Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Sami Alasfar
Hello, My name is Sami Alasfar and I live in Rockbum Township, polygon 1086. 1 have 3 children who have been districted to attendHoward High School, like their neighbors beforethem. I urge you to keep ourpolygon districted to HowardHigh so my children remain with same friends andneighbors they attendedwith during elementary andmiddle school. It's dissapointing for my childrento knowthey will be separated from their friends. Best, Sami Alasfar 7710 Gravstone Ct Ellicott city. MD 21043 2159090029 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Chris Zink
I am writing to say that I am strongly opposed to Ms. Mallo's version ofthe redistoicting plan, and in fact opposedto the wholeplan in general. Wetned this in the 70'sand it wasan abject failure. Youmight respond that this plan is differentbut it really isn't. Let's fix the schools that are deficient rather than making entire populations pay for the problem. The students will be the ultimate losers, being cut offfrom friendships andbeing unable to mature socially or intellectually the waythey shouldbe ableto. A whole generationof children shouldnot be sacrificedfor the deficiencies that exist.
This is a complex problem that will NOT be solved simply by bussing a subset ofchildren elsewhere. I will NOT vote to elect ANY ofthe incumbents should this poorly conceived planbe carried out.
Chris Zink Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Shesh Mudiyanur
Dear Board Members, Ln'e, m 2148''amwritin9 to y°.u '" referenceto BoardMember Jen Mallo'sproposal as presented on herFacebook page (10/29). I wouldjike to request that you reconsider the proposal for Dorsey Search. The proposal splits the neighborhood and moves nearly all ofthe affordable housing out of NESand DMS, while leaving almost all'single family homes unchanged. It impacts my 9+ year old NES student along with others in 2148, 148, 276, 302, 1148 changing them from NES to RBES and from DMStoWLMS. ?-'?r^?^!as^fTw^ars' w.e. '" thisnei8hb°rhood have worked hardto make it a community and onewhich is saferfor walking and_hiking. Columbia road hassafer crossings and the result has been a lot ofstudents includingour son whowalk and bike to NES and DMS.
Forall these reasons and more, I wantto request that you please reconsider any changesfor this neighborhood.
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully, Shesh Kingscup Ct, Ellicott City Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Pinkal Patel
Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members,
I am writing this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e., 'testscenario')for Howard County school redistricting posted by Jen Mallo on her Facebook page (httos://www. facebook. com/ienmallo/, boe/). Though, am grateful for the BOE's time and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues.
First, the total movement of 7, 300 students is too large of an impactforredistricting in SY 2020-2021 when HS13will open shortly in 2023. Considering that Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (~7, 400), believe Ms. Mallo's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSS already has a limited budget where certain programs (e. g., technology) and staff (e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently.
Although I acknowledge Ms. Malta's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesive community neighborhooddestroys the very community stabilitythat your constituents have repeatedlyvoiced asthe number one priority. Keepingthese highlydiverse neighborhoodstogether in their neighborhoodschools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside of their communities without addressing the root cause of the achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child awayfrom their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good.
I would also like to remind the BOE that through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents stronglyvalue community stability, strong feedsfrom one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not be aligned with the HowardCounty community's input.
In closing, I urgethe BOEto consideralternative redistricting plans that better balance emergencycapacity issueswith community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I ask the BOE to considerchoice-based alternative methods such as Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policiesto addressequity instead ofjust redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed as we wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening.
Thank you, District 4 Voter: Pinkal Patel Polygon ft 1186 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Jayesh Patel
Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members,
I am writing this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redlstricting posted by Jen Mallo on her Facebook page (httDS://www. facebook. com/ienmallo4boe/). Though, am grateful for the BOE's time and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her'test scenario', her proposal has several issues.
First, the total movement of 7, 300 students is too large of an impact for redistrlcting in SY 2020-2021 when HS13 will open shortly in 2023. Considering that Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (~7, 400), I believe Ms. Mallo's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSS already has a limited budget where certain programs (e. g., technology) and staff (e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently.
Although I acknowledge Ms. Mallo's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygonsfrom the rest of their established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside of their communities without addressing the root cause of the achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child awayfrom their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good.
I would also like to remind the BOE that through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strong feeds from one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not be aligned with the Howard County community's input.
In closing, I urge the BOE to consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I ask the BOE to consider choice-based alternative methods such as Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead of just redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed as we wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening.
Thank you, District 4 Voter: Jayesh Patel Polygon ff 1186 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Liz Nudo
Hello, I hope that this email finds everyone well. I would like for the boardto consider omitting all empty polygons from any school assignment. Empty polygons shouldnot have an assigmnentto any school until the developers have submitted their plans to the BOE and an estimated student count is assessed. Once that is done, then the board can assignthe polygon to their appropriate school- whatever it may be at that time based on capacity and other factors.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely, Liz Nudo Poly 1256 D4 (Please forgive any typographical and/or grammatical errors, this was typed on my iPhone) Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Doug Rodgers
Jen Mallo's redistricting plantakes a chainsawto the tight-knit Dorsey Hall community in Dorsey's search y.il!age' Her Proposal includes transferring polygons 148, 276, 302, 1148, and 2148 from Northfield ES and Dunloggin MS to Running Brook ES and Wilde Lake MS. Thecurrent Northfield ES attendance area is bounded, in clockwise order,by Route 40, Route 29, Route 108, andLittle Patuxent River. It ishard to image a more natural definition ofthe Dunloggin / Dorsey Hall Community, mainlybecause it ispossible to use sidewalks and paths to getfrom any part of this area to another part without crossing any dangerous multi-lane highways. Polygons 148, 276, 302, 1148,and 2148 represent a contiguousarea bounded by Columbia Rd, Route29, and Route 108;this isthe southern quarter ofthe DorseyHall Community. There is no rational argument that can claim that this region belongs to any other community otherthan Dunloggin/ DorseyHall. Route 108and Route29 are hardboundaries for community continuity because these highways are extremely dangerous to cross on foot or bike. A largepercentage ofhouseholds inpolygons 148, 276, 302, 1 148, and 2148 are three and four bedroom townhomes and apartments, which means that this relatively small region is being exploited to achieve big gains in shifting student ratios in Mallo's redistricting plan' Teeder-school" arguments for shifting this region to Running Brook ES and Wilde Lake MS fall flat. ecauseeven ifthesepolygons areshifted. a large portion of DorseyHall attendingWilde Lake HS still filter through Northfield ES and Dunloggin MS. Jen Mallo's redistricting plan callously carves out a quarter ofthe Dorsey Hall Community simply to achieve some statistical results. The worst part is that Jen Mallo's redistricting plan cynically takes advantage of one the best features of the Dorsey Hall Community: single-family homes intermingled with townhome communities. This featureencourages both racialand economic diversity within our community. Ratherthan recognizing an^dencouraging this diversity, JenMallo seems satisfied in exploitingthe higherdensity of students in the townhomes in polygons 148, 276, 302, 1148, ahd 2148 in orde'rto achieve her statistical goaTs. I guess you haveto be ableto afford a $600, 000 house to be considered part ofa community in Howard County. Ifyou can't, you better get used to being shuffled around like pawns. Best, Douglas Rodgers Owner and Resident 4528 Kingscup Ct Polygon 2148 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Robynlupo
Your new plans continue to screw over Hammond High. You might aswell shut it down now, since every other school but Hammond will improve in theplan. Hammond has inadequatefacilities andhigh FARM quotas. But all ofthe plans, evenyour new ones (Ms. Mallo andDr. Wu, ) make Hammond Highworse. Bytaking Macgill's Common out ofHammond you take out our current Boosters president and our next year's president. Thatneighborhood staffs almost every football gameconcession stand- andwe canbarely findpeople outside ofthat neighborhood to help out... for anything. Soccer couldn't even have a concession stand for all of its games. We need to keep the non-Farm neighborhoods in. Thanks for giving us more Farm polygons. Congrats for continuing Howard County's legacy of appeasing the wealthy at the expense ofthe poor.
Robyn Lupo polygon 15 10/30/2019
BOE Members,
I waswatching the worksession this evening andwould like to providefeedback regarding the proposed Howard High School moves to Long Reach. I live in Polygon 86 (Rockburn Township 86, 1086) and have a sophomore at Howard and a 6th grader at ELMS. There was some discussion of moving 3 Lyndwood polygons to Oakland Mills HS. I strongly feel that in order to keep our neighborhood together and to keep a decent feed (though not as strong as our current feed from Rockbum ES to ELMS to Howard), that the following polygons should stay together:
86, 1086, 87, 1087, 2087, 3087, 4087, 299, 1299, 44
This includes Rockburn Township (86, 1086), Lyndwood (single family 87, 3087), Lyndwood (townhouses 2087), and other Montgomery Rd neighborhoods. We are neighbors from Rockburn Elementary. Whether assigned to Long Reach HS or Howard HS (both nearby schools), please keep us together!
Also consider keeping 1091 and 2091 with us, our Landing Rd neighbors who also attend Rockbum ES and ELMS.
Thank you, Christine Gorschboth Polygon 86 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Kristin Griffin
My name is Kristin Griffin and I live in polygon 1007. 1 find it very upsetting that our polygon, which hasbeen redistricted multiple times, is onthe list again. A big argument againstmoving other polygons waskeeping communities together. It seems as ifMaple Lawnhas been kept togetherunder the new plan, but our community, whichis made up ofsmaller streets, but a community nonetheless, is being separated. While I am notopposed to redistricting asneeded, I amopposed to movingkids time and time again.Fulton is extremely overcrowded and something definitely needs to be done about it. I have 2 sons that currentiy goto Fulton. Underthe proposed plan, they would go to a new elementary anda newmiddle school, whilenone ofour surrounding neighbors would bemoved at all. Is keeping our community intact not as important asthose that live in Maple Lawn?Is moving these kids, yet again,not a consideration? I also have a daughterwho wentto Hammond Middle school andthen to Reservoir. Whenwe first moved here. she was brand new in 6th grade. Because ofthe districting of our polygon, when she started Reservoir she was one of 13 kids that transitioned from HMS to RHS. She was essentially a brand new student, yet again. This is themost upsetting thought I have in regards to my current students possibly beingmoved. I want consistency forthem andI wanttheir friendships to beable to growwith them overtime. Underthe new proposed plan, they would continue to be a small pocket ofkids going from one school to the next. This is unfairto doto kids and not good for their emotional growth.
Thank you for your consideration,
Kristin GrifGn Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Denise Adams
From: Denise Adams
Dear Board members:
I read the details ofDr. Chao Wu's redistricting plan this morning, and I wanted to share feedback on three polygons impacted in way that feels like a mistake in an otherwise strong plan. My family lives in polygon 1231-that polygon, along with 231 and 232, are slated, in Dr. Wu's plan, to move from Mount View Middle School to Glenwood Middle School. This move would create a very smalljmddle school feed ftheir current feed is a perfect 100% feed from WestFriendship to Mount View), and a high school feed of less than 5%. This entire cluster of polygons has only 43 children projected to attend Mount ViewMiddle School next year. This group of43, should they be moved to Glenwood Middle, would be the oa!y ero-^o ofkids to eventually leave Glenwood Middle for Marriotts Ridge; an average of less than 15 kids in an entire grade. Dr. Wu spoke last night about how harmful very small feeds are, which is why I think this move in his plan is an oversight. On top of concerns about the incredibly small feed that this would create, I am deeply concerned about the added travel time that this would create. Although Mt View is only 2.2 miles away from my front door, my 7thgrader's current bus ride in the morning is 50 minutes, picking her up at 6:46 am. This is unchangeable given the nature of our community, with its winding rural roads that pick up 1-2 kids every halfmile, and I have no complaints. It is what it is, because it takes time to fill up a bus here. However, there is no reason to make it even worse by adding a 6-7-mile ride to Glenwood, during the early morning msh. The ride to Glenwood would exceed an hour in the best of conditions and would likely hit 70 minutes as routine. This is our current pick up time for Mt. View's 7:35 start time, from the HCPSS travel site (again, this is to travel to a school only 2 miles away): These polygons are stable, with no new development projects in the pipeline to make such a move proactively strategic. We currently attend our closest school at every level, and eachof those schools is beingused at targeted levels. Please keep polygons 231-1231"232 in place. Thank you for your time and attention. I deeply appreciate how thoughtful all of you are being about these moves, and I know that whenyou take a look at these polygons, you'll see the arguments that I am making here are logical. -Denise and Steppen Adams, Polygon 1231
Sent from my phone. Dear Board Members,
Thank you for serving on the Board of Education. We value your commitment and your support for the education of Howard County children. I am a resident of Polygon 127 and am writing to express concern regarding Board Member Malta's test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time sincethe 2018-2019school year, thistime from PRES-CMS-AHSto PRES- WLMS-AHS. I also would encourage the Board to explore Board Member Wu's test scenarios as they appearto addressseveral goals of the Boardwhile still preparingthe Countyfor the inclusion of High School #13.
My specific concerns with Board Member Mallo's test scenarios are:
The scenarioswould undothe successful 2017redistricting thatfixed the small feed problem for Polygon 127: In2017, our polygon wasredistricted from ClemensCrossing ES and Lime Kiln MS to Pointers Run ESand Clarkesville MS (took effect for the 2018-2019 school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behind the Board's decision to redistrict our community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMS to fix the small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Mallo's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed. I oppose Board Member Mallo's scenarios and support keeping Polygon 127 with its current large feed of PRES-CMS for elementary and middle school.
Four schools in four years is untenable and directly violates Policy 6010: Current sixth graders in Polygon 127 would be expected to attend four schools in as many years under Board Member Mallo's approach:
o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES (CCES) o 5th grade at Pointers Run ES (PRES) o 6thgradeatClarksvilleMS(CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS)
Therefore, Board MemberMallo's approach would violate the goalsof Policy6010 (IV. B. 2. ), which states the Board will make "every attempt to not move a student more than once at any school level or the same student more frequently than once every five years. " This policy is important to our neighborhood because in the 2018-2019 school year we experienced firsthandthe impactand challenges redistricting presents asour children workedto adjustto new academicenvironments and friend groups after the last redistricting decision. Forthese same children to endure another redistrictingjust a few years later placesan extreme burden on them.
. Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability now and in the future: Moving our children yet againto a newmiddle schooljust two yearsafter the lastredistricting for our neighborhood would be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now built at PRES-CMS.Further, movingour community to WLMSdoes not support longterm stability in light of the current and future development near Downtown Columbia and to the east. As a result ofthat growth, it's reasonable to conceive that our polygon could be subject to additional redistricting in the nearfuture if we are moved to WLMSnow. All plans and scenariosto date (exceptfor Board Member Malta's scenarios) recognizethese factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS. In contrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Mallo's scenarios, Board Member Wu's scenarios appear to take a holistic and long-term approach to redistricting and should be further explored. This should include exploration of the testing scenario that would keep Polygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS-AHS.
The Superintendent's proposal (moves Polygon 127 from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES-CMS-River Hill HS) also could support long term stability for our polygon. Ifthe Superintendent's plan is advanced, please consideran exception for our current students at AHSto stay at the school If they provide theirown transportation. Such an exception should include current freshman because they would otherwise be required to attend four schools in four years (7th grade at LKMS,8th grade at CMS, 9th grade at AHS, and 10th grade at RHHS).
It is important to note that the potential for stability I mention in both the Superintendent's plan and in Board Member Wu's plan would only exist if all of the changes included in those plans are made. Singular changes to the Superintendent's plan or to Board Member Wu's scenarios would jeopardizethe stabilitythe plans are designedto enable and could potentially exacerbatethe overall problems the Board aims to address.
We have alwaystaken a reasonableapproach to redistricting and thankyou for the consideration of our concerns. We will continue to pay close attention during the Board meetings and will provide updated feedback as new considerations arise or additional concerns are identified. We implore you to remember Polygon 127's recent redistricting in the 2018-2019 school year, askthat you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguousstable feedsfor Polygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely, Aamina Alizai Polygon 127 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Nancy Hersh
Dear Members ofthe Board ofEducation, My name is Nancy Unterman and I live in polygon 2087. My children attend Rockbum Elementary school andwe live inthe Lyndwood Townhome neighborhood thatI love. I have watchedthe redistricting processclosely andsupport changes to increaseequity anddiversity anddecrease overcrowding. Myprimary concern for my children inthis process is thatI wantthem to havea strong feedfrom ESto MS to HS. Transitionsto thenext level ofschooling are difficult and stressful forchildren as is. Isolatinga smaller group to attend one highschool whenthe majority will attend another isunfair andwithout compassion. Currently we go with almost all ofour ES students to the same MS andmost ofthat MS attends the same high school, Howard. I understandHoward is crowdedand change is necessary for someof the current population. Ifthat happens, pleaseattempt to keepas strong a feedas possible forour students! Pleasedo not send one small portion ofour elementaiy/middle school (i. e.just thetownhouses) to onehigh school andthe rest (i. e students in single family homesand mostly have a higherincome) to another. Thisfeels cruel forstudents to have to goto a highschool with almost none oftheir classmates from middle school when it waspreviously sucha strong feed. Also, please note thatto travel from my home in polygon 2087to Oakland Mills High School, you haveto drive directly past Long Reach High School and continue driving twice as far to Oakland Mills. This also seems unnecessmy andnonsensical. Pleaseplease keep our community together. Whilewe wouldhappily remainat Howard HS, ifthat isnot possible please donot isolate our one section oftownhomes from all ofthe single family homes and give ourkids sucha small feed. Please sendus to LongReach if we do haveto move asit is the next closest school andthe ELMS feed to LRHS has been proposed to be much greater.
Thank you for you hard work and consideration.
With respect, Nancy Unterman Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Penny Keller
Hello,
As my sons may be affected by Mr. Wu's proposed redistricting plan, 1 am writing to express my concerns. We live in polygon 2046, right on Whiskey Bottom Road, in Laurel. My sons are currently in 2nd grade and 5th grade at Forest Ridge Elementary School (FRES). So, my oldest will be going to Patuxent Valley Middle School (PVMS) next year. Neither one of these schools are over capacity, and the communities that feeds into these schools represent a diverse population, and socio-economic spectrum, including an acceptable FARMs rate, as the data showson their websites. I don't understandwhy Mr. Wu is proposing to affect our schools by redistricting our communities and splitting our communities and students.
The primary goal for the 2020 redistricting is to reduce crowding in several schools. With a utilization rate of 95 percent, FRES is not currently overcrowded. So, why do the FRES students and communities need to be redistricted, where my sons would have to go to a new school, without their FRES friends?
Under Mr. Wu's proposal, my oldest son would not only be faced with losing his school friends whichhe has made over the past 6 years, but also deal with the adjustment with going to a different middle school from what he has been told for the past 6 years. Middle school is a huge adjustment for a student, made more difficult when you are not with the students you've grown up with. Again, PVMS is not at capacity, so why do you need to move the current students to another school?
-The current FARMs rate at FRES is around 30 percent. With the other proposed moves, the rate could see an increase after moving polygons 46, 12, and 2046.
-FRESis a model of diversity across Howard County. It has the perfect combination of cultural, racial and socio-economic diversity within the school.
-Our polygons are in the impact areafor HS#l3, why dismpt the lives of our communities now when some of these same kids will need to move againby the time the high school opens?
-With HS#13 opening in 2023, we have the unique opportunity to be a true feeder system. Children trom polygons attending FRES and PVMS could potentially have a continuous feed from elementary to high school.
-Reservoir High School comprises feeds from Hammond Middle, Lime Kiln Middle, Murray Hill Middle and PatuxentValley Middle. At 13 percent, the PVMS feedto Reservoir High School has always beenthe smallest feed amongthe middle schools attending. Moving 46, 2046 and 12 from PVMSto MHMS leaves a very small feed from PVMS to Reservoir.
-Polygons 46, 2046, 12 and several others were among those redistricted in 2012 from MHMS to PVMSto fill Thomas ViaductMiddle, and Dr. Wu's proposal moves these same polygons backto MHMS seven years later when these schools and communities are fine.
I do not understand how Mr. Wu can justify moving my kids around and away from their school friends when
1 there are no issues with the current community feeds into FRES, PVMS, andthe new HS#13. There is no justification in hisproposal whythese 3 polygons needto beredistricted. Howdoes creating anunnecessary instability for the kids benefitHoward County Schools? Thankyou for the opportunity to provide comments. Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Melissa Hoffman Lean
Dear Board of Education, Our community thanks you for the countless hours devoted to school improvement. We're asking that you take a closer look at the proposal to move Polygons95, 301, 1095, 1301, and 2095 from llchester Elementary to Waterloo Elementary. IES isn't overcrowded, and unlike other parts of the county, no large growth is expected in this area. It is a small, close-knit school that shares a campus with BBMS. This proposal breaks up a tight knit neighborhood. Additionallyjhe llchester to Bonnie Branch Middle School feed is currently 1 00%. Moving just a few kids from each grade from IESto WES, creates a small feed, which is challenging as kids transition to a new middle school with all new faces. Weappreciate your attention to our concerns and believe strongly that Polygons 95, 301, 1095, 1301, and 2095 should remain at llchester Elementary School. Sincerely, Melissa Lean and Andrew Lean (polygon 95)
Melissa Hoffman Lean, Psy. D. Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Melissa Hoffman Lean
Dear Board of Education, Our community thanks you for the countless hours devoted to school improvement. We're asking that you take a closer look at the proposal to move Polygons 95, 301 1095, 1301, and 2095 from llchester Elementary to Waterloo Elementary. IES isn't overcrowded, and unlike other parts of the county, no large growth is expected in this area. It is a small, close-knit school that shares a campus with BBMS. This proposal breaks up a tight knit neighborhood. Additionally, The llchester to Bonnie Branch Middle School feed is currently 100%. Moving just a few kids from each grade from IES to WES, creates a small feed, which is challenging as kids transition to a new middle school with all new faces. We appreciateyour attention to our concerns and believe strongly that Polygons 95, 301, 1095, 1301, and 2095 should remain at llchester Elementary School. Sincerely, Melissa Lean and Andrew Lean (polygon 95)
Melissa Hoffman Lean, Psy. D. Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Angie
Hello, I ameagerly watching the meeting tonight and have been very supportive ofyour ideas. I understand theneed for the redistricting and commend you on trying to make sense of some of the polygon moves. > Pleaselook at polygons 87,2087and 3087 which you had moving from Howard to LongReach and you just made anadjusbnent Tonight to move usto OaklandMills. I'mnot sureif you sawthese polygons are' Rockbumto Elms andthis a small feedwhich then would goto OaklandMills bythemselves withoutknowing anyone Pleasereconsider this move. I understandif we need to move to long reach with the larger group But wewould be(iriving pastboth Howard andLR to drive to OMHS. I appreciate your work andhope you understand my feedback. > > Thanks, > > Angle Parise > > Sent from my iPhone Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Sammy Zakaria
Dear Board of Education Wembers,
Thank you For your service on behalf of Howard County students- My family and I pride ourselves on being engaged residents of Howard County, where there is emphasis on diversity, high-quality schools, community, and a culture of civility h)e value equity in ensuing a quality education for all children and are aware of the effects of student socioeconomic status on health, education, and financial outcomes- fts we testified earlier, the current proposals floated by Dr- martirano and others do not solve SES-based inequibies in educational achievement and leads to increased stress, fractured social networks, and broken up Feeds of students- Ule urge you to redistrict based on the following principles:
1) ftddress overcrowding (over-capacity) 2) Keep children in neighborhood schools 3) /tlaintain large feeds of students ^) Consider SES when assiyniny polygons in border regions
The priorities above would best help all of Howard County's children in their pursuit of academic success-
U/e suggest usiny the proposed plan by Dr- Uu, which incorporates these prionWes with less disruption, and shuffles less students to farther schools-
Thwk you again for your efforts- If helpful, Feel Free bo reach out to us, as we would welcome the opportunity to share our mutual interest in ensuring a quality education for all children-
Sincerely,
Sammy Zakaria, Polygon 1028 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Cristina Green
Dear Redistricting Committee,
I am a 26 yearresident oftheWheatfield Community, polygons 100and 1100. My three children hadthe good fortune ofbeing educated in thewonderful HCPSS. They areall well into their adult years, andin graduate school, oralready finished with a graduatedegree. Thefoundation of the HCPSS played a hugerole intheir success in higher education. We appreciate all you do in this difficult task ofschool enrollment management. I was always involved with the process while my children were in K-12. I am writing to address the recent development ofsplitting the Wheatfield community between two high schools. I highly encourage that some committee members take a drive through our neighborhood and see that there is no significant geographic separation in the community that would render it two separate neighborhoods. Wherethe boundary line is drawnthere is lessthan a block betweenhomes on Wheatfield Way. Splitting ourneighborhood between two highschools wouldbe very dismptive to the cohesivefabric of our community andwould go againstthe guidelines for redistricting. There arehomes on either side ofthis line with back or side yards visible to one another. I remember several years ago when our neighborhood was divided into two polygons, and could not fathom why because you cannot separate the nei^iborhood. Thank you very much for all your hardwork. I hope that you would reconsider this proposal andmaintain Wheatfield as one group of students.
Regards,
Cristina Green 8574 Wheatfield Way Ellicott City, MD
Cristina Dear BOE members,
strongly oppose to the superintendent's proposal based on my personal experience and research.
would like to talk about two things. First of all, switching schools in adolescents negatively impacts their emotional and social well-being.
We moved to different states almost every 2 or 3 yrs in the past and whenever we moved, my two kids had adapted very well. However, 2 years ago when we moved to howard county, we thought my kids would adjust in school very well as usual but unfortunately, that didn't happen. My younger one was in 4th grade at the time and she was ok, but my older one was in 7th grade and she had a very hard time adjusting in a new middle school. She always felt isolated and depressed in a new middle school.
We realized that it was extremely hard and stressful for adolescents, like my older daughter, to switch schools because of social difficulties like mingling with new friends and facing academic challenges.
According to research, which was published in american educational research in 2014, youth who switch schools are more likely to demonstrate negative behavioral and educational outcome.
In the superintendent's proposal, nearly % of middle and high school students have to switch schools and it will impact negatively to them socially, academically, and mentally.
My second point is academic gaps between schools.
When we moved to howard county Z years ago, we realized my kids were behind so we did two things to catch up with the other students.
First, we tried tutoring service and also started to supervise my kids more by helping them complete their homework.
Switching schools and evening out the percent of farm students, do not improve academic gaps. Farm students need more practical systems, such as mentor programs or free tutoring service to improve their grades. Howard county can use the money wisely for farm students rather than the new school bus transportation systems.
Please, BOE members,
Don't underestimate kids stress, fear, anxiety, isolation from switching schools and come up with better and more practical solutions for farms students, instead of simply switching schools. I have been watching work sessions and Malta's plan can move more than 3000 high school students whereas Wu 's plan can move 3000 students in total including elementary, middle and high school.
I strongly support Dr Wu's proposal which is a lot more reasonable and much less disruptive.
Thank you very much.
Best regards,
Euna Kim Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Robyne Brown
Dear Board members:
I read the details of Dr. Chao Wu's redistrictmg plan this morning, and I wanted to share feedback on three polygons impacted in way that feels like a mistake in an otherwise strong plan. My family lives in polygon 1231-that polygon, along with 231 and 232, are slated, in Dr. Wu's plan, to move fi-om Mount View Middle School to Glenwood Middle School. This move would create a very small middle school feed (their current feed is a perfect 100°/o feed from WestFriendship to Mount View), and a high school feed of less than 5%. This entire cluster ofpolygons has only 43 children projected to attend Mount View Middle School next year. This group of 43, shouldthey be movedto GlenwoodMiddle, would be the only group of kids to eventually leave Glenwbod Middle for Marriotts Ridge; an average of less than 15 kids in an entire grade. Dr. Wu spoke last night about how harmful very small feeds are, which is why I think this move in his plan is an oversight.
Ontop of concerns aboutthe incredibly small feed that this would create, I am deeply concerned about the added travel time that this would create. Although Mt View is only 2.2 miles away from my front door, my 7th grader's current bus ride in the morning is 50 minutes, picking her up at 6:46 am. This is unchangeablegiven the nature of our community, with its winding rural roads that pick up 1-2 kids every halfmile, and I have no complaints. It is what it is, because it takes time to fill up a bus here. However, there is no reason to make it even worse by adding a 6-7-mile ride to Glenwood, during the early morning rush. The ride to Glenwood would exceed an hour in the best of conditions and would likely hit 70 minutes as routine. This is our current pick up time for Mt. View's 7:35 start time, from the HCPSS travel site (again, this is to travel to a school only 2 miles away):
These polygons are stable, with no new development projects in the pipeline to make such a move proactively strategic. We currently attend our closest school at every level, and each ofthose schools is being used at targeted levels. Pleasekeep polygons 231-1231-232in place.
Thank you for your time and attention. I deeply appreciate how thoughtful all of you are being about these moves, and I know that when you take a look at these polygons, you'll see the arguments that I am making here are logical. Respectfully, Robyne Brown, Polygon 1231 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Julie Vilnit
Dear Members of the Board of Education, My name is Julie Vilnit and I live in polygon 2087. 1 am a single mom whojust last year was able to purchase my towrihouse here in Elkridge. I am so happy to have my son attending Rockbum Elementary school and live in a great neighborhood with lots of support. There are lots of other young families and single moms living here too, and teachers and nurses (like me!). At Rockbum Elementary our townhouse neighborhood (along with Brightfield who joined our school last year) is probably the closest thing to affordable housing we have. All the other housing is single family homes, some modest and many fairly expensive. Regardless, we have a great community. My main concern for my son growing up is that I want him to have a strong feed from ES to MS to HS and that's why I wanted a house here. Currently we go with almost all our ES students to the same MS and most ofthat MS attends the same high school, Howard. I understand Howard is crowded and some students need to move out. If that happens, please attempt to keep as strong a feed as possible for our students! Please do not send one chimk of our elementary school (akajust the townhouses) to one high school and the rest (aka the kids who live in single family homes and mostly have a higher income) to another. What a punishment for our kids! ! To have to go to a high school with almost zero of their friends from middle school when it was previously such a strong feed!! Also, please note that to travel from my home in polygon 2087 to Oakland Mills High School, you have to drive DIRECTLY past Long Reach High School and continue driving twice as far to Oakland Mills. This seems ludicrous to me! Please please keep our community together. While we would love to stay at Howard HS, if that is not possible please do not pick off our one section oftownhomes from all of the single family homes and give our kids such a small feed. Please send us to Long Reach if we do have to move as it is fhe next closest school and the Brightfield community already attends that school. (This occurred when they were redistricted to our ES 2 years ago but the HS was not changed). Thank you for you hard work and for reading my letter. -Julie Vilnit RN, BSN, CCRN University of Maryland Medical Center Pediatric ICU Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Jack Xie
Mrs. Mallo's plan is excellent. I strongly support it.
At the same time, I strongly oppose Dr. Wu's plan. Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Nhut Minh Le
Dear Board of Education, Our community thanks you for the countless hours devoted to school improvement. In response to Jen Mallo's proposal please take a closer look at and reconsider the moves from Polygons 95, 301, 1095, 1301, and 2095 from llchester Elementary to Waterloo Elementary for the following reasons: . The Montgomery Meadows neighborhood is being divided with polygon 84 remaining at IES. . The IES to BBMS feed is currently 100%; the proposed changes will create a small feed per grade level which is in violation of policy 6010. IES isn't overcrowded, and unlike other parts of the county, no large growth is expected in this area. It is a small, close-knit school that shares a campus with BBMS. . The proposal breaks apart these 5 polygons from a larger contiguous group and creates a small island effect with multiple different elementary schools bordering. . This is essentially a swap with polygon 76. Polygon 76 is located near WES on the other side of a major highway- route 100. This swap removes students from their community school at both IES and WES and creates small feeds to middle school for both elementary schools. . This proposal moves approximately 7300 students county wide. Montgomery Meadows is one community, and is being split in two. Neighborhoods should not be split whenever possible. Going to school with all of your neighbors creates strong bonds and has a positive impact on emotional well-being. When all neighbors attend the same school, parents have more of a "village" to rely on. Montgomery Road is not a dividing line in our school community. We do not feel it would be prudent to break apart a neighborhood school, that is not overcrowded, that enjoys strong feeds in favor of a weak feed. The llchester to Bonnie Branch Middle School feed is currently 100%. Moving just a few kids from each grade from IES to WES, only to return them back to the BBMS creates a small feed, which is something policy 6010 specifically tries to avoid. IES isn't overcrowded, and unlike other parts of the county, no large growth is expected in this area. It is a small, close- knit school and shares a campus with Bonnie Branch Middle. Taking a small cohort of kids out of each grade doesn't achieve any particular goal, and in fact, creates a problem that didn't exist before. This is not only disruptive to students' lives, but adds more transportation costs, time, and has a negative environmental impact. We appreciate your attention to our concerns and believe strongly that Polygons 95, 301, 1095, 1301, and 2095 should remain at llchester Elementary School. Sincerely, Nhut Le and Mai Dang , Polygon 1095 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: JeremyGoldman
Pleasebe advised^that Polygons^l 100 and 100, much discussed at this evening's work session, is a singlesmall neighborhoodwith one HOA. Thiscontiguous neighborhood has no natural barrier where the polygons split (acrossWheatfield Way) and there is no logical reason that there are two polygons. Again,these two Polygons havea singleHomeowners Association and all neighborhood events are shared across both Polygons Thistiny neighborhood ofWheatfield currently attends Waterloo ES (the fifth furthest ES),Ellicott Mills MS, and then has an extremely small feed to Centennial HS. Not only is splitting a neighborhood unreasonable, but thiswould create an even smaller feed to Centennial HSof approximately 10kids. No child should enter high school knowing 10 people, after living in the same house their entire childhood. Nease do not split the Wheatfield neighborhood downthe middle, thereby creating anunfairly small feedto CHS.
Thank you very much, Jeremy Goldman PolygonllOO
Sent from my iPhone Kathleen V. Hanks
From: e
. }ease ,clo,"°tsend-266, '., 33'1°33 to Hammo"d' while wewould welcome them, they would haveto be moved again in 3 ocld w°uld send you them south of 32 a"d west of 95 when'you'would not even consider seed .y^LS^'LaJ^seems ing"
Pleaseconsider moving polygon49 from OMto Hammond. All ofthe residential areas aroundthem alreadyattend Hammond.
Sincerely,
Carieen Pena
Polygon 1015 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Stacy Flynn
Dr. Wu and BOE members -
Was so incredibly shockedto heartonight thatyou have recommended thatpolygons 87, 2087, and 3087 go to Oakland Mills. Inno other suggestion have I seenthis beingmade. Although we are currently districted to Howard, if we need to move, it needs to be to Long Reach. The current proposal moves 80 kids total over four years. So, 20 kids per class go from ELMSto OMHS? That's INSANE. Whilethese moves may "appear" connected, they never will be as we are separated by major roadways. We don't even attend the same ES or MS as those south of 100.
Thank you for your consideration.
Stacy Flynn Lyndwood development Polygons 87, 2087, and 3087.
