There are two feasibility meetings to discuss the beginning steps of the school modernization of Rock Creek Forest ES. These are the beginning stages where we learn how the process works and all parents, community members and staff are invited to attend.
The meetings are scheduled on Tuesday, April 27th from 3:45 pm to 5:15 pm and on Tuesday, May 4th from 7:30 pm to 8:45 pm as part of the May PTA meeting.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
BOE meets at RCF
Last night, the board of education came to Rock Creek Forest to hear presentations from the BCC cluster schools. Many members of the Student Government Association with support from Srta. Garcia gave tours to members of the BOE who came early.
Then, each school had five minutes to present about their programs, achievements and challenges.It was interesting to hear many of the common themes: over-crowding and staff reductions, chief among them.
When I had an opportunity to testify, I shared a power point illustrating our challenges and our successes.
BOE Presentation
Many thanks to Craig Brown, Jack Hauser, and Joy White, our cluster coordinators, who organized the event, the many Rock Creek Forest parents, teachers and staff who came out to support their school and, as always, the building service team.
Then, each school had five minutes to present about their programs, achievements and challenges.It was interesting to hear many of the common themes: over-crowding and staff reductions, chief among them.
When I had an opportunity to testify, I shared a power point illustrating our challenges and our successes.
BOE Presentation
Many thanks to Craig Brown, Jack Hauser, and Joy White, our cluster coordinators, who organized the event, the many Rock Creek Forest parents, teachers and staff who came out to support their school and, as always, the building service team.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Gazette recognizes needs of BCC Cluster Schools
It was with great relief that I read today's Gazette. The dire over-crowding conditions at Rock Creek Forest seem to finally be getting the attention they deserve.
Follow the link below to the article which quotes extensively from me, Amanda Waugh and fellow RCF parent, Craig Brown, who is also a BCC Cluster coordinator.
http://www.gazette.net/stories/03032010/chevnew224119_32547.php.
Next Steps? Keeping the pressure on the county and the state to fund our modernization. Stay tuned...
Follow the link below to the article which quotes extensively from me, Amanda Waugh and fellow RCF parent, Craig Brown, who is also a BCC Cluster coordinator.
http://www.gazette.net/stories/03032010/chevnew224119_32547.php.
Next Steps? Keeping the pressure on the county and the state to fund our modernization. Stay tuned...
Friday, February 19, 2010
Testimony at the County Council
Thank you for having me here tonight. My name is Amanda Waugh, I am the co-President of the Rock Creek Forest PTA and am here to lend my voice in support of full funding for the Capital Improvement Plan.
Many of you are familiar with Rock Creek Forest, but for those who are not, let me tell you a little about our school. We have approximately 500 students in our two programs, the home school English Academy and the county wide Spanish Immersion magnet program.
Our facility is what I call 40 by 40. We are roughly 40% over capacity and 40 years since our last modernization.
Rock Creek Forest was built in 1950 and last modernized in 1971. Our facility designed for 372 kids and currently serves 501. I want to draw your attention to that number. We were built for 372 and hold 501. That puts us at 139% capacity. We have six portables and expect to need eight next year. The most in our cluster.
As I said, it has been almost 40 years since Rock Creek Forest was last modernized. That is older than the parents of many rock creek forest students, but more importantly, it means we struggle to meet the needs of 21st century kids in a building designed before cassette tapes were widely used.
At any given time up to 25% of our students are being taught in a portable. Our lunches are served not only in the APR but also on the stage. One out of 5 students at RCF is on FARMS and we have the highest percentage of students receiving ESOL services in the cluster.
I have sat in meetings with teachers where the thermostat read over 80 degrees at other times teachers have recorded temperatures as low as 56 degrees because the heat is either on or not.
The roof leaks at times, the front of the school floods and freezes in a rain or snow, rooms are either stifling hot or freezing cold, paint bubbles off the walls due to moisture, windows cannot be tightly closed and insects are common and every little space is used for something, closets have been repurposed for offices.
Our buses back up nearly to East West Highway, since in 1970 we served walkers, but now, with our immersion program drawing from across the county, we receive 10 buses every day.
So what do we do? First of all, we are in line to receive planning funds in this round of funding, so please pass the CIP. Second, recognize that this is a long range commitment, we need planning funds in this cycle, but we will need building funds in the next cycle. Third, realize that as tight as money is right now, interest rates present an historic opportunity to lock in bonds at low rates, constructions costs have decreased and building schools puts people to work.
Finally, I want to make sure you are aware of the double bind of Rock Creek Forest. Even when you fund this CIP, we will still have huge capacity issues until the new building is complete in 2015. Our overcrowding should push us to the top of the addition queue, but due to our pending modernization, we are not eligible for an addition. It is critical, for the kids who are in a school that is 40% beyond its capacity, that you move the process forward.
Having drawn your attention to that, I want to assure you that we, at Rock Creek Forest, are reaching out to our state legislators and Governor O’Malley with letters and emails to request that funding for the county’s capital needs is adequate.
We have waited long enough. Please make sure that the children of Rock Creek Forest get the attention they need. Thank you.
Many of you are familiar with Rock Creek Forest, but for those who are not, let me tell you a little about our school. We have approximately 500 students in our two programs, the home school English Academy and the county wide Spanish Immersion magnet program.
Our facility is what I call 40 by 40. We are roughly 40% over capacity and 40 years since our last modernization.
Rock Creek Forest was built in 1950 and last modernized in 1971. Our facility designed for 372 kids and currently serves 501. I want to draw your attention to that number. We were built for 372 and hold 501. That puts us at 139% capacity. We have six portables and expect to need eight next year. The most in our cluster.
As I said, it has been almost 40 years since Rock Creek Forest was last modernized. That is older than the parents of many rock creek forest students, but more importantly, it means we struggle to meet the needs of 21st century kids in a building designed before cassette tapes were widely used.
