Recommended Boundary and Grade Structure Improvements PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Prince George’s County Board of Education Segun C. Eubanks, Ed.D., Chair Carolyn M. Boston, Vice Chair, District 6 David Murray, District 1 Lupi Quinteros-Grady, District 2 Dinora A. Hernandez, Esq., District 3 Patricia Eubanks, District 4 Raaheela Ahmed, Esq., District 5 K. Alexander Wallace, District 7 Edward Burroughs III, District 8 Sonya Williams, District 9 Beverly Anderson, Ph.D. Curtis Valentine, M.P.P. Mary Kingston Roche Juwan Blocker, Student Board Member Kevin M. Maxwell, Ph.D., Secretary Treasurer and Chief Executive Officer
Overview • Timeline • Grade Reorganization • Recommendations for school year 2017-2018 – Accokeek Area – Buck Lodge Area – Mt. Rainier Area – Fairmont Heights Area – Melwood Area • Remaining Activities 3
Timeline Date Activity October 20 Community discussion @ James Madison Middle School October 26 Community discussion @ Accokeek Academy October 27 Community discussion @ Bladensburg High School December 8 Follow up community discussion @ Thomas Stone Elementary School December 14 Follow up community discussion @ Potomac Landing Elementary School January 19 Board Discussion - Boundary, Grade and Program Adjustments @ Sasscer January 24 Postal Mail Notification of Recommended Changes Introduction of CEO’s plan to Board of Education (First Reader) February 2 February 8 Public Hearing - Northern Area @ Bladensburg HS February 9 Public Hearing - Southern Area @ Sasscer Board of Education Vote on CEO’s Plan (Second Reader) February 23 March 3 Postal Mail Notification of Approved Changes August 2017 Implementation of Approved Changes 4
Recommended Grade Reorganization After the 2016-2017 school year, sixth grade students from the following elementary schools will be assigned to their neighborhood middle school: Drew Freeman MS Isaac Gourdine MS Oxon Hill MS & Thurgood Marshall MS • • • Francis S. Key ES Rose Valley ES Valley View ES • District Heights ES • William Beanes ES Ernest E. Just MS Gwynn Park MS & Stephen Decatur MS • • Ardmore ES Clinton Grove ES • Kingsford ES G James Gholson MS Oxon Hill MS • • Cora L. Rice ES Flintstone ES • • Carmody Hills ES Glassmanor ES • Oxon Hill ES 5
Accokeek Area Background Accokeek Academy: • School is not a true K-8. • Utilization is 99% (target is 80-95%). • Preliminary revised capacity is 1,473. • Reconfiguration of interior spaces resulted in additional classrooms. • Residential growth has continued. Ft. Washington Forest Elementary School: • Utilization is 66% (target is 80-95%). • Enrollment is 285 (preferred minimum is 411). • Identified in MPSP as a possible consolidation. Gwynn Park Middle School has 138 open seats. Isaac Gourdine Middle School has 304 open seats. Oxon Hill Middle School has 202 open seats. 6
Feedback for Accokeek Area • School Specific Comments from the Community: – acknowledged the issue of overcrowding at Accokeek Academy. – suggested unifying the boundary of Accokeek Academy to create a true K-8 academy. – in favor of maintaining the TAG program. – suggested verification of student addresses as a means of reducing overcrowding. – suggested the conversion of Potomac Landing ES & Ft. Washington Forest ES to a multi- campus PK-8 Academy. – expressed concern regarding how a change in the middle school boundaries from Accokeek Academy to Gwynn Park Middle or Isaac Gourdine Middle would affect students’ academic performance. – agreed unanimously that the previous recommendation from the CEO was the least favored plan. • In general, the community was concerned about: – expanding special programs so that they are available at all schools. – unevenness in academic rigor and performance across district schools. – a need to improve transparency in district decision making. 7
SY17-18 Recommendation for Accokeek Area Accokeek Academy / Ft. Washington Forest Elementary • Reassign “The Preserves” community and homes off of Danville Road and Floral Park Road to Ft. Washington Forest ES for grades PreK-5. • The middle school assignment for these areas would remain Accokeek Academy. • “Grandfather” students currently attending Accokeek Academy. Ft. Washington Forest Elementary / Potomac Landing Elementary • Reassign the following streets and addresses from Ft. Washington Forest ES to Potomac Landing ES: 609 to 708 Bricker Drive, Buckmaster Lane, Jeanie Court, Peace Drive, Pine Tree Lane, Valor Drive, and Warburton Lane. • Approximately 9 students would be affected and offered the right to remain. 8