Sent from my iPhone Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Neil Hunt
Dear Dr. Wu,
Heamedofyour newplan this morning that includes polygons 12, 46, and2046, andI have some concerns. While this proposal seems to appease those on the west side ofthe county and reduces the number of students affected, it wouldinstead tear apart my community inan illogical way and with questionable benefit. Forest Ridge is an example ofhow HoCo schools could be with diversity ofrace and socioeconomic background. It is not How oye rcapacity are FARMS rates, diversity, and even capacity positively affected by your proposed moves for thesepolygons? Where is the datafor your entire proposal? ^ di,tion?lly'carvinS out 1/3of a communityto attenda differentelementary and middle school, when changes arealready coming for High School 13,is overly dismptive to a small groupof kids. I feltthis way before it directfy impacted my community and I feel this way now. Fwcome to seethe value ofdiversity inour schools andam unafraid of these possible changesaffecting me ^ e-rc.s^.I?an?'in, thewealthiest5easofthe county seem to be up in arms about the possibility of moving to o^e"?ed^chools or havi"S infiltration from. But dismpting Forest Ridge as a modelof Howmd County's valuesin order to appeasethe well-to-do seemsshort sighted and inappropriate. Thank you. Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Cara Fanelli
Hello, I am a resident of 1007 and 7 district andstrongly disagree with BOEJen Mallo's proposed redistricting ofour neighborhood to Laurel Woods and Murry Hill schools. Please do not approve these changes as this will negatively impact the areaand split childrenfrom their reservoir community.
Thank you
Cara Vaitkus 2025492983 Dear HCPSS BOE-
am writing in opposition to Jen Malta's proposed redistricting plan. am in polygon 276. The proposed move ofpolygons 276, 302, 148, 1148, and 2148 from Northfield Elementary to Running Brook and from Dunloggin Middle to Wilde Lake Middle removes nearly all if not all affordablehousing from NES. These polygons includetownhomes and apartments for the most part. Withthe climate offocusing on FARMS rates, this seem contrary to those ideals.
This move also splits the Dorsey's Search community in half and moves students who are able to walk to DMS/NES much further away. These moves also take an already small feed (11%) from DMS to WLHS to even smaller one (without data, I'm not sure what it would be, but I'dguess less than 5%as it would ONLY be a single family homes off Gray Rock in Dorsey's Search). The move of polygons 111, 1111, and 2111 from DMS to OMMS also reduces the feed from DMS to WLHS. If more space is needed at DMS, I propose moving a larger group from DMSto WLHSto avoid the tiny feed issueif the move ofstudents is unavoidable. NESis not a critical pointfor overcrowding and not projected to be at that point. Moving students from NESis unnecessary. Finally, I also wanted to note that the BOE really wants to even attempt to fix the overcrowding issue and imbalances with FARM rates, they should consider erasing ALLthe lines and starting from scratch. Movethe massesif needed. Pinpointingand shifting polygons isonly going to upsetone neighborhood after another (I've seen this over and over and over and over now... ). Shake up everything if a change is deemed to be needed.Then, everyone is inthe same boatand the community is more likelyto come together as everyone would be in it together instead of the notion of being happy their neighborhood is safeeven though that meanssomeone else is moving. Studentbodies would betotally differentand staff/students/families would all be adjusting, not just a handful of kids.
Thank you for your consideration.
Best,
Melissa Kistler
Polygon 276 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Meredith Curtis Goode
I shouldhave lead with how I've all along strongly supported the initial plan, and submitted testimony in support ofthat plan. Pleasedon't be swayed and go after other districts that won't help the county reach the county's important equity needs nearly as well as the initial plan!
Thank you, Meredith
On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 7:14PM Meredith Curtis Goode
Overall, I believethat 1)when students aremoved they should be moved in a large groupso that students have a support network that goeswith them and2) that we must increase economic diversity across all schools, not increase it in some schools.
Regarding Mallo's proposal, it wemove townhouse communities awayfrom NESthat would actually concentrate wealth at NES, which is not a positive direction for the county. If families should be moved to increase economic diversity at RBEand WLM, we shouldmove a significantgroup ofstudents from wealthier areasinstead, like those who live in large single family homes. I believethis not just for our neighborhood but for all districts across the county. I stronglysupport intentionally promoting economic diversity in all our schools.
Thank you, Meredith Curtis Goode Dear Board Members,
Thank you for serving on the Board of Education. Wevalue your commitment and your support for the education of Howard County children. I am a resident of Polygon 127 and am writing to express concern regarding Board Member Mallo's test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES-CMS-AHSto PRES- WLMS-AHS.I also would encouragethe Boardto explore Board MemberWu's test scenariosas they appearto address several goals ofthe Board while still preparing the County for the inclusion of High School #13.
My specific concerns with Board Member Mallo's test scenarios are:
The scenarioswould undothe successful 2017 redistrictingthat fixedthe small feed problem for Polygon 127: In 2017, our polygon was redistricted from Clemens Crossing ES and Lime Kiln MSto Pointers Run ESand Clarkesville MS (took effect for the 2018-2019school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behind the Board's decision to redistrict our community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMSto fix the small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Malta's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed. I oppose Board Member Mallo's scenariosand support keeping Polygon 127 with its current large feed of PRES-CMS for elementary and middle school.
Fourschools in fouryears is untenable and directlyviolates Policy 6010:Current sixth graders in Polygon 127 would be expected to attend four schools in as many years under Board Member Mallo's approach:
o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES (CCES) o 5th grade at Pointers Run ES(PRES) o 6th grade at Clarksville MS (CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS)
Therefore, Board Member Mallo's approach would violate the goals of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ), whichstates the Boardwill make "every attempt to not move a student more than once at any school level or the same student more frequently than once every five years. " This policy is importantto our neighborhoodbecause in the 2018-2019school yearwe experienced firsthand the impact and challenges redistricting presents as our children worked to adjust to new academic environments and friend groups after the last redistricting decision. For these same children to endure another redistrictingjust a few years later places an extreme burden on them.
Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability now and in the future: Moving our children yet again to a new middle school just two years after the last redistricting for our neighborhoodwould be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now built at PRES-CMS. Our son Joshua Suarez, started second grade the 2018-2019 school year. At the time he was concerned about his ability to make new friends and how was it going to be on a much bigger school. As you know Pointers Run almost doubles the size of students of CCES. It took a few months, but he was able to adapt well. This school yearour youngest, Noah started in Kindergarten. With two kids in school, we have made strong community relationships. Moving our community to WLMSdoes not support long lerm stability in light of the current and future development near DowntownColumbia and to the east. As a result ofthat growth, it's reasonable to conceive that our polygon could be subject to additional redistricting in the near future if we are moved to WLMS now. All plans and scenarios to date (except for Board Member Malta's scenarios) recognize these factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS.
In contrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Mallo's scenarios, Board MemberWu's scenariosappear to take a holistic and long-term approach to redistricting and should be further explored. This should include exploration of the testing scenario that would keep Polygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS-AHS.
The Superintendent's proposal (moves Polygon 127 from PRES-CMS-AHSto PRES-CMS-RiverHill HS) also could support long term stability for our polygon. Ifthe Superintendent's plan is advanced, please consider an exception for our current students at AHS to stay at the school If they provide their own transportation. Such an exception should include current freshman becausethey would otherwise be required to attend fourschools in fouryears (7th gradeat LKMS,8th grade at CMS, 9th gradeat AHS, and 10th gradeat RHHS).
It is important to note that the potential for stability I mention in both the Superintendent's plan and in Board Member Wu's plan would only exist if all ofthe changes included in those plans are made. Singularchanges to the Superintendent's plan or to Board MemberWu's scenarios would jeopardize the stability the plans are designed to enable and could potentially exacerbate the overall problems the Board aims to address.
We have alwaystaken a reasonable approachto redistricting and thankyou for the consideration of our concerns. We will continue to pay close attention during the Board meetings and will provide updated feedback as new considerations arise or additional concerns are identified. We implore you to remember Polygon 127's recent redistricting in the 2018-2019 school year, askthat you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguous stable feeds for Polygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely, George Suarez, parent Polygon 127 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Kim Newkirk
Good evening,
Location: Polygon 7
I am againstMs. Mallo's proposal ofmoving polygon 7 to Laurel Woods andMurray Hill. While I know several wonderteachers at each,we boughtour house last year withour current school district in mind. Our school(Hammond MS)is closeto home and there is anestablished sense of community withthe surroundins neighborhoods. Webelong to Hammond pool andthe kids are ableto seemany of their school friends inthe summer there.
Please consider keeping 7 with Fulton ES, Hammond MS, and continuing to Reservoir HS.
Thank you, KimberiyNewkirk
Sent &om my iPhone Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Christy Emanuel
I amvery pleasedthat Dr Wupaid attention to all ofthe aspects ofour community. Equality, budget, andmost of all our children. Thank you Dr. Wu! Dear Board Members,
Thank you for sereing on the Board of Education. We value your commitment and your support for the education of Howard County children. I am a resident of Polygon 127 and am writing to express concern regardingBoard Member Malta's test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES- WLMS-AHS. I also would encourage the Board to explore Board Member Wu's test scenarios as they appear to address several goals of the Board while still preparing the County for the inclusion of High School #13.
My specific concerns with Board Member Mallo's test scenarios are:
. The scenarios would undo the successful 2017 redistricting that fixed the small feed problem for Polygon 127; In 2017, our polygon was redistricted from Clemens Crossing ES and Lime Kiln MS to Pointers Run ES and Clarkesville MS (took effect for the 2018-2019 school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behind the Board's decision to redistrict our community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMS to fix the small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Malta's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed. I oppose Board Member Mallo's scenarios and support keeping Polygon 127 with its current large feed of PRES-CMS for elementary and middle school.
. Four schools in four years is untenable and directly violates Policy 6010: Current sixth graders in Polygon 127 would be expected to attend four schools in as many years under Board Member Malta's approach:
o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES (CCES) o 5th grade at Pointers Run ES (PRES) o 6th grade at Clarksville MS (CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS)
Therefore, Board Member Mallo's approach would violate the goals of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ), which states the Board will make "every attempt to not move a student more than once at any school level or the same student more frequently than once every five years. " This policy is important to our neighborhood because in the 2018-2019 school year we experienced firsthand the impact and challenges redistricting presents as our children worked to adjust to new academic environments and friend groups after the last redistricting decision. For these same children to endure another redistricting just a few years later places an extreme burden on them.
Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability now and in the future: Moving our children yet again to a new middle school just two years after the last redistricting for our neighborhood would be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now built at PRES-CMS. Our son Joshua Suarez, started second grade the 2018-2019 school year. At the time he was concerned about his ability to make new friends and how was it going to be on a much bigger school. As you know Pointers Run almost doubles the size of students of CCES. It took a few months, but he was able to adapt well. This school year our youngest, Noah started in Kindergarten. With two kids in school, we have made strong community relationships. I'm currently one of the chairperson for one of the Parent Teacher Association Committees.
Moving our community to WLMS does not support long term stability in light of the current andfuture development nearDowntown Columbia andto the east.As a result ofthat growth, it s reasonable to conceive that our polygon could be subject to additional redistricting in the nearfuture ifwe are moved to WLMSnow. All plansand scenarios to date (exceptfor Board Member Mallo's scenarios) recognize these factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS.
In contrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Mallo's scenarios, Board Member Wu's scenarios appear to take a holistic and long-term approach to redistricting and should be further explored. This should include exploration ofthe testing scenario that would keep Polygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS-AHS.
The Superintendent's proposal (moves Polygon 127 from PRES-CMS-AHSto PRES-CMS-RiverHill HS) also could support long term stability for our polygon. Ifthe Superintendent's plan is advanced, pleaseconsider an exception for our current students atAHS to stayat the school If they provide their own transportation. Suchan exception should include current freshman because they would otherwise be required to attend four schools in four years (7th grade at LKMS,8th gradeat CMS, 9th grade at AHS, and 10th grade at RHHS).
It is important to note that the potential for stability I mention in both the Superintendent's plan and in Board Member Wu's plan would only exist if all ofthe changes included in those plans are made. Singular changesto the Superintendent's plan or to Board Member Wu's scenarios would jeopardizethe stabilitythe plansare designed to enableand could potentially exacerbatethe overall problems the Board aims to address.
We have always taken a reasonable approach to redistricting and thank you for the considerationof our concerns. Wewill continue to payclose attention duringthe Board meetings and will provide updated feedback as new considerations arise or additional concerns are identified. We implore you to remember Polygon 127's recent redistricting in the 2018-2019 schoolyear, askthat you avoid small feeds and maintaincontiguous stable feeds for Polygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely, Adelis M Rodriguez, parent Polygon 127 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Meredith Curtis Goode
Hello Board of Education Members,
Our family lives in Polygon 2148. Our daughter goes to Northfield Elementary, in the 4th grade. I'm writing about JenMallo's proposal, andthe process overall. I did participate in the community focus group sessions over the summer.
Overall, I believe that 1) when students are moved they should be moved in a large group so that students have a support network that goes with them and 2) that we must increase economic diversity across all schools, not increase it in some schools.
RegardingMallo's proposal, ifwe move townhouse communities awayfrom NES that would actually concentrate wealth at NES, which is not a positive direction for the county. If families should be moved to increase economic diversity at RBE andWLM, we shouldmove a significantgroup ofstudents from wealthier areas instead, like those who live in large single family homes. I believethis not just forour neighborhood but for all districts acrossthe county. I strongly supportintentionally promoting economic diversity in all our schools.
Thank you, Meredith Curtis Goode Kathleen V. Hanks
From: dipsun patel
Dear BOE members,
I write with concern about the recent plan changes\additions proposed by Ms. Mallo for several reasons. A lot emails have been sent so I will not repeat the same content here. we all have been through many sessions on this together and fully understand what is being proposed and who will be impacted- some positively and some very negatively.
I am not in politics, neither do work for federal government nor am in private sector. I worked as an IT consultant for many years in federal sector, worked on many projects and learnt a lot through mistakes- some mine and some others.
Finally, one day I paused and started thinking what am I running after. What have I achieved and where am goingwith all this? and myjourney with "Selfrealization" started. It has not been easy however I process every thought and action of mine in a way, making sure no rules are broken and no one is hurt in the process.
Again - Learnt and practice every moment of my life now is " Never will do anything to hurt anyone and stay true to myself."
Some of your actions are not correct and there is nothing wrong in correcting this now. In the name of equity, please do not do anything incorrect that will end up hurting many children's future and communities.
Please do the right thing . Don't hurt communities, families and kids in this process. It is a request. Please listen to all the ones who are so concerned. They are not wrong and have not asked for anything that is not right.
Thank you, Sunita Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Kathryn Thorn
First ofall, I know you have very difficult decisions to make. I wouldjust like to say that I think it is wildly unfair that so many polygons are being pulled in for "working sessions" who did not have the opportunity to testify due to the insane number ofpeople testifying for River Hill and Maple Lawn.
Secondly, I would like to make the case for our polygon to stay at Fulton Elementary and be moved to Lime Kiln as outlined in Ms. Mallo's proposal. Ms. Mallo redistricts many more kids than the other proposals we have seen, but she has done it so that it canbe a sustainable change. By shifting west, we use our under-utilized facilities, free up space in the crowded southern area, and allow for the growth that is coming to overcrowd HES and the other schools on the Eastern side of29 in the south. There are so many new developments - including the 400 homes being placed on Gorman and Leisher. These kids will surely go to HES and HMS as they have planned to put a crosswalk in for them to qualify as walkers to their school. In that case, we will likely be redistricting again - and right back to Fulton. We are an arm ofthis county without a home. We were re-zoned back and forth many years ago, and if we are sent somewhere, we will be sent right back when the county realizes it has plenty ofbodies to fill the seats at HS 13 thanks the the booming construction.
Please consider sending us to Lime Kiln middle - it keeps our feed with most of the rest of the school. We also look like we lose the small number ofkids slated to HES and HMS to Atholton in some plans, which would make us a single polygon headingfrom Hammond Middle to Resevoir High. Rightnow, Lime Kiln hasthe space; and we have plenty of room to shift west. Shifting us east just puts us constantly in the crosshairs of the redistricting process which not many other polygons face.
I think keeping our kids (which many are lower income thanthe majority of Maple Lawnand Fulton Elementary in general which helps their FARM numbers) at Fulton and sending them to Lime Kiln Middle is the change we have been hoping for for a very long time. Please consider.
Thank you, Katie Thorn 10825 Rockland Dr Laurel, MD 20723 443-794-4372
Sent from my iPhone Polygon 1183
October 29, 2019
Dear Board Members,
I am writing this letter in support of Dr. Wu's Plan to retain our polygon 1183 at River Hill School. I believe Dr. Wu's recommendation is a sound solution that combines fiscal responsibly and limits disruption to the community and more importantly, the children. As a residentof Howard County, I realize that redistricting may need occur as the population grows within our communities. The complexities to this situation will continue to challenge both residents of Howard County and the Education Board on howto manageoneofour best resourcesfor all our futures, the growth of our children. By adoptingthis plan, it will allowthe budgetto be spent on resources such as computers and teachers vs. that of fuel and transportation maintenance.
Thank you to the Board for the considering these options and for all the hard work that went into this process.
Respectfully,
Kevin Schick To Whom it May Concern,
My name is Mary Brownand am a resident of KingscupCourt (in polygon 2148), and my children attend Northfield elementary. I just learned that Jen Mailo has proposed a plan that would move our children from Northfield and Dunlogginto Running Brook and Wilde Lake MiddleSchool. I fully believe that any school in Howard County would be a good place for my children and I know we have to consider what's best for everybody in planning, but I'm not sure fully understand the reason for this decision in her plan.
We are less than a five minute drive from Northfield and Dunloggin. We also can walk there in 15 minutes. The Northfield playground is one we regularly walk to with our kids and many children walk or bike to school, encouraging a more active lifestyle. Since the new traffic circle was added at Columbia Road and Kingscup Court, it is safer than ever before for children to walk and bike to school and more are doing it. Forschool events, it is so nice to have the option to walkto avoid the hassleof parking.This option would be entirely eliminated if we are moved to Running Brook.
I also understood that a major goal of the redistricting was to create more equity between schools, and I'm not sure how this achievesthat. It seemsto take the families at Northfield and Dunlogginof more moderate incomes (all the families living in the townhomes off Columbia Road), and move them to a lower income community, while the most affluent communities remain at Northfield.This might bring more wealth to the Running Brook community, but it seems to simply further segregate the wealthiest of Howard Countyfrom the rest of us. In addition, Northfield currently hasan incrediblydiverse community and much of that diversity comes from the townhome communities.
I used to work in community development and mapswere an important tool to help us make decisions, show data, and understand an area. However, when looking at maps it is tempting to organize areas by obvious boundaries, like roads, without understandingthat the people living on either side of anygiven road are part of one community. This is the case for the residents living along Columbia Road. We have numerous points whereyou can safely cross Columbia Road, and people on both sides of the road go to the same pool, the same Giant, the same community events, the same playgrounds, etc. Everywhere I go I see Northfield friends, because we are close to the same businesses and facilities. While I am sure we would do fine at Running Brook and Wilde Lake Middle School, I'd hate for our community to be broken apart and for my children to lose having their school so close to our home.
Thank you, Mary Brown Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Chris Howard
Dear Board Members,
Before you start today's work session, please remember your primary responsibility is to carry out BOS's mission. Pleasemake sure your decisions should be guidedby the following:
1 The primary drive for this rediste-icting process is to balance school capacity 2. The primary requests of citizens across the county on the outcome of this process are to minimize student travel times and keep schools within community.
Thank you.
Chris Howard Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Phillip Ranker Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2019 6:23 PM To: Hcpss Redistricting Subject: Feedbackon recent plan for Southern part of the county
Good evening,
I recently sawthe plan proposed by Dr. Wuthat was discussed last eveningat the work session andwanted to provide some feedback for the southern part ofthe county. In the latest proposal, polygons 1221, 221 and 1007 are proposed to move from Fulton ESto Hammond ES.
l^wantedto providesome perspective onthis potential move from a historical community stand point. About 8 years ago, the county signaled that they needed to move population west because ofthe growth in the eastern part of the county (which still remains an issue). They redistricted Elem schools first. The polygons listed above aswell as many others south of Rt 216 in Scaggsville, were moved from Hammond ESto Fulton ES. When the moves were beingdiscussed, it wasagreed upon that the community south of Rt 216 needed to stay together wherever they went. So, all the polygons were shifted to Fulton together. A couple years after that, they looked at MS redistricting, again attempting to shift the population west. The original proposal called for polygons 8, 1008, 221, 1221, 2221, 1007 and 7 to move from Hammond MS to LimeKiln Eventuallythey decided to split ourcommunity byonly moving8 and 1008. That kept 221, 1221, 2221, 1007 and 7 at Hammond MS.
Thiscreated a pretty bigproblem interms ofneighborhood continuity andfeeds. 221, 1221,2221, 1007and 7 all went to Fulton ES,left the campus for MSto goto Hammond andthen returned to the campus for HS (joined bypolygons 9 and 1009)at Reservoir. Therefore, thiscommunity wassplit up and hadto contend with leaving most of their peers from ESto MS and then again from MSto HS. Withthe current proposal, the plan wouldfurther segmentthe community bymoving 1221,2221 and 1007 backto Hammond ES. Thiswould mean that polygons 221 and 7 would have a very very small feed from Fulton to Hammond MS and they all would still have a small feed from Hammond MS to Reservoir. wouldsuggest a couplesmall moves to fix the feed issues at play currently and with the new proposal. Keepthese polygons together at Fulton. Shift221, 1221,2221, 1007and 7 to LimeKiln (which would help utilize capacity at Lime Kiln by adding a total of 91 students). Shift 9 and 1009 to Atholton HS. This would create 3 much stronfier feeds. Fulton to Lime Kiln, Lime Kiln to Reservoir and a stronger feed fromTiammond MSto Athokon (aswell asmaking Hammond MSa doublefeed to Hammond HSand'Atholton asopposed to a triple with Reservoir in there as well). It also eliminates the small feed from Fulton to Hammond MS and the small feed from Hammond MS to Reservoir.
The other problem with the new move isthat it is relying on capacity at Hammond ES. Given the Milk Plant property that isslated to bedeveloped shortly, those400 homes will besending many kids to Hammond ES and it will presumably bewell overcapacity soon. Itwould seemto makesense to shiftthe middle school to strengthen the feeds and allowsome spacefor the newdevelopment to fill in Hammond ES. 1 I realizethat this does not directly provide reliefto Fulton ES. My children attend Fulton and my wifeteaches there as well (I teach at Lime Kiln and coach at Reservoir) so I am keenly awareof the campus schools and what is goingon. While I do not have a direct answerto reliefthere, I do believethat shiftingstudents backto the east with the new development slated to occur will only create bigger problems in the future. And this would greatly help strengthen the community and feeds addressed above.
I would be happyto discuss anyof this in more detail though I am sure you are quite pressed for time. Thank you for your consideration.
Phil Ranker Physical Education Lime Kiln Middle School Reservoir Girls Varsity Soccer Coach http://rankerssportscamp. weebly. com/
Developer-Ideation-Positivity-Empathy-Belief Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Jonathan L. Murrell
Dear Members of the Howard County Board of Education,
Thank you for the countless hours you have spent evaluating various proposals for redistricting of the student body. As you consider several options, I would like to endorsethe letter andproposal written by my neighbors Ryan and Jennifer Pollard that Polygon 1200 remain at River Hill High School.
The proposal by Dr. Chao Wu is appealing because he has suggested moving the fewest students possible while addressingissues withovercrowding andequity. While I endorse hisplan, I'm respectfully requesting that Polygon 1200 remain at River Hill like our surrounding neighbors under his proposal. Keeping our community together is achievablebecause of our small studentpopulation andthe available capacity ofour closest high school.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Lowell Murrell Polygon 1200 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Vijay V
HCPSS Board of EducationMembers,
I am writing this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redistricting posted by Jen Mallo on her Facebook page (httr)S://www. facebook. com/ienmallo4boe/). Though, I am grateful for the BOE's time and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues. First, the total movement of 7, 300 students is too large of an impact for redistricting in SY 2020-2021 when HS13 will open shortly in 2023. Considering that Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (-7, 400), I believe Ms. Mallo's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which, in my opinion, is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSS already has a limited budget where certain programs (e. g., technology) and staff (e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently. Although I acknowledge Ms. Mallo's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split coinmunities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minunizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside of their communities without addressing the root cause of the achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child away from their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good. I would also like to remind the BOE that through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority ofHoward County residents strongly value community stability, strong feeds from one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not be aligned with the Howard County community's input. In closing, I urge the BOE to consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I ask the BOB to consider choice-based alternative methods such as Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead ofjust redistricting. These alternative methods canbe developed as we wait for the availability ofHS 13 and concurrently implemented with its opening.
Thank you, Dista-ict4 Voter: Vijay Vettiyamkunnath Polygon: 1186 Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members,
I am writing this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redistricting posted by Jen Mallo on her Facebook page (httDS://www. facebook. com/ienmallo4boe/). Though, I am grateful for the BOE's time and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues.
First, the total movement of 7, 300 students is too large of an impact for redistricting in SY 2020-2021 when HS13 will open shortly in 2023. Considering that Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (~7, 400), I believe Ms. Malta's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSS already has a limited budget where certain programs (e.g., technology) and staff (e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently.
Although I acknowledge Ms. Malta's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside of their communities without addressing the root cause of the achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child away from their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good.
I would also like to remind the BOE that through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strong feedsfrom one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not be aligned with the Howard County community's input.
In closing, I urge the BOE to consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I ask the BOE to consider choice-based alternative methods such as Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead of just redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed as we wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening.
Thank you, District 4 Voter: Sameer Patel Polygon ff 2028 Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members,
I am writingthis letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redistricting posted by Jen Mallo on her Facebook page (https://www. facebooj<^om/Lenmallo4boe/). Though, I am grateful for the BOE's time and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues.
First, the total movement of 7, 300 students is too large of an impact for redistricting in SY 2020-2021 when HS13will open shortly in 2023. Consideringthat Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (-7,400), I believe Ms. Mallo's proposal will havea similarfinancial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the considerationthat HCPSSalready hasa limited budgetwhere certain programs (e.g., technology) and staff(e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently.
Although I acknowledge Ms. Mallo's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesivecommunity neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoodstogether in their neighborhoodschools directly upholds the standards in Policy6010 with regardsto community stability, maintainingstrong feeds, minimizingtransportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographiccharacteristics, minimizingthe numberof students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside of their communities without addressing the root cause of the achievementgap placesgreater barriers to student achievement. Moving anychild awayfrom their neighborhoodschool and community supports does more harmthan good.
I would also like to remind the BOEthat through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of HowardCounty residents stronglyvalue community stability, strong feedsfrom one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not be aligned with the Howard County community's input.
In closing, I urge the BOEto consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I ask the BOE to consider choice-based alternative methods such as Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead ofjust redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed as we wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening.
Thank you, District 4 Voter: Soumya Patel Polygon # 2028 WRITTEN TESTIMONY FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION REGARDING BOUNDARY LINEADJUSTMENTS
Constituent's Name: Brendan Bassett Polygon Number: 2065
I live in the Glenmont subdivision. Students in our subdivision currently attend Thunder Hill ES (to which we walk), Ellicott Mills MS, and Howard HS (to which we walk). I urge you to keep walkers as walkers, maintaincontiguous school boundaries, and avoid exceptionally small feeds.
Our children currently attend HowardHigh School as walkers, andthis experiencehas been greatly beneficialfor both ofthem - both in terms of exercise and schedule flexibility. Both of them are involved in after-school activities that require them to stay after bus-departuretimes. Additionally, these after-school activity schedules are fairly variable, and being walkers enables them to easily attend whateverre-scheduled sessions occur- becausethey can simply walk home after they end.
Even though our children (in our 2065 polygon) were designated as bus riders to nearby Thunder Hill when they were in grade school, we walked them to school virtually every morning oftheir elementary school years because it was a very easy and picturesque trip to school - and both my wife and I, as parents, were lucky enoughto have the time to do this before we left for work in the morning. Our children ended up collecting enormous necklaces from the school, reflecting the fact that they were walkers. We know we are not the only ones from our neighborhood who did this, andwe often encountered neighbors (from polygons 65. 2065, and 1065) on these walks. It has alwaysbeen our feeling that districting residents who were withinwalking distance of schools to be assignedto those schools was a foundingprinciple of the people who started Columbia. It is also why each neighborhoodhad a village center with grocery stores and other essential services withinwalking distances of surrounding houses. And why mailboxeswere in a collective area - Columbia residents were meant to walk and to socialize and have strong ties to their immediate neighborhoodand community. Redistricting our neighborhoodwould be against those principles.
We realize that because ofrapid growth along the Route 1 corridor (and other areas) that the Board of Educationhas had to make painful and sometimes unpopular decisions to handle this growth. However, it is also readily apparentthat the solutions to suchproblems shouldnot involve sending walkers away from their close-by schools, along with the attendant cost of extra buses, gasoline/carbonemissions, hourly wages for drivers, and other associatedcosts.
The Superintendent'sproposal recommends putting Glenmont walkers on buses to a different elementary school. The Superintendent's proposal also recommends moving Glenmont students to a middle school that does not currently feed to HowardHS, so Glenmont students would become a new feed ofonly 2. 9 percent. BOE Policy 6010 indicatesthat feeds of less than 15 percent should be avoided:
. Feeds that encourage keeping students together from one school to the next. For example, avoiding feeds of less than 15% at the receiving school. " Since Glenmont students walk to Howard HS, they should attend a middle school with a strong feed to Howard HS.
Furthermore, it makes financial sense for polygons 65, 1065, and 2065 to remain at Thunder Hill ES because 75 percent ofGlenmont students are walkers. Keeping Glemnont students at Thunder Hill ES is in line with several factors in Policy 6010:
. "Fiscal responsibility by minimizing capital and operating costs. " Walking to school benefits the County financially because walkers reduce bus costs. Adding a bus (or two) to transport Glenmont students to a different elementary school would mean sacrificing more than $60,000 (or $120,000) per year for other essential items, such as teachers' salaries or building the 13 high school. Considering HCPSS's fiscal challenges andthe recent cuts to paraeducator, reading support, math support, and technology positions, increasing transportation costs does not seem prudent. "The number of students that walk or receive bus service and the distance and time bused students travel. " Walking to school not only makes financial sense, but research showsthat it leads to increased connectionto one's community, improved fitness and health, reduced risk of obesity, lower levels of stress during the school day, increased sense of independent decision making, enhanced concentration and ability to pay attention in school, less traffic congestion, and improved air quality. "Areas that are made up of contiguous communities or neighborhoods. " Polygon 2151 is exclusively Blandair Park, so although it appears to connect Glenmont to the community across State Highway 175, no students live there. Thus, Glemnont Island would be created, which conflicts with Policy 6010.
For these reasons, I urge you to keep polygons 65, 1065, and 2065 as walkers to elementary school andhigh school. And please keep Glenmont at a middle school with a strong feedto Howard HS. Thank you for considering my input.
Sincerely,
Brendan and Xiomara Bassett Kathleen V. Hanks
From: chen li
Dear BOE members,
As a resident of Howard County for nearly 10 years and a parent of an HCPSS student, I wish to thank you for your service to the community.
During the BOE work session on Oct. 28th, several of you and Dr. Martirano expressed support for a feeder system, as it provides stability and predictability for working families within our county and I'm writing to reaffirm that this stability is indeed highly desired by the people of Howard County.
Given that Dr. Wu's proposed redistricting plan keeps the communities together, moves the least number of students, and is the least disruptive and the most fiscally responsible, I'm also writing to show my strong support for Dr. Wu's proposal. I strongly urge you to use Dr. Wu's plan as a starting point for future discussions on school redistricting.
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully, Chen Li Polygon 1028 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Chris Regan
JUSTSTOP! Ourpolygon hasalready had to move in recent years, andthis new plan by Mallo scatters us around the areato nonsensical schools that have no bearing on our neighborhood or children's friends. Three differentdistricts, twonew schools, passing multiple lesscrowded schools to fill othersbeyond capacity? Andnow you wantour kids to leavetheir classmates to attend a school in whicha womanwas shot inthe parking lot at 7pm? Please reconsider this horrendous idea. Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Aras Vaitkus
Hello,
I wantedto voice my communities andmy personal concern overthe proposed redistricting by member Jen Mallo. My wife andI recently moved to the areaand fell in love withour community andthe schoolsthat we arecurrently andfrom the Superintendents Proposed SY2020-2021 ES,MS,HS attendance areamaps. The proposed changes to by Jen Mallo for areas 1007 & 7 would cause a quality of life change that does"not seem necessary after considering current community cohesiveness (these seem to be the only 2 polygons affected in the area), traffic patterns, and proximity.
I would love to attend the BOB meeting in Ellicott City this evening but I am currently pursuing a graduate degree andhave a scheduling conflict. So I would like to formally object to theproposed JenMallo proposed SY 2020-2021 attendance area map.
Thank you,
Aras Vaitkus Kathleen V. Hanks
From: CQ Huang
Dear Board Members,
I knowall ofyou like to do thingsefficiently. Ifsomething can be done in 10 minutes, you don'twant to spend 20 minutes on it. If your normal commute is less than 10 minutes, it would drive you crazy when you are stuck in traffic for 30 minutes or longer. Ifyou were forced to waste more than 40 minutes on the road by other people, everyday, it would be completely unacceptable, right? If you don't want someone do this to you, don't do this to our kids. Polygons 176/3176 are only 10 minutes from RHHS with only one traffic light. To WLHS it's more than 6 miles with 10+ traffic lights. During the morning/afternoon rush hours, this can take more than one hour. Both the Martirano and Mallo plans would remove our kids from RHHS and send them to WLHS. This is completely unacceptable. If you don't see this a problem, I would appreciate it if you can remember to bring some common sense with you before you start today's work session.
Thank you.
Chengquan Huang, Polygon#176 October 30, 2019
Board of Education Howard County Public School System 10910 Clarksville Pike Ellicott City, MD 21042
Dear Distinguished Chair and Members of the Board of Education:
The Howard County Families for Education Improvement (FEI) strongly supports Howard County Board of Education(BOE) member Dr. ChaoWu's proposed area adjustment plan for the HowardCounty Public School System (HCPSS), which logically separates balancing utilization and capacity from addressingthe achievementgap. We urgethe BOEto move forwardon solidifyingthis plan basedon the following:
. Putting our students' needs first. "Do no harm" to students is a principle all of us should adhere to-the wellbeing of our children is top priority. Dr. Wu'splan moves the minimum number of students necessary to balance the capacity of schools (less than half the number proposed in other plans- 3, 000students in total versus 7, 500or 9, 000students). Minimal disruption to our children is a "win" for us all!
Providing a solution that incorporates BOE and community feedback. Dr. Wu's plan directly addresses the top priorities of both HCPSSand our community members: o Fiscal responsibility - our County must adhere to a budget, and cost is a clear factor in redistricting. o Maintenance of community boundaries and feeds (per Policy 6010 IV. B. 2. a and b) - we need to avoid frequent widespread redistricting and provide stability for our students. o Truly improvingfree and reduced meals (FARM) ratios- with a focus on improving socio-economic status for the neediest, not just balancing percentages.
. Planning for a bright future. Poorly executed and hasty redistricting will mean significant double moves due to HighSchool 13, slatedto open in 2024. Whilewe acknowledgethe new high school meansadditional redistricting. Dr. Wu's plan minimizesthese disruptive duplicate moves.
Consistency with proposed legislation put forth by the Howard County State Delegation. State legislators have proposed legislationwhich also logicallyseparates balancingutilization and capacityfrom addressingthe achievementgap, whilealso aimingto address both important issues efficiently and appropriately. Dr. Wu's proposal most directly aligns with those bills by prioritizing redistricting to address capacity while also targeting equity concerns in a deliberate, strategic manner.
The Families for Education Improvement, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(4) organization and is run by a dedicatedgroup of parentvolunteers. For more information, email [email protected]. FEI supports local legislation proposed by the Howard County State Delegation to facilitate school redistricting. FEI supports Senator Clarence Lam's HoCo 01-20, because it aims to require redistricting specifically and primarily to reduce overcrowding in county schools. FEI supports Delegate Terri Hill's HoCo 06-20, because it aims to facilitate narrowing and closing achievement gaps strategically and deliberately based upon hard data, intergovernmental partnerships, and the best social science available. Both bills aim to ensure that every student in Howard County receives an outstanding education, without unduly posing them any harm. This directly aligns with FEI's mission.