At any given time up to 25% of our students are being taught in a portable. Our lunches are served not only in the APR but also on the stage. One out of 5 students at RCF is on FARMS and we have the highest percentage of students receiving ESOL services in the cluster.
I have sat in meetings with teachers where the thermostat read over 80 degrees at other times teachers have recorded temperatures as low as 56 degrees because the heat is either on or not.
The roof leaks at times, the front of the school floods and freezes in a rain or snow, rooms are either stifling hot or freezing cold, paint bubbles off the walls due to moisture, windows cannot be tightly closed and insects are common and every little space is used for something, closets have been repurposed for offices.
Our buses back up nearly to East West Highway, since in 1970 we served walkers, but now, with our immersion program drawing from across the county, we receive 10 buses every day.
So what do we do? First of all, we are in line to receive planning funds in this round of funding, so please pass the CIP. Second, recognize that this is a long range commitment, we need planning funds in this cycle, but we will need building funds in the next cycle. Third, realize that as tight as money is right now, interest rates present an historic opportunity to lock in bonds at low rates, constructions costs have decreased and building schools puts people to work.
Finally, I want to make sure you are aware of the double bind of Rock Creek Forest. Even when you fund this CIP, we will still have huge capacity issues until the new building is complete in 2015. Our overcrowding should push us to the top of the addition queue, but due to our pending modernization, we are not eligible for an addition. It is critical, for the kids who are in a school that is 40% beyond its capacity, that you move the process forward.
Having drawn your attention to that, I want to assure you that we, at Rock Creek Forest, are reaching out to our state legislators and Governor O’Malley with letters and emails to request that funding for the county’s capital needs is adequate.
We have waited long enough. Please make sure that the children of Rock Creek Forest get the attention they need. Thank you.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Gazette covers BOE testimony
The testimony given by Amanda Waugh at the Board of Education received prominent coverage in the Gazette last week. To read more about it go to: http://www.gazette.net/stories/11182009/montnew181853_32542.shtml
Friday, November 20, 2009
The CIP is Passed; Long Live the CIP
It’s one of those “yes, but…” moments. The Board of Education voted on Thursday, November 19, 2009 to pass the Capital Improvement Plan which includes modernization of Rock Creek Forest. Planning should being in 2010, construction in 2013.
Now we get to the “yes, but” part.
The CIP needs to be funded. Right now, the CIP functions as a Christmas list. It shows the wishes and intentions of the board, but without Santa, it is just a list. Now our advocacy shifts to the County Council and State of Maryland. For more on the timeline, see the post timeline to a new RCF.
Now we get to the “yes, but” part.
The CIP needs to be funded. Right now, the CIP functions as a Christmas list. It shows the wishes and intentions of the board, but without Santa, it is just a list. Now our advocacy shifts to the County Council and State of Maryland. For more on the timeline, see the post timeline to a new RCF.
Timeline to a new RCF
More than anything I have had questions about the process. It IS really confusing, for all of us. But here is how it works:
date action
11/11 -11/12/2009 Board of Education holds public hearings on the FYI 2011-2016
11/19/2009 BOE votes on CIP – vote held and CIP passed
11/30/2009 Final requests for state aid due
12/2009 Ike Leggett, County Executive reviews BOE request
1/15/2009 (tentative date)Ike Leggett, County Executive presents his recommendations.
1/27/2009 (tentative date)Board of Public Works hearing on CIP (tentative date)
2/20/2009 LAST possible date for the Governor to propose his Capital Budget
Feb – May, 2009 County Council holds hearings on CIP
4/5/2009 Both state houses vote on budget
May, 2009 County Council approves the FY 2011-2016 CIP and funding for the 2011 Capital Budget
Ok, so, that’s clear as mud. As you can see, it is a process that requires four/five separate stakeholders to buy in. The Board of Education, the County Executive, the State House and Senate, the Governor all need to do their part to make this happen.
Right now the BOE has approved the CIP, which is great. BUT, if the state does not give them the money, and we should be VERY concerned that they won’t, then the BOE needs to make some choices about what to do.
Now, they work their way down three lists of 1)schools additions 2) schools modernizations 3) high school modernizations. But what mix of funding they choose is where we need to be concerned.
Historically, the BOE has favored additions over modernizations – they are cheaper and they please more constituencies. That means that modernizations get pushed back.
date action
11/11 -11/12/2009 Board of Education holds public hearings on the FYI 2011-2016
11/19/2009 BOE votes on CIP – vote held and CIP passed
11/30/2009 Final requests for state aid due
12/2009 Ike Leggett, County Executive reviews BOE request
1/15/2009 (tentative date)Ike Leggett, County Executive presents his recommendations.
1/27/2009 (tentative date)Board of Public Works hearing on CIP (tentative date)
2/20/2009 LAST possible date for the Governor to propose his Capital Budget
Feb – May, 2009 County Council holds hearings on CIP
4/5/2009 Both state houses vote on budget
May, 2009 County Council approves the FY 2011-2016 CIP and funding for the 2011 Capital Budget
Ok, so, that’s clear as mud. As you can see, it is a process that requires four/five separate stakeholders to buy in. The Board of Education, the County Executive, the State House and Senate, the Governor all need to do their part to make this happen.
Right now the BOE has approved the CIP, which is great. BUT, if the state does not give them the money, and we should be VERY concerned that they won’t, then the BOE needs to make some choices about what to do.
Now, they work their way down three lists of 1)schools additions 2) schools modernizations 3) high school modernizations. But what mix of funding they choose is where we need to be concerned.
Historically, the BOE has favored additions over modernizations – they are cheaper and they please more constituencies. That means that modernizations get pushed back.
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