Weast Proposes New Middle School for BCC Cluster

Superintendent Weast recently proposed a new middle school for the Bethesda Chevy Chase Cluster to allieviate crowding at Westland, should the 6th grades at North Chevy Chase and Chevy Chase ES move out of their elementary setting and into a middle school.

What does this mean for us? It is unclear at this time. What worries many parents, myself included is:

1) Why were we excluded from the meetings that proposed this new school. This is a major change that will primarily impact our community in addition to the Chases. While it is acceptable and understandable that this proposal came out of a different discussion, we should have been brought to the table immediately when it became something to seriously consider.

2) Will this impact our modernization? Our school was once what I called 40X40: 40 years since it's last modernization and 40% over capacity. With the growth we have seen this year, we are now 40X60: 60% over capacity. We cannot wait, we cannot be pushed back any longer. With the VERY limited dollars at the systems disposal, what will happen when the need to make choices? We cannot wait any longer to have a school that meets the standards of the 21st century.

3) Why are we rushing this process without more thorough study? I acknowledge that the situation at the chases is untenable. Their kids are not getting what they need or deserve, but rushing into a new school building without thorough study is a recipe for disaster.

4) Will the new school, should it come to pass, be equivelant to Westland? It would be a bitter irony if we go through all this only to end up at a school that doesn't have playing fields or the IB program. The cluster is very densly populated. Westland sits on 25 acres. Where is there a site like that? Or even half it's size? The International Baccalaureate program is a huge asset to Westland. Any new program must be equal to it's sister school.

My recommendations for the school system: take a year, provide the support for the Chases, do a thorough study including ALL the communities. This is too important and expensive to get wrong.