FEI is a diverse, broad-based 501(c)(4) community coalition whose 600+ members span all regions of Howard County. Our sound alignment and strong unified voice stems from the core belief that every student in Howard County deserves an outstanding education. FEI is an advocate for all students in Howard County to have the resources and opportunities to achieve this. Our effort focuses on providing additional resources directly to the students, utilizing empirical evidence on the best way to achieve improved educational results, adhering to Policy Statement 6010 and listening to the feedback of ALL Howard County residents.
Sincerely,
The Families for Education Improvement, Inc.
Cc: The Honorable Vanessa Atterbeary, Chair, Howard County Senate Delegation The Honorable Calvin Ball, Howard County Executive The Honorable Clarence Lam, Chair, Howard County Senate Delegation Members, Howard County State House & Senate Delegations
The Families for Education Improvement, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(4) organization and is run by a dedicated group of parent volunteers. For more information, email hoco. fei.info@gmail. com. Kathleen V. Hanks
From: henryzatkowski@gmail. com Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2019 5:30 PM To: Hcpss Redistricting Subject: [External] Keep Polygon 1200 at River Hill High School
Board of Education Members-
I am writingto request that Polygon 1200 remain at River Hill High School. I am a rising Freshmanand the current proposal is moving me to Glenelg HighSchool. My brother Is a rising Junior at River Hill High School and I would like to go to the same school as him. It doesn't seem right for two high school buses to come to the same stop and go to different schools. Also, my brother plays baseball at River Hills High School and if this plan goes through, I will not be able to play on the same team with him and my parents will have to choose between the two of usto watch us play. Please let me go to River Hill High School.
Thank you,
-Henry Zatkowski ^ \
12CO
2CO \
Sent from my iPhone Kathleen V. Hanks
From: David Koonce
My name is David Koonce. I am an officer on the board of the Farside Community Home Owners Association. We are writingon behalfof the 60 homes in the FarsideCommunity of Ellicott City, whichis part of polygon 2176. We are writing to show our support for Dr Wu's latest plan to keep our community in TRES, FQMS, and RHHS. We believe this is the plan that best keeps our children close to their home and with the community as a whole. We believe the reduction in the number of students being moved is a great benefit to these kids and keeps the bussing expense down. We do not agree with Ms. Mallo's plan or the other plans presented by the board that pull our polygon and those around us to WLHS. Our understandingis that the point ofthe redistricting is to solve the issue of overcrowdingin Columbia. Pulling our communitytowards the overcrowdingand potentially creatinga small (10%or less) feed to WLHS is not in the best interest of our children who have invested their youngyears buildingfriendships with children being senttoRHHSandGHS.
Farside Community Association
Board Members: Sandy Hornor JohnVance David Koonce Mike Buscher Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Chanyang Shin
Dear BOE,
My name is Chan Shin, and my wife and son reside in polygon 183.
Although I've already submitted a letter opposing redistricting, I'd like to continue to voice my concern and opinions.
Out of the redistricting plans proposed. Dr. Wu's plan best meets the intent of addressing capacity issues while displacing the fewest students.
Thanks for your time,
Chan Shin Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Kit Vishnupriya
Dear Board of Education Members,
?m a -ngtime resident ofHoward county ofalmost 20 years. I have followed the discussions andproposing ofthe school redistricting program closely. I keep asking myself why is there so much fmstration and community dissatisfaction? It all boils down to one thing-"faimess". Fmstrated residents feel they are being treated unfairly nomatter whatthe original intention. All theplans includedMs. Mallo's plan are nothelping this. It all seems arbitrary. I respectfully submitthe following- 1. There is no reasonfor usto do this process manually in 21st century. 2 All one has to do is create an algorithm for what will be the criteria for school assignment- it can be a) distance from school b) current allocation c) Socio-economic status. 3. We can assign weights to eachto the above criteria andpublish these criteria for all Howard county residents to see (yes, you canassign high weights to socio-economic status whichwill help distribute low income residents across the school system) 4. Then we can run the program to and generate 2-3 results which can be compared for final voting. 5. This has the best chance as being received well as the entire community will see the criteria beforehand and realizethat it was a fairprocess. All residents were treated all the usingthe same criteria. 6. This has the best chance to produce a plan which is less disruptive, more cost effective and better received.
Please do not proceed with current plans including Ms. Mallo's proposal which is as disruptive as Dr. Martirano's plan and again going to cost a lot when budgets are tight.
Thank you for your attention, Kit Vishnupriya Polygonll86 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Wei Song
Dear Madam/Sir,
I am Wei Song from polygon 28,the mom of three young children, Emily, Isabelle and Andrew.
I really appreciate the time and effort BOB on the redistricting. After comparing Dr. Martirano's proposal and Ms. Mallo's proposal and Dr. Wu's proposal, Dr. Wu's incorporated feeder system in his proposed plan. Dr. Wu's proposal has less impact on the communities and more feasible. The plan addresses overcrowding issue, balances FARM numbers andhas minimal impact to communities by moving much less students compared to the superintendent's plan and Ms. Mallo's plan.
I would suggest BOE use his plan as a starting point for future work sessions.
Regards,
Wei Song October 30, 2019
Dear Board Members,
Thank you for serving on the Board of Education. We value your commitment and your support for the education of Howard County children. I am a resident of Polygon 127 with children in the school system. I support exploration of Board Member Wu's test scenarios and agree with his approach to Atholton HS and its feeder schools, including his keeping Polygon 127 at PRES-CMS- AHS. In addition. Board Member Wu's scenarios appear to address several goals of the Board while still preparing the County for the inclusion of High School #13.
However, I have significant concerns regarding Board Member Mallo's test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES- CMS-AHSto PRES-WLMS-AHS. Specifically:
The scenarios would undo the successful 2017 redistricting that fixed the small feed problem for Polygon 127: In 2017, our polygon was redistricted from Clemens Crossing ES and Lime Kiln MS to Pointers Run ES and Clarksville MS (took effect for the 2018-2019 school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behind the Board's decision to redistrict our community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMSto fix the small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Mallo's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed. I oppose Board Member Malta's scenarios and support keeping Polygon 127 with its currentlargefeedofPRES-CMS for elementary and middle school.
Four schools in four years is untenable and directly violates Policy 6010: Current sixth graders in Polygon 127 would be expected to attend four schools in as many years under Board Member Mallo's approach:
o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES (CCES) o 5th grade at Pointers Run ES (PRES) o 6th grade at Clarksville MS (CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS)
Therefore, Board Member Mallo's approach would violate the goals of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ), which states the Board will make "every attempt to not move a student more than once at any school level or the same student more frequently than once every five years. " This policy is important to our neighborhood because in the 2018-2019 school year we experienced firsthand the impact and challenges redistricting presents as our children worked to adjust to new academic environments and friend groups after the last redistricting decision. For these same children to endure another redistricting just a few years later places an extreme burden on them.
. Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability now and in the future: Moving our children yet again to a new middle school just two years after the last redistricting for our neighborhood would be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now built at PRES-CMS. Further, moving our community to WLMSdoes not support long term stability in light of the current and future development near Downtown Columbia and to the east. Asa result of that growth, it's reasonable to conceive that our polygon could be subject to additional redistricting in the near future if we are moved to WLMS now. All plans and scenarios to date (except for Board Member Malta's scenarios) recognize these factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS.
In contrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Matlo's scenarios. Board Member Wu's scenarios appearto take a holistic and long-term approach to redistricting and should be further explored. This should include exploration of the testing scenario that would keep Polygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS-AHS.Alternatively, the Superintendent's proposal (which moves Polygon 127 from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES-CMS-River Hill HS) also could support long term stability for our polygon. If the Superintendent's plan is advanced, please consider an exception for our current students at AHS to stay at the school if they provide their own transportation. Such an exception should include current freshman because they would otherwise be required to attend four schools in four years (7th grade at LKMS, Sth grade at CMS, 9th grade at AHS, and 10th grade at RHHS).
It is important to note that the potential for stability I mention in both the Superintendent's plan and in Board Member Wu's plan would only exist if all of the changes included in those plans are made. Singular changes to the Superintendent's plan or to Board Member Wu's scenarios would jeopardize the stability the plans are designed to enable and could potentially exacerbate the overall problems the Board aims to address.
We have always taken a reasonable approach to redistricting and we thank you for your consideration of our concerns. We will continue to pay close attention during the Board meetings and will provide updated feedback as new considerations arise or additional concerns are identified. We implore you to remember Polygon 127's recent redistricting in the 2018-2019 school year, ask that you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguous stable feeds for Polygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Elise Anthony Polygon 127 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: bonnie pedersen
Importance: High
To whom it may concern,
I reside in the Woodmark community which is in Ellicott City but is closer in proximity to Clarksville. Woodmark is divided into several polygons. My house is in Planning Polygon 180and the current schools areTriadelphia Ridge Elementary School (TRES), Folly Quarter Middle School (FQMS), and River HighSchool (RHHS). Because this community is a very close-knit community. I am requesting that boundaries be redrawn such that Woodmark belongs to only one Polygon for planning purposes, especiallyfor school redistricting.
I would also like to note that the proposed FQMS/WLHSsmall feed (under 15%) is against policy 6010. Specifically, under the Community Stabilitysection of 6010,Section 2a callsfor "feedsthat encourage keeping students together from one school to the next. Forexample, avoidingfeeds of lessthan 15%at the receiving school." Our neighborhoodshould be districted TOGETHERto one ofthe geographicallyappropriate highschools such are RHHS,Glenelg HighSchool, or Marriotts Ridge High School.
Thank you for your time and consideration, Bonnie Pedersen October 30, 2019
Dear Board Members,
Thankyou for serving on the Boardof Education. Wevalue your commitment andyour support for the education of Howard County children. I am a resident of Polygon 127 with children in the school system. I support exploration of Board Member Wu's test scenarios and agree with his approachto Atholton HSand its feederschools, includinghis keeping Polygon 127at PRES-CMS- AHS. In addition. Board Member Wu's scenarios appear to address several goals of the Board while still preparing the County for the inclusion of High School #13.
However, I havesignificant concerns regardingBoard MemberMallo's test scenariosthat would redistrict Polygon 127for a secondtime sincethe 2018-2019school year, thistime from PRES- CMS-AHSto PRES-WLMS-AHS. Specifically:
. The scenarios would undo the successful 2017 redistrirting that fixed the small feed problem for Polygon 127: In 2017, our polygon was redistricted from Clemens Crossing ES and Lime Kiln MSto Pointers Run ESand Clarksville MS(took effectfor the 2018-2019school year). Ourneighborhood understood the reason behindthe Board'sdecision to redistrictour community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMS to fix the small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Malta's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed. I oppose Board Member Mallo's scenariosand support keeping Polygon 127with its current large feed of PRES-CMS for elementary and middle school.
. Four schools in four years is untenable and directly violates Policy 6010: Current sixth graders in Polygon 127would be expectedto attend fourschools in as manyyears under Board Member Malta's approach:
o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES (CCES) o 5th grade at Pointers Run ES (PRES) o 6th grade at Clarksville MS (CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS)
Therefore, Board Member Mallo's approach would violate the goals of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ), whichstates the Boardwill make "everyattempt to not move a student more than once at anyschool levelor the same student morefrequently thanonce every five years. " Thispolicy is important to our neighborhood because in the 2018-2019 school year we experienced firsthandthe impactand challenges redistricting presentsas our children worked to adjustto newacademic environments andfriend groups afterthe last redistrictingdecision. Forthese same childrento endure anotherredistrictingjust a fewyears later placesan extreme burden on them.
. Moving our polygon again negatively Impacts stability now and in the future: Moving our children yet againto a new middle schooljust two years afterthe last redistricting for our neighborhood would be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now built at PRES-CMS. Further, moving our community to WLMS does not support long term stability in light ofthe current and future development nearDowntown Columbia and to the east. As a result ofthat growth, it's reasonable to conceive that our polygon could be subject to additional redistricting inthe nearfuture ifwe are moved to WLMSnow. All plans and scenarios to date (except for Board Member Malta's scenarios) recognize these factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS.
In contrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Malta's scenarios, Board Member Wu's scenarios appearto take a holistic and long-term approach to redistricting and should be further explored. This should include exploration ofthe testing scenario that would keep Polygon 127 districtedto PRES-CMS-AHS.Alternatively, theSuperintendent's proposal(which moves Polygon 127from PRES-CMS-AHSto PRES-CMS-RiverHill HS)also could support longterm stabilityfor* our polygon. Ifthe Superintendent's plan is advanced, pleaseconsider an exceptionfor our current students atAHS to stayat the school ifthey providetheir own transportation. Suchan exception should include current freshman because they would otherwise be required to attend four schools in four years (7th grade at LKMS,8th grade at CMS, 9th grade at AHS,and 10th grade at RHHS).
It is important to note that the potential for stability I mention in both the Superintendent's plan and In Board Member Wu's plan would only exist if all ofthe changes included in those plans are made. Singularchanges to the Superintendent's plan or to Board MemberWu's scenarios would jeopardizethe stabilitythe plans are designedto enableand could potentially exacerbatethe overall problems the Board aims to address.
We have always taken a reasonable approach to redistricting and wethank you for your consideration of our concerns. We will continue to pay close attention during the Board meetings and will provide updated feedback as new considerations arise or additional concerns are identified. We implore you to remember Polygon 127's recent redistricting in the 2018-2019 school year, askthat you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguous stable feeds for Polygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
-A/ . >/Z<-'/^>i^>.a- ^;V^-^«'7'
Enyinna Anthony Polygon 127 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Li Li
Dear Board of Education Members,
I am Li Li living in Ellicott City (polygon 2148) and a mom of a 4th grader in Northfield Elementary School.
I oppose the plan proposed by SuperintendentMartirano and BOEmember JenMallo's andsupport Dr Wu's redistrcting proposal.
I stronelv onnose the proposal broueht forward by Jen Mallo. In her proposal, she singled out the polygons north ofRt 108, west of Rt 29 and east of ColumbiaRoad to feed to Running Brook ES and Wilde Lake MS (3. 5 miles and 4.4 miles from our home address, respectively).
I have the following reasons why I oppose Jen Mallo's proposal: 1. longer commute Our current elementary school is Northfield ES and Dunloggin MS. We are currently 1. 3 miles from both schools. It's almost within walking distance to the school. Running Brook ES and Wilde Lake are 3. 2 miles and 4.4 miles from where we live whichmakes "walkingto school" impossible. Being moved to Running brook, our kids will need more time commute daily. Parents will need extra time sending them to and back from school in case they have after-school events or activities.
Longer commute along the busy Rt 29 and Columbia Road increases the risk of traffic accident. It also increases the burden of the already deteriorating traffic in Howard county.
The only transportation the kids can rely on is school busing. This will request increased budget for bus transportation, which unnecessarily impose the tighten budget of the school system.
2. splitting community and breaking our kids' social network We have been living in Ellicott City for almost 10 years. My 9-year old daughter has her social network with her friends in the Dorsey Search area and in Northfield. She is supposed to go to middle school with her friends together. Moving to Wilde Lake MS, she has to be separated from her friends living on the other side of Columbia Rd (also belonging to Dorsey Search which is fed to Dunloggin according to Jen Mallo's proposal) and will feel isolated psychologically.
3. This proposal is brought forward by Jen Mallo on Monday. We are not given plenty of time for public feedback and
I believe there should be a much better way to close the achievement gaps, NOT simply moving children based on farm ratios from one school to snother.
Thank for your attention!
Li Li 4512 Kingscup Court Ellicott City, MD 21042 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Grey, Matthew
Dear Board of Education members,
I am writing to specifically support Board Member Dr. Chao Wu's proposed Attendance Area Adjustment plan as an ideal starting point for the Howard County School redistricting plan in future work sessions.
Overwhelming written and verbal testimony from residents throughout Howard county, as well as feedback from resident survey respondents, have clearly demonstrated that most residents prioritize maintaining contiguous communities, community stability and reducing overcrowding as primary factors to be addressed by any redistricting plan. Resident feedback over the past few months has also demonstrated that most residents also believe that the Board of Education should still attempt to reduce the high concentration of FARM numbers in specific schools and/or improve support of those community schools, but that Attendance Area Adjustment plans should only balance FARM numbers while still prioritizing overcrowding and community stability.
Board Member Dr. Chao Wu's plan incorporates all of these important factors. His plan attempts to balance FARM numbers and overcrowding with minimal impact to communities. Most importantly, the plan moves significantly less students compared to the Superintendent's plan and Board Member Jen Mallo's plan. Dr. Wu's plan places significantly less financial burden on an already strained HCPSS financial support system, which has already reduced funding for necessary programs in schools, such as technology and ancillary teacher support.
Please use Dr. Wu's plan as a starting point for future work sessions.
Thank you,
Name: Matthew Grey
Polygon # 28 Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Robert Raymer
To whom it may concern,
I would like to write to you concerningthe proposed redistricting ofPolygon's 7 and 1007 from Fulton ES to Laurel Woods ES and Hammond MS to Miuray Hill MS respectively under a test plan proposed by BOB member Jen Mallo.
When SuperintendentMartirano introduced his proposal for school redistrictmg in August, 1 will admit that I was happy that it did not include any proposed changes to Polygon 1007, in which I reside. I was also happy to see that in additionto the fact that his plan attempted to address school capacity issues, it also looked to address the FARM percentages at each school, creating more economically diverse schools. The only thing that did saddenme wasthat my children, who currently attend FES, were upset by the fact that they would have some friends who reside in part ofthe Maple Lawncommunity, Polygons 256 and 1256, that would no longer be attending FES. However, when looking at the datawith respect to FARM utilization, and school capacities I could understand the move.
Very shortly afterwards, I began to hear a great deal of discontent, as is normal for families whose children are being moved, from families from 256 and 1256, largely around the fact that they recently paid a great deal of money for their homes and that it was unfair that they should have to be moved to a different school. While I sympathizied with them, I was disheartened by the large and concerted effort made by those families, including a number of vocal protests, to use their wealth as a main reason for the opposition to the proposed redistricting, and even at the time made the comment that I would not be surprised if they got their way based on their affluence and influence. Lo and behold, that appearsto be exactly whathappened with Mrs Mallo's plan, at least as it concerns her decisionto leave 256 and 1256 unaffected by redistricting while moving a similar number of children from polygons 7 and 1007to both Laurel WoodsES and Murray Hills MS. I say this because her proposal not only ignores Dr Martirano's reasoning for his proposed moves, but it does not seem to be based on any other criteria other than geographical proximity, which itself fails to take into account current bus routes or actual time of travel, and fully ignores the fact that polygons 7 and 1007 were part of their respective schools communities for decades, building friendships and investments in our school's communities that have been strong for far longer thanhomes ofpolygon 256 and 1256, whichwere only built withinthe last few years, have even existed.
In many ways, the areas includingpolygons 7 and 1007, who Mrs Mallo proposes to move, andpolygons 221, 1221, and 2221, who will remain unaffected, are one big community, sharingtheir main accessto 216 by only 2 roads, Lishear and Crest, and whose residents' children shares the same bus routes and same busses. Despite the fact that the distance from Polygons 7 and 1007 may be similar to the distance to Laurel Woods or Murray Hill, the communities are far more contiguous with those ofFulton ES and Hammond MS than they are with Laurel Woods and Murray Hill, who are separated from them geographically by large areas of farm land and a major interstate highway(I 95) respectively. This also effects their travel time, as well as travel costs to the county. Despite being a similar distance geographically to Laurel Woods ES and Murray Hill MS, the students would no longer ride busses with the friends on their community in polygons 221, 1221, and 2221, but rather would have newbus routes that would need to be created specifically for them. Additionally, their travel time, whichis currently a short approximate 5-7 minutes or less from pick up to both FES and Hammond MS, would show no change due to the routes oftravel which are far more direct to Fulton ES and Hammond MS than to Laurel Woods ES and Murray Hill MS. While I understand that polygons 256 and 1256 would both undergo the same increase in travel time were they redistricted, the rest ofthe reasons for redistricting are not addressed or are even made worse by Mrs Mallo's plan, at least with respect to these polygons.
As far as utilization goes, Mrs Mallo's plan with respect to polygons 7 and 1007, does nothing to address school capacity. In fact, it would leave eachof the effected schools at or above 100%utilization, and would move the students in polygons 7 and 1007 to schools that would be, in fact, more over crowded than those they are currently zonedto aUend, by .2% with regards to elementary schools, and by a staggering 8.7% with regardsto middle schools
While I cannot easily locate FARM data by polygon, and do not have exact numbers, I do know that based solely on property values and median income in the respective polygons, moving 256 and 1256, whichare incredibly affluent and including houses prices that start in the 800, 000's and whose FARM usage is likely incredibly low, makes FAR more sense than moving Polygons 7 and 1007, whose housing values average in the mid to upper 400, 000's, or just over half of that ofpolygons 256 and 1256, and which I know for a fact has a number of families that utilize FARM.
While I understand that school utilization and the need for diversity make redistricting necessary, and that it is always a challenge that will inevitably leave some community members unhappy with the decisions made, I was willing to accept the fact that no matter where I live, my children may be redistricted. While I wouldn't necessarily have been happy, I understand and accept the need, much as my wife's family did when she was redistricted when she attended Howard County schools as a child. What makes me so angry about Mrs Mallo's proposal with regards specifically to polygons 7 and 1007, is that it not only fails to address any of the reasons set forth for redistricting and that were addressed in Dr Martirano's plan, in some cases actually exacerbating the issues it claims to try to solve, but that it seems that polygons 7 and 1007 were redistricted in her plan solely to pacify a small number of very affluent and very vocal parents from a wealthy and new subdivision at the expense of breaking off a number of children from a long established community from a great number of their friends and sending them to schools that take longer to get to and that would be more overcrowded and less economically diverse than the current proposal by Dr Martirano.
I will say in conclusion, that I know that I am only one vote, but if I feel that my children get redistricted based solely on the fact that more economically advantaged families from a more affluent community complained loud enoughto get their childrento stay at their schools at the expense of my children and our community I guarantee that I will lead the charge to vote against every single board member that votes for Mrs Mallo's plan, and I am confident that every family that is effected will follow suit.
Robert Raymer Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Sandra Fraga
Dr. Wu et al,
We learned of your new redistricting proposal that includes polygons 12, 46, and 2M6, and nave some concerns. While you express wanting to keep communities together and keep a good feeder system, your proposal impacts these three polygons in the opposite manner of your intent. The redistricting of polygon 46 from Forest Ridge breaks up the KingsWoods community, which is comprised of polygons 46, 1046, and 3046, in an illogical way. Polygon 46 is the smallest portion of Kings Woods and means you would be separating % of our established community that has been assigned to Forest Ridge Elementary School since it opened in 1992.
As stated, the primary goal for the 2020 redistricting is to reduce overcrowding. We sincerely question the inclusion of Forest Ridge, which is not overcapacity, and the exclusion ofGorman Crossing, which is over capacity. Without having access to all of the pertinent data, it seems as though Forest Ridge could absorb polygons 260 and 1260 from Bollman Bridge in order to help alleviate their overcrowding without becoming overcrowded itself. It also seems that Laurel Woods Elementary, also not currently over capacity, could potentially absorb polygons 297, 1297, and 1003 to help alleviate overcrowding at German Crossing.
Additionally, polygons 12, 46, and 2046 are in the impact area for High School 13. These polygons were among those redistricted in 2012 from Murray Hill Middle School to Patuxent Valley Middle School. Your proposal moves these same polygons back to Murray h4ill just seven years later with the potential for them to be moved a third time in the span of 10 years with the opening of High School 13 in 2023. This is overly disruptive to the students themselves, their families, and the community at large, and to what true benefit?
While we applaud your attempt to redistrict with as little negative impact as possible, we do not believe that the proposed redistricting of polygons 12, 46, and 2046 would accomplish this goal; especially given the fact that Forest Ridge is not over capacity and in need of adjustment while German Crossing is in dire need of student reduction.
We sincerely hope that you take our input and suggestions under advisement, with the added benefit of your being able to review all the data, and examine if our proposal above is feasible and in the best interest of the students, schools, and communities.
Thank you.
Sincerely, Sandra Fraga and Jared Linger POLYGON 127
Dear Board Members,
Thank you for serving on the Board of Education. I value your commitment and support for the education of Howard County children. I am a resident of Polygon 127 and writing to express my concern regarding BOE member Malta's test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time since the 2018-19 school year, this time from PRES-CMS-AHSto PRES-WLMS-AHS. I would also ecourage the BOEto explore Board Member Wu's test scenarios as they appearto address several goals of the board while still preparing for the county to open high school #13.
My specific concerns with Board Member Mallo's test scenarios are:
. The scenarios would undo the successful 2017 redistrirting that fixed the small feed problem for polygon 127. o In 2017 our polygon was redistricted/rom Clemens Crossing ES and Lime Kiln MS to Pointers Run ES and Clarksville MS (took effect for 2018-19). Ms. Malta's scenario would put us back into a small feed that was fixed with this redistricting. . FOUR in FOUR: The approach of the presented scenario by Ms. Mallo would have our current 6th attend :'..... :;i . : 'r and directly violates Policy 6010. o 4th grade->CCES o 5tt grade->PRES o 6th grade-> CMS o 7th grade->WLMS . Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability for now and in the future. o Moving our community to WLMS does not support stability long-term in light of the current and future development near downtown Columbia and to the east. . Removing 43% of Atholton HS student body will take 3 to 5 years to recover student and parent engagement, club and sport participation, PTA and Booster club participation. Atholton should not have such an unbalanced share of change in this process. About my family and how movement has and will impact us personally. The table below represents my children's matriculation in HCPSS over the past 8 years:
Child 1 Child 2 Currently: 10th grade Currently: 7th grade 2019-2020: 11"'grade 2019-2020: 8th grade (Class of 2022) i (Class of 2025) Clemens Crossing ES Clemens Crossing ES Lime Kiln MS Clarksville MS Atholton HS The scenario of moving our high school feed would have my kids at 2 different high schools for their Senior year (class of 2022) and Freshman year (Class of 2025). I cannot help to think about the lack of continuity that these changes will have. For example, after school pick up or early dismissals at two different high schools. Parent conferences and club/sport events at two different high schools. Please consider these real-life scenarios and how they will affect many families in the county. It is important to emphasize stability for our polygon. My community has always taken a reasonable approach to redistricting and thank you for the consideration of our concerns. We will continue to pay close attention during board meeting and provide feedback as new considerations arise or additional concerns are identified. I implore you to remember polygon 127's recent redistricting, ask that you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguous stable feeds for polygon 127. Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Dr. Kakneka Mason
Polygon 127 (Rivers Edge Road/Route 29 South) Kathleen V. Hanks
From: Vanessa Meyerpeter
Dear Board Members, Thank you for all your efforts during this redistricting process. I know you all have worked tirelessly for °ur cou"ty- am a Member te resident of Polygon 127 and am writing for my concerns regarding Board Mall°_s_redi. strictin9I>lan,, yye^woL;ld, redistricted for a second time since 2018-2019. Mallo's proposal would move us from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES-WLMS- AHS. I would respectfully request the Board to further explore Board MemberWu's proposal. Myconcerns with Board Member Mallo's proposal would undothe successful 2017redistrictirl9 tof" Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Vanessa Meyerpeter Polygon 127 Dear BOE members, I am LeJiang from polygon 28. It's only about two months since the superintendent proposed the redistricting plan, but it has been a long and hard time for many Howard County residents. Based on thousands of emails and mails, hundreds of testimonies and dozens of protests, the superintendent's plan is selective data driven, poor in logic, short of budget and overlooks residents' interests. Fortunately, BOEmembers, asthe final decision makers, listen to the voice ofthe current residents and are figuring out alternative plans. Polygons28-1028-2028 are part of Village of River Hill and feeders ofClarksville MiddleSchool (CMS). The superintendent's plan intends to move polygons 28-1028- 2028to befeeders of Harper Choice Middle School (HCMS) and move HCMS students to CMS. I'd like to reinstate why BOE should keep children from polygon 28-1028-2028 at CMS. Figure 1. Map of Polygon 28-1028-2028. .:0-3i?. ^i-'.:-.; <~^. rsi ^3 . ... ;)if. n, 1028 2i-!8 » ' 3 First, overcrowding is not an issue in HCMS or CMS. According to 2019 Feasibility Study, the capacity utilization rates of HCMS and CMS are both less than 110% till 2027. Even using superintendent's criteria, there is no reason to swap students between the two schools. Second, it is much shorterbus ridefor polygons 28-1028-2028to CMSthan to HCMS.As shown in Figure 1, from the center of polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMS, the bus ride is less than 2 miles on small roads through our neighborhoodand takes only 7 minutes. Moreover, a middleschooler can safely bike to school using sidewalk throughout the village and the bike ride takes no more than 15 minutes. On the other hand, from the center of polygons 28-1028-2028 to HCMS, the distance is 4. 5 miles, more than doubled the distance to CMS. The time spent on bus increases to 20-30 minutes because the bus cannot go through the 1021-acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area and will have to travel on major roads (i. e.. Route 108and Harpers Farm Road)and pass8 traffic lightsto get to HCMS.Furthermore, hikingto school will no longer be an option. Longerbus rides not onlytake waytime forthings that are importantfor children's physicaland mental development, but also cost a lot of money. For FY2020, without redistricting, BOE is already dealing with a budgetdeficit of $96 million. Howwill the increasedtransportation cost befunded? Third, polygons 28-1028-2028 is an integral part of Village of River Hill. As shown in the map (Figure 1), Villageof RiverHill is well defined in a terrestrial boundary.The west boundaryof RiverHill is route 108, the south boundaryis route 32, andthe northeast boundaryis the big MiddlePatuxent Environmental Area. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are not only walkers to CES and RHHS, but also within 0. 1- to 0. 8-mile walking distance to the River Hill Village Town Center. We, with other polygons in the River Hill Village, which will stay at CMS in the superintendent's plan, attend many community activities organized by the Villagetogether. The bondingamong our children andfamilies, whichwas established at schools, has been strengthened by these community activities, like summer swimming team, July 4th parade, Halloween fun party etc. A school is the anchor of a community. Ifthe children are now being separated to two different middle schools, the neighborhood will literally fall apart. It's unreasonable to tear apart the neighborhood. Finally, middle school is probably the most challenging period for students. Tweens need to be accepted and feel part ofsomething. Uprootingthe teens from their community makethem feel alienated. CMS is attended proudly by children from its community, just like Harper's choice middle is attended proudly by children from its community. Attending neighborhood schools is a more desirable means of educating children because it gives them a sense of pride and identity. To conclude, I urge BOEto keep children from Polygon 28-1028-2028 at CES-CMS-RHHS because there is no overcrowding issue at CMS or HCMS and swapping these children will break communities, increase transportation cost andtake awaytheir valuable time for sleeping, studyingand spending with family and friends. Sincerely, LeJiang Polygon 28 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Brad Slater DrWu, Thank you for taking the time to actually develop a more reasonable plan based on real data and community feedback. I would only ask that you reconsider sending polygons 1 59/1159 from Patapsco to Burleigh Manor Middle. It would create an EXTREMELY small feed for those kids during middle school years. It looks to me to be less than 6%. That is very low. If that percentage is true, that seems to be a small enough group of kids to keep in place. I am for erring on the side of staying put in those instances rather than moving the kids. Thank you, Brad Slater Polygon 159 Douglas Gartrell Polygon#1186 October 29, 2019 Board of Education Howard County Public School System 1091 OCIarksvilte Pike EllicottCity, MD21042 Dear Board of Education Members, After countless letters of opposition and hours of impactful testimony from our community, it is extremely disappointing to learn of Ms. Mallo's proposed plan, which is equally if not more disruptive than the Superintendent's plan. I would like to express my strong disapproval of Ms, Mallo's plan for the following reasons: The plan moves oolvaons that were previously not impacted by the Superintendent's Plan. Assuming that residents who are now impacted are even made aware of the changes before the Board votes, they now have no chance to fully voice their concerns this_latejn the process. In the case of the proposed school change impacting my community (the swapping of students between Clarksville Middle and Harper's Choice Middle), the feed of Clarksville Middle_students beinfl moyed_to Harper's Choice Middle is now even smaller than the already small feed under the Superintendent's Plan. Similarly, the number of polvaons being moved from Harper's Choice Middle to Clarksville_ Middle is similarly reduced, thereby creating an even smaller feed for those children as well. Additionally, much like the Superintendent's Plan, from which Ms. Mallo's plan was clearly derived, Ms. Mallo's plan has adjacent homes attending different schools. For example, half of Indian Summer Drive will attend_Clarksville_Middleand half will attend Harper's Choice Middle, despite the fact that that all children in our neighborhood will attend the same elementary and high schools. It makes no sense to divide our community in such an illogical manner. Ms. Mallo's plan fails to take into account the fact that our neighborhood and Harper's Choice are not contiguous. As pointed out many times in previous testimony, while our segment of Clarksville and Harper's Choice appear contiguous on a map, they are not contiguous from a transportation perspective; they are on complete opposite sides of the 1, 021 acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area, so those forced to commute back-and- forth will have to drive around the Environmental Area. This commute will require students to spend a significant amount of time on an overcrowded stretch of MD-Route 108 (where oncoming traffic moves at least 45 miles per hour), versus a short distance on lower speed local roads. Please consider the community input presented and reject both the Superintendent's Plan and Ms. Mallo's version of his plan. Instead, please take a more rationale approach like the one presented by Dr. Wu, whichwill befar less disruptive to communities and the children of Howard County who will face redistricting again when High School 13 opens. Thank you for your time and consideration, Insert Name DearHCPSS Board of Education Members, I amwriting this letter to expressmy concern andopposition to the proposal (i. e., 'testscenario') for Howard Countyschool redistricting posted byJen Mallo on her Facebookpage (httEi:.