Kathleen V. Hanks From: Trade Schmidt <tr_schmidt(a>idoud. com> Sent: Friday, September 27, 2019 11:42 AM To: Hcpss Redistricting Subject: [External; Re: suggested future BOE focus Good morning again, Upologize. The last sentence of(2) shouldhave read "Isit really the school, or family affluence, thatproduces the same, or marginally better, test scores for the affluent students in the HCPSS?" Tracie Schmidt parent of a thriving Wildecat On Sep 27, 2019, at 11:07AM, Trade Schmidt <tLSchmidt®,icloud.com> wrote: Good morning, Thankyou for attempting to improve the educational opportunity for all students in the HCPSS. As I have stated in an earlier email, I am supportive ofDr. Martirano's redistricting plan. Regardless ofthe redistricting outcome, I amhoping that after a redistricting decisionis made, the BOB will focus on making other changes to continue to ensure better equity in educational opportumty. (1) Move the 30 credit and 60 credit Jump Start programs to ARL. These current HCPSS school- based programs should be open to all students. (2) Workto changethe MD Report Cardscore that serves as de facto redlining andfurther promotes de facto seeregation. i am always puzzled that a school with a student population that is 100% affluent is considered a better school. What challenge is this school facing when educating its student body? Isit really the school, or family affluence, thatproduces marginally better test scores? (3)^Move the ROTC programs to ARL. Theseprograms provide skills for military employment and should be easily accessible by all students. Tracie Schmidt parent of a thriving Wildecat Kings Contrivance Community Association Amherst House 7251 Eden Brook Drive, Columbia, Maryland 21046 (410) 381-9600 Fax (410)381-9628 kinssct)ntrivance(a)folumbiavillases. org September 26, 2019 Board of Education HowardCounty Public School System 10910 Route 108 Ellicott City, MD 21042 Dear Board of Education Members: The Kings Contrivance Village Board understandsthe challenge and the necessity of redistricting. We thank you and your stafffor working diligently to address issues in our school system while incorporating input from the community. At our regularly scheduled September 18 village boardmeeting, residents from our village voiced concerns over proposed redistrictiag. Residents from Dickinson in our village are concerned that the neighborhood children may be separated into a different elementary school where ouly a small group from only three streets (Blue Sea Drive, Sandrope Court, and Stonebrook Lane,polygons 16, 1014 and 1016) would be sent to a school that no one around them would be attending. This small group would not be kept with their Dickinson village neighbors or their out parcel neighbors, with whom they share a fence. The Village Board also heard from residents ofMacgill's Common who are part ofthe village. This neighborhood is being proposed to move at the middle and high school level from other children in our village. Again, the Board is concerned that this small pocket of children is being moved away from where the other children in the village attend. The children of the village commune together in our village center, our pools and in their early years at our tot lots. Although the map may show RT32 dividing our village, the reality is that Macgill's Common residents mix with our Dickinson and Huntington residents to the south Sequently in our village center and at our pools rather than neighborsto the north, or west across RT29. The Board is also concerned about moving children in Macgill's Common from Hammond High school that is accessible by bicycle, with bicycle lanes along Shaker Drive and is walkable, with complete sidewalks, traffic lights and crosswalks and moving them to Atholton High which entails travel with no bicycle lanes, crosswalks, traffic lights or full sidewalk accessibility. The area crossing over RT29 at the Seneca Drive bridge has always been hazardous andhas had numerous bicycle accidents. The safety of our village residents is a major concern in this area. The Board feels that the value of accessibilityis very important for all highschool childrenwho may want to be involved in after school activities. It is why back in 1979 the Board successfully campaignedto include sidewalk access on both sides of the bridge across RT32 at Shaker Drive to enable easy access to the residents ofMacgill's Common who wanted to walk to the village center and Hammond High School. The village board strongly believes that the success ofredistricting lies in keeping neighborhoodstogether. Rouses vision was to have a walkable community with village children goingto school together. The bike-pathsystem in Columbiawas developed withthat in mind. Residents living near each other will work together to be active members of their shared school. This will lend itself to more support for the school, teachers, and the PTA. The Kings Contrivance Village Board asks that you revisit proposed district boundaries and keep our neighborhood children together. Please pay special