Accokeek Area Elementary School Boundaries Current Modified % % School Enrollment School Enrollment Utilized Utilized Accokeek Academy 1,447 103% Accokeek Academy 1,291 92% Fort Wash. Forest ES 285 66% Fort Wash. Forest ES 441 102% 9
Accokeek Area Middle School Boundaries Current No change in boundaries. % School Enrollment Utilized Accokeek Academy 1,447 103% Gwynn Park MS 627 82% Isaac Gourdine MS 487 62% 10
Buck Lodge Area Background Buck Lodge Middle School is over enrolled by 217 students. • It is projected to be over enrolled by 530 in fall of 2019. • Its site cannot accommodate more temporaries. • Construction of new middle will not be ready for several years. Martin L. King Jr. Middle School has 202 open seats. 11
Feedback for Buck Lodge Area • School Specific Comments from the Community: – acknowledged the issue of overcrowding at Buck Lodge MS and concurred that action must be taken. – suggested using available space at Martin L. King Jr. MS by changing elementary feeder patterns. – suggested postponing the move of 6 th grade until the new middle schools planned for the area are complete. – acknowledged that student enrollment in the north leaves few viable options for relieving overcrowding until new construction is complete. – indicated that Buck Lodge MS needs more resources to academically support the school’s population. • In general the community was concerned about: – a need to improve transparency in district decision making. – the schedule for construction and renovation in the MPSP. 12
SY17-18 Recommendation for Buck Lodge Area Buck Lodge Middle School / Martin L. King Jr., Middle School • Reassign students residing in the Calverton ES attendance area from Buck Lodge MS to Martin L. King Jr. MS for grades 6-8. • Students currently attending Buck Lodge MS would be offered the right to remain. Before After School Enrollment % Utilized Enrollment % Utilized Buck Lodge MS 1,234 121% 1,251 123% Martin L. King Jr. MS 648 76% 1,046 123% 13
Buck Lodge Area Middle School Boundaries 14
Mt. Rainier Area Background • Mt. Rainier ES has 98 available seats and still serves the sixth grade. • Thomas Stone ES is over enrolled by 157 students. • Thomas Stone ES has been over enrolled and Mt. Rainier ES under enrolled for several years. • Mt. Rainier ES’s most recent boundary change was in 2003 -04 with the reassignment of Cottage City to Rogers Heights ES. • Thomas Stone ES’s most recent boundary change was in 2006-07 with the reassignment of Kirkwood Apartments on Ager Rd. to Rosa Parks ES. • All Thomas Stone ES neighborhood students live within the walk zone of Mt. Rainier ES. • Efforts to promote voluntary transfers from Thomas Stone ES to Mt. Rainier ES have not been effective. • For both schools, the number of students coming from apartment homes has grown over the past 10 years while the number from single-family homes has decreased. • Both schools are planned for renovation during Cycle 2 of the Capital Improvement Program Master Plan. 15
Feedback for Mt. Rainier Area • School Specific Comments from the Community: – acknowledged the issue of overcrowding at Thomas Stone ES. – expressed concern that a boundary change between Thomas Stone ES & Mt. Rainier ES would not provide enough relief due to the limited number of available seats at Mt. Rainier ES. – suggested encouraging Thomas Stone ES students to voluntarily transfer to Mt. Rainier ES. – concerned about the number of temporaries at Thomas Stone ES and the length of time they have been present. • In general the community was concerned about: – the schedule for construction and renovation in the MPSP. – unevenness in academic rigor and performance across district schools. – the need to improve transparency in district decision making. – the need to improve communication between the district, parents and other community members. – the need to provide the information presented in Spanish. – a lack of understanding of the transfer process, particularly by non-English speaking parents. – the distance of the elementary school walk zone (1.5 miles is a long distance for young children, especially in poor weather). – the consideration of demographic composition when making boundary changes. 16
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