//vA','v-.fBC;bjok.com/it;nmallo4hn,^/). Though, I amgrateful forthe BOE'stime anddedication to theschool redistricting process includingfor Ms. Mallosharing her 'test scenario', herproposal has several issues. First, the total movement of7, 300students istoo large of an impact for redistricting in SY2020-2021 when HS13 will open shortly in 2023. Considering that Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (-7, 400), I believe Ms. Mallo's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSSalready hasa limited budget where certain programs (e.g.,technology) andstaff (e. g., paraeducators) hadto becut recently. Although I acknowledge Ms. Mallo's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys the very community stability thatyour constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regardsto community stability, maintainingstrong feeds, minimizingtransportation costs,fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the numberof students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside oftheir communities without addressing the root cause of the achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child awayfrom their neighborhoodschool andcommunity supports doesmore harmthan good. I would also like to remind the BOEthat through online surveys, community input sessions inJuly, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strong feeds from one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposalwould not bealigned with the HowardCounty community's Input. In closing, I urge the BOEto consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I askthe BOEto considerchoice-based alternative methodssuch asMagnet schools and Controlled Choice Policiesto address equity instead ofjust redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed aswe wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening. Thank you, District 4 Voter: Douglas Gartrell Polygon tt 1186 Dear Board of Education members, Thank you for your deliberate and thoughtful development of alternative Attendance Area Adjustment plans for Howard County students for the upcoming school year. I am writing to specifically support Board Member Dr. Chao Wu's proposed Attendance Area Adjustment plan as an ideal starting point for future work sessions. Overwhelming written and verbal testimony from residents throughout Howard county, as well as feedbackfrom resident survey respondents, have clearly demonstrated that most residents prioritize maintaining contiguous communities, community stability and reducing overcrowding as primary factors to be addressed by any redistricting plan. Resident feedback over the past few months has also demonstrated that most residents also believe that the Board of Education should still attempt to reduce the high concentration of FARM numbers in specific schools and/or improve support of those community schools, but that Attendance Area Adjustment plans should only balance FARM numbers while still prioritizing overcrowding and community stability. Board Member Dr. Chao Wu's plan incorporates all of these important factors. His plan attempts to balance FARM numbers and overcrowding with minimal impact to communities. Most importantly, the plan moves significantly less students compared to the Superintendent's plan and Board Member Jen Mallo's plan. Dr. Wu's plan places significantly less financial burden on an already strained HCPSS financial support system, which has already reduced funding for necessary programs in schools, such as technology and ancillary teacher support. Please use Dr. Wu's plan as a starting point for future work sessions. Thank you, Name: Douglas Gartrell Polygon# 1186 Kyungsook Gartrell Polygon#1186 October 29, 2019 Board of Education Howard County Public School System 10910Clarksville Pike EllicottCity, MD21042 Dear Board of Education Members, After countless letters of opposition and hours of impactful testimony from our community, it is extremely disappointing to learn of Ms. Mallo's proposed plan, which is equally if not more disruptive than the Superintendent's plan. would like to express my strong disapproval of Ms. Mallo's plan for the following reasons: The plan moves polvaons that were oreviouslv not impacted by the Superintendent's Plan. Assuming that residents who are now impacted are even made aware of the changes before the Board votes, they now have no chance to fully voice their concerns this late in the process. . In the case of the proposed school change impacting my community (the swapping of students between Clarksville Middle and Harper's Choice Middle), the feed of Clarksville Middle students being moved to Harper's Choice Middle is now even smaller than the already small feed under the Superintendent's Plan. Similarlv, the number of oolvaons being moved from Harper's Choice Middle to Clarksville Middle is similarly reduced, thereby creatina an even smaller feed for those children as well. Additionally, much like the Superintendent's Plan, from which Ms. Mallo's plan was clearly derived, Ms. Mallo's plan has adjacent homes attending different schools. For example, half of Indian Summer Drive will attend Clarksville Middle and half will attend Harper's Choice Middle, despite the fact that that all children in our neighborhood will attend the same elementary and high schools. It makes no sense to divide our community in such an illogical manner. Ms. Mallo's plan fails to take into account the fact that our neighborhood and Harper's Choice are not contiguous. As pointed out many times in previous testimony, while our segment of Clarksville and Harper's Choice appear contiguous on a map, they are not contiguous from a transportation perspective; they are on complete opposite sides of the 1, 021 acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area, so those forced to commute back-and- fori:h will have to drive around the Environmental Area. This commute will require students to spend a significant amount of time on an overcrowded stretch of MD-Route 108 (where oncoming traffic moves at least 45 miles per hour), versus a short distance on lower speed local roads. Please consider the community input presented and reject both the Superintendent's Plan and Ms. Mallo's version of his plan. Instead, please take a more rationale approach like the one presented by Dr. Wu, which will be far less disruptive to communities and the children of Howard County who will face redistricting again when High School 13 opens. Thank you for your time and consideration, Insert Name Dear Board of Education members, Thank you for your deliberate and thoughtful development of alternative Attendance Area Adjustment plans for Howard County students for the upcoming school year. I am writing to specifically support Board Member Dr. Chao Wu's proposed Attendance Area Adjustment plan as an ideal starting point for future work sessions. Overwhelming written and verbal testimony from residents throughout Howard county, as well as feedback from resident survey respondents, have clearly demonstrated that most residents prioritize maintaining contiguous communities, community stability and reducing overcrowding as primary factors to be addressed by any redistricting plan. Resident feedback over the past few months has also demonstrated that most residents also believe that the Board of Education should still attempt to reduce the high concentration of FARM numbers in specific schools and/or improve support of those community schools, but that Attendance Area Adjustment plans should only balance FARM numbers while still prioritizing overcrowding and community stability. Board Member Dr. Chao Wu's plan incorporates all of these important factors. His plan attempts to balance FARM numbers and overcrowding with minimal impact to communities. Most importantly, the plan moves significantly less students compared to the Superintendent's plan and Board Member Jen Mallo's plan. Dr. Wu's plan places significantly less financial burden on an already strained HCPSS financial support system, which has already reduced funding for necessary programs in schools, such as technology and ancillary teacher support. Please use Dr. Wu's plan as a starting point for future work sessions. Thank you, Name: Kyungsook Gartrell Polygon#1186 Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members, I am writing this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redistricting posted by Jen Mallo on her Facebook page (httB;://wvnw. facebool<. com/ien'Tialto4boe/). Though, I am grateful for the BOE's time and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues. First, the total movement of 7, 300 students is too large of an impart for redistricting in SY 2020-2021 when HS13 will open shortly in 2023. Considering that Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (~7, 400), I believe Ms. Malta's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSS already has a limited budget where certain programs (e. g., technology) and staff (e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently. Although I acknowledge Ms. Malta's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will still split communities and school feeds, just as Dr. Martirano's proposal. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside of their communities without addressing the root cause of the achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child away from their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good. I would also like to remind the BOE that through online surveys, community Input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strong feeds from one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not be aligned with the Howard County community's input. In closing, I urge the BOE to consider alternative redistricting plans, such as the one proposed by Dr. Chao Wu, that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I ask the BOE to consider choice- based alternative methods such as Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead of just redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed as we wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening, Thank you, District 4 Voter: Le Jiang Polygon 28 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Jeff Manwiller Members of the Howard County BOE: Thank you in advance for your efforts on the redistricting process. I ask that you look further at polygons along the Route 32 corridor (polygons 231, 232, and 1131). These polygons naturally belong to WFES, MVMS, and MRHS. As you are aware, MVMS is right across the street with MRHS and they share amenities such as athletic fields and parking for after school events. Many families, like mine, have children at both schools, and have relied on the proximity of the two schools to support both school's after school activities and transportation. Due to the natural geographic boundaries of Polygon 232 with 1-70 to the south and commercial farmland directly to our west, our children would be secluded from their community at any school level. It would also create a small, unsupported feed as well as create a tremendously long and dangerous commutes along route 32 and/or route 97. Ms. Mallo's plan aims to reduce some of the impending student population growth at Mount View(and Marriotts Ridge) by moving polygons 1171 and 171, which is the new development area by Kiwanis Park, out of those schools. Moving these polygons (1171 and 171) with new development makes the most sense as this development is not complete and would better utilize transportation resources due to the higher density in the neighborhood. Families would be making informed decisions about transportation times when purchasing new homes here. In summary, I strongly urge you to keep Polygons 231, 232, and 1231 at WFES, MVMS, and MRHS. Thank you, Jeff Manwiller Polygon 232 Dear Board Members, Thank you for serving on the Board of Education. We value your commitment and your support for the education of Howard County children. I am a resident of Polygon 127 and am writing to express concern regarding Board Member Mallo's test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES- WLMS-AHS. I also would encourage the Board to explore Board Member Wu's test scenarios as they appear to address several goals of the Board while still preparing the County for the inclusion of High School #13. My specific concerns with Board Member Malta's test scenarios are: . The scenarios would undo the successful 2017 redistricting that fixed the small feed problem for Polygon 127: In 2017, our polygon was redistricted from Clemens Crossing ES and Lime Kiln MS to Pointers Run ES and Clarkesville MS (took effect for the 2018-2019 school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behind the Board's decision to redistrict our community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMS to fix the small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Mallo's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed. I oppose Board Member Malta's scenarios and support keeping Polygon 127 with its current large feed of PRES-CMS for elementary and middle school. . Four schools in four years is untenable and directly violates Policy 6010: Current sixth graders in Polygon 127 would be expected to attend four schools in as many years under Board Member Malta's approach: o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES (CCES) o 5th grade at Pointers Run ES (PRES) o 6th grade at Clarksville MS (CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS) Therefore, Board Member Malta's approach would violate the goals of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ), which states the Board will make "every attempt to not move a student more than once at any school level or the same student more frequently than once every five years. " This policy is important to our neighborhood because in the 2018-2019 school year we experienced firsthand the impact and challenges redistricting presents as our children worked to adjust to new academic environments and friend groups after the last redistricting decision. For these same children to endure another redistrictingj'ust a few years later places an extreme burden on them. Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability now and in the future: Moving our children yet again to a new middle school just two years after the last redistricting for our neighborhoodwould be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now built at PRES-CMS. Further, moving our community to WLMSdoes not support long term stability in light of the current and future development near Downtown Columbia and to the east. As a result ofthat growth, it's reasonableto conceive that our polygon could be subject to additional redistricting in the nearfuture if we are moved to WLMSnow. All plans and scenarios to date (except for Board Member Malta's scenarios) recognize these factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS. In contrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Mallo's scenarios. Board Member Wu's scenarios appear to take a holistic and long-term approach to redistricting and should be further explored. This should include exploration of the testing scenario that would keep Polygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS-AHS. The Superintendent's proposal (moves Polygon 127 from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES-CMS-River Hill HS) also could support long term stability for our polygon. If the Superintendent's plan is advanced, please consider an exception for our current students at AHS to stay at the school If they provide their own transportation. Such an exception should include current freshman becau5e they would otherwise be required to attend four schools in four years (7th grade at LKMS, 8th grade at CMS, 9th grade at AHS, and 10th grade at RHHS). It is important to note that the potential for stability I mention in both the Superintendent's plan and in Board Member Wu's plan would only exist if alt of the changes included in those plans are made. Singular changes to the Superintendent's plan or to Board Member Wu's scenarios would jeopardize the stability the plans are designed to enable and could potentially exacerbate the overall problems the Board aims to address. We have always taken a reasonable approach to rediaricting and thank you for the consideration of our concerns. We will continue to pay close attention during the Board meetings and will provide updated feedback as new considerations arise or additional concerns are identified. We implore you to remember Polygon 127's recent redistricting in the 2018-2019 school year, ask that you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguous stable feeds for Polygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Archana Subramanian Polygon 127 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Alpana Savla Dear BOB Members, I write wrth concern aboutthe recent redistricting planproposed byMs. Mallo whichis problematic for several reasons. I recognize that Ms. Mallo tried hard to come up with a newplan recognizing the flaws in Dr. Martirano'splan and I certainlyrespect her effort and time spent. However, theplan proposed by Dr. Wuis a better solutionand complies with Policy 6010. I knowyour job isa hardone but I urgeyou to reject Ms. Mallo's plan andadopt Dr. Wu'splan onthe following grounds: Number of Students Impacted: Ms. Mallo's plan moves approximately the same number ofstudents, if not more, thanDr. Martirano's plan. Anynew plan should move the least amount of student necessary to minimize disruptionto ourstudents andcommunities whileaddressing overcrowding. Dr. Wuhas presented a pimthat moves significantlyless students (about3000) while addressing overcrowding andmaintaining FARM ratios" that arenot substantially different from those in Ms. Mallo's plan. FiscalResponsibility: Dr. Wu'splan is more fiscally responsible becauseit moves less students andwill result in ntly less cost to the school The school is significa system. system facing significant budget shortfaUs and we cannotafford the substantial financial distress that will be caused by adopting Ms. Mallo'splan (or Dr. Martirano's plan). I knowyou are fully awarethat our schools cannot further cutresources for our kids. Policy6010 Factors Re: Contiguous Communities: Dr. Wu'splan better maintains community boundaries and feedsper the requirements ofPolicy 6010. y. way. ofexample' Ms- Mall° UImecessarily breaks up contiguous communities like the Walnut communities Sffoflheppmd. une-.polygo"s3176. (walnutGrove)andl76(walnutcreek)- Ms. Malloproposes'toTeep" Polygon3176^at River Hill and move Polygon 176 to WildeLake. Bothpolygons are part'ofthe'same' community. Both polygons share a bus stop. Part ofWalnut Creek physically resides'in the Walnut Grove community andcan only beaccessed by entering WalnutGrove. The entrances for bothcommunities areoff r>epp^ Lme'..Ms\ Mall° iIlcoITectl!y believesthat the entrance forWalnut Creek is onHomewood Road/Folly QuarterRoad and there is no entrance on that road for WalnutCreek. Ms. Mallo incoiTectly believesthaFwe' cantake Homewood Road to reduce traffic but fails to realize that the traffic circle present on Homewood' wouldbe a nightmare in the morning withincreased traffic in that direction. ThSfeedsforpolygon3176aIld 176.underMs. Mallo's proposed plan are not consistent with the requirements Lf?!-oi^polygon 176^ould have^very-_sma11 feedto wilde Lake under Ms- Mallo'spTan. "Po-lygon" 3176 would have aneven smaller feedto River Hill becausethese students would bethe onlySues com^eQom . Middle School to River Hill. po_ygon-176"app. roximate!y L5milesfrom RiverHill HighSchool and River Hill is undereapacity. Thereis no reasonto move these students out ofRiver Hill evenunder the domino effectconsiderations'. It makes no sense to move students from an undercapacityschool to more crowded schools that are East. Students in this area should be moved West, if necessary, to alleviate overcrowding. Student in Polygon 176 and 3176 are friends and frequently carpool together for afterschool activities. Personally, I am in a carpool for my daughter's Girls on the Run team and our carpool includes kids in both Polygon 176 and 3176. We are one community. Due Process Concerns: Ms. Mallo's plan moves significantly more newpolygons who were not interested parties in prior hearings and likely did not participate becausethey were not impacted (i. e. they were not interested parties). They have not had a chanceto comment on the redistrictingproposal andthus would be deprived of due process. Under Ms. Mallo's plan, she moves 53 newpolygons at the elementary school level, 32 polygons at the middle school level and 26 polygons at the high school level. HS 13: Dr. Wu's plan considers the opening of High School 13 and is aimed at reducing double moves. Ms. Mallo's plan does not make this consideration. Developer Impact: Ms. Mallo's plan is too aggressive in addressing overcrowding and does more than is necessary to resolve of overcrowding issues. Instead of "balancing"overcrowding, she attempts to reduce overcrowding so much that she is creating opportunities for developers to further destroy our County with this irresponsible over-development. I would be remiss if I did not say that we developers have hijacked the redistricting process to advance their development goals. They are funding the "equity in our schools" debate to advance their agenda and supporting a false narrative that redistricting will improve equity in our schools. It will not. See No. 5 below. I support equity in oiir schools but we need to address the right way. See No. 6 below. EQUITY: Ms. Malta's plan - like Dr. Martirano's plan - does not improve equity for our ^iAKJVl students. Overcrowding and equity are two separate issues that both need to be addressed separately as recognized most recently by the Howard County State Delegation. State legislators Clarence Lam and Terri Hill have proposed separate legislation which logically separates balancing utilization and capacity from addressing the achievement gap, while also aiming to address both important issues efficiently and appropriately. Dr. Wu's proposal most directly aligns with those bills by prioritizing redistricting to address capacity while also targeting equity concerns in a deliberate, strategic manner. True equity does not involve merely balancing FARM ratios across schools. Under your own definition in your Policy 6010 - equitable means removing barriers to success and providing supports to those in need! Policy 6010 is not an equity plan. Policy 6010 is an overcrowdingplan and while you are addressing overcrowding, you should consider several diversity factors including FARM ratio. FARM isjust one of six characteristics of diversity. Diversity and equity are two separate concepts. Diversity deals with having the right numbers composition ofdifferent groups based on many different facts as your policy states. Equity deals with removing barriers andproviding support. Policy 6010 is not drafted to address equity. If you want an equity plan, then make a real one please. Please stop drinking the Kool-Aid. Redistricting is not addressing equity. Developers have conflated the discussion to advance their own agenda. How do you really address equity? There is already research and evidence out there on howto address equity including the recent Noble Prize winning research on addressing students in poverty and the achievement gap. Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Michael Kremer's spent the past two decades researching this issue and concluded that the best strategy for addressing the educational achievement a gap is to provide tutoring to students in need. We can do this through community partnerships bridging the resources of the wealthier parts of Howard County with the lower income parts. It was Noble Prize award winning research that we cannot ignore. There are other strategies as well including outlined by the National Education Association (about 51 strategies) on its website and none of them including redistricting. For the reason set forth above, please reject Ms. Mallo's plan and vote insteadto support Dr. Wu's plan which complies with the requirement ofPolicy 6010. In the alternative, please keep Polygons 176 and 3176 together at River Hill where it makes the most sense baseon the factors in your Policy 6010. Thank you for your time and consideration and your incredible service. I knowyou do not do this for the money. I do appreciate your time. Good luck this evening. Regards, Alpana Sent from my iPhone Kathleen V. Hanks From: Shalendra Anil Cherukuri Dear BOE Members, I'm a resident ofPolygon 176 andI'm concerned aboutthe recent redistricting plan proposed by Ms. Mallo. I recognize that Ms. Mallo tried hard to come up with a newplan recognizing the flaws in Dr. Martirano's plan andI certainly respect hereffort andtime spent. However, theplan proposed by Dr. Wu is a better solution and complies with Policy 6010. I know yourjob is a~ hard one but I urge you to reject Ms. Mallo's plan and adopt Dr. Wu's plan on the following grounds: 1. Niunberof Students Impacted: Ms. Mallo's plan moves approximately the samenumber of students, if not more, thanDr. Martirano's plan. Any newplan shouldmove the least amount of student necessary to minimize disruption to our students and communities while addressing overcrowding. Dr. Wu haspresented a plan that moves significantly less students (about 3000) while addressing overcrowding and maintaining FARM ratios that are not substantially different from those in Ms. Mallo's plan. 2. Fiscal Responsibility: Dr. Wu's plan is more fiscally responsible because it moves less students and will result in significantly less cost to the school system. The school system is facing significantbudget shortfalls and we cannot afford the substantial financial distress that will be causedby adoptingMs. Mallo's plan (or Dr. Martirano'splan). I knowyou are fully aware that our schools cannot further cut resources for our kids. 3. Policy 6010 Factors Re: Contiguous Communities: Dr. Wu'splan better maintains community boundaries and feeds per the requirements of Policy 6010. By wayof example, Ms. Mallo unnecessarily breaksup contiguous communities like tlie Walnut communities offof Sheppard Lane - Polygons 3176 (Walnut Grove) and 176 (Walnut Cieek). Ms. Mallo proposes to keep Polygon 3176 at River Hill andmove Polygon 176to Wilde Lake. Both polygons are part ofthe same community. Both polygons share a bus stop. Partof WalnutCreek physically resides in the Walnut Grove community andcan only be accessedby entering Walnut Grove. The entrances for both communities are offSheppard Lane. Ms. Mallo incorrectly believes that the entrance for Walnut Creek is on Homewood'Road/Folly Quarter Roadand there is no entrance onthat road for Walnut Creek. Ms. Mallo incorrectly believes that we cantake Homewood Road to reduce traffic but fails to realize that the traffic circle present on Homewood would be a nightmare in the morning with increased traffic in that direction. The feeds for Polygon 3176 and 176 under Ms. Mallo's proposed plan are not consistent with the requirements ofPolicy 6010. Polygon 176 wouldhave a very small feedto WildeLake under Ms. Mallo's plan. Polygon 3176 would have an even smaller feed to River Hill because these students would be the only ones coming from Folly Quarter Middle School to River Hill. Polygon 176 is approximately 1. 5 miles from River Hill High School andRiver Hill is undercapacity. There is no reason to move these students out of River Hill even under the domino effect considerations. It makes no senseto move students from anundercapacity school to more crowded schools that are East. Students in this area should be moved West, if necessary, to alleviate overcrowding. Student in Polygon 176 and 3176 are friends and frequently carpool together for afierschool activities. We are one community. Forthe reason set forth above, please reject Ms. Mallo's plan andvote instead to support Dr. Wu's plan whichcomplies with the requirement ofPolicy 6010. Inthe alternative, please keep Polygons 176 and 3176 together at River Hill where it makes the most sense base on the factors in your Policy 6010. Thank you for your time and consideration and your incredible service. Thank you, Shalendra Cherukuri Polygon 176 (Walnut Creek Community) Kathleen V. Hanks From: Elizabeth Wachter Dear Board if Education Members; Our community, Valley Mede, polygons 159/1159 were very happyto keep us as walkers to MHHS but we are hoping to present another option to your ES & MS proposal for our polygons. We know this is hard work and I'm sure you all have been overwhelmed with responses so we are hoping you could possible consider our proposal: We hope our neighborhoodValley Mede, polygons 159 & 1159 can stay together, as we have for over 50 years- attending the same neighborhoodschools & feeder schools. We propose moving Polygon 304 from Waverly (134 students) to Manor Woods. Moving 161/1161 (they are an ah-eadydivided neighborhood) from SJLESto Waverly (117) students, move polygons 106/1106 from Patapsco MS to Burleigh Manor (approx. 89 students) and polygons 106,308, 1106 & 2308 from MHHS to Centennial. We hope you consider this as this would keep neighborhoods together, help spread out ^'AJKMS) & be fiscally responsible with regards to transportation costs. We combined Ms. Mallos proposal, Dr. Wu's proposal and the feasibility proposal on pages 61 for ES, 146 for MS & page 40 for HS. We hope the children will have a normal feed, instead of moving 159/1159 to Burleigh for MS & to Manor Woods ES, which is several miles farther than the next closest school(s) plus help relieve overcrowding. We are hoping you can help create a natural feed from ES/MS/HS.We want what is best for all children in HoCo, the children are our greatest resource! Thank you so much for your consideration! Bettina Wachter Polygon 159/1159 Valley Mede District 5 Sent from my iPhone Kathleen V. Hanks From: radhika. gummadi@gmail. com Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2019 3:58 PM To: Hcpss Redistricting; Mavis Ellis; Sabina Taj; Chao Wu; Jennifer Mallo; Christina Delmont- Sma.ll; Vicky Cutroneo; Kirsten Coombs Subject: [External] Keep Polygon 176 at RHHS Dear BOB Members, I'm a resident ofPolygon 176 and I'm concerned about the recent redistricting plan proposed by Ms. Mallo. I recognize that Ms. Mallo tried hard to come up with a new plan recognizing the flaws in Dr. Martirano's plan and I certainly respect her effort and time spent. However, the plan proposed by Dr. Wu is a better solution and complies with Policy 6010. I know your job is a hard one but I urge you to reject Ms. Mallo's plan and adopt Dr. Wu s plan on the following grounds: 1. Number of Students Impacted: Ms. Mallo's plan moves approximately the same number of students, if not more, than Dr. Martirano's plan. Any new plan should move the least amount of student necessary to minimize disruption to our students and communities while addressingovercrowding. Dr. Wu has presented a plan that moves significantlyless students (about 3000) while addressingovercrowding andmaintaining FARM ratios that are not substantially different from those in Ms. Mallo's plan. 2. Fiscal Responsibility: Dr. Wu's plan is more fiscally responsible because it moves less students and will result in significantly less cost to the school system. The school system is facing significant budget shortfalls and we cannot affordthe substantial financial dista-essthat will be causedby adopting Ms. Mallo's plan (or Dr. Martirano's plan). I know you are fully aware that our schools cannot further cut resources for our kids. 3. Policy 6010 Factors Re: Contiguous Communities: Dr. Wu's plan better maintains community boundaries and feeds per the requirements ofPolicy 6010. By way of example, Ms. Mallo unnecessarily breaks up contiguous communities like the Walnutcommunities off of Sheppard Lane-Polygons 3176 (Walnut Grove) and 176 (Walnut Creek). Ms. Mallo proposes to keep Polygon3176atRiverHill and move Polygon 176 to Wilde Lake. Both polygons are part ofthe same community. Both polygons share a bus stop. Part of WalnutCreek physically resides in the Walnut Grove community and can only be accessedby entering Walnut Grove. The entrances for both communities are off SheppardLane. Ms. Mallo incorrectly believes that the entrance for Walnut Creek is on HomewoodRoad/Folly Quarter Road and there is no enttance on that road for Walnut Creek. Ms. Mallo incorrectly believes that we can take Homewood Road to reduce traffic but fails to realize that the traffic circle present on Homewood would be a nightmare in the morning with increased traffic in that direction. The feeds forPolygon3176 and 176 under Ms. Mallo's proposed plan are not consistent with the requirements of Policy 6010. Polygon 176 woiild have a very small feed to Wilde Lake under Ms. Mallo's plan. Polygon 3176 would have an even smaller feedto River Hill becausethese students would be the only ones coming from Folly Quarter Middle School to River Hill. Polygon 176 is approximately 1. 5 miles from River Hill High School andRiver Hill is undercapacity. There is no reason to move these students out of River Hill even under the domino effect considerations. It makes no sense to move students from an undercapacity school to more crowded schools that are East. Students in this area should be moved West, if necessary, to alleviate overcrowding. Student in Polygon 176 and 3176 are friends and frequently carpool together for afterschool activities. We are one community. For the reason set forth above, please reject Ms. Mallo's plan and vote instead to support Dr. Wu's plan which complies with the requirement ofPolicy 6010. In the alternative, please keep Polygons 176 and 3176 together at River Hill where it makes the most sense base on the factors in yoiir Policy 6010. Thank you for your time and consideration and your incredible service. Thank you, Radhika Polygon 176 (Walnut Creek Community) Lori Proietti Polygon 1186 October 29, 2019 Board of Education Howard County Public School System 10910 Clarksville Pike Ellicottdty, MD21042 Dear Board of Education Members, After countless letters of opposition and hours of impactful testimony from our community, it is extremely disappointing to learn of Ms. Mallo's proposed plan, which is equally if not more disruptive than the Superintendent's plan. I would like to express my strong disapproval of Ms. Mallo's plan for the following reasons: . The plan moves polveons that were previously not impacted by the Superintendent's Plan. Assuming that residents who are now impacted are even made aware ofthe changes before the Board votes, they now have no chanceto fully voice their concerns this late in the process. . In the case of the proposed school change impacting my community (the swapping of students between Clarksville Middle and Harper's Choice Middle), the feed of Clarksville Middle students beine moved to Harper's Choice Middle is now even smaller than the already small feed under the Superintendent's Plan. Similarly, the number of'poTveonsbeine moved from Harper's ChoiceMiddle to Clarksville Middle issimilariv reduced, thereby creatine an even smaller feed for those children as weIL Additionally, much like the Superintendent's Plan, from which Ms. Mallo's plan was clearly derived, Ms. Mallo's plan has adjacent homes attending different schools. For example, half of Indian Summer Drive will attend Clarksville Middle and halfwill attend Harper's Choice Middle, despite the fact that all children in our neiehborhood will attend the same elementary and hiph schools. It makes no sense to divide our community in such an illogical manner. Ms. Mallo's plan fails to take into account the fact that our neiRhborhood and Harper's Choice are not contiguous. As pointed out many times in previous testimony, while our segment of Clarksville and Harper's Choice appear contiguous on a map, they are not contiguous from a transportation perspective; they are on complete opposite sides of the 1, 021 acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area, so those forced to commute back-and-forth will have to drive around the Environmental Area. This commute will require students to spend a significant amount of time on an overcrowded stretch of MD-Route 108 (where oncoming traffic moves at least 45 miles per hour), versus a short distance on lower speed local roads. Please consider the community input presented and reject both the Superintendent's Plan and Ms. Mallo's version of his plan. Instead, please take a more rationale approach like the one presented by Dr.Wu, which will be far less disruptive to communities andthe children of Howard County who will face redistricting again when High School 13 opens. Thank you for your time and consideration, Lori Proietti Kathleen V. Hanks From: Shylice Nelson I am sendingthis in support ofDr. Wu's plan. His plan seems to makethe most sense with the least amount of movement. Thankyou, Shylice Nelson Kathleen V. Hanks From: Lori Estes Sent &om my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Lori Estes To Whom it May Concern: After having reviewed all studies put forth concerning redistricting, I would like to inform you that I am in favor ofDr. Wu's plan, which addresses overcrowding and FARMS, while limiting the relocation of several thousand students. His plan keeps as many communities as possible together. Ms. Mallo's plan disrupts communities andwould require Herculean feats, both logistically andfinancially. Pleasemake our students yoiir first priority. Sincerely, Lori Estes Sent from my iPhone Dear Board Members, Thank you for serving on the Board of Education. We value your commitment and your support for the educationof HowardCounty children. I am a residentof Polygon 127 and am writingto express concern regarding Board Member Mallo's test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES-CMS-AHSto PRES- WLMS-AHS. I also would encourage the Board to explore Board Member Wu's test scenarios as they appear to address several goals of the Board while still preparing the County for the inclusion of High School #13. My specific concerns with Board Member Malta's test scenarios are: . The scenarios would undo the successful 2017 redistricting that fixed the small feed problem for Polygon 127: In 2017, our polygon was redistricted from Clemens Crossing ES and Lime Kiln MS to Pointers Run ES and Clarkesville MS (took effect for the 2018-2019 school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behind the Board's decision to redistrict our community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMS to fix the small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Mallo's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed. I oppose Board Member Mallo's scenarios and support keeping Polygon 127 with its current large feed of PRES-CMS for elementary and middle school. Four schools in four years is untenable and directly violates Policy 6010: Current sixth graders in Polygon 127 would be expected to attend four schools in as many years under Board Member Malta's approach: o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES (CCES) o 5th grade at Pointers Run ES (PRES) o 6th grade at Clarksville MS (CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS) Therefore, Board Member Mallo's approach would violate the goals of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ), which states the Board will make "every attempt to not move a student more than once at any school level or the same student more frequently than once every five years. " This policy is important to our neighborhood because in the 2018-2019 school year we experienced firsthand the impact and challenges redistricting presents as our children worked to adjust to new academic environments and friend groups after the last redistricting decision. For these same children to endure another redistricting just a few years later places an extreme burden on them. . Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability now and in the future: Moving our children yet again to a new middle school just two years after the last redistricting for our neighborhood would be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now built at PRES-CMS. Further, moving our community to WLMS does not support long term stability in light of the current and future development near Downtown Columbia and to the east. As a result of that growth, it's reasonable to conceive that our polygon could be subject to additional redistricting in the near future if we are moved to WLMS now. All plans and scenarios to date (except for Board Member Mallo's scenarios) recognize these factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS. In contrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Mallo's scenarios, Board Member Wu's scenarios appear to take a holistic and long-term approach to redistricting and should be further explored. This should include exploration of the testing scenario that would keep Polygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS-AHS. The Superintendent's proposal (moves Polygon 127 from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES-CMS-River Hill HS) also could support long term stability for our polygon. If the Superintendent's plan is advanced, please consider an exception for our current students at AHS to stay at the school If they provide their own transportation. Such an exception should include current freshman because they would otherwise be required to attend four schools in four years (7th grade at LKMS, 8th grade at CMS, 9th grade at AHS, and 10th grade at RHHS). It is important to note that the potential for stability I mention in both the Superintendent's plan and in Board Member Wu's plan would only exist if all of the changes included in those plans are made. Singular changes to the Superintendent's plan or to Board Member Wu's scenarios would jeopardize the stability the plans are designed to enable and could potentially exacerbate the overall problems the Board aims to address. We have always taken a reasonable approach to redistrictingand thank you for the consideration of our concerns. We will continue to pay close attention during the Board meetings and will provide updated feedback as new considerations arise or additional concerns are identified. We implore you to remember Polygon 127's recent redistricting in the 2018-2019 school year, ask that you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguous stable feeds for Polygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Michael Collins Polygon 127 October 30, 2019 Dear BOE Members, I am writing to voice my support for Dr. Chao Wu's redistricting plan. 1 was on the AAC in 2017 and think that Dr. Wu's approach seems well tliought out and balancedwith tlie correct focus on impacting as few students as possible. However, as a resident ofpolygon 1231 (on the west side ot'Rt 32, north of 99) I want to voice my concern with one aspect of an otherwise mostly well-constmcted plan. My concern relates to the students in polygons 1231, 231 and 232. Dr. Wu's plan moves the students in these polygons from Mount ViewMiddle School to Glenwood Middle School. This move would create a very small middle school feed (in contrast to their current 100% feed from West Friendship to Mount View), and a high school feed of less than 5%. This entire cluster ofpolygons has only 43 children projected to attend Mount View Middle School next year. These 43 students would be the only group of kids to eventually leave Glenwood Middle for Marriotts Ridge. Only having about 14 kids from your grade who go from middle school to high school with you will make the social transition to high school even harder for these students, without making a big impact on balancing capacity. Polygons231, 1231, 232 are stable, with no new development projects in the pipeline to make such a move proactively strategic. We currently attend our closest school at every level, and each of those schools is being used at targeted levels. If memory serves, OSPshould be able to provide fairly quick feedbackon what small feeds are created in this plan and I hope that those issues will then be addressed. I very much appreciated Ms. Delmont-Small's focus on clean feeds during your working session on Monday night. Dr. Wu also spoke about how hannful very small feeds are, which is why I think this move in his plaii is an oversight and can be corrected. If this move was done out ofconcern with the capacity at Mount View MS andMRHS, I would suggest that the board take Ms. Mallo's idea of moving polygons 1171 aiid 171 out of Mount View MS and MRHS, creating more capacity before that new development is even done being built. As anAAC member I had suggested this two years ago beforethey built any homes, but I believe that there waspushback from developers, which should never have been allowed to influence the process. I strongly believe that if the BOE is going to balance capacity they also need to put in protections so that it doesn't open the county up to even more development in already crowded areas. If a school is over 105% capacity, a new development should be assigned to the closest school with available capacity. It is time that we stop punishing residents in already well-established neighborhoods because of the lack of appetite for the Howard County Council to stop the over-development that is stressing our entire school system. In addition to my concerns about the ver> small feed that Dr. Wu's plan would create for 1231, 231, and 232, 1 am very concerned about the addedtravel time that this would create. Although Mount View is only 2 miles away from my house, my 6th grader's current bus ride in the morning is almost 50 minutes. This is unchangeable given the nature of our community and we knew this when we purchased oiir house. However, there is no reason to make it even longer by adding a 6-7-mile ride to Glenwood. The ride to Glenwood would exceed an hour in the best of conditions and would likely average at least 70 minutes. Please keep polygons 231, 1231, 232 in place at WFES, MVMS and MRHS. Thank you for your tune and attention. I know from personal experience how difficult the redistricting process is and I am hopefully that you will do what is best for the students ofHCPSS by adopting a plan that impacts as few students as possible and keeps students at the schools closest to their home whenever possible. Inequities in Howard County should certainly be addressed, but I believe that this should be done throughthe allocation ofresources. Sincerely, Ashley Royle Polygonl231 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Yajing Li Dear BOE members, As a mother of two children, I would like to provide as much predictability and stability to them. I really appreciate that Dr. Wu's incorporated feeder system in his proposed plan. The plan addresses overcrowding issue, balances FARM numbers and has minimal impact to communities by moving much less students compared to the superintendent's plan and Ms. Mallo's plan. Please use his plan as a starting point for future work sessions. Thank you, Yajing Li Polygon 1028 Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members, I am writingthis letter to express my concern and oppositionto the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard Countyschool redistricting posted byJen Mallo on her Facebookpage (httRS://www.facebook.com/ienmallo4boe/). Though, I am grateful for the BOE'stime and dedication to the school redistricting process includingfor Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues. First, the total movement of 7, 300 students is too large of an impact for redistricting in SY 2020-2021 when HS13will open shortly in 2023. Consideringthat Dr. Martirano'sproposed plan will move similar number of students (~7, 400), I believe Ms. Malta's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSS already has a limited budget where certain programs (e.g., technology) and staff (e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently. Although I acknowledge Ms. Malta's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside of their communities without addressing the root cause of the achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child away from their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good. I would also like to remind the BOE that through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strong feeds from one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not