attention to small pockets of neighborhoods (such as the aforementioned three streets) where proposed boundaries would sever a population of students from all close neighbors. Understandingthat a goal ofredistricting is equalizing future populations at county schools, we have no concerns about whichschool our residents attend. The small number of students affected in the proposals will make little difference to the school FARM statistics of any school. However, the grouping of residents in neighborhoodstogether is critical to paving the way to an active school community who work together. Again, thank you for your thorough attention to this complex task. Warmly, BarbaraN. Seely Chair, Kings Contoivance Village Board Cc: HowardCounty Council, Calvin Ball, HowardCounty Executive, Michael Martirano, Howard County School Superintendent Kathleen V. Hanks From: Harry Li <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, September 27, 2019 10:24 AM To: Hcpss Redistricting Subject: [Externalj Request for data of per-student expenditure data by local schools Dear Board of Education of Howard County, Maryland: \ am very interested in the per-student expenditure data by each school, particularly high schools, for Howard County for the past 5 years. Such data is critical in understanding thetrue disparity of resource allocation/utilization for each local schools. It will shed light on the necessity of future interventions, if any. I believethat Howard County residents will appreciate if the Board can publish such data for public review, if it is allowed by the County rules. Truthfully; Harry Li A resident ofdarksville, Maryland. Kathleen V. Hanks From: Laura Strunk <laura. strunk(S>kw. com> Sent: Friday, September 27, 2019 8:57 AM To: Hcpss Redistricting Subject: [External] From a Realtors Perspective Good morning, wante toAare mydirect experiences withbuying clients andhow the redistricting situation hasaffected and will affectthe real estate market in HowardCounty whichin turn will affectthe schools. I have beena Realtor inHoward County, my office is in Columbia, since2004. Themajority ofmy business is HowardCounty. Exceptfor the past three months wehave always had buyers who will say"We only wantto bein Howard County (or anarea of Howard County) because ofthe schools" This feeling hasbeen theone consistent theme over the last 14years that I havebeen in the business. Thatall changedabout 3 months agoas this redistricting discussionand situation has escalated. Whatwe are now hearing from many ofour new clients is "We don't want to live in Howard County because we are afraid that they will continue the redistricting policies andwe don'twant to bein the same situation 5 years or 10years from now andhave to go throw this mess every fewyears" So ourbuyers are choosing to go to other counties mainly Carroll County and SouthernFrederick County. We have 5 buyers on my team alone that have made this decision in the last 3 months. Which doesn't seem like a lot. However let's look atthis big picture. There are about 1100Howard County Association of Realtors andlets be conservative andsay only half are doing business - So550 agents. And lets saythey 0 ^_hTve \client inthepast 3 monttls thathave made that decision. Sothat is 550 buyers whohave possibly madethis decision. ^ Nowthis is not all. Anyagent in the state of Maryland can sell in Howard County even ifthey me not part of the Howard County Board of Realtors. Soa Realtorcould be part oftheCarroll CountyBoard or the Greater Baltimore Boardor PG Board and still sell inHoward County. Thisis very common. So let's be conservative again and say 200 more buyers made this decision in the last three months. Sothat is 750 potential buyers who decided NOT to buy in Howard County because they are afraid of redistricting in the future and once againI havebeen VERY CONSERVATIVE IN MY NUMBERS. Soif youforecast that out for anentire year that would be 2200 buyers who are deciding on othe/counties becauseof redistricting fears. nartnyear(20, 18) .Therewerc4377 llomes soldm HowardCounty. Soif we reduced the number of sales by 2200that is about 50% less homes sold than 2018. Notonly will this affect property values for mdividuals'in every areaof the county it will also affectthe tax revenue for Howard County. ' Sincemoney talks'I wilTbreak downthenumbers from a taxperspective. In2018 the total real estate sales were $1, 991,092,929and the Howard County Transfer tax for real estate is 1% whichwould make upjust shyof TWENTY MILLIONin re^l>estate taxfor the county ($'9'9'°'929)- Ifwe wt that in half the colmty wouldbe7osmg' $9,955,464^ Onceagain our buyers are not saying ...we want to wait so we can buy in a certainschool district in Howard County they aresaying wedon't wantHoward County anymore because weknow Howard Countyhas a patternofredistricting andwe don't want to bepart of that. Sothe tax revenue from real estate be greatly reduced. The Tax Revenue is what funds the schools. So ALL OF THE SCHOOLS will be impactedand we will have less money to spend on the kids .