors opposing the construction of a new elementary school in Towson have been making a lot of arguments since they first started talking about this issue — which was a few weeks after our long-fought public battle for a new school was finally resolved last May.
At first, they went before the Board of Education and said they were unaware that a new school was a possibility on the school-owned land in their neighborhood, and that they were given no notice before a vote was taken. The facts, however, contradict these statements.
Exactly one year ago today — April 22, 2008 — we posted information on this blog about a feasibility study being conducted by BCPS, which included the Ridge Ruxton School campus. The board did not vote for the new school until May 6. What’s more, an addition on this site was proposed as a solution to our overcrowding as early as February of 2008. It’s surprising that the “concerned citizens” mentioned in today’s press release weren’t concerned about a 400-seat addition on the same site.
But then, this group of neighbors has a history of making arguments that the school system answers, and then making completely different arguments.
They have, to date, complained about: The destruction of their tennis court (it is being resurfaced for multi-use); a new entrance and exit (the plan uses the same entrance and exit); a traffic light at Boyce Avenue (there will not be one there); duplicating the parking lots and bus loops (the existing ones will be only slightly expanded); the destruction of the green buffer surrounding the property (it will remain); and the destruction of fragile wetlands (the school doesn’t come close to them).
And now today, they issue a press release with more arguments. Let’s examine each one.
1. “There are no sidewalks in the neighborhoods adjacent to the campus, which exacerbates the risk to children.” This is unfounded. There were no sidewalks in that neighborhood when the building that is now Ridge Ruxton School was a public elementary school. Are they saying that for all those years the elementary school operated, the children from those neighborhoods were in danger? This would be news to many who grew up there.
2. “Add to that the complicated traffic patterns of two schools and more than 20 buses during rush hour periods and the conclusion is that this site is not safe enough for our children.” Despite being told numerous times that the two schools on this site have days that begin and end at different times, the neighbors continue to argue that pick-ups and drop-offs will be simultaneous. They won’t.
3. “There is also the issue of preserving green space for children and for Baltimore County. With two schools on the proposed site, there will not be room for the fields and playgrounds that other Baltimore County Public School students enjoy.” The neighbors should be aware that our public elementary schools do not generally use the ball fields during recess. They are restricted to playgrounds, for which the new school will have two. Ball fields are used by the local rec councils, and there will still be one available on the West Towson Elementary site. There will also be ample green space, as the architects intentionally designed a school with a very small footprint.
4. “The plaintiffs believe that there are alternate sites in the area that are better suited to relieve the overcrowding in Rodgers Forge and Stoneleigh…” The neighbors opposing this school seem unaware that every other potential site they have mentioned was rejected long before they chose to get involved in this issue, by the county executive and, in one case, even the state superintendent of schools.
5. ”Finally, there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that Baltimore County Public Schools did not follow mandatory steps in their own stated processes to determine this site choice for the new school.” The neighbors filing this motion have not yet produced this evidence. The school system, meantime, has gone out of its way to document the entire decision-making process, which we believe followed the standard guidelines.
6. “…As a community we tried repeatedly to participate in the discussion about this proposal, and were ignored. We deserve the same voice as other County residents have had.” These residents had an opportunity to get involved when Towson Families United formed in January 2008. They chose not to, even though a major addition was originally planned in their neighborhood. This was the time to have their voices heard, not after the decision was made. Still, they have testified before the school board, and even before the governor of Maryland, since that time. Make no mistake: Their voices were heard. Their ideas were rejected.
But these are all factual arguments. Allow us to make a more emotional one.
Right now, Rodgers Forge Elementary School has 714 students enrolled, in a building meant for 396. Next year, there will be so many students — nearly 800 — that the entire fourth grade will be sent to Dumbarton Middle School. That this is happening is a disgrace. It is the result of years of feet-dragging and delay, on the part of county government and the school system.
West Towson Elementary School should have opened last year, not in 2010. For a group of neighbors to try to delay it again verges on the immoral.
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