be aligned with the Howard County community's input. In closing, I urge the BOE to consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I ask the BOE to consider choice-based alternative methods such as Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead of just redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed as we wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening. Thank you, District 4 Voter: Yajing Li Polygon #1028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Lori Estes Dear BOE Members: After having reviewed all studiesput forth concerning redistricting, I would like to inform you that I am in favor of Dr. Wu's plan, which addresses overcrowding and FARMS, while limiting the relocation of several thousand students. His plan keeps as many communities as possible together. Please make our students your first priority Sincerely, Lori Estes Sent from my iPhone Neenah Timlin Polygon 1186 October 29, 2019 Board of Education Howard County Public School System 10910 Clarksville Pike Ellicatt City, MD 21042 Dear Board of Education Members, After countless letters of opposition and hours ofimpactful testimony from our community, it is extremely disappointing to learn of Ms. Mallo's proposed plan, which is equally if not more disruptive than the Superintendent's plan. I would like to express my strong disapproval of Ms. Mallo s plan for the following reasons: . The plan moves ^polygoris^ ^hat _were pj'evioysly_ not impacted by the Superintendent's Plan, Assuming that residents who are now impacted are even made aware of the changes before the Board votes, they now have no chance to fully voice their concerns this late in the orocess. In the case of the proposed school change impacting my community [the swapping of students between Clarksville Middle and Harper's Choice Middle), the feed of ClarksviIIe Middle students being moved to Harper's Choice Middle is now even smaller Aan the already small feed undei^the^upermtendent's^jan. Similarly, riie number ofpolygons beinp moved from Harper's Choice Middle to Clarksville Middle is similarly reduced, thereby creatine an even smaller feed for those children as well. Additionally, much like the Superintendent's Plan, from which Ms. Malta's plan was clearly derived, Ms. Mallo's plan has adjacent homes attending different schools. For example, half of Indian Summer^Drive will attend ClarksyilLe Middle and half will attend Harper's Choice Middle, despite the fact that all children in our neiehborhood will attend the same elementary and hish schools. It makes no sense to divide our community in such an illogical manner. Ms. Malta's plan fails to take into account the fact that our neiehborhood and Harpers Choice^re not contiguous. As pointed out many times in previous testimony, while our segment of Clarksville and Harper's Choice appear contiguous on a map, they are not contiguous from a transportation perspective; they are on complete opposite sides of the 1,021 acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area, so those forced to commute back-and-forth will have to drive around the Environmental Area. This commute will require students to spend a significant amount of time on an overcrowded stretch of MD-Route 108 (where oncoming traffic moves at least 45 miles per hour], versus a short distance on lower speed local roads. Please consider the community input presented and reject both the Superintendent's Plan and Ms. Malta's version of his plan. Instead, please take a more rationale approach like the one presented by Dr, Wu, which will be far less disruptive to communities and the children of Howard County who will face redistricting again when High School 13 opens. Thank you for your time and consideration, Neenah Timlin Dear Board of Education members, I am writing to specifically support Board Member Dr. Chao Wu's proposed Attendance Area Adjustment plan as an ideal starting point for the Howard County School redistricting plan in future work sessions. Overwhelming written and verbal testimony from residents throughout Howard county, as well as feedback from resident survey respondents, have clearly demonstrated that most residents prioritize maintaining contiguous communities, community stability and reducing overcrowding as primary factors to be addressed by any redistricting plan. Resident feedback over the past few months has also demonstrated that most residents also believe that the Board of Education should still attempt to reduce the high concentration of FARM numbers in specific schools and/or improve support of those community schools, but that Attendance Area Adjustment plans should only balance FARM numbers while still prioritizing overcrowding and community stability. Board Member Dr. Chao Wu's plan incorporates all of these important factors. His plan attempts to balance FARM numbers and overcrowding with minimal impact to communities. Most importantly, the plan moves significantly less students compared to the Superintendent's plan and Board Member Jen Mallo's plan. Dr. Wu's plan places significantly less financial burden on an already strained HCPSS financial support system, which has already reduced funding for necessary programs in schools, such as technology and ancillary teacher support. Please use Dr. Wu's plan as a starting point for future work sessions. Thank you, Name: Michelle Grey Polygon # 28 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Jane He Hello, First, I would like to thank both Dr. Wu and Mrs. Mallo for the hard workto propose new redistricting plans. I am writing this email to support Dr. Wu's plan. Apparently, Dr. Wu's plan addresses the school crowding issue with a minimum dismption to the students and communities. Please consider to move forward based on Dr. Wu's plan and put our kids' needs first. Thankyou very much for your time and consideration. Zhaojuan He Polygon#188 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Peisheng Zhao Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members, I am writing this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redistricting posted by Jen Mallo on her Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/jenmallo4boe/). Though, I am grateful for the BOE'stime and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues. First, the total movement of 7,300 students is too large of an impact for redistricting in SY 2020-2021when HS13 will open shortly in 2023. Considering that Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (~7, 400), I believe Ms. Malta's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSS already has a limited budget where certain programs (e. g., technology) and staff (e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently. Although I acknowledge Ms. Malta's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside of their communities without addressing the root cause of the achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child away from their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good. I would also like to remind the BOE that through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strong feeds from one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not be aligned with the Howard County community's input. In closing, I urge the BOE to consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I ask the BOEto consider choice-basedalternative methods such as Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policiesto address equity instead of just redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed as we wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening. Thank you, District 4 Voter:Peisheng Zhao Polygon (tl028 Frank Timlin Polygon 1186 October 29, 2019 Board of Education Howard County Public School System 10910 Clarksville Pike Ellicott City, MD 21042 Dear Board of Education Members, After countless letters of opposition and hours of impactful testimony from our community, it is extremely disappointing to learn of Ms. Mallo's proposed plan, which is equally if not more disruptive than the Superintendent's plan. 1 would like to express my strong disapproval of Ms. Mallo's plan for the following reasons: . The plan moyes polygons that were previously not impacted by the Superintendent's Plan. Assuming that residents who are now impacted are even made aware of the changes before the Board votes, they now have no chance to fully voice their concerns this late in the process. In the case of the proposed school change impacting my community (the swapping of students between Clarksville Middle and Harper's Choice Middle), the feed of Clarksville Middle students being moved to Harper's Choice Middle is now even smaller than the already small feed under the Superintendent's Plan. Similarly, the number ofpolygons being moved from Harper's Choice Middle to CIarksville Middle is similarly reduced, thereby creating an even smaller feed for those children as well. Additionally, much like the Superintendent's Plan, from which Ms. Mallo's plan was clearly derived, Ms. Mallo's plan has adjacent homes attending different schools. For example, half of Indian Summer Drive will attend Clarksville Middle and half will attend Harper's Choice Middle, despite the fact that all children in our neiehborhood will attend the same elementary and hieh schools. It makes no sense to divide our community in such an illogical manner. . Ms. Mallo's plan fails to take into account the fact that our neiehborhood and Harpers Choice are not contiguous. As pointed out many times in previous testimony, while our segment of Clarksville and Harper's Choice appear contiguous on a map, they are not contiguous from a transportation perspective; they are on complete opposite sides of the 1,021 acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area, so those forced to commute back-and-forth will have to drive around the Environmental Area. This commute will require students to spend a significant amount of time on an overcrowded stretch of MD-Route 108 [where oncoming traffic moves at least 45 miles per hour), versus a short distance on lower speed local roads. Please consider the community input presented and reject both the Superintendent's Plan and Ms. Mallo s version of his plan. Instead, please take a more rationale approach like the one presented by Dr. Wu, which will be far less disruptive to communities and the children of Howard County who will face redistricting again when High School 13 opens. Thank you for your time and consideration, Frank TImlin Dear Board Members, Thank you for serving on the Board of Education. We value your commitment and your support for the education of Howard County children. I am a resident of Polygon 127 and am writing to express concern regarding Board Member Mallo's test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES- WLMS-AHS. I also would encourage the Board to explore Board Member Wu's test scenarios as they appear to address several goals of the Board while still preparing the County for the inclusion of High School #13. My specific concerns with Board Member Mallo's test scenarios are: The scenarios would undo the successful 2017 redistricting that fixed the small feed problem for Polygon 127: In 2017, our polygon was redistricted from Clemens Crossing ES and LimeKilnMSto Pointers Run ES and Clarkesville MS (took effect for the 2018-2019 school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behind the Board's decision to redistrict our community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMSto fix the small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Mallo's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed. I oppose Board Member Mallo's scenarios and support keeping Polygon 127 with its current large feed of PRES-CMS for elementary and middle school. Four schools in four years is untenable and directly violates Policy 6010: Current sixth graders in Polygon 127 would be expected to attend four schools in as many years under Board Member Malta's approach: o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES (CCES) o 5th grade at Pointers Run ES(PRES) o 6th grade at Clarksville MS (CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS) Therefore, Board Member Mallo's approach would violate the goals of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ), which states the Board will make "every attempt to not move a student more than once at any school level or the same student more frequently than once every five years. " This policy is important to our neighborhood because in the 2018-2019 school year we experienced firsthand the impact and challenges redistricting presents as our children worked to adjust to new academic environments and friend groups after the last redistricting decision. For these same children to endure another redistricting just a few years later places an extreme burden on them. Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability now and in the future: Moving our children yet again to a new middle school just two years after the last redistricting for our neighborhood would be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now built at PRES-CMS. Further, moving our community to WLMS does not support long term stability in light of the current and future development near Downtown Columbia and to the east. As a result of that growth, it's reasonable to conceive that our polygon could be subject to additional redistricting in the nearfuture if we are moved to WLMS now. All plans and scenarios to date (except for Board Member Mallo's scenarios) recognize these factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS. In contrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Mallo's scenarios. Board Member Wu's scenarios appear to take a holistic and long-term approach to redistricting and should be further explored. This should include exploration of the testing scenario that would keep Polygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS-AHS. The Superintendent's proposal (moves Polygon 127 from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES-CMS-River Hill HS) also could support long term stability for our polygon. If the Superintendent's plan is advanced, please consider an exception for our current students at AHS to stay at the school If they provide their own transportation. Such an exception should include current freshman because they would otherwise be required to attend four schools in four years (7th grade at LKMS, 8th grade at CMS, 9th grade at AHS, and 10th grade at RHHS). It is important to note that the potential for stability I mention in both the Superintendent's plan and in Board Member Wu's plan would only exist if all of the changes included in those plans are made. Singular changes to the Superintendent's plan or to Board Member Wu's scenarios would jeopardize the stability the plans are designed to enable and could potentially exacerbate the overall problems the Board aims to address. We have always taken a reasonable approach to redistrictingand thank you for the consideration of our concerns. We will continue to pay close attention during the Board meetings and will provide updated feedback as new considerations arise or additional concerns are identified. We implore you to remember Polygon 127's recent redistricting in the 2018-2019 school year, ask that you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguous stable feeds for Polygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Wesley Rowh Polygon 127 Dear BOE members, As a father of two young children, I would like to provide as much predictability and stability to them. really appreciate that Dr. Wu's incorporated feeder system in his proposed plan. The plan addresses overcrowding issue, balances FARM numbers and has minimal impact to communities by moving much less students compared to the superintendent's plan and Ms. Mallo's plan. Please use his plan as a starting point for future work sessions. Thank you, Xuewu Caj Ploygon #2028 Dear BOE members, As a mother of two young children, I would like to provide as much predictability and stability to them. I really appreciate that Dr. Wu's incorporated feeder system in his proposed plan. The plan addresses overcrowding issue, balances FARM numbers and has minimal impact to communities by moving much less students compared to the superintendent's plan and Ms. Mallo's plan. Please use his plan as a starting point for future work sessions. Thank you, Jianfang Wang Ploygon #2028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Daisy Liu Dear BOE members, Thanks for all board members spending countless hours on this redistricting, special thanks to DrWu and Ms Mallo for presenting the proposal last night. Between the two proposal last night, I strongly recommend to use Dr. Wu's plan as starting point, which is least disruptive, more cost effective ( given us HCPSS budget concern), and common sense focusing on moving overcrowding school to under capacity school. On the other hand, Ms Mallo's proposal is quite similar to Dr Martinaro's plan, massive redistricting by moving 7300 students, breaking up the communities and ignoring the community feedback through emails, public testimony, not considering the transportation cost. Ms Malta's plan divided polygon 186& 1186 into 2 different feeds. 186 to Clarksville Middle, and 1186 to Harpers Choice. 186 and 1186 are always one cohesive community historically on trotter road with 1000 acre natural barrier of Middle Patuxent Environment Area. This creates unnecessary inconsistent feed which will lead to future redistricting issues when HS13 comes. We are strongly against it! Please keep 1186 at Clarksville Middle and thanks for your consideration! Respectfully, Wei Dai Polygon 1186 Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members, I am writing this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redistricting posted byJen Mallo on her Facebookpage (httES;//wwv;.facebook.com/ienmallo4boe/). Though, I am grateful for the BOE'stime and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues. First, the total movement of 7, 300students is too large of an impactfor redistricting in SY2020-2021 when HS13 will open shortly in 2023. Considering that Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (-7, 400), I believe Ms. Mallo's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSSalready hasa limited budget where certain programs (e. g., technology) and staff(e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently. Although I acknowledge Ms. Malta's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced asthe number one priority. Keepingthese highlydiverse neighborhoodstogether intheir neighborhoodschools directly upholdsthe standardsin Policy6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographiccharacteristics, minimizingthe numberof students moved, andoptimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside oftheir communities without addressing the root causeof the achievementgap places greater barriersto student achievement. Movingany child away from their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good. I would also liketo remind the BOEthat through online surveys, community input sessions inJuly, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strong feeds from one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not be aligned with the Howard County community's input. In closing, I urgethe BOEto consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I askthe BOEto consider choice-based alternative methods such as Magnet schoolsand Controlled ChoicePolicies to addressequity insteadof just redistricting. Thesealternative methods can be developed aswe waitfor the availability of HS13and concurrently implemented with its opening. Thank you, District 4 Voter: Steve Zhang Polygon # 2028 Dear Board Members, Thank you for serving on the Board of Education. We value your commitment and your support for the education of Howard County children. I am a resident of Polygon 127 and am writing to express concern regarding Board Member Mallo'stest scenariosthat would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES- WLMS-AHS.I also would encouragethe Boardto explore Board MemberWu's test scenariosas they appear to address several goals of the Board while still preparing the County for the inclusion of High School #13. My specific concerns with Board Member Mallo's test scenarios are: The scenarios would undo the successful 2017 redistricting that fixed the small feed problem for Polygon 127: In 2017, our polygon was redistricted from Clemens Crossing ES and Lime Kiln MS to Pointers Run ES and Clarkesville MS (took effect for the 2018-2019 school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behind the Board's decision to redistrict our community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMSto fix the small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Malta's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed. I oppose Board Member Malta's scenariosand support keeping Polygon 127 with its current large feed of PRES-CMS for elementary and middle school. 1 Four schools in four years is untenable and directly violates Policy 6010: Current sixth graders in Polygon 127 would be expected to attend four schools in as many years under Board Member Malta's approach: o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES (CCES) o 5th grade at Pointers Run ES(PRES) o 6th grade at Clarksville MS (CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS) Therefore, Board Member Mallo's approach would violate the goals of Policy 6010(IV. B. 2. ), which states the Board will make "every attempt to not move a student more than once at any school level or the same student more frequently than once every five years." This policy is important to our neighborhood because in the 2018-2019school yearwe experienced firsthand the impact and challenges redistricting presents as our children worked to adjust to new academic environments and friend groups after the last redistrlcting decision. For these same children to endure another redistrictingjust a few years later places an extreme burden on them. . Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability now and in the future: Moving our children yet again to a new middle school just two years after the last redistricting for our neighborhood would be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now built at PRES-CMS. Further, moving our community to WLMS does not support long term stability in light of the current and future development near Downtown Columbia and to the east. As a result of that growth, it's reasonable to conceive that our polygon could be subject to additional redistricting in the near future if we are moved to WLMS now. All plans and scenarios to date (except for Board Member Mallo's scenarios) recognize these factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS. In contrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Mallo's scenarios, Board Member Wu's scenarios appear to take a holistic and long-term approach to redistricting and should be further explored. This should include exploration of the testing scenario that would keep Polygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS-AHS. The Superintendent's proposal (moves Polygon 127 from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES-CMS-River Hill HS) also could support long term stability for our polygon. If the Superintendent's plan is advanced, please consider an exception for our current students at AHS to stay at the school If they provide their own transportation. Such an exception should include current freshman because they would otherwise be required to attend four schools in four years (7th grade at LKMS, 8th grade at CMS, 9th grade at AHS, and 10th grade at RHHS). It is important to note that the potential for stability I mention in both the Superintendent's plan and in Board Member Wu's plan would only exist if all of the changes included in those plans are made. Singular changes to the Superintendent's plan or to Board Member Wu's scenarios would jeopardize the stability the plans are designed to enable and could potentially exacerbate the overall problems the Board aims to address. We have always taken a reasonable approach to redistricting and thank you for the consideration of our concerns. We will continue to pay close attention during the Board meetings and will provide updated feedback as new considerations arise or additional concerns are identified. We implore you to remember Polygon 127's recent redistricting in the 2018-2019 school year, ask that you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguous stable feeds forPolygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Wesley Rowh Polygon 127 Dear BOE members, I am Jianfang Wang from polygon 2028. am a registered voter of District 4. It'sonly abouttwo monthssince the superintendent proposed the redistrictingplan, but it hasbeen a long and hard time for Howard County residents. Based on thousands ofemails and mails, hundreds of testimonies and dozensof protests, the superintendent's plan is selective data driven, lack ofevidence, poor in logic, underestimating the consequence, short of budget and overlook of residents interests. Fortunately, the peoplevoted BOEmembers would listen to the voice ofthe current residentsand think about the credible alternative policy. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are part ofVillage of River Hill and feeders ofClarksville Middle School (CMS). The superintendent's plan intends to move polygons 28-1028- 2028 to be feeders of Harper Choice Middle School (HCMS) and move HCMS students to CMS. I'd like to reinstate why BOE should keep children from polygon 28-1028-2028 at CMS. Figure 1. Map of Polygon 28-1028-2028. 20-30 -nin *s'-s .<. --:VMS ^ r'5.-;-.;. 's Choice .,, c!. ;i^ ^;^j, ; ^;, e,,j C!>;r':svtt!?. SS S'v-'nlli-.S 1028 2>.'28 . (.;;; Vilk^j ;F :<;-?.'"!!; \ Ciar:.s";i!^ il;iid0i2 S;[;o Sincerely, Jianfang Wang Polygon 2028 Dear Board Members, Thank you for serving on the Board of Education. We value your commitment and your support for the education of Howard County children. I am a resident of Polygon 127 and am writing to express concern regarding Board Member Mallo's test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES-CMS-AHSto PRES- WLMS-AHS. I also would encourage the Board to explore Board Member Wu's test scenarios as they appearto addressseveral goals ofthe Board while still preparingthe Countyfor the inclusion of High School #13. My specific concerns with Board Member Mallo's test scenarios are: The scenarios would undo the successful 2017 redistricting that fixed the small feed problem for Polygon 127: In 2017, our polygon was redistricted from Clemens Crossing ES and Lime Kiln MS to Pointers Run ES and Clarkesville MS (took effect for the 2018-2019 school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behind the Board's decision to redistrict our community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMS to fix the small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Malta's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed. I oppose Board Member Mallo's scenarios and support keeping Polygon 127 with its current large feed of PRES-CMSfor elementary and middle school. Four schools in four years is untenable and directly violates Policy 6010: Current sixth graders in Polygon 127 would be expected to attend four schools in as many years under Board Member Mallo's approach: o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES (CCES) o 5th grade at Pointers Run ES (PRES) o 6th grade at Clarksville MS (CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS) Therefore, Board Member Malta's approach would violate the goals of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ), which states the Board will make "every attempt to not move a student more than once at any school level or the same student more frequently than once every five years. " This policy is important to our neighborhood because in the 2018-2019 school year we experienced firsthand the impact and challenges redistricting presents as our children worked to adjust to new academicenvironments and friend groups afterthe last redistricting decision. Forthese same children to endure anotherredistricting just a fewyears later places an extreme burden on them. Moving our polygon again negativelyimpacts stability now and in the future: Moving our children yet again to a new middle school just two years after the last redistricting for our neighborhood would be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now built at PRES-CMS. Further, moving our community to WLMS does not support long term stability in light of the current and future development near Downtown Columbia and to the east. As a result of that growth, it's reasonable to conceive that our polygon could be subject to additional redistricting in the near future if we are moved to WLMS now. All plans and scenariosto date (except for Board Member Mallo's scenarios) recognizethese factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS. In contrast to our concerns regardingBoard Member Malta's scenarios, Board MemberWu's scenarios appear to take a holistic and long-term approach to redistricting and should be further explored^ Thisshould include exploration ofthe testing scenario thatwould keep Polygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS-AHS. The Superintendent's proposal (moves Polygon 127 from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES-CMS-River Hill HS)also could support longterm stabilityfor our polygon. Ifthe Superintendent's plan is advanced, please consider an exception for our current students at AHSto stay at the school If they provide their own transportation. Such an exception should include current freshman eca"sctheYwould otherwise berequired to attend fourschools infour years (7th gradeat LKMS,8th grade at CMS,9th gradeat AHS, and 10thgrade at RHHS). It is important to note thatthe potential forstability I mention in boththe Superintendent's plan and in Board Member Wu'splan would onlyexist ifall ofthe changes included in those plansare made. Singular changes to the Superintendent's plan or to Board Member Wu's scenarios would jeopardize the stability the plans are designed to enable and could potentially exacerbate the overall problems the Board aims to address. We have always taken a reasonable approach to redistricting and thank you for the consideration ofour concerns. Wewill continue to pay close attention during the Board meetings and will provide updated feedback as new considerations arise or additional concerns are identified. We implore you to remember Polygon 127's recent redistricting in the 2018-2019 school year, askthat you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguous stable feeds for Polygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS. Thank you for your consideration. -. ;:!,.: ... ^..' Sincerely, Brianne Rowh Polygon 127 Dear HCPSSBoard of Education Members, I am writingthis letterto expressmy concern andopposition to the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redistricting posted byJen Mallo on her Facebook page (https://www. facebook. com/ienmalto4boeZ). Though, I am grateful for the BOE's time and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues. First,the total movement of7, 300students istoo largeof an impactfor redistricting in SY2020-2021 when HS13will open shortly in 2023. Consideringthat Dr. Martirano'sproposed plan will move similar number of students (-7, 400), I believe Ms. Mallo's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSSalready hasa limited budget where certain programs (e.g.,technology) andstaff (e. g., paraeducators) hadto becut recently. Although I acknowledgeMs. Malta's proposed plan may reducethe individual school capacities,the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sendingstudents outside oftheir communities without addressing the root cause ofthe achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child awayfrom their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good. I would also like to remind the BOEthat through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strongfeeds from oneschool level to the next, and minimizedtransportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Malta's proposal would not bealigned withthe Howard County community's input. Inclosing, I urgethe BOEto consideralternative redistricting plansthat better balance emergency capacityissues with community continuity in mind andwait to do anymajor redistricting until HS13is available. Furthermore, I askthe BOEto considerchoice-based alternative methods suchas Magnet schoolsand Controlled ChoicePolicies to addressequity insteadof just redistricting. Thesealternative methods can be developed aswe wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening. Thank you, District 4 Voter: Jianfang Wang Polygon # 2028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: NAILAH-DAVIDWagner Hello, My name is NailahWagner, andour family lives in polygon 1135. Wehave three daughters ages 6, 3 and 10 months old. I support the plan proposed by Superintendent Martirano because navigating diversity is a critical skill for children today and adults of the future - our children need that exposure to help them develop core competencies li!(e character, critical thinking, empathy, problem so'ving, and creativity. We have chosen private school to date because of the inequity that is present in Howard County Schools. When we moved to Maryland 4 years ago, we chose Howard County, and Columbia in particular, because of its diversity. We also chose this location because we were told by numerous people that "all schools in Howard County are great, and diverse". However, we have been incredibly disappointed by the lack of "diversity" present in the public schools, and the fact that the schools are far from all being "great". What we've seen, is that in most cases the schools are either majority white/asian, or majority Black/African American, with virtually no in-between. So we proactively made the decision to choose a diverse environment for our children to attend school; but our strong preference would be to do that within our public schools, and given the abundance of diversity in our community, and county, this should be the norm and expectation for our schools. We fully support the plan's goal of re-integrating the schools and providing a stronger, more diverse environment for our children to grow and develop. As an Executive and Leadership coach, I know, first hand, the value and impact of diverse teams in work places - but we need to prepare our children for those environments, and that starts in our school system. Research has shown that diverse teams AND schools are more innovative, have better (market) performance, foster more thoughtful discourse and are simply smarter. Attending a diverse school also gives children broader perspectives and helps them to learn how to form stronger bonds with people from different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Let's move forward with the plan and help to ma::3 ;he statement, "hovi/ard Couiitv School are al! great end diverse" an ectual truth. These decisions will, and have to, create a little tension and that will cause some initial discomfort, however, if we make diyersjtv a priority and invest the resources of both county and communitv/parents to make it successful, the benefits will far outweieh the costs. Nailah Wagner Kathleen V. Hanks From: A B Dear Board of Education members, I am writing this email to express concern regarding the latest redistricting plan by Ms. Mallo. have difficulty supporting a plan that is moving my polygon awayfrom a school in close proximity of 1. Smilesto a school over 6 miles away, so my kids will have to get up earlier so they can sit in a bus for a longer commute time going to school and coming backfrom school. This plan does not appearto decreasethe number of students that will be affected, compared to the plan proposed by Dr. Martirano. We need a plan that also keeps community boundaries, which this does not, as it separating sister neighborhoods of 176 and 3176. Please reject the plan proposed by Ms. Mallo. Thank you for your time and effort, Abhijit Bhatia, MD Polygon 176 (Walnut Creek) Kathleen V. Hanks From: Krupesh Patel Dear BOE Members, I write with concern about the recent redistricting plan proposed by Ms. Mallo which is problematic for several reasons. I recognize that Ms. Mallo tried hard to come up with a new plaii recognizing the flaws in Dr. Martirano's plan and I certainly respect her effort and time spent. However, the plan proposed by Dr. Wu is a better solution and complies with Policy 6010. I know yourjob is a hard one but I urge you to reject Ms. Mallo's plan and adopt Dr. Wu's plan on the following grounds: Number of Students Impacted: Ms. Malta's plan moves approximately the same number of students, if not more, than Dr. Martirano s plan. Any new plan should move the least amount of student necessary to minimize disruption to our students and communities while addressing overcrowding. Dr. Wu has presented a plan that moves significantly less students (about 3000) while addressing overcrowding aiid maintaining FARM ratios that are not substantially different from those in Ms. Mallo's plan. Fiscal Responsibility: Dr. Wu's plaii is more fiscally responsible because it moves less students and will result in significantly less cost to the school system. The school system is facing significant budget shortfalls and we cannot afford the substantial financialdistress thatwill be causedby adoptingMs. Mallo's plan (or Dr. Martirano's plan). I knowyou are fully aware that our schools cannot farther cut resources for our kids. Policy 6010 Factors Re: Contiguous Communities: Dr. Wu's plan better maintains community boundaries and feeds per the requirements of Policy 6010. By way ofexainple, Ms. Mallo unnecessarily breaks up contiguous communities like the Walnut communities off of Sheppard Lane- Polygons 3 176 (Walnut Grove) and 176 (Walnut Creek). Ms. Mallo proposes to keep Polygon 3176 at River Hill andmove Polygon 176to WildeLake. Both polygons are part ofthe samecommunity. Both polygons share a bus stop. Part of Walnut Creek physically resides in die Walnut Grove community andcan only be accessed by entering Walnut Grove. The entrances for both communities are offSheppard Lane. Ms. Mallo incorrectly believesthat the entrance for Walnut Creek is on Homewood Road/Folly Quarter Road and there is no entrance on that road for Walnut Creek. Ms. Mallo incorrectly believes that we can take Homewood Road to reduce traffic but fails to realize that the traffic circle present on Homewood would be a nightmare in the morning with increased traffic in that direction. The feeds for Polygon 3176 and 176 under Ms. Malta's proposed plan are not consistent with the requirements of Policy 6010. Polygon 1 76 would have a very small feedto Wilde Lake under Ms. Mallo's plan. Polygon 3176 would have an even smaller feedto River Hill becausethese students would be the only ones coming from Folly Quarter Middle School to River Hill. Polygon 176 is approximately 1. 5 miles from River Hill High School and River Hill is undercapacity. There is no reason to move these students out of River Hill even under the domino effect considerations. It makes no sense to move students from an undereapacity school to more crowded schools that are East. Students in this areashould be moved West, if necessai-y, to alleviate overcrowding. Student in Polygon 176and 3176 are friends and frequently carpooltogether for afterschool activities. Personally, 1 am in a carpool for my daughter's Girls ontlie Run team and our carpool includes kids in both Polygon 176 and 3176. We are one community. Due Process Concerns: Ms. MaIIo's plaii moves significaiitly more new polygons who were not interested parties in prior hearings and likely did not participate because they were not impacted (i.e. they were not interested parties). They have not had a chance to comment on the redistricting proposal and tlms would be deprived of due process. Under Ms. Malta's plan, she moves 53 new polygons at the elementaiy school level, 32 polygons at the middle school level and 26 polygons at the high school level. HS 13: Dr. Wu's plan considers the opening of High School 13 and is aimed at reducing double moves. Ms. Mallo's plan does not make this consideration. Developer Impact: Ms. Mallo's plan is too aggressive in addressing overcrowding and does more than is necessary to resolve of overcrowding issues. Instead of "balancing" overcrowding, she attempts to reduce overcrowding so much that she is creating opportunities for developers to further destroy our County with this irresponsible over-development. I would be remiss if I did not say that we developers have hijacked the redistricting process to advance their development goals. They are funding tile "equity in om- schools" debate to advance their agenda and supporting a false narrative that redisti'icting will improve equity in our schools. ]t will not. See No. 5 below. I support equity in our schools but we need to address tlie right way. See No. 6 below. EQUITY: Ms. Mallo's plan - like Dr. Martirano's plan - does not improve equity for our FARM students. Overcrowding and equity are two separate issues that both need to be addressed separately as recognized most recently by the Howard County State Delegation. State legislators Clarence Lam and Terri Hill have proposed separate legislation which logically separates balancing utilization and capacity from addressing the achievement gap, while also aiming to address both important issues efficiently and appropriately. Dr. Wu's proposal most directly aligiis with those bills by prioritizing redistricting to address capacity while also targeting equity concerns in a deliberate, strategic manner. Troe equity does not involve merely balaiicing FARM ratios across schools. Under your own definition in your Policy 6010 - equitable means removing barriers to success and providing supports to those in need! Policy 6010 is not an equity plan. Policy 6010 is an overcrowdingplan andwhile you are addressingovercrowding, you should considerseveral diversity factors includingFARM ratio. FARM isjust one of six characteristics ofdiversity. Diversity and equity are two separate concepts. Diversity deals with having the right numbers composition of different groups based on many different facts as your policy states. Equity deals with removing barriers and providing support. Policy 6010 is not drafted to address equity. If you want an equity plan, then make a real one please. Please stop drinkingthe Kool-Aid. Redistrictingis not addressingequity. Developers have conflated the discussionto advance their own agenda. How do you really address equity? There is already research and evidence out there on how to address equity including the recent Noble Prize winning researchon addressingstudents in poverty andthe achievementgap. Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Michael Kremer's spent the pasttwo decades researching this issue and concluded that the best strategy for addressing the educational achievement a gap is to provide tutoring to students in need. We can do this through community partnerships bridging the resources ofthe wealthier parts of Howard County with the lower income parts. It was Noble Prize award winning research that we cannot ignore. There are other strategies as well including outlined by the National Education Association (about 5 1 strategies) on its website and none offliem including redistricting. For the reason set forth above, please reject Ms. Mallo's plan and vote instead to support Dr. Wu's plan which complies with the requirement of Policy 6010. In the alternative, please keep Polygons 176 and 3176 together at River Hill where it makes the most sense base on the factors in your Policy 60] 0. Thank you for your time and consideration and your incredible service. I know you do not do this for the money. I do appreciate your time Kathleen V. Hanks From: Jackie Brewer October 30, 2019 To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to you today in opposition of Jen Mallo's proposed redistricting plan of moving our Sebring community (polygon 132) from Clemens Crossing Elementary to Bryant Woods Elementary School. Last year, our 5-year old son Nolan was unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer. Even before telling many friends, we reached out to Ed Cosentino, our Principal at Clemens Crossing. Through the lowest low in our lives, Mr. Cosentino and the staff at Clemens Crossing helped not only us as a family, but kept a close watch on our 8-year old son Nate in supporting him emotionally and helping to keep at least one part of his life, his school, as normal as possible. The teachers, staff and everyone in that building not respected our privacy when we asked them to, but they thought of things that were so amazingly out of the box to help us. He organized the custodial staff to clean Nate's classroom several times a day so that he wouldn't bring home any extra germs in preparation of his brother starting chemotherapy. His teachers, even staff I didn't know, reached out to us in how they could help us and Nate, many which we still have such a tight bond from this experience. The school has honestly created a place outside of our home where I know my children and cared for and safe (on top of helping mold them into amazing people). Nolan, now a Kindergartener at CCES is exactly where he needs to be with a staff I know truly cares for him and keeps an extra close watch on them both. Just to add to the craziness of our last year, our2-yearold son was recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Another huge life event in which Clemens Crossing has kept our older children's lives unaffected while we struggled to stay afloat at home. When it is time for him to go to school, I sincerely hope it is at Clemens. Not only is it only Vi a mile from our home, but there is a sense of security and comfort for us as parents being so close our school if there was anything medically he needed or God forbid an emergency. Through the hell of our past year for us as parents, with the help and support of Clemens Crossing Elementary, our children remained basically unaffected and have accepted our new normal as a family without any major issues which we think mainly because of the extra TLC they received from their school. On top of the actual school, our Clemens Crossing community supported us and we have developed amazing relationships as families throughout the neighborhood. Please, please please leave our students where they are. Families deserve to stay with the communities and their support system. Our children and our family would not have survived the past year without CCES. Even writing this letter, I have tears streaming having to even consider being forced to leave our beloved neighborhood school. Please keep our kids where they are!!! We also recently have moved from another house in the Clemens Crossing district. We LOVE this school and community SO much that we sold our house on Pyramid Way (in the same district) had to patiently wait and fight for a house that went to CCES because couldn't imagine being anywhere else, we only moved in Sebring this past April!! In addition, we would have to pass 3 other elementary schools to get to Bryant Woods Elementary when we live less than ,2 mile from our current one which we LOVE walking to instead of riding the bus! My husband and I both grew up in Howard County and attended HCPSS we stayed and chose to raise our family here. We know the importance of bonds in the community for the growth and development of the next generation!!!!! I sincerely appreciate your time and consideration in reading my letter. I pray and hope that you change your proposal and keep our kids where they are supposed to be, and not just move a polygon. Sincerely, Jackie & Brian Brewer Kathleen V. Hanks From: owendtao@gmail. com Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2019 3:09 PM To: Hcpss Redistricting Subject: [External] Oppose Mrs. Mallo proposal, oppose Superintendent Martirano's plan Hi Sir/Madam, This is Dingyin Tao, living at Kingscup Ct, polygon 2148. I and my family oppose Mrs. Mallo proposal, oppose Superintendent Martirano's redistricting plan! Any proposal related with 2148 should go through public hearing and obtain the public inputs. This proposal will impact the community stability, waste kids time on commute and make more traffics. Thanks. Best regards, Dingyin Kathleen V. Hanks From: krupesh patel Dear BOE Members, I writewith concern aboutthe recent redistricting plan proposed by Ms. Mallowhich is problematic for several reasons. I recognize that Ms. Mallo tried hard to come up with a new plan recognizing the flaws in Dr. Martirano'splan and I certainlyrespect her effort and time spent. However,the plan proposed byDr. Wu is a bettersolution andcomplies with Policy6010. I knowyour job isa hardone but I urgeyou to reject Ms. Mallo's plan and adopt Dr. Wu's plan on the following grounds: Number of Students Impacted: Ms. Mallo's plan moves approximately the same number of students, if not more,than Dr. Martirano's plan. Anynew plan should move the least amount of student necessary to minimize disruption to our students and communities whileaddressing overcrowding. Dr.Wu haspresented a plan that moves significantly lessstudents (about 3000)while addressing overcrowding and maintaining FARM ratios that are not substantially different from those in Ms. Mallo's plan. Fiscal Responsibility: Dr. Wu's plan is more fiscally responsible becauseit moves less students and will result in significantly less cost to the school system. The school system isfacing significant budget shortfalls and we cannot afford the substantial financial distress that will be caused by adopting Ms. Mallo's plan (or Dr. Martirano's plan). I knowyou arefully awarethat our schools cannotfurther cut resources for our kids. Policy6010 Factors Re: Contiguous Communities: Dr. Wu's plan better maintains community boundaries and feeds per the requirements of Policy 6010. Byway of example, Ms. Mallo unnecessarily breaks up contiguous communities like the Walnut communities offof Sheppard Lane - Polygons3176 (Walnut Grove) and 176(Walnut Creek). Ms. Malloproposes to keep' Polygon3176 at RiverHill and move Polygon 176to WildeLake. Bothpolygons are part of the same community. Both polygons share a bus stop. Part of Walnut Creek physically resides in the Walnut Grove community and can only be accessed by entering Walnut Grove. The entrances for both communities are off ppard Ms' Ma"° believes that the ie _Lane' ir":orrect'y entrance for Walnut Creek is on Homewood Road/Folly Quarter Roadand there isno entrance on that roadfor Walnut Creek. Ms. Mallo incorrectly believesthat we cantake Homewood Road to reducetraffic but fails to realizethat the traffic circle present on Homewood would be a nightmare in the morning with increased traffic in that direction. Th^feeds. for.polygon 3176_and 176under Ms- MaNO's proposed planare not consistent withthe requirements . -p.o-,icy60w' polygon 176would havea very small feed to WildeLake under Ms. Mallo-s plan. Polygon 3176 would^have aneven smaller feedto River Hill becausethese students would bethe onlyone7coming?rom" Foily Quarter Middle School to River Hill. po.lygor1^76 isaPProximately ''-5miles from RiverHill HighSchool and River Hill is undercapadty. Thereis no reason to move these students out of River Hill even underthe domino effect considerations. It makes no sense to move students from an undercapacity school to more crowded schools that are East. Students in this area should be moved West, if necessary, to alleviate overcrowding. Student in Polygon 176 and 3176 are friends and frequently carpool together for afterschool activities. Personally, I am in a carpool for my daughter's Girls on the Run team and our carpool includes kids in both Polygon 176 and 3176. We are one community. Due Process Concerns: Ms. Mallo's plan moves significantly more new polygons who were not interested parties in prior hearings and likely did not participate becausethey were not impacted (i.e. they were not interested parties). They have not had a chanceto comment on the redistricting proposal and thus would be deprived of due process. Under Ms. Mallo's plan, she moves 53 new polygons at the elementary school level, 32 polygons at the middle school level and 26 polygons at the high school level. HS 13: Dr. Wu's plan considers the opening of High School 13 and is aimed at reducing double moves. Ms. Mallo's plan does not make this consideration. Developer Impact: Ms. Mallo's plan is too aggressive in addressing overcrowding and does more than is necessary to resolve of overcrowding issues. Instead of "balancing" overcrowding, she attempts to reduce overcrowding so much that she is creating opportunities for developers to further destroy our County with this irresponsible over-development. I would be remiss if I did not say that we developers have hijacked the redistricting process to advance their development goals. They are funding the "equity in our schools" debate to advance their agenda and supporting a false narrative that redistricting will improve equity in our schools. It will not. See No. 5 below. I support equity in our schools but we need to address the right way. See No. 6 below. EQUITY: Ms. Mallo's plan - like Dr. Martirano's plan - does not improve equity for our FARM students. Overcrowding and equity are two separate issues that both need to be addressed separately as recognized most recently by the Howard County State Delegation. State legislators Clarence Lam and Terri Hill have proposed separate legislation which logically separates balancing utilization and capacity from addressing the achievement gap, while also aiming to address both important issues efficiently and appropriately. Dr. Wu's proposal most directly aligns with those bills by prioritizing redistricting to address capacity while also targeting equity concerns in a deliberate, strategic manner. True equity does not involve merely balancing FARM ratios across schools. Under your own definition in your Policy 6010 - equitable means removing barriers to success and providing supports to those in need! Policy 6010 is not an equity plan. Policy6010 is an overcrowding plan and whileyou are addressing overcrowding, you should consider several diversity factors including FARM ratio. FARM isjust one of six characteristics of diversity. Diversity and equity are two separate concepts. Diversity deals with having the right numbers composition of different groups based on many different facts as your policy states. Equity deals with removing barriers and providing support. Policy 6010 is not drafted to address equity. If you want an equity plan, then make a real one please. Please stop drinking the Kool-Aid. Redistricting is not addressing equity. Developers have conflated the discussion to advance their own agenda. hlow do you really address equity? There is already research and evidence out there on how to address equity including the recent Noble Prize winning research on addressing students in poverty and the achievement gap. Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Michael Kremer's spent the past two decades researching this issue and concluded that the best strategy for addressing the educational achievement a gap is to provide tutoring to students in need. We can do this through community partnerships bridging the resources of the wealthier parts of Howard County with the lower income parts. It was Noble Prize award winning research that we cannot ignore. There are other strategies as well including outlined by the National Education Association (about 51 strategies) on its website and none of them including redistricting. For the reason set forth above, please reject Ms. Malta's plan and vote instead to support Dr. Wu's plan which complies with the requirement of Policy 6010. In the alternative, please keep Polygons 176 and 3176 together at River Hill where it makes the most sense base on the factors in your Policy 6010. Thank you for your time and consideration and your incredible service. I know you do not do this for the money. Kathleen V. Hanks From: David Koonce My name isDavid Koonce. live inthe Farsidecommunity with mywife and two Elementary School agedsons. I am writing to you to tell you that I support Dr. Wu's latest plan for redistricting. Wehave lived in the Farsideneighborhood since 2011, havingmoved from Columbia. We havecome to love our neighborhood andour school community andfriends. Overthe lastfew years, while attending TRES(in Ms Delmont- Small'sCluster Assignment) welearned that our oldest son has needs that require the support of an IEP. After5 yearsat TRES, I truly belreve theonly reasonwe are where we are with hissuccess at school isbecause of the school community apart °f (and the fact that hel s an littte The staff we. are. amazin8 man!) at TRES has been incredible and are already helping us prepare for the transition to FQMS, which luckily is right next door and will be familiar to him. Our son's friendshipshave developed overthe last5 yearsand those friendships along with the support ofthe families we have met area critical partof our lives. Theyare intertwined. Nowhis little brother isin school withhim as a 1stgrader. We lookforward to the transition fromTRES to FQMand then onto RHHSas we planned when we moved to this"part~of Howard County. You are about to change the trajectory of our kid's lives forever. Please don't make this a casual decision. Rememberthe cost of this redistricting while you contemplate howfar you want to busthese kids. Thecounty council needs to pass a budget too. Don'tforget the great impact lengthy bussingwill haveon them. Best regards, David ]_. K-oonce Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation NMLS#480428 Office (410) 220-0205 Mobile (301) 332-3234 Fax (855) 732-7153 yf';)^-.!. "p._?. iC-i.- dkoonceSifairwaymccom My Website Secure Online Anplication Home Scouting Report Sign UP C^.-aCE__ Confidentiality Notice: The information contained in and transmtted with this communlcsSon is strict'yconfidentisl. is Intended only for the useofthe intended recipient, and is the prcperty of Fairway IndependentMortgage Corporation or its affiliates and subsidiaries, ff you are no! the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any use of ttie Inform aBon contalnedin ortransmlttedwith the communlcaticnordlssenination. distn Butlon. or copying o( this communicaBon is strictly prohibited by law. ff you have received this communication in error, please Immediately return this communicationto the sender and delete the original message and any copy of it in your possession. Juanyu Jiang ff 1028 Dear BOE members, This is JuanyuJiang from Polygon 1028. First of all, I'd like to thank you for working so hard on the school redistricting plan. I understand that you need to make some changes to help the overcrowding issue. However, I urge the board to make necessary and minimal changes only. Extensive or disruptive school redistricting always brings pain and mess to the students and the communities. We have lived in River Hill for 15 years, we choose to live here because of the location, want my children to go to CES, CMS, and RHHS, these are the nearest schools to our home. I don't want them to be redistricted because this will have negative impact on them and me. Please keep River Hill community together! Please keep 28-1028-2028 at Clarksville Middle School! After watching the previous work sessions online, I strongly support Mrs. Delmont-Small and Dr. Wu. They really care about the students and education. They put our students' needs first. Dr. Wu's proposal moves the minimum number of students necessary to balance the capacity of schools which is least disruptive. On the other hand, I am very disappointed with Mrs. Taj, Mrs. Ellis and Mr. Mattirano. Please do not move students base on your political or personal interest! Sincerely, Juanyujjang Kathleen V. Hanks From: Anya V Dear BOE Members, I write with concern aboutthe recent redistrictingplan proposed by Ms. Mallo which is problematic for several reasons. I recognize that Ms. Mallo tried hard to come up with a new plan recognizing the flaws in Dr. Martirano s plan and I certainly respect her effort and time spent. However, the plan proposed by Dr. Wu is a better solution and complies with Policy 6010. I know yourjob is a hard one but I urge you to reject Ms. Mallo's plan and adopt Dr. Wu's plan on the following grounds: Number of Students Impacted: Ms. Mallo's plan moves approximately the same number of students, if not more, than Dr. Martirano' s plan. Any new plan should move the least amount of student necessary to minimize disruptionto our students and communities while addressingovercrowding. Dr. Wu has presented a plan that moves significantlyless students (about 3000) while addressingovercrowding andmaintaining FARM ratios that are not substantially different from those in Ms. Mallo's plan. Fiscal Responsibility: Dr. Wu's plan is more fiscally responsible because it moves less students and will result in significantly less cost to the school system. The school system is facing significant budget shortfalls and we cannot affordthe substantial financial distress that will be causedby adoptingMs. Mallo's plan (or Dr. Martirano's plan). I know you are fully awarethat our schools cannot further cut resources for our kids. Policy 6010 Factors Re: Contiguous Communities: Dr. Wu's plan better maintains community boundaries and feeds per the requirements of Policy 6010. By way of example, Ms. Mallo unnecessarily breaks up contiguous communities like the Walnut communities offofSheppard Lane - Polygons 3176 (Walnut Grove) and 176 (Walnut Creek). Ms. Mallo proposes to keep Polygon 3176 at River Hill and move Polygon 176 to Wilde Lake. Both polygons are part of the same community. Both polygons share a bus stop. Part of Walnut Creek physically resides in the Walnut Grove community and can only be accessed by entering Walnut Grove. The entrances for both communities are off Sheppard Lane. Ms. Mallo incorrectly believes that the entrance for Walnut Creek is on Homewood Road/Folly Quarter Road and there is no entrance on that road for Walnut Creek. Ms. Mallo incorrectly believes that we can take Homewood Road to reduce traffic but fails to realize that the traffic circle present on Homewood would be a nightmare in the morning with increased traffic in that direction. The feeds for Polygon 3176 and 176 under Ms. Mallo's proposed plan are not consistent with the requirements of Policy 6010. Polygon 176 would have a very small feed to Wilde Lake under Ms. Mallo's plan. Polygon 3176 would have an even smaller feed to River Hill because these students would be the only ones coming from Folly Quarter Middle School to River Hill. Polygon 176 is approximately 1 . 5 miles from River Hill High School and River Hill is undercapacity. There is no reason to move these students out of River Hill even under the domino effect considerations. It makes no sense to move students from an undercapacity school to more crowded schools that are East. Students in this areashould be moved West, if necessary, to alleviate overcrowding. Student in Polygon 176 and3176 are friends andfrequently carpool together for afterschool activities. Personally, I am in a carpool for my daughter's Girls on the Run team and our carpool includes kids in both Polygon 176 and 3176. We are one community. Due Process Concerns: Ms. Mallo's plan moves significantly more new polygous who were not interested parties in prior hearingsand likely didnot participate becausethey werenot impacted (i.e. they were not interested parties). They havenot hada chanceto comment onthe redistrictingproposal andthus would be deprived of due process. Under Ms. Mallo's plan, she moves 53 newpolygons at the elementary school level, 32 polygons at the middle school level and 26 polygons at the high school level. HS 13: Dr. Wu's plan considers the opening of High School 13 and is aimed at reducing double moves. Ms. Mallo's plan does not make this consideration. Developer Impact: Ms. Mallo's plan is too aggressive in addressingovercrowding and doesmore than is necessaryto resolve ofovercrowding issues. Insteadof "balancing" overcrowding, she attempts to reduce overcrowding so muchthat sheis creatingopportunities for developers to further destroy our County withthis irresponsible over-development. I wouldbe remiss if I didnot saythat we developers havehijacked the redistricting process to advance their development goals. They are funding the "equity in our schools" debate to advance their agenda and supporting a false narrative that redistricting will improve equity in our schools. It will not. SeeNo. 5 below. I support equity in our schools but we need to address the right way. SeeNo. 6 below. EQUITY: Ms. Mallo's plan- like Dr. Martirano's plan- does not improve equity for our FARM students. Overcrowding and equity are two separate issues that both need to be addressed separately as recognized most recently by the Howard County State Delegation. State legislators Clarence'Lam and Terri Hill have proposed separate legislation which logically separates balancing utilization and capacity from addressingthe achievement gap, while also aimingto addressboth important issues efficiently and appropriately. Dr. Wu's proposal most directly aligns with those bills by prioritizing redistricting to address capacity while also targeting equity concerns in a deliberate, strategic manner. True equity doesnot involve merely balancingFARM ratios acrossschools. Underyour owndefinition in your Policy 6010 - equitable means removing barriers to success andproviding supports to those in need! Policy 6010 is not anequity plan. Policy 6010 is anovercrowding plan andwhile you are addressing overcrowding, you should consider several diversity factors including FARM ratio. FARM isjust one of six characteristics ofdiversity. Diversity andequity are two separate concepts. Diversity dealswith having the right numbers composition ofdifferent groups based on many different facts as your policy states. Equity deals withremoving barriersand providing support. Policy 6010is not draftedto address equity. Ifyou want an equity plan, then make a real oneplease. Please stop drinkingthe Kool-Aid. Redistricting is not addressingequity. Developers haveconflated the discussion to advance their own agenda. How do you really address equity? There is alreadyresearch and evidence outthere onhow to addressequity includingthe recentNoble Prize winningresearch on addressingstudents inpoverty andthe achievement gap. Abhijit Banerjee, EstherDuflo, andMichael Kremer's spentthe past two decades researching this issueand concluded that the best strategy for addressingthe educational achievement a gapis to providetutoring to students inneed. We can do this through community partnerships bridging the resources of the wealthier parts of Howard County with the lower income parts. It was Noble Prize award winning research that we cannot ignore. There are other strategies as well including outlined by the National Education Association (about 5 1 strategies) on its website and none of them including redistricting. For the reason set forth above, please reject Ms. Mallo's plan and vote instead to support Dr. Wu's plan which complies with the requirement of Policy 6010. In the alternative, please keep Polygons 176 and 3176 together at River Hill where it makes the most sense base on the factors in your Policy 6010. Thank you for your time and consideration and your incredible service. I know you do not do this for the money. I do appreciate your time. Good luck this evening. Regards, Anya. V Polygon 176 (Walnut Creek Community) Regards, Anya.V Kathleen V. Hanks From: zhibozhang Dear BOB members, My name is Zhibo Zhang. I'm a resident ofthe River Hill Village, a father oftwo kids both in the HCPSS. I'mwriting this letter to sendmy strongestsupport of Dr. ChaoWu's redistricting plan.His plan focuses on _e^v,CTCapa(;ityissuemd avoids unnecessary busing of young kids. It is a verythoughtful plm. I urgeyou to considerit verycarefully anduse it asthe blueprint forthe redistricting discussion. Best, -Zhibo Zhang Associate Professor Physics Department UMBC Kathleen V. Hanks From: Adam Bahrain DearMs Mallo and Board ofEducation Members, Myname is Adam Bahrain I mi a freshman atRiver Hill High. Yourproposal ofsplitting polygon 3176 and 176into 2 different highschools will besplitting upneighbors andfriends that havegrown up together. My closest friend lives just around the corner in polygon 3176 and we arejn polygon 176, andwith your proposal hewill be going to River Hill andI would begoing to Wilde Lake. Weshare the samebus stops andhave a common entrance to the community. Your proposal will be splitting a cohesive neighborhood up. I askthat you reconsider andkeep polygons 176and 3176 together atriver Hill High. Thank you, Adam Bahrain Sent from my iPhone Kathleen V. Hanks From: Ramienski, Joseph F Dear Board Members, Thank you for serving on the Board of Education! We value your commitment and your support for the education of Howard County children. I am a resident of the Rivers Edge neighborhood which is Polygon 127 and am writing to express concern regarding Board Member Mallo's test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES-CMS-AHSto PRES-WLMS-AHS.I also would encourage the Board to explore Board Member Wu's test scenarios as they appear to address several goals of the Board while still preparing the County for the inclusion of High School #13. My specific concerns with Board Member Mallo's test scenarios are: [J The scenarios would undo the successful 2017 redistricting that fixed the small feed problem forPolygon 127: In 2017, our polygon was redistricted from Clemens Crossing ES and Lime Kiln MS to Pointers Run ES and Clarksville MS (took effect for the 2018-2019 school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behind the Board's decision to redistrict our community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMSto fix the small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Mallo s scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed. I oppose Board Member Mallo's scenarios and support keeping Polygon 127 with its current large feed of PRES-CMS for elementary and middle school. D Four schools in four years is untenable and directly violates Policy 6010: Current sixth graders in Polygon 127would be expected to attend four schools in as many years under Board Member Mallo's approach: o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES (CCES) o 5th grade at Pointers Run ES(PRES) o 6thgradeatClarksvilleMS(CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS) Therefore, Board Member Mallo's approach would violate the goals of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ), which states the Board will make "every attempt to not move a student more than once at any school level or the same student more frequently than once every five years. " This policy is important to our neighborhood because in the 2018-2019 school year we experienced firsthand the impact and challenges redistricting presents as our children worked to adjust to new academic environments and friend groups after the last redistricting decision. For these same children to endure another redistrictingjust a few years later places an extreme burden on them. D Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability now and in the future: Moving our children yet again to a new middle school just two years after the last redistricting for our neighborhood would be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now built at PRES-CMS. Further, moving our community to WLMS does not support long term stability in light of the current and future development near Downtown Columbia and to the east. As a result of that growth, it's reasonable to conceive that our polygon could be subject to additional redistricting in the nearfuture if we are moved to WLMSnow. All plans and scenarios to date (except for Board Member Mallo's plan)recognize these factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS. In contrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Mallo's scenarios, Board Member Wu's scenario appears to take a holistic and long-term approach to redistricting and should be further explored, including his testing scenario that would keep Polygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS- AHS. Likewise, the Superintendent's proposal (moves Polygon 127 from AHS to PRES-CMS-River Hill HS) is also an approach that could support long term stability for our polygon. It is important to note that the stability I mention for these two plans only exists if all of the changes included in those plans are also made. Singular changes to the Superintendent's plan or to Board Member Wu's scenarios would jeopardize the stability the plans are designed to enable and could potentially exacerbate the overall problems the Board aims to solve. We have always taken a reasonable approach to redistricting and thank you for the consideration of our concerns. We will continue to pay close attention during the Board meetings and will provide updated feedback as new considerations arise or additional concerns are identified. We implore you to remember Polygon 127's recent redistricting in the 2018-2019 school year, askthat you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguous stable feeds for Polygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Joseph Ramienski Cleos Court Polygon 127 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Lisa Skarr To HCPSS Board members I'vejust learned yesterday about the possibility of my son and daughter's school being re-assigned from llchester Elementary to Waterloo Elementary (Polygon 1301, underJen Mallo's proposal). We moved here 5 yrs agoto be closer to family and our children's cousins who are ofthe same age. Where our community is located, I canwalk to llchester road and feel the school is part of our community. Its about a one minute drive down a one lane road that has residential communities on either side and no stop lights. This helps with him attending after school activities, whichwe sign him up for regularly, helps us in emergencies and makes scheduling help much easier if needed. Playdates with otherchildren at llchesterare easyto coordinate becauseso manyof the children livewithin a 1 minute drive. Mywife and I work from home a few days a week and this proximity allows us to attend special functions, meet him for lunch or schedule doctors appointments and be backin lessthan an hour. Wecan do all thisonly becausethe school isso close and easy to get to. Waterloo is not convenient for our neighborhood. Its on the other side of route 100and would probablytake us 10-15 minutes to get to based on traffic and stop lights wewould have to gothrough. In addition, his Middle School would still be Bonnie Branchwhich is literally right nextto llchester elementary in the same complex. I don't see howmoving my children to an elementary school further awayonly to have them return to the same complex for Middle school makes sense. You will be separatinghim from hisfriends for 4 years needlesslyat a crucial time in forming relationships. Its my understanding that most of Waterloo does not feed into Bonnie Branch. So any friendships my children make there will be separated as well once they move back to Bonnie Branch. I hopeyou re-considerthis possibility. Myson will be devastated ashe watches buses turn down llchester road ashe continues on to a school that is outside of his community. I have never contacted an elected official before, this is how strongly I feel. We have beenfollowing the redistrictingfor months nowand this late development hasme concerned that our voice will not properly be heard. Jonathan Skarr Concerned Parent (410) 908-7697 Email Disclaimer This E-mail contains confidential information belonging to the sender, which may be legally privileged information. This information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity addressed above. Ifyou are not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of the E-mail or attached files is strictly prohibited. Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Kathleen V. Hanks From: zhibo zhang Dear BOB members, My name is Zhibo Zhang from polygon 1028. 1 am a registered voter ofDistrict 4 and a father oftwo kids both in HCPSS. Polygons28^^)28-2028 are part of the Village of River Hill andfeeders of Clarksville Middle School (CMS) (Seeattached Figure). The superintendent's plan intendsto movepolygons 28-1028-2028 to be feeders of Harper Choice Middle School (HCMS) andmove HCMS students to CMS. I'dlike to reinstate why BOB should keep children from polygon 28-1028-2028 at CMS. First, s not an overcrowdingji issue in HCMS or CMS. According to 2019 Feasibility Study, the capacity utilizationrates ofHCMS andCMS are both less than 110%tilf2027. Evenusing superintendent's criteria, there is no reasonto swap students betweenthe two schools. Second,it isa muchshorter bus ride for polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMSthan to HCMS. As shown in Figure 1, fromthe center ofpolygons 28-1028-2028to CMS,the bus ride is less than 2 miles onsmall roads "through our' neighborhood andtakes only 7 minutes. Moreover, a middle schooler cansafely biketo school using sidewalks throughout the village andthe bike ride takes no more than 15 minutes. Onthe other hand, from the center of polygons 28-1028-2028to HCMS, the distanceis 4. 5 miles, more thandoubled the distance to CMS. Thetime spent onbus increasesto 20-30minutes becausethe bus cannot go throughthe 1021-acreMiddle Patuxent nzlronmentalArea andwi11 haveto tavei on major roads (i. e. Route108 and Harpers Farm Road) and pass 8 traffic lights to get to HCMS. Furthennore, hiking to school will no longer be an option. Longer busrides not only take awaytime forthings that are important for children's physical andmental development but^so costa lot_ofmoney. ForFY2020, without redistricting, BOEis alreadydealing witii a budget deficitof $96 million. Howwill theincreased transportation costbe funded? ofthe I ^.',Folyg Sincerely, Dr. ZhiboZhang Polygon 1028 ». t.'-3-' >ii; ; ;'t !^"::"-^ uza f..,t?a ^ * 1 Dear Board of Education, Our community thanks you for the countless hours devoted to school improvement. In response to JenMallo's proposal pleasetake a closer look at and reconsiderthe moves from Polveons 95, 301. 1095, 1301, and 2095 from Ilchester Elementary to Waterloo Elementary for the following reasons: . The Montgomery Meadows neighborhood is being divided with polygon 84 remaining at IES. . The IES to BBMS feed is currently 100%; the proposed changes will create a small feed per grade level which is in violation of policy 6010. . IES isn't overcrowded, and unlike other parts of the county, no large growth is expected in this area. It is a small, close-knit school that shares a campus with BBMS. . The proposal breaks apart these 5 polygons from a larger contiguous group and creates a small island effect with multiple different elementary schools bordering. . This is essentially a swap with polygon 76. Polygon 76 is located near WES on the other side of a major highway- route 100. This swap removes students from their community school at both IES and WES and creates small feeds to middle school for both elementary schools. . This proposal moves approximately 7300 students county wide. Montgomery Meadows is one community, and is being split in two. Neighborhoods shouldnot be split whenever possible. Goingto school with all ofyour neighbors creates strong bonds and has a positive impact on emotional well-being. When all neighbors attend the same school, parents have more of a "village" to rely on. Montgomery Road is not a dividing line in our school community. We do not feel it would be prudent to break apart a neighborhood school, that is not overcrowded, that enjoys sb-ongfeeds in favor of a weak feed. The Ilchester to Bormie Branch Middle School feed is currently 100%. Moving just a few kids from each grade from IES .to WES, only to return them back to the BBMS creates a small feed, whichis something policy 6010 specificallytries to avoid. IES isn't overcrowded, and unlike other parts of the county, no large growth is expected in this area. It is a small, close-knit school and shares a campus with Bonnie Branch Middle. Taking a small cohort of kids out of each grade doesn't achieve any particular goal, and in fact, creates a problem that didn't exist before. This is not only disruptive to students' lives, but adds more transportation costs, time, andhas a negative environmental impact. We appreciate your attention to our concerns and believe strongly that Polveons 95, 301, 1095, 1301. and 2095 should remain at Ilchester Elementary School. Sincerely, Kathryn & Matthew Cunningham, Polygon 1301 Kelley & Jonathan Flesher, Polygon 2095 Kathleen V. Hanks From: sherry ling BOE Members, I urge you to keep 1186 in CMS. Ms Malta's plan separates 1186 from 186 and sends the former to HCMS while keeping the later at CMS. These are both polygons off of trotter road. My kids in polygon 1186 can bike to their friends houses in polygon 186 using frails. Please don't break our community. I support Dr Wu's plan which is far less disruptive than the other plans discussed so far. Xiaoyun Ling Kathleen V. Hanks From: Vishnu Busireddy All, pl,easekeeP^olygon# 176at River Hill and SAVE our community, allowus to be part of the neighborhood, allow us to Volunteer at school, consider the negative impact you will enforce on kids md families! we are not \- ploygon#176JS offofSheppard Lane, having direct access from Folly Quarter or Homewood Rd. 2. Thecircle at Sheppard and Homewood takes forever to pass through during rush hours 3.Turning left to SheppardLn from Walnut creek is prone to accidents and has heavy traffic. 4. During bad weather conditions, sheppard Ln floods and traffic on homewood rdandanTs'homble and dangerous. 5' ing. G,oogleMaps' wal.Tt creek/ polygon 176is less than 2 Miles firomRiver Hill HighSchool i 6. WalnutCreek / Polygon 176is about 6 miles from WildeLake High School (WLHsV 7. Using WAZE, the commute time from 176 to Wilde Polygon Lake High Schoorw ouTd be 3x as long as the commute to River Hill High School. Hope you will hear your constituents!! Thanks, Vishnu & Neelima Busireddy 5002 CrapeMyrtle Ct, Ellicott City, MD 21042 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Kim Patrick Good morning, We are writing fo support Dr. Wu's plan for several reasons but the top two reasons are: 1) HCPSS is in poor financial shape, especially with their health fund deficit that continues to spiral out of control. Dr. Wu's plan has a much lower cost basis than the others whichwould significantly increase costs and would put additional financial strain on the school system. 2) Dr. Wu's plan is much less disruptive to smdents, parents and the school system than any other plan; therefore, preserving communities which is extremely important for the wellbeing ofthe county! Weare strongly opposing JenniferMallo's plan as it disrupts far too many children andtheir communities, is crazy expensive and logistically a busing nightmare. Our triple AAA bond rating is injeopardy due to our financial condition and spiraling Health Fund deficit. Why would we even consider such an expensive proposal??? Thankyou for focusingon the many hours ofstrong testimony againstthe radical andharmful redistricting proposals and for focusing on the two important factors above. Sincerely, Kim Patrick Polygon2176 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Huddle, Rebecca To Interested Parties, I moved farther away from my workplace (which is in Baltimore City) to Howard County two and a half years ago for the prospects of living in a safe community with outstanding schools. I chose my specific home based on proximity to the schools I find to have the characteristics of like-minded people (in terms ofwell-rounded competitiveness in sports, education, and extra-curricular activities). The actions the BOE is taking due to what I see as political posturing has made me second-guess my decision to move to this community and the vote will drive my decision whether to move away from Howard County in the future back towards Baltimore. My perceived value of residency in Howard County has decreased sienificantlv. At the high school level, Jen Mallo is moving more kids than the Super's plan which is not cost effective for the county nor does it make 'practical* sense in moving students beyond their community and away from schools that are under- utilized. Equality should give everyone ability to access to the same public resources, but that doesn't mean at the detriment or discrimination of others in the community. The BOE needs to focus on overcrowding and keeping communities together, not a political campaign that will cost millions and get shot down in a court of law. I agree with the starting point of Dr. Wu's proposal which attacks the most important factor which will make children successful at school (lessening OVERCROWDING)and minimizes movement (KEEPSCOMMUNITIES TOGETHER, REDUCES COSTS). Any other consideration regarding redistricting is not relevant as long as the public government resources are dispersed in a fair and as needed basis. LOCATION AND POPULATION DENSITY should be the MAIN determining factors. Underprivileged families should be handled by a public assistance department or relevant department outside of the BOE based on where the concentration of recipients live. There are other solutions to provide those families support besides punishing others in the community. History has shown that busing does not work. Sitting next to an affluent student is not going to help a underprivileged student to become more successful. It takes family and community support. Statistically, you might be skewing the grading curve more to put the underprivileged children who might already be struggling academically at a disadvantage for college applications and future advanced class placement. Legally, those in support of using FARM as a redistricting metric is in violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. I would also suggest that the BOE SERIOUSLY consider an overhaul on the polygon system. Many of the polygons can be consolidated based on number of students in a given area and sense of community as the county population has grown and developed in the past 5-10 years. Thank You, Rebecca T. Rowe Price (including T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. and its affiliates) and its associates do not provide legal or tax advice. Any tax-related discussion contained in this e-mail, including any attachments, is not intended or written to be used, and camiot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding any tax penalties or (ii) promoting, marketing, or recommending to any other party any transaction or matter addressed herein. Please consult your independent legal counsel and/or professional tax advisor regading any legal or tax issues raised in this e-mail. The contents of this e-mail and any attachments are intended solely for the use ofthe named addressee(s) and may contain confidential and/or privileged information. Any unauthorized use, copying, disclosure, or distribution of the contents of this e-mail is strictly prohibited by the sender and may be unlawful. If you are not the intendedrecipient, pleasenotify the sender immediately and delete this e-mail. Kathleen V. Hanks From: Ashita Singh Howard County Board of Education Members: My name is Ashita Singhand I live in Polygon 176. 1 would like to strongly urge the BOEmembers to consider keeping Polygons 176 and 3176 with River Hill High School. Per Ms. Mallo's plan, Polygon 3176 remains with River Hill High School (RHHS) while Polygon 176 is proposed to be redistricted to Wilde Lake High School (WLHS). I strongly suggest that we keep Polygon 176 with RHHS for the following reasons. The two adjacent communities, Walnut Grove (Polygon 3176) and Walnut Creek (Polygon 176) have strong ties with each other. Kids in one community are close friends with kids in the other community. There is strong bond of friendship between families across the two communities. For all practical purposes, as the name suggests, these two are really one community. Phase i ofWalnut Creek (176) is collocated with Walnut Grove (3176). The entrance to Phase i of Walnut Creek is from the entrance to Walnut Grove (3176). Currently, the students from Walnut Grove and Walnut Creek (Phase i) communities ride the same biis to RHHS. Polygon 176 is larger than other polygons as it is sparsely populated. One ofthe edges of the polygon may be near, but not on, Homewood Drive. The density of population in the polygon is in Walnut Creek community. The access to Walnut Creek is from Sheppard Lane (not Homewood Drive) and it is locatedjust 1.4 miles from KHHS. Walnut Creek (176) access is located less than half a mile north on Sheppard Lane from the access to Walnut Grove (3176). If Polygon 176 gets redistricted to WLHS, there will be significant increase in traffic on the single lane Homewood Drive as that would be the path to go to WLHS, The traffic on Homewood Drive would already be congested with other communities along Homewood Drive and Folly Quarter Roadfeeding into WLHSper Ms. Mallo's proposal. I strongly urge the BOBmembers to drive down Sheppard Laneand take a tour ofthe two communities (Walnut Grove and Walnut Creek) to really understand what I have mentioned. Splitting Walnut Grove and Walnut Creek will be nothing short of dividing a community right through the middle. Regards, Ashita Singh Polygon: 176 Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android Kathleen V. Hanks From: Jessica L. Brown Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2019 2:34 PM To: Hcpss Redistricting Subject: Polygon 127 Redistricting Dear Board Members, Asa HCPSSteacher and parent of two children in the school system, thank you for serving as a Board Member, and admire your commitment to making our school system the best it can be. I am a resident of Polygon 127 and am writingto express my serious concerns over Board member Mallo's scenariofor redistricting our polygon from CMS to WLMS. My concern is not over the school itself, as I know my children will receive a high quality education no matter what school they attend in Howard County, rather my concern isthat our neighborhood isviewed as a isolated pocket which can be picked up and moved to serve anyone's needs. Specifically, our polygon was most recently redistricted from CCES - FES- AHS to PRES - CMS - AHS. While we love where we are currently at (PRES and CMS), the students who are currently 6th graders would have been in 4 different schools (CCES PRES- CMS - WLMS) over a 4 year period if Mallo's plan is accepted. This is unacceptable and violates Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2). So many changes in school environments over such a short period of time presents many challenges as students must adjust to new friendship groups and academic expectations. It is unfair to ask our children to make another big adjustment so soon after they have finally become comfortable in their PRES - CMS environment. I humbly request that you keep Polygon 127 at CMS, and consider keeping us with the majority of the school feed that comes from PRES and CMS, and ask that you take Malta's plan off the table, am in support of Wu's plan for redistricting. Thank you, Jessica Brown Polygon 127 Chip and Deana Prosniewski Polygonll83, October 30, 2019 Dear Board Members, We are writing in support of Dr. Wu's Plan to retain our polygon 1183 along with our sister polygons 183 and 2183 at River Hill High School. We realize that no plan is perfect but believe Dr. Wu's Plan does the bestjob ofminimizing transportation costs and community disruption for the overall county by moving less than half the number of children compared to Dr. Martirano s Plan. As longtime residents ofHoward County, we understandthat redistricting hasto happen from time to time to address overcapacity while also maintaining adherence to Policy 6010's objectives of community stability and student body diversity. We understand that this is a complex and sometimes contentious process and appreciate the Board's hard work and willingness to shoulder this burden on behalf of our county's children. We especially appreciate Dr. Wu, Ms. Delmont-Small and Ms. Mallo's obvious hardwork and attention to detail in Grafting a workable solution to reduce the disruption going forward by developing a true feeder system. We strongly support further work in this area to improve predictability for parents and families in future redistrictingwaves. Maintaining fiscal responsibility by minimizing capital and operating costs is critical especially in light of continued pressure from rising healthcare costs. We are also concerned about the potential further cuts in technology instruction due to budget pressures-something we can ill afford in today's competitive landscape. We can ill afford diverting funds from technology instruction or having to layoff teachers/paraeducators to pay for more buses to swap'children between schools. We continue to support equity for socio-economic status when economically and logistically feasible. We also understand that closing the achievement gap is mostly about the teachers and parents and much less about geography and busing. Respectfully, Chip and Deana Prosniewski Kathleen V. Hanks From: MengZhu Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members, I am writing this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redistricting posted by Jen Mallo on her Facebook page (h.tns://';A. lw. fai:?^op'<.'-om/i.:'nm3!!n4bo-^). Though, am grateful for the BOE's time and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues. First, the total movement of 7, 300 students is too large of an impact for redistricting in SY 2020-2021 when HS13 will open shortly in 2023. Considering that Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (~7, 400), believe Ms. Malta's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSS already has a limited budget where certain programs (e. g., -technology) and staff (e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently. Although I acknowledge Ms. Mallo's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside of their communities without addressing the root cause of the achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child away from their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good. I would also like to remind the BOEthat through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strong feeds from one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not be aligned with the Howard County community's input. In closing, I urge the BOEto consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I ask the BOE to consider choice-based alternative methods such as Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead of just redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed as we wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening. Thank you, District 4: Meng Zhu Polygon ft 1028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: XianghuaYin DearHCPSS Board of Education Members, I^amwriting this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e.,'test scenario') forHoward County school redistricting posted byJen Mallo onher Facebook page (https://www. facebook. com/jenmallo4boe/). Though, I am grateful forthe BOE's time anddedication to the schoolredistricting process including forMs. Mallo sharingher 'test scenario', herproposal hasseveral issues. First,the total movement of7, 300students is too largeof an impact for redistricting in SY2020-2021 when HS13will openshortly in 2023. Consideringthat Dr. Martirano's proposed plan mil move similarnumber of students^~7, 400),I believeMs. Mallo's proposal will have a similarfinancial impact, which is not fiscally responsible withthe consideration thatHCPSS already has a limited budgetwhere certain programs (e. g, technology) andstaff (e. g.,paraeducators) hadto becut recently. AlthoughI acknowledgeMs. Malta's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the planwill splitcommunities and school feeds. Dividingone or more polygons from the rest of their established. cohesivecommunity neighborhood destroys the very community stabilitythat your constituents have repeatedly voicedas the number onepriority. Keepingthese highly diverse neighborhoods together intheir neighborhood' schoolsdirectly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong" feeds,minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the numberof students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sendingstudents outside of their communities without addressing theroot cause ofthe achievement gapplaces greater barriers to student achievement. Moving anychild away from their neighborhood schooland community supports doesmore harm than good. I wouldalso like to remind the BOE that through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written mdspoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value'conununity' stability,strong feeds from one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms.Mallo's proposal would not be aligned with the Howard County community's input. Inclosing, I urgethe BOE to consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issueswith community continuity inmind md wait to doany major redistricting until HS13is available. FurthCTmore, I askthe BOE to consider choice-based alternative mettiods such as Magnet schools andControlled ChoicePolicies to addressequity instead of just redistricting. Thesealternative methods canbe developed aswe wait for the availability of HS 13 and concurrently implemented withits openmg." Thank you, District 4 Voter: Xianghua Yin Polygon #28 Sent from my iPhone Kathleen V. Hanks From: Tori Marriner Dear BOE members, I am hoping that this finds you all doing well in this trying time we find ourselves in. I wanted to send you a brief email to let you know that my family is in support of Dr. Wu's plan. We feel his plan is the best, and will minimize dismption for students. Please considerthis as an alternative option for our beloved county. As I am sure you are seeing, the proposed plan from Superintendent Martirano is quite literally tearing our community apart! That and it truly doesn't make sense for our county as a whole. My personal family polygon is 2176 Our address is : 11678 Laureloak Court Ellicott City, MD 21042 My two oldest children currently are in 6th & 8th grade attending Folly QuarterMiddle. My toddler will hopefully follow in their footsteps attending TRES, Folly Quarter Middle & River Hill High. I urge you to please reconsiderthe current proposedplan from SuperintendentMartirano. Sincerely, Tori Buscher Dear Board Members, I am a resident of Polygon 127 and am concerned about Board Member Mallo's proposal that would redistrict Polygon 127 at the middle school level for the second time in two years. I encourage the Board to explore Board Member Wu's proposals, as they appear to address several goals ofthe Board while still preparing the County forthe inclusion of HighSchool #13. My specificconcerns with Board Member Malta's test scenariosare: . Theywould undo the successful 2017 redistricting that fixed the small feed problem for Polygon 127: In2017, our polygon wasredistricted from ClemensCrossing ESand LimeKiln MSto Pointers RunES and Clarksville MS, beginningin the 2018-2019school year. Our neighborhoodoverwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMSto fixthe small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Mallo's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed, from PRESto WLMS. I oppose Board Member Malta's scenarios and support keeping Polygon 127 with its current large feed of PRES-CMS. . Moving our children to a new middle school just two years after the last redistricting for our neighborhood would be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now built atCMS. Further, moving ourcommunity to WLMSdoes not support longterm stability in light of the current and future development near Downtown Columbia and to the east. As a result ofthat growth, our polygon could besubject to additional nearterm redistricting ifwe are moved to WLMS now. All proposals to date (except for Board Member Mallo's) recognize this and maintain our current feed of PRES-CMS. . Theyviolate thegoals of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ), whichstates the Boardwill make "every attempt to not move a student more than once at anyschool level or the samestudent more frequently than once every five years. " This will impact all ofour middle schoolers, but most notably our sixth graders, who would attend four schools in fouryears (4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES,5th grade at Pointers Run ES,6th grade at Clarksville MS, and 7th grade at Wilde LakeMS). ' " ---. -.. -' Board MemberWu's scenarios, on the other hand, appearto takea holisticand long-term approach to redjstricting andshould befurther explored. Thisshould include keeping Polygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS-AHS. The Superintendent's proposal, which moves Polygon 127 from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES-CMS- River Hill HS,also could support longterm stabilityfor our polygon. Pleasenote that the p?_e"!'a,l. fo.'".stab'.litY'" boththe SUPerintendent's and Board Member Wu's plans would only exist ifall ofthe changes included in those plans are made. Singular changes to either plan would jeopardize this stability and could exacerbate the problems the Board aimsto address. Thankyou for your consideration andfor your commitment to the educationof Howard County's children. Asyou continue your work, please remember Polygon 127's recent redistrictingand maintain the large and stable feeds that were established at that time by keeping us districted to PRES-CMS. Sincerely, Tally Frenkel Polygon 127 Dear Board of Education members, Thankyou for your deliberate andthoughtful development ofalternative Attendanre AreaAdJ"st^.e,ntP^ans^fo^ HowardCounty students for the upcoming school year. I amwriting to specificallysupport Board Member Dr. Chao Wu'sproposed Attendance Area Adjustment plan as an ideal starting pointfor future work sessions. Overwhelming written andverbal testimony from residents throughout Howard county, as well as feedback from resKjent'surveyrespondents, havedearly demonstrated that most residents prioritize maintainin9 c°"ti^u°us, _^^ communities, community stability and reducing overcrowding as primary factors to beaddressed byany retfrtricUng Residentfeedback over the pastfew months hasalso demonstratedthat most residents alsoj Board'o?iducation-should still attempt to reduce the high concentration of FARM numbers in specific schools, im'provesupport'ofthose community schools, but that Attendance Area Adjustment plans should only balance numbers while still prioritizing overcrowding and community stability. Board Member Dr. ChaoWu's plan incorporates all ofthese Important factors. Hisplan attempts to balance^FARM^ numbers'and overcrowding with minimal impact to communities. Most importantly, the plan^moves signiflc students compared to the Superintendent's plan and Board MemberJen Mallo's plan. Dr.wu, '^Plan Pjaces significantly iess'financial burden onan already strained HCPSSfinancial support^ystem_ which hasalready i fundingfor necessaryprograms in schools,such astechnology and ancillary teacher support. Please use Dr. Wu's plan as a starting point for future work sessions. Thank you, Name: Dalia Shlash Polygon#1028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: MengZhu Dear BOE members, As a mother of three young children, I would like to provide as much predictability and stability to them. reaNyappreciate that Dr- wuls mcorporated feeder system in his The , proposed plan. p!.an-addresses overcrowding issue, balances FARM numbers and has minimal impact to communities by moving much less students compared to the superintendent's plan and Ms. Mallo's plan. Please use his plan as a starting point for future work sessions. Thank you, Meng Zhu Polygon 1028 Re: Opposition to Ms. Jen Mallo's Redistricting Proposal Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members, I am writing this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i.e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redistricting posted by Ms. Jen Mallo on her Facebook page (imr's://',7y, 'w. faceboolc. com/iei imallo4bo;^). Though, I am grateful for the BOE's time and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues and concerns. First, the total movement of 7, 300 students is too large of an impact for redistrictmg in SY 2020-2021 when HS13 will open shortly in 2023. Considering that Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (~7, 400), I believe Ms. MaIIo's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSS already has a limited budget where certain programs (e. g., technology) and staff (e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently. Although I acknowledge Ms. Malta's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside of their communities without addressing the root cause of the achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Mloving any child away from their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good, I would also like to remind the BOE that through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strong feeds from one school level to the next, andminimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not be aligned withthe Howard County community's input. In summary, I urge the BOE to consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind. Dr. Wu's redistricting proposal is very favorable by the Howard County public (see public comments in httos://\^. w.*(.f^ceboo^. com/chaov,'u2016), and only around 3000 students will be redistricted with through consideration of all factors. Furthermore, I ask the BOE to consider choice-based alternative methods such as Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead ofjust redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed as we wait for the availability ofHSI3 and concurrently implemented with its opening. Many thanks for your work and service Sincerely, Xinming Liu Registered District 4 Voter, Polygon # 1028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Can Li Dear BOE members, Asa long-term resident of Howard County and a parent of an HCPSS student, I wish to thank you for your service to the community. During the BOE work session on Oct. 28th, several of you and Dr. Martirano expressed support for a feeder system, as it provides stability andpredictability for working familieswithin our county andI m writing to reaffirm that this stability is indeed highly desired by the people of Howard County. Given that Dr. Wu's proposed redistricting plan keeps the communities together, moves the least number of students, and is the least disruptive and the most fiscally responsible, I'm also writing to show my strong support for Dr. Wu's proposal. I strongly urge you to use Dr. Wu's plan as a starting point for future discussions on school redistricting. Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully, Can Li Polygon 1028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Grey, Matthew Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members, I am writing this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redistricting posted by Jen Mallo on her Facebook page (httcs://www. facebook. com/ienmallo4boe/). Though,I am grateful for the BOE's time and dedication to the school redistricting process Including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues. First, the total movement of 7, 300 students is too large of an impact for redistricting in SY 2020-2021 when HSlSwill open shortly in 2023. Considering that Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (~7, 400), believe Ms. Malta's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSS already has a limited budget where certain programs (e. g., technology) and staff (e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently. Although I acknowledge Ms. Mallo's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside of their communities without addressing the root cause of the achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child away from their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good. I would also like to remind the BOE that through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strong feeds from one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Malta's proposal would not be aligned with the Howard County community's input. In closing, I urge the BOE to consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I ask the BOE to consider choice-based alternative methods such as Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead of just redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed as we wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening. Thank you, Voter name: Matthew Grey Polygon # 28 Kathleen V. Hanks From: macomber_math@yahoo. com Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2019 2:10 PM To: Hcpss Redistricting Subject: [External; Opposition to Jen Mallo's Redistricting Test Scenario I am writing in opposition to Jen Mallo's Test Scenario for redistricting Howard County schools. First off, there is a severe lack of supporting documentation and rationale related to that Test Scenario. I was frustrated by howthe Superintendent's redistricting plan was provided after having open sessions for plans drastically different that what he provided but at least he provided significant documentation and rationale including 33 page powerpoint, 34 page review by Cooperative Strategies, and 386 pages of appendices on the HCPSS. org website. After searching the HCPSS website, I only found a 4 page presentation in the minutes of the 10/17/19 BoE meeting. The source of the Jen Mallo Test Scenario appears to be 4 pictures on her Facebook account - ES, MS, & HS polygon changes and school utilization percent number, along with a 1, 005 word (including spaces) three bullet rationale (httDS://www. facebook. com/ienmallo4boe/). HerTwitter & primary website did not contain any information about her proposed Test Scenario (httDS://twitter. com/ien mallo?lana=en and http://voteienmallo. com/). Spot checking the extremely limited amount of data (9 total pages) provided in the Jen Mallo's Test Scenario, here are additional comments in opposition: - The Test Scenario appears very short sighted. It puts a majority of the schools at or below 110% but it doesn't account for the growing populations of the schools that are at 110%. Using Fulton ES as an example, it moves 2 polygons to drop the percent from 111. 1 % (yellow) to 109. 0% for 2020-2021 (<20 kids) but it will be up to 116. 1 % by 2023-2024 (considered red in her chart). - The Test Scenario appears very short sighted. All High Schools are between 102. 1-110. 0% for the Mallo utilization in 2020-2021 but it has zero plan for HS #13 (Mission Dr). When HS #13 is significant HS shifts will take place, likely impacting the same polygons that would be moved underthe Mallo Test Scenario. - The Test Scenario appears very short sighted. It increases the number of schools that are above 100% significantly. For example, current utilization has 17 ES above 100% while the Mallo utilization has 24 ES above 100%. The current utilization has 7 HS over 100% while the Mallo utilization has every HS above 100% (12). - The Test Scenario does not appear to factor in feeder schools and school start times. For the Mallo Test Scenario, so ES and MS would start at the same time with MS kids getting home after ES kids (e. g. polygon 25). - The highlighting on the school utilization percent is misleading. For example, Centennial Lane ES is yellow at 113. 6% for the current utilization yet green at 110. 7% in the Mallo utilization. Using the school profile number (647 students), that is only 18 students. Of note, I am personally in a polygon that would be impacted by this Test Scenario. Moving my polygonout ofBollman Bridge ES, along with all the other Mallo recommended changes, increases the BBES FARMS numbers at BBES (which is in direct conflict with the Superintendent's plan). It does very little with the BBES utilization percent. It moves my children to another ES school and makes that new school over 100% capacity. It also results in my children riding a bus longer and passing by their current ES. My wife is the Bollman Bridge PTA President so we have devoted many hours into BBES and it seems wrong to accept the Mallo Test Scenario that moves a bulk of our school volunteers away from a Title I school to make the new school overcrowded. Outside of the personal polygon note, it seems extremely irresponsible to even consider a Test Scenario that has 9 total pages available. As a systems engineer, I expect much more analysis and transparency from the Howard County School System. Thank you for your consideration! Bruce Macomber Polygon 20 Kathleen V. Hanks From: XianghuaYin Dear BOE members, Asa fatherof two youngkids, I wouldlike to provide asmuch predictability andstability to them. I really appreciate thatDr. Wu^sincorporated feedersystem inhis proposed plan. Theplan addresses ov.ercrow.dingissue; balances FARM numbers and has minimal impact on communities'by moving'much less students compared to the superintendent's plan and Ms. Mallo's plan. Pleaseuse his plan asa startingpoint for future work sessions. Thank you, Xianghua Yin Polygon 28 Sent from my iPhone Kathleen V. Hanks From: Matt McGowan DearHCPSS Board of EducationMembers, I amwriting this letter to expressmy concern andopposition to theproposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redistricting posted by Jen Mallo on her Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/iemnallo4boe/). Though, I am gratefal for the BOE'stime anddedication to the schoolredistricting process includingfor Ms. Mallo sharingher 'test scenario', herproposal hasseveral issues. First, thetotal movement of7, 300 students is too large ofan impact for redistricting in SY2020-2021 when HS13 will open shortly in 2023. Considering that Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (-7, 400), I believe Ms. Mallo's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible withthe consideration that HCPSS already hasa limited budget where certain programs (e. g. technology) and staff(e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently. This proposal if implemented would have a massive negative impact on my family. My 13 year old daughter hasjust a fewfriends at her current middle school,but they are quality fidends built overmany years growing up together in the same community. The emotional impact ofripping her awayfrom her friends and community is not something I cancurrentfy fathom, but shedoes break downin tears atthe mention ofpossibly being removed from her school. Waking up extra early due to the additional 20-30 minutes to both ends ofher bus ridewill nothelp thetransition. I assume studieshave been completed onthe impact your decisions are anticipatedto have on youth depressionand suicide rate among our children. Pleaserelease that information to the public so we can all knowthe expected 'cost' ofyour decision. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest oftheir established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys thevery community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscalresponsibility demographiccharacteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthennore, sending students outside oftheir communities without addressing the root cause ofthe achievement gapplaces greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child away from their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good. I wouldalso liketo remindthe BOE that through online surveys, community inputsessions in July, andwritten andspoken testimony thatan overwhelming majority ofHoward County residents strongly value community stability, strong feeds from one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not be aligned withthe Howard County community's input. Inclosing I urgethe BOE to consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity inmind andwait to do anymajor redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore^ I askthe BOEto consider choice-based alternative methods suchas Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead ofjust redistricting. These alternative methods canbe developedas we wait for the availability of HS 13 and concurrently implemented with its opening. Thank you, Matt McGowan Polygon#l, 186 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Farah Noble Good afternoon Ms. Malta, and Board of Education Members, First off, I want to thank you all for your time and energy devoted to this process, and presenting an alternate plan. We understand that there will be no perfect plan, but we ask you to reconsider the issues at hand before making a decision that will adversely impact transportation, safety and traffic. Walnut Grove and Walnut Creek communities are extremely tight knit communities located on Sheppard lane, Clarksville. As resident of Walnut Creek - Phase 1 (polygon 176), we share the same access as Walnut Grove (Polygon 3176). There is a creek, a natural boundary, between the 2 phases of Walnut creek. Walnut Creek starts from within Walnut Grove and several homes can be driven to from the Grove entrance only which is via Preakness Circle Ln. Ms. Mallo's plan is keeping 3176 (W Grove) at RHHS and moving 176 (W Creek) to WLHS. The only feed from FQMS to RHHS would be from 3176. The feed from FQMS to WLHS would be less than 10% The first bus stop in Walnut Grove is the intersection of Preakness Circle Ln and Clay Circle Ln. This bus stop is shared by both Creek and Grove, (both Polygons: 3176 and 176) This stop is 1. 4 miles from RHHS. ./" f .\ . ^ / . "^.. '*s. f ''>. x. \ '.V ? /- -. f _7 '-^... ^. ^^.^ 'V /' /' ':^ Thank you, Farah Noble 176 Dear Board members: My name Vipin Sahijwani, and am a Parent residing in Polygon 176. strongly support HowardCounty Board of Education(BOE) member Dr. ChaoWu's proposed area adjustment plan for the HowardCounty PublicSchool System (HCPSS). I urgethe BOEto move forward with his solution, whichdirectly addressescapacity, cost, our community's priorities, free and reduced meals (FARM) ratios, and future redistricting needs for HS13. It will really help our family as we are working parents. My wife is a teacher at high school and leaves the homevery early. I work in downtown DCand have a long commute. It is important to us that our kids go to the nearest school in case they need to be either picked by our neighbors or if we may have to drop them. Sincerely, Vipin Sahijwani Polygon number 176 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Jeremy Walsh Dear Board of Education members, Under the plan that Ms. Mallo proposed on October 28, 2019, our polygon would be moved to Wilde Lake High School with an extremely small feed. Currently we attend River Hill High School in an approximate 30% feed from Folly Quarter Middle School. The remaining ~70% of FQMS goes to Glenelg High School. By keeping polygons 3176 and 176 at River Hill High School and moving only our 3 polygons to Wilde Lake High School you would be creating an unacceptably small feed of students traveling alone to Wilde Lake. Please do not create a small feed like this for our children. The children of our Woodmark community deserve better than this. We respectfully request that you please keep polygons 180, 181 and 1181 in a larger feed. Thank you. Jeremy & Christine Walsh 12154 Mount Albert Rd. Ellicott City, MD 21042 Zheng Zhang Polygon# 1028 October 30, 2019 Dear Howard County BOEmembers, After attending the first two work sessions ofdiscussing the redistricting proposal for 2020, 1 am writing to express my serioiis concern about moving our polygon 1028 from Clarksville Middle (CMS) to Harpers Choice Middle (HCMS) in both Dr. Martirano's proposal and Ms. Mallo's alternative proposal. Since both schools are well within the target utilization rate (<110%) until 2027, and this redistricting is triggered mainly by the over-crowding issues in HCPS3, I really do not understand the rationale here. I understaiid BOE should also consider socio-economical balancing among HCMS, but why not moving the over-crowded schools with low FARM rate in the north or east side of the HCMS? Polygons 28-1028-2028are not only in the geographical center of Village of River Hill, but also the heart ofRiver Hill community. With other polygons, we attend many community activities organized by the Village together. By sending our children into two different middle schools, it will literally tear apart our neighborhood. Dr. Wu s alternative proposal seems to be least disruptive. I really urge BOE members to use his proposal as the base plan for further discussion, and keep our Polygons 28-1028-2028 at the cim'ent CES-CMS-RHHS. Sincerely, Zheng Zhang Polygon 1028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Christine Wang Dear Board of Education Members, I am a resident of Polygon 3176. I have attended the 10/27 BOE working session. I am writing to express my appreciation to your hard work in this challenging redistricting task and provide my feedback. In general, the many pending variables related to High School 13 (i. e. being scheduled to open in 2023 instead of next year, not yet decided attendance area boundary, ongoing new development etc. ) have cascadingimpacts to the decision making process related the surrounding schools. With THOUSANDSof housing units planned in the coming years, we need concrete attendance numbers and building moratoriums put in place before shuffling kids around again and again. Therefore, I truly believe that now is not the right time to conduct any major school redistricting, except some minor attendance adjustments to alleviate the most overcrowded high schools - Howard High and Centennial High. During the 10/27 work session, Dr. Wu and Ms. Mallo presented proposals to let our Polygon 3176 remain in our neighborhood high school - River Hill High School. I am asking the Board to review the following factors to keep my Polygon 3176 in River Hill High School in your ultimate decision: 1. Our Polygon 3176 is less than 1. 5 miles from our current under-capacity neighborhood River Hill High School and is directly adjacent to River Hill High School. Actually, it is 1. 1 miles from the entrance of our neighborhood (FYI, there is only one entrance/exit) to the entrance of River Hill HS (alsoonly one way to enter). 2. Our polygon 3176 is directly adjacent and borders the River Hill High School (please reference HCPSS polygon map). 3. River Hill High School is an under-capacity school. 4. Our sole commute route to get to River Hill High School is via Sheppard Lane which is currently being widened at its junction with Rt 108 at the traffic light near the entrance of River Hill High School. This will significantly improve our access to the River Hill High School. 5. Our Polygon 3176 has a small number rising high school students (only about 15 kids from our neighborhoodwill be freshmen and sophomores in the 20-21 academicyear), transporting our kids to a faraway high school will not justify the transportation costs. Rather, HCPSS would be able to further save financially by giving our polygon 3176 walker status since we are within the 1. 5 mileage criteria to be considered high school walkers. 6. On a side note: While our neighborhood address is Clarksville and 21029 zip code, our kids have been goingto both elementary and middle schools that are faraway in Ellicott City (Triadelphia Ridge Elementary School (4. 8 miles from us) and Folly Quarter Middle School (4. 9 miles)) for almost 10 years now, while Clarksville Elementary School and Clarksville Middle School are 1. 1 and 3. 2 miles away from us. Pleaseconsider let our kids to attendour the closer elementary and middle school when you make your elementary and middle school decisions Although I firmly believethat nowis nota righttime to conduct major redistricting, I still looked into and compared Dr.Wu and Ms Mallo's proposal. Ifthe Board decideto moveforward with some degree of redistricting, I believe that Dr. Wu'sproposal is based on community census. Itfocuses on balancing school capacity while minimizing students travel time and improving equity. It's a demonstration of BOE's effort to provide leadership to advance education excellence for Howard County. I believe that using Dr. Wu's proposal asa baselinewith inputs from Ms.Mallo and other BOE members in the upcoming work sessions will greatly help the current difficult situation. I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciations to both Ms. Delmont-Smal! and Cutroneo for makingmany great points in movingthe discussion forward on howto dothe redistricting properly. I especiallythank Ms. Delmont-Small forher suggestion thatthere needsto bea holisticapproach to the redistricting processthat will bethe bestfor the entire Howard County, focuson developinga wellthought school feeding system, minimize the negative impact ofthe process, and address the primary concerns/priorities ofstudents andtheir parents. Hope the board will be ableto find such an approach inthe next few weeks. Sincerely, Christine Wang Polygon 3176 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Shekhar Singh Howard County Board of Education Members: My name is Shekhar Singh and I live in Polygon 176. 1 would like to strongly urge the BOE members to consider keeping Polygons 176 and 3176 with River Hill High School. Per Ms. Mallo's plan, Polygon 3176 remains with River Hill High School (RHHS) while Polygon 176 is proposed to be redistricted to Wilde LakeHigh School (WLHS). I strongly suggestthat we keep Polygon 176 with RHHS for the following reasons. The two adjacent communities. Walnut Grove (Polygon 3176) and Walnut Creek (Polygon 176) have strong ties with each other. Kids in one community are close friends with kids in the other community. There is strong bond of friendship between families across the two communities. For all practical purposes, as the name suggests, these two are really one community. Phase l of Walnut Creek (176) is collocated with Walnut Grove (3176). The entrance to Phase i ofWalnut Creek is from the entrance to Walnut Grove (3176). Currently, the students from Walnut Grove andWalnut Creek (Phase l) communities ride the same bus to RHHS. Polygon 176 is larger than other polygons as it is sparsely populated. One ofthe edges of the polygon may be near, but not on, Homewood Drive. The density of population in the polygon is in Walnut Creek community. The access to Walnut Creek is from Sheppard Lane (not Homewood Drive) and it is located just 1. 4 miles from RHHS. Walnut Creek (176) access is located less than half a mile north on SheppardLane from the access to Walnut Grove (3176). IfPolygon 176 gets redistricted to WLHS, there will be significant increase in traffic on the single lane Homewood Drive as that would be the path to go to WLHS. The traffic on Homewood Drive would already be congested with other communities along Homewood Drive and Folly Quarter Road feeding into WLHS per Ms. Mallo's proposal. I strongly urge the BOE members to drive down Sheppard Lane and take a tour ofthe two communities (Walnut Grove and Walnut Creek) to really understand what I have mentioned. Splitting Walnut Grove and Walnut Creek will be nothing short of dividing a community right through the middle. Regards, Shekhar Singh Polygon: 176 A Call for Equal Dignity and a Measured Approach to Socioeconomic Integration (B) Dear Members of the Howard County Board of Education: Our names are Ryan Pollard and JenniferPollard andwe live in Polygon 1200. We are writingthis letter to follow up on our prior letter dated September 11, 2019, and titled "A Call for Equal Dignity and a Measured Approach to Socioeconomic Integration" (the "Original Letter"). First off, we would like to thank each ofthe members ofthe Hoard County Board of Education (the "BOB") for their respective efforts thus far.' It is not lost on us that each of the BOEmembers (i) satthrough many long meetings to hearthe community's responses to SuperintendentMichael Martirano's Attendance AreaAdjustment Plan, datedAugust 20, 2019, (ii) are making efforts to take the concerns ofthe community into account, and (iii) expended significant amounts oftime to come up with sensible alternative scenarios with stability being a significant goal. These past efforts are appreciated by our community; we support your continued efforts. Our Original Letter was supported by over 140of our neighbors in Polygon 1200. We believe the area adjustment plan proposed by Dr. Chao Wu atthe BOB meeting on October 28, 2019 ("Dr. Wu's Plan") serves as the best template from which the BOB to work because it comes the closest to satisfying the numerous issues outlined in our Original Letter. As compared to the other plans submitted thus far, we believe Dr. Wu's Plan most closely satisfies Policy 6010 and that it provides for greater community stability, as well as an opportunity to maintain a true feeder system in Howard County. fVhile Dr. Wu's Plan serves as the best template from which to work, we believe that Polygon 1200 under Dr. Wu's Plan should be slated to go to River Hill High School ("SHHS") instead ofGlenelg High School ("GHS"). Under Dr. Wu's Plan Polygons 203 and 202 are slatedto remainat RHHS. As noted in the Original Letter, giventhe one route ofingress and egress for Polygon 1200 through Linden Church Road, our immediate neighbors are Polygons 202 and 203. The approximate distances andtravel times from Polygon 1200 to RHHS-districted Polygons 203 and 202 are approximately 1. 1 miles and 3 minutes and 0. 6 miles and2 minutes. In fact,the current RHHS busroute for Polygon 1200, accounts forthe efficiency of grouping Polygon 1200 with Polygon 202 as the current bus makes a stop at Harris Farm Lane in Polygon 202. While it is true that Polygon 1200 neighbors GHS-districted Polygons 1208 and 208, these Polygons are further away from Polygon 1200 than RHHS-districted Polygons 203 and 202, and any bus route for Polygon 1200 under Dr. Wu's Plan will require a bus to drive through RHHS-districted Polygon 203 and past RHHS-districted Polygon 202. Accordingly, keeping Polygon 1200 at RHHS will maintain the greatest efficiency, and avoid requiring a bus to drive through another school's district. Grouping Polygon 1200with Polygons 11S3 and2183 and additional Polygons to the North andNorth East does not make senses as Polygon 1200 is geographically isolatedfrom suchother Polygons. Asdetailed in the OriginalLetter, there areno roadwaysdirecting connecting Polygon 1200 to Polygons 1183 and 2183 and the additional Polygons to the North andNorth East. In fact, Polygon 2183 is the closest ofthe group slated to be moved to GHS and is approximately 7. 7 miles and 12 minutes awayfrom Polygon 1200,which is greaterthan the distancebetween Polygon 1200 and GHS. Keeping Polygon 1200 at RHHS will not have a material impact on the utiliwtion capacities ofSHHS or GHS. In presenting Dr. Wu's Plan, Dr. Wu indicated that moving Polygon 1200to GHS was for capacitypurposes. There are, however, expectedto be only 31 high school students in Polygon 1200. With RHHS and GHS having capacities of 1,488 and 1,420 students respectively, keeping Polygon 1200 at RHHS will not have more than a 2% effect on school capacity. Accordingly, there is little needto shift Polygon 1200 from RHHS to GHS solely for capacitypuqioses, especially whenefficiency favors keepingPolygon 1200 at RHHS. Furthermore, as outlined in detail in the Original Letter, Polygon 1200 is very much a part ofthe RHHS community and, given the small number of students from Polygon 1200,we do not believe there is a meaningful need to divide the community. Therefore, we ask that you keep Polygon 1200 at RHHS under Dr. Wu's Plan. Thank you again for your time and consideration. Sincerely, /s/ Ryan Pollard /s/ Jennifer Pollard Dear Board of Education Members: I am a resident of polygon 1064, and I am writing to express my concern to Dr. Wu's redistricting proposal that was presented on 29 October 2019. Under his proposal the polygons that make up the neighborhoodof Pointer's Run (190, 1190, 128, 1129, 1064, 129,and 64) will becomedivided at the high school level, with some going to 190, and 1190 going to River Hill HSwhile the others go to Atholton. Currently, all ofthese Pointer's Run polygons attend the same elementary, middle, and high schools. While I understand Dr. Wu'sgoalof reducing the number moves, it should not come at the expense of dividing neighborhoods. A better plan would be to assign all ofthe Pointer's Run polygons to River Hill High School, which would reunite the village again and would be consistent with the community stability standard in Policy 6010. Thank you Eric Greenberg Polygon 1064 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Shannon L. Hammond, Esq. Dear Board of Education Members: I am encouraged that you are considering alternative plans to relieve overcrowding; I am disappointed, however, that these plans were not made known to the public until Monday, giving very little time for the community to digest and provide feedback. Both Ms. Mallo's andDr. Wu's plans properly keep our Polygon 232 at West Friendship Elementary School and at Marriotts RidgeHigh School. I encourageDr. Wu, however, to reconsidermoving Polygon 232 from Mount View Middle School to Glenwood Middle School. West Friendship, Mount View, and Marriotts Ridge are geographically so close togetherthat they were clearly designedwith the ideathat eachschool would create a 100% feed to the next. Glenwood Middle School is not a part of our neighborhood, is significantly further away, and would deprive our kidsof peer stability andaccess to extra-curricularactivities during a developmentally criticaltime intheir lives. Polygon 232, along with our sister Polygons 231 and 1231, consist of only 43 students who would attend Mount View Middle Schoolnext year-amounting to lessthan 15 studentsper grade. Sendingthese children out ofan otherwise perfect feed (100% WFES -> MVMS and 100% MVMS -> MKHS) creates a miniscule feed of less than 5% from GIenwood Middle School backto Marriotte Rideeffieh School. Polygons 232, 231, and 1231 are stable polveons with no new or anticipated residential development. Therefore, keeping our kids at MVMS does not create a risk of future overcrowdine originating from our neighborhoods. While I strongly disapprove ofthe number of students moved under Ms. Malta's plan, she did get one thing right: keepine 232. 231. and 1231 at WFES^MVMS-^MRHS. Thankyou for the countless hoursyou've spenton this thankless job. I amvery pleased that most of you appear to have heard our collective voice andhave rejected the Superintendent's plan asa starting point for redistricting. I implore you to continue demanding data and considering community input. And I urge you to keep232. 231, and 1231 at WFES.MVMS, andMRHS. Sincerely, Shannon Hammond SHANNON L. HAMMOND, ESQ. -AKRCCl C _^AW, _:..C ESTATE & LONG-TERMCARE PLANNING Shaimon(S, ElderPractice. com 410-881-0588 . 301-241-0880 7566 Main Street, Suite 101 Sykesville, Maryland 21784 15 N. Court Street, Suite 100 Frederick, Maryland 21701 Web Facebook Twitter Nameda SuperLawyers® Risine Star in 2013,2014, 2015 & 2019as published by Baltimore Magazine. The information contained in or attachedto this e-mail is from Hammond Law, LLC, and is protected by attomey/client and/or attomey/work privilege. This information is CONFIDENTIALand intended only for the use ofthe individual or entity named asthe addressee Any unauthorized dissemination, disfribution or copying ofthe information in this e-mail or attached thereto is strictly prohibited. Ifyou have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the original message from your system Please note that ifyou are receiving this email at a work email address, theprivileged nature ofthis communication may be jeopardized. Dear board members, Two new proposals were presented by board members Dr. Chao Wu and Ms. Jen Mallo. The details of these plans were presented in the last BOEwork session and later through social media posts by Dr. Wu and Ms. Mallo. I strongly oppose the plan presented by Ms. Mallo. This proposal has nearly all the negative elements in Dr. Martirano's proposal (to which I had expressed my opposition in previous testimony), while it adds even additional problems to that proposal. I appreciate the fact that Ms. Mallo's proposal highlights school capacity as the primary driver, and attempts to create an even distribution of students across the school system. However, the plan does this with little attention to minimizing the number of moves and to keeping neighbors together. As a result, it also creates many small feeds across the county. There are an unlimited number of ways that one can flatten the facility utilizations. But to treat polygons like piece of a puzzle to achieve the desired math ignores key parts of policy 6010, which is to keep communities together and to avoid producing small feeds. The goal must be to minimize the impact on the number of students being moved while we attempt to flatten the facility utilization. The key principle should be to move students from over-capacity schools to under-capacity schools, as opposed to randomly swapping and moving students between schools. The overwhelming opposition to Dr. Martirano's plan stems from the fact that it moves too many students for very little gain in capacity improvement. That plan fails to produce clear rationale for such drastic moves. Ms. Malta's plan does the same by moving a similar (or higher) number of students, something that is not necessaryfor capacity improvement. Additionally, Ms. Malta's plan further splits communities and produces even smaller feeds from certain neighborhoods.One example can beseen in myown neighborhoodof Pheasant Ridge, where Ms. Mallo's plan creates even a smaller feed into Harpers Choice Middle School. This move is not even justified basedon capacitydue to thefact that Clarksville Middle School is not abovecapacity at this time. I am in favor of Dr. Wu's proposal. He has used the more sensible approach of minimizing the numberof students affected. He has provided a path to improve capacityissues while only moving 3000 students as opposed to more than 7000 students in other proposals. Dr. Wu's plan might need small tweaks and improvements after community feedbackabout specific polygons, but the principle used in his plan is based on common sense. His proposal mainly deals with polygons that are close to the existing boundary for each school and moves those polygons based on both capacity utilization and neighborhood considerations.This thoughtful approach is whatI and many county residentsexpect from the board. In summary, I strongly urge the board to consider Dr. Wu's proposal. Sincerely, Reza Salem Polygon 1028 Carrie Hovey Polygon 1028 October 29, 2019 Board of Education Howard County Public School System 10910 Clarksville Pike EllicottCity, MD21042 Dear Board of Education Members, After countless letters of opposition and hours of impactful testimony from our community, it is extremely disappointing to learn of Ms. Mallo's proposed plan, which is equally if not more disruptive than the Superintendent's plan. I would like to express my strong disapproval of Ms. Mallo's plan for the following reasons: . The plan moves polveons that were previously not impacted by the Superintendent's Plan. Assuming that residents who are now impacted are even made aware of the changes before the Board votes, they now have no chance to fully voice their concerns this late in the process. In the case of the proposed school change impacting my community (the swapping of students between Clarksville Middle and Harper's Choice Middle], the feed of Clarksville Middle students being moved to Harper's Choice Middle is now even smaller than the already small feed under the Superintendent's Plan. Similarly, the number ofpolygons being moved from Harper's Choice Middle to Clarksville Middle is similarly reduced, thereby creatins an even smaller feed fOL_those children as well. Additionally, much like the Superintendent's Plan, from which Ms. Malta's plan was dearly derived, Ms. Mallo's plan has adjacent homes attending different schools. For example, half of Indian Summer Drive will attend CIarksville Middle and half will attend Harper's Choice Middle, despite the fact that all children in our neiehborhood will attend the same elementary and hieh schools. It makes no sense to divide our community in such an illogical manner. . Ms. Mallo's plan fails to take into account the fact that our neiehborhood and Harpers Choice are not contieuous. As pointed out many times in previous testimony, while our segment of Clarksville and Harper's Choice appear contiguous on a map, they are not contiguous from a transportation perspective; they are on complete opposite sides of the 1, 021 acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. so those forced to commute back-and-forth will have to drive around the Environmental Area. This commute will require students to spend a significant amount of time on an overcrowded stretch of MD-Route 108 (where oncoming traffic moves at least 45 miles per hour), versus a short distance on lower speed local roads. Please consider the community input presented and reject both the Superintendent's Plan and Ms. Mallo's version ofhis plan. Instead, please take a more rationale approach like the one presented by Dr. Wu, which will be far less disruptive to communities and the children of Howard County who will face redistricting again when High School 13 opens. Thank you for your time and consideration, Carrie Hovey Kathleen V. Hanks From: Rebecca Mestas Dear Board Member(s), Thank you for serving on the Board of Education and your commitment and support for the education of Howard County children. I am a resident of Polygon 127 and am writing to express concern regarding Board Member Mallo's test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES- CMS-AHS to PRES-WLMS-AHS. I also would encourage the Board to explore Board Member Wu's test scenarios as they appearto addressseveral goals of the Board while still preparing the Countyfor the inclusion of HighSchool #13. My specific concerns with Board Member Mallo's test scenarios are: . The scenarios would undo the successful 2017 redistricting that fixed the small feed problem for Polygon 127; In 2017, our polygon was redistricted from Clemens Crossing ESand Lime Kiln MSto Pointers Run ESand Clarkesville MS (took effect for the 2018-2019 school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behind the Board's decision to redistrict our community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMSto fix the small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Mallo's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed. I oppose Board Member Mallo's scenariosand support keepingPolygon 127with its current largefeed of PRES-CMSfor elementary and middle school. . Four schools in four years is untenable and directly violates Policy 6010: Current sixth graders in Polygon 127 would be expected to attend four schools in as many years under Board Member Mallo's approach: . 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES(CCES) . 5th grade at Pointers Run ES(PRES) . 6thgradeatClarksville MS(CMS) . 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS) .e. Board Member Mallo's approach would violate the goals of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ), which states the Board will make "every attempt to not move a student more than once at any school level or the same student more frequently than once every five /ears. " This policy is important to our neighborhood because in the 2018-2019 school year we experienced firsthand the impact and challenges redistricting presents as our children worked to adjust to new academic environments and friend groupsafter the last redistricting decision. Forthese same children to endure anotherredistricting just a fewyears later places an extreme burden on them. . Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability now and in the future: Moving our children yet again to a new middle school just two years after the last redistricting for our neighborhood would be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now built at PRES-CMS. Further, moving our community to WLMSdoes not support long term stability in light ofthe current and future development near Downtown Columbia and to the east. As a result of that growth, it's reasonable to conceive that our polygon could be subject to additional redistricting in the near future ifwe are moved to WLMSnow. All plansand scenarios to date (except for Board Member Mallo's scenarios) recognize these factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS. In contrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Mallo's scenarios, Board Member Wu's scenarios appear to take a holistic and long-term approach to redistricting and should be further explored. This should include exploration of the testing scenario that would keep Polygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS-AHS. The Superintendent's proposal (moves Polygon 127 from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES-CMS-River Hill HS) also could support long term stability for our polygon. If the Superintendent's plan is advanced, please consider an exception for our current students at AHS to stay at the school if they provide their own transportation. Such an exception should include current freshman because they would otherwise be required to attend four schools in four years (7th grade at LKMS, 8th grade at CMS, 9th grade at AHS, and 10th grade at RHHS). It is important to note that the potential for stability I mention in both the Superintendent's plan and in Board Member Wu's plan would only exist if all of the changes included in those plans are made. Singular changes to the Superintendent's plan or to Board Member Wu's scenarios would jeopardize the stability the plans are designed to enable and could potentially exacerbate the overall problems the Board aims to address. We have always taken a reasonable approach to redistricting and thank you for the consideration of our concerns. We will continue to pay close attention during the Board meetings and will provide updated feedback as new considerations arise or additional concerns are identified. We implore you to remember Polygon 127's recent redistricting in the 2018- 2019 school year, ask that you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguous stable feeds for Polygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Roy and Rebecca Mestas Polygon 127 Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android Kathleen V. Hanks From: Swati Kabaria Dear Board members: My name is Swati Kabaria, and I am a resident of Polygon 2028. While Board of Education (BOE) member Dr. Chao Wu's plan could use tweaking to address issues similar to those expressed by hundreds of Howard County residents through the public hearings at the BOE, I believe it is a plan that at least attempts to respond to the community's concerns, and should be the starting point for a redistricting plan. It better incorporates the guidance of Policy 6010 and addresses capacity, cost concerns, FARMS ratios, and future redistricting needs for HS 13. While it still proposes to move approximately 3000 students, it appears to attempt to do so in a less disruptive manner than either the Superintendent's plan or Ms. Mallo's plan. On the other hand, Ms. Mallo's plan appears to wholly disregard the vast majority of the community input the BOE sought through the public hearings and testimony. It proposes to move even more students than Dr. Martirano's plan, and doubles down on the destructive idea to break up communities and move children all over the county- the very notions that hundreds of community members testified against over the last month! Indeed, it proposes to move even more students than did Dr. Martirano's plan, potentially requiring even more funding that the school system does not have at this time. I believe this plan is a non-starter. While a perfect solution to this very complex problem may not be available, of the available plans, Dr. Wu's appears to be the one that most seriously attempts to address the various interests at play" overcrowding; the need for strong feeds, minimizing transportation-related costs, and keeping communities together; and equity. I urge you to use Dr. Wu's plan as a launching point for further redistricting discussions, and to tweak to address community concerns with it (e. g., some isolated smaller feeds). Sincerely, Swati Kabaria POLYGON 2028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Indira Sharma Dear BOE Members, I write with concern about the recent redistricting plan proposed by Ms. Mallo which is problematic for several reasons. I recognizethat Ms. Mallo tried hard to come up with a new plan recognizingthe flaws in Dr. Martirano s plan and I certainly respect her effort and time spent. However, the plan proposed by Dr. Wu is a better solution and complies with Policy 6010. I know yourjob is a hard one but I urge you to reject Ms. Mallo s plan and adopt Dr. Wu's plan on the following grounds: 1. Number of Students Impacted: Ms. Mallo's plan moves approximately the same number of students, if not more, than Dr. Martirano's plan. Any new plan should move the least amount of student necessary to minimize disruption to our students and communities while addressing overcrowding. Dr. Wu has presented a plan that moves significantly less students (about 3000) while addressing overcrowding and maintaining FARM ratios that are not substantially different from those in Ms. Mallo's plan, 2. Fiscal Responsibility: Dr. Wu's plan is more fiscally responsible because it moves less students and will result in significantly less cost to the school system. The school system is facing significant budget shortfalls and we cannot afford the substantial financial distress that will be caused by adopting Ms. Mallo s plan (or Dr. Martirano's plan). I know you are fully aware that our schools cannot further cut resources for our kids. 3. Policy 6010 Factors Re: Contiguous Communities: Dr. Wu's plan better maintains community boundaries and feeds per the requirements of Policy 6010. a. By way of example, Ms. Mallo unnecessarily breaks up contiguous communities like the Walnut communities off of Sheppard Lane - Polygons 3176 (Walnut Grove) and 176 (Walnut Creek). Ms. Mallo proposes to keep Polygon 3176 at River Hill and move Polygon 176 to Wilde Lake. Both polygons are part of the same community. Both polygons share a bus stop. Part of Walnut Creek physically resides in the Walnut Grove community and can only be accessed by entering Walnut Grove. The entrances for both communities are offSheppardLane. Ms. Mallo incorrectly believes that the entrance for Walnut Creek is on Homewood Road/FolIy Quarter Road and there is no entrance on that road for Walnut Creek. Ms. Mallo incorrectly believes that we can take Homewood Road to reduce traffic but fails to realize that the traffic circle present on Homewood would be a nightmare in the morning with increased traffic in that direction. b. The feeds for Polygon 3176 and 176 under Ms. Mallo's proposed plan are not consistent with the requirements of Policy 6010. Polygon 176 would have a very small feed to Wilde Lake under Ms. Malta's plan. Polygon 3176 would have an even smaller feed to River Hill because these students would be the only ones coming from Folly Quarter Middle School to River Hill. c. Polygon 176 is approximately 1. 5 miles from River Hill High School and River Hill is undercapacity. There is no reason to move these students out of River Hill even under the domino effect considerations. It makes no sense to move students from an undercapacity school to more crowded schools that are East. Students in this area should be moved West, if necessary, to alleviate overcrowding. d. Student in Polygon 1 76 and 3176 are friends and frequently carpool together for afterschool activities. Personally, I am in a carpool for my daughter's Girls on the Run team and our carpool includes kids in both Polygon 176 and 3176. We are one community. 4. Due Process Concerns: Ms. Malta's plan moves significantly more new polygons who were not interested parties in prior hearings and likely did not participate because they were not impacted (i. e. they were not interested parties). They have not had a chance to comment on the redistricting proposal and thus would be deprived of due process. Under Ms. Mallo's plan, she moves 53 new polygons at the elementary school level, 32 polygons at the middle school level and 26 polygons at the high school level. 5. HS 13: Dr. Wu's plan considers the opening of High School 13 and is aimed at reducing double moves. Ms. Malta's plan does not make this consideration. 1. Developer Impact: Ms. Mallo's plan is too aggressive in addressing overcrowding and does more than is necessary to resolve of overcrowding issues. Instead of "balancing" overcrowding, she attempts to reduce overcrowding so much that she is creating opportunities for developers to further destroy our County with this irresponsible over-development. I would be remiss if 1 did not say that we developers have hijacked the redistricting process to advance their development goals. They are funding the equity in our schools" debate to advance their agenda and supporting a false narrative that redistricting will improve equity in our schools. It will not. See No. 5 below. I support equity in our schools but we need to address the right way. See No. 6 below. 2. EQUITY: Ms. Mallo's plan - like Dr. Martirano's plan - does not improve equity for our FARM students. Overcrowding and equity are two separate issues that both need to be addressed separately as recognized most recently by the Howard County State Delegation. State legislators Clarence Lam and Terri Hill have proposed separate legislation which logically separates balancing utilization and capacity from addressing the achievement gap, while also aiming to address both important issues efficiently and appropriately. Dr. Wu's proposal most directly aligns with those bills by prioritizing redistricting to address capacity while also targeting equity concerns in a deliberate, strategic manner. a. True equity does not involve merely balancing FARM ratios across schools. Under your own definition in your Policy 6010 - equitable means removing barriers to success and providing supports to those in need! b. Policy 6010 is not an equity plan. Policy 6010 is an overcrowding plan and while you are addressing overcrowding, you should consider several diversity factors including FARM ratio. FARM is just one of six characteristics of diversity. Diversity and equity are two separate concepts. Diversity deals with having the right numbers composition of different groups based on many different facts as your policy states. Equity deals withremoving barriers andproviding support. Policy 6010 is not drafted to address equity. c. If you want an equity plan, then make a real one please. d. Please stop drinking the KooI-Aid. Redistricting is not addressing equity. Developers have conflated the discussionto advance their own agenda. e. How do you really address equity? i. There is already research andevidence out there on howto address equity including the recent Noble Prize winning research on addressing students in poverty and the achievement gap. Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duilo, andMichael Kremer's spenl the pasl two decades researching this issue and concluded that the best strategy for addressing the educational achievement a gap is to provide tutoring to students in need. We can do this throiigh community partnerships bridgingthe resources ofthe wealthier parts ofHoward County with the lower iiicome parts. It was Noble Prize award winning research that we cannot ignore. ii. There are other strategies as well including outlined by the National Education Association (about 51 strategies) on its websiteand none ofthem including redistricting. Forthe reason set forth above, please reject Ms. Mallo'splan and vote instead to supportDr. Wu's plan which mplies with the of 6010. In the co requirement Policy alternative, please keep Polygons 176 and 3176 together at River Hill wherek makesthe most sensebase on the factors in yourPolicy 6010. Thank youfor your time and consideration andyour incredible service. I knowyou do not dothis for themoney. I doappreciate your time. Good luck this evening. Regards, Indira K. Sharma Polygon 176 (Walnut Creek Community) Kathleen V. Hanks From: Jennifer Zatkowski From: William Zatkowski Date: October 29, 2019 at 7:33:03 PM EDT To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Subject: Redistricting Board of Education Members- I am writing to request that polygon 1200 remain at River Hill High School. I am a rising junior at the school and I have a brother coming in as a freshman for the 2020-2021 school year. I am very involved in the baseball program at the school and I am excited to have my brother be apart of the same program. If the plan is approved then he would go to Glenelg and I would be at River Hill meaning that we would no longer have the opportunity to play for the same school. This map shows that my polygon is moving to Glenelg which is very inefficient as two buses would have to come to the same stop. I would love to stay at the same school as my brother. Thank you. William Zatkowski Kathleen V. Hanks From: JenniferZatkowski From: Henry Zatkowski Date: October 29, 2019 at 7:35:05 PM EDT To: boe@hcpss. org Cc: chao_wu@hcpss. org Subject: Polygon 1200 - keep at River Hill High School Board of Education Members- I am writing to request that Polygon 1200 remain at River Hill High School. I am a rising Freshman and the current proposal is moving me to Glenelg High School. My brother is a rising Junior at River Hill High School and I would like to go to the same school as him. It doesn't seem right for two high school buses to come to the same stop and go to different schools. Also, my brother plays baseball at River Hills High School and if this plan goes through, I will not be able to play on the same team with him and my parents will have to choose between the two of us to watch us play. Please let me go to River Hill High School. Thank you, -Henry Zatkowski Kathleen V. Hanks From: shu yan Dear BoE members, I appreciate your hard work. I am a resident in polygon 185, and I appreciate if you consider polygon 185 remaining in Clarksville Middle school for the reasons below. 1. Our polygon has low student density although it looks big on map - by fall 2020 we only have 7 middle school students. By moving our middle school students to Harper's choice middle school does not really impact much for Clarksville Middle school or Harper's choice school. Included in the 7 students, 2 FARM students as well (helped by residents in our community/polygon). 2. Remaining them in the same middle school with their friends they grow up with from Clarksville elementary school and River Hill high school in the future, helping shaping them well psychologically and psychiatrically. 3. Remaining in Clarksville Middle school helps saving them 1 hour of sleep/activity/study time every day. This helps physically for their better development to become a useful persons to our society. Because traffic time on Route 108 to Harper's choice Middle school in rush hour takes 3-4 times more then going to Clarksville Middle school via Trotter road for 10 minutes driving only. 4. Remaining in Clarksville Middle school help saving busing budget. While BoE is already struggling in funding to keep same amount of technique, music, GT program teachers, spending 3 times more budget in busing students to much further school does not help to keep teachers. If every school teach quantity and quality reduced, what's the point to busing FARM kids to less FARM concentrated schools? Thanks for your listening and serious considerations. I also want to say: My whole family fully support Dr. Wu's plan with least disruption to all community with least cost. Tax money is not free - it's blood and sweat money from all hloward county residents, which should be used wisely. Best regards, YanShu, M. D, Ph. D. University of Maryland, Baltimore Kathleen V. Hanks From: Peter Palmieri To Whom It May Concern, I am writing in response to the current redistricting plans that will be voted on shortly by the BOE. My family and I reside in the Crystal Springs neighborhood, polygon 1301. I see that one of the plans has our children being redistricted to Waterloo Elementary, from llchestei Elementary. After talking with some neighbors who have researched this thoroughly, here are the main points I feel support our stance. . The Montgomery Meadows neighborhood is being divided with polygon 84 remaining at IES. . The IES to BBMS feed is currently 100%; the proposed changeswill create a small feed per grade level which is in violation of policy 6010 (In regards to "Community Stability. " This seems like kind of a big deal to me. If a proposal violates a policy, why is it even being considered?). . IES isn't overcrowded, and unlike other parts of the county, no large growth is expected in this area. It is a small, close-knit school that shares a campus with BBMS. . The proposal breaks apart these 5 polygons from a larger contiguous group and creates a small island effect with multiple different elementary schoolsbordering. . This is essentially a swap with polygon 76. Polygon 76 is located near WES on the other side of a major highway- route 100. This swap removes students from their community school at both IES and WES and creates small feeds to middle school for both elementary schools. . This proposal moves approximately 7300 students county-wide. I have to tell you that this plan disappoints me very much, and I'm hoping you are in agreement that this should not be an acceptable solution. I don't see how it makes sense to transfer kids from Ilchester over to Waterloo, and then switch them all the way back to Bonnie Branch in a few years. It will create a group of students going to Bonnie Branch who didn't go to IIchester. Adjusting to new schools and new friends is difficult enough these days, it would make for an even heavier burden on these children to switch to a Middle School where they don't know 3/4 of the kids attending, From a purely geographical standpoint, this plan makes no sense, llchester is 1 to 1. 5 miles closer than Waterloo. Why do we want our kids on the bus any longer than they already are, especially in early morning hours during heavy road congestion? I appreciate the work of all of our board members, and I appreciate their service to our community. I kindly ask you to please strongly consider voting against this plan. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Thank you. Sincerely, Peter Palmieri October 30, 2019 Dear Board Members, I live in polygon 2148. These comments are with respect to Jen Mallo's proposed middle school and elementary school moves as posted on her facebook page on 10/29/2019. Please reconsider the moves for Dorsey Search. The proposal splits the Dorsey's Search neighborhood by moving half of that neighborhood's polygons (148, 276, 302, 1148, and 2148) from NES and DMS to RBES and WLMS. This proposal would remove a significant portion of the more affordable housing that currently attends NESand DMS-ln fact all ofthetownhomesand condominiums in Dorsey Search are impacted while none of the single family homes at Dorsey's Search are changed. Our community has worked very hard in the last 8 years to make our community stronger and more walkable. We now have three safe areas for crossing Columbia road, which now means for many of the proposed polygons (especially 1148 and 2148) the DMS and NES are quite walkable taking about 15 minutes-even less time when hiking. Thank you for your consideration, Emily Atkinson Kathleen V. Hanks From: Nicole Koonce My name is Nicole Koonce. I live in the Farside community with my husbandand two Elementary School aged sons. I am writing to you to tell you how upset I am about the redistricting plans I am seeing the Board put fonvard to address the overcrowding issues in our county, with the exception of the plan from Dr Wu, which I support. We have lived in the Farside neighborhood since 2011, having moved from Columbia. We bought here because we had the chance of a lifetime to buy into a beautiful neighborhood at a great price. We have come to love our neighborhood and our school community and friends. Over the last few years, while attending TRES (in Ms Delmont-SmalI's Cluster Assignment) we learned that our oldest son has needs that require the support ol'an IEP. After 5 years at TRES, I truly believe the only reason we are where we are with his success at school is because of the school community we are a part of (and the fact that he's an amazing little man!) The staff at TRES has been incredible and are already helping us prepare for the transition to FQMS, which luckily is right next door and will be familiar to him. Our son's friendships he has developed over the last 5 years and the friendship and support of the families we have met are a critical part of our lives. They are intertwined. Now his little brother is in school with him as a 1 st grader. It never dawned on me until the last 2-3 months that we might be asked to break away from this support network to a world of unknowns. I have tears as I write this email out of fear of what that will look like for our family. We can't afford nor do we want to send our kids to private schools. We were both raised on public school educations. We want our childrento have the same. However, I can't understand how our polygon is getting targeted for the shift TOWARDSthe overcrowding. There are 60 homes in our community, maybe 8 of which send kids to public schools. I imagine the Chase is similar. I don't think there is much more in our polygon than these two neighborhoods. With the changes that you proposed, Ms Mallo, less than 10% of the FQMS feed will go to WLHS. Less than 10%. My heart is breaking for my kids. They will be pulled away from all ofthe friends they have invested in making these last five years. I don't understand what you are trying to accomplish with these moves. Are we really trying to address overcrowding? Will our little group of polygons really move the needle? If you are trying to address overcrowding, and you don't want to send us to RHHS, why don't you send our little feed of less than 10% to Glenelg HS, AWAY from the overcrowding? At least it would keep the number of feeds from FQMS down to two HS, instead of three HS and preserve more of the friendships these little people have been investing in for the last 5+ years. You are about to change the trajectory of our kids lives forever. Please don't make this a casual decision. Please think about what is truly best for ALL of our children... even mine. DrWu- THANK YOU for keeping in mind my plea above. We are happy to have Polygon 2176 with the feeders from TRES to FQMS to RHHS. Again, for me, I would also be ok with our little group ofpolygons going to GHS. We don't want to fracture the community we have at TRES. Of all the disturbing things happening in the world right now, this set of decisions in our little corner of the county and the impact it could have on my kids is all that matters to me right now. I am really trying to make sense of it all, and I'm struggling to make sense of any of it at this point. Best regards, Nicole Koonce Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members, I am writing this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redistricting posted by Jen Mallo on her Facebook page (hltps://www. facebook. com/ienmallo4boe/). Though, I am grateful for the BOE'stime and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues. First, the total movement of 7, 300 students is too large of an impact for redistricting in SY 2020-2021 when HS13 will open shortly in 2023. Considering that Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (~7, 400), I believe Ms. Mallo's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCP55 already has a limited budget where certain programs (e. g., technology) and staff (e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently. Although I acknowledge Ms. Mallo's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside of their communities without addressing the root cause of the achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child away from their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good. I would also like to remind the BOE that through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strong feeds from one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not be aligned with the Howard County community's input. In closing, I urge the BOE to consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I ask the BOE to consider choice-based alternative methods such as Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead of just redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed as we wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening, Thank you, District 4 Voter: Xuewu Cai Polygonff2028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Priti Bajaj Dear Board of Education Members, My name is Priti Kaur Bajaj, and I am a resident ofpolygon 176 along with my husband and 3 children. I have already submitted written testimony and given oral testimony in opposition to Dr. Martirano's redistricting proposal, and am writing to you now in reference to Ms. Jen Mallo's redistricting proposal. In Ms. Mallo's plan, polygons 176 and 3176 are split at the high school level, with polygon 3176 staying at RHHS and polygon 176 being changed to WLHS. I strongly urge you to reconsider changing polygon 176 in this plan, and to keep BOTH polygons 176 and 3176 at their MUCH closer neighborhood school, whichis RHHS. Polygon 176 (Walnut Creek Community) and Polygon 3176 (Walnut Grove Community) are sister polygons, and share close ties both geographically and socially. In fact, a part of the Walnut Creek Community, phase 1, actually shares the same neighborhood entrance with the Walnut Grove community. Our children are neighbors and close friends, as are the parents. We are ONE community, and should not be separated at the high school level. Our communities, polygons 176 and 3176, have been extremely vocal AGAINSTredistricting. Please listen to our communities, and please understand that separating polygons 176 and 3176 goes completely against policy 6010. Once again, I STRONGLY urge you to keep polygon 176 at RHHS. I sincerely hope that you will do what is right for our community, and for all of the communities in Howard County. The changes you make will dramatically impact the lives of ALL Howard County residents. Thank you for your tireless efforts throughout this process, and for your time. Priti Kaur Bajaj Polygon 176 Dear BOE members, I am Jin Liao from polygon 2028. It s only about two months since the superintendent proposed the redistricting plan, but it has been a long and hard time for Howard County residents. Based on thousands of emails and mails, hundreds of testimonies and dozens of protests, the superintendent's plan is selective data driven, lack of evidence, poor in logic, underestimating the consequence, short of budget and overlook of residents' interests. Fortunately, the people voted BOE members would listen to the voice of the current residents and think about the credible alternative policy, Polygons28-1028-2028arepartof Village of River Hill and feeders of Clarksville Middle School (CMS). The superintendent's plan intends to move polygons 28-1028- 2028 to be feeders of Harper Choice Middle School (HCMS) and move HCMS students to CMS. I'd like to reinstate why BOE should keep children from polygon 28-1028-2028 at CMS. Figure 1. Map ofPolygon 28-1028-2028. Harper's Choice Middle School ClarksvtlleES River Hill HS RH village Orange; 2019 CMS Boundary Town Center Red; Village of River Hill Green: Polygon 28, 1028, 2028 f '"»2 miles 7-101 bike/1 , i 0 -. Clarksv(ll^ Middle School Firet, overcrowding^is not an issue in HCMS or CMS. According to 2019 Feasibility Study, thecapacity utilization rates ofHCMS and CMS are both less than 110% till-2027. Even using superintendent's criteria, there is no reason to swap students between the two schools. Second, it is much shorter bus ride for polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMS than to HCMS. As shown in Figure 1, from the center ofpolygons 28-1028-2028 to CMS, the bus ride is less than 2 miles on small roadstlirough ourneighborhood andtakes only 7 minutes. Moreover, a middleschooler cansafely biketo school using sidewalk throughout the village and the bike ride takes no inore than 15 minutes. On the other hand, from the center ofpolygons 28-1028-2028 to HCMS, the distance is 4. 5 miles, more than doubled the distance to CMS. The time spent on bus increases to 20-30 minutes because the bus cannot gothrough the^l 021-acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Areaand will haveto travel on major roads (i. e.. Route 108and Harpers Farm Road) and pass 8 traffic lights to get to HCMS. Furthermore, hiking to school will no longer be an option. Longer bus rides not only take way time for things that are important for children's physical and mental development, but alsocost a lot ofmoney. For FY2020, without redistricting, BOE is already dealing witha budgetdeficit of $96 million. Howwill the increasedtransportation costbe funded? Third, poisons 28-1028-2028 isan integral part ofVillage ofRiver Hill. Asshown in themap (Figure I), ViHage ofRiver Hill is well defined in a terrestrial boundary. The west boundary ofRiver Hill is route 108, the south boundary is route 32, andthe northeast boundary isthe bigMiddle Patuxent Environmental Area. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are not only walkers to CES and RHHS, but also within 0. 1- to 0. 8-mile walking distance to the River Hill Village Town Center. We, with other polygons in the River Hill Village^which will stay atCMS in thesuperintendent's plan, attend many community activities organized by the Villagetogether. Thebonding among our children and families, whichwas established at schools. has beenstrengthened bythese community activities, like summer swimming team, July 4'" parade, Halloween fun party etc. A school is theanchor ofa community. Ifthe children are now being separated to two^different middle schools, the neighborhood will literally fall apart. It's unreasonable to~tear aoart the neighborhood. FinaHy, ^ middle school is probably the most challenging period for students. Tweens need to beaccepted andfeel partof something. Uprootingthe teens fromtheir community makethem feel alienated. CMS is attendedproudly by children from itscommunity, just likeHarper's choice middle is attended proudly by children from its community. Attending neighborhood schools u a moredesirable means ofeducating children becauseit givesthem a senseof pride and identity. To conclude, I urgeBOB to keepchildren from Polygon28-1028-2028 at CES-CMS-RHHS because there is no overcrowding issue at CMS or HCMS and swappingthese children will break communities. mcreasetransportation cost andtake away their valuabletime for sleeping, studyingand spending with faini ly and friends. Sincerely, Jin Liao Polygon 2028 Dear BOE members, I am Chen Li from polygon 2028. It's only about two months since the superintendent proposed the redistricting plan, but it has been a long and hard time for Howard County residents. Based on thousands of emails and mails, hundreds of testimonies and dozens of protests, the superintendent's plan is selective data driven, lack of evidence, poor in logic, underestimating the consequence, short of budget and overlook of residents' interests. Fortunately, the people voted BOE members would listen to the voice of the current residents and think about the credible alternative policy, Polygons 28-1028-2028 are part of Village of River Hill and feeders ofClarksville Middle School (CMS). The superintendent's plan intends to move polygons 28-1028- 2028 to be feeders of Harper Choice Middle School (HCMS) and move HCMS students to CMS. I'd like to reinstate why BOE should keep children from polygon 28-1028-2028 at CMS. Figure 1. Map of Polygon 28-1028-2028. \ f y 20-30 minbusl Harper's Choice Middle School ClarksvllleES; ^.< River Hill HS Clarksville. Middle School ji< g»«- First, overcrowding is not an issue in HCMS or CMS. According to 2019 Feasibility Study, the capacity utilization rates ofHCMS and CMS are both less than 110% till 2027. Even using superintendent's criteria, there is no reason to swap students between the two schools. Second, it is much shorter bus ride for polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMS than to HCMS. As shown in Figure \, from the center of polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMS, the bus ride is less than 2 miles on small roads through our neighborhood and takes only 7 minutes. Moreover, a middle schooler can safely bike to school using sidewalk throughout the village and the bike ride takes no more than 15 minutes. On the other hand, from the center ofpolygons 28-1028-2028 to HCMS, the distance is 4. 5 miles, more than doubled the distance to CMS. The time spent on bus increases to 20-30 minutes because the bus cannot go through the 102 1 -acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area and will have to travel on major roads (i. e., Route 108 and Harpers Farm Road) and pass 8 traffic lights to get to HCMS. Furthermore, hiking to school will no longer be an option. Longer bus rides not only take way time for things that are important for children's physical and mental development, but also cost a lot of money. For FY2020, without redistricting, BOE is already dealing with a budget deficit of $96 million. How will the increased transportation cost be funded? Third, polygons 28-1028-2028 is an integral part of Village of River Hill. As shown in the map (Figure 1), Village of River Hi)] is well defined in a terrestrial boundary. The west boundary of River Hill is route 108, the south boundary is route 32, and the northeast boundary is the big Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are not only walkers to CES and R.HHS, but also within 0. 1-to 0. 8-mile walking distance to the River Hill Village Town Center. We, with other polygons in the River Hill Village, which will stay at CMS in the superintendent's plan, attend many community activities organized by the Village together. The bonding among our children and families, which was established at schools, has been strengthened by thesecommunity activities, like summer swimmingteam, July 4 * parade. Halloween fun party etc, A school is the anchor of a community. If the children are now being separated to two different middle schools, the neighborhood will literally fall apart. It's unreasonable to tear apart the neighborhood. Finally, middle school is probably the most challenging period for students. Tweens need to be accepted and feel part of something. Uprooting the teens from their community make them feel alienated. CMS is attended proudly by children from its community. Just like Harper's choice middle is attended proudEy by children from its community. Attending neighborhood schools is a more desirable means of educating children because it gives them a sense of pride and identity. To conclude, I urge BOE to keep children from Polygon 28-1028-2028 at CES-CMS-RHHS because there is no overcrowding issue at CMS or HCMS and swapping these children will break communities, increase transportation cost and take away their valuable time for sleeping, studying and spending with family and friends. Sincerely, C hen Li Polygon 2028 Dear Board Members, I am writing in opposition to the Mallo proposed redistricting plan. While I appreciate the inherent difficulties involved in redistricting, my opposition is specific to the issue that the plan fa Isto take into account that our polygon (127) wasjust redistricted atthe elementary/middle school level effective last year (2018/2019 school year). As a result, if the Mallo plan goes forward, my son, a current sixth grader, would be at 4 different schools in 4 years (CCES for 4th grade, PRES for 5th, CMS for 6th, and WLMS for 7th). ' ' " ' ------. ----"-. Redistricting our polygon twice in a period of 3 school years is counter to policy 6010: Frequency with which any one student is reassigned, making every attempt to not move a student more than once at any school level or the same student more frequently than once every five years. ". I am not sure ifthis proposed move, whichwould result in 4 different schools in 4 years for children in our polygon, wasan oversight or intentional, but I find it distressing, nonetheless. Our polygon should not have to be redistricted AGAIN at the middle school level when we were just redistricted at the elementary/middle school level during the 2018/2019 school year. Additionally, I am troubled by the fact that our previous redistricting was carried out to resolve a small feed and under this proposal, we would be back in another small feed, which makes the disruption to our children of4 separate schools in 4 years seem even more pointless. At this point I am not advocating for or againstany particular school, but instead advocating for stability for the children ofour polygon who were subject to the most recent redistricting. ! fc\!iht 'r l't!ifnh<)Eii I'olvuor 27 Kathleen V. Hanks From: rob zatkowski Board of Education Members: Please keep Polygon 1200 and our neighbors in Polygon 200 at River Hill High School (RHHS). The two plans proposed last night by Dr. Wu and Ms. Mallow have us redistricted to Glenelg High School (GHS), when all of the Polygons surrounding us are staying at RHHS. Please review your maps and look at our small number of students. Hopefully you will agree we should remain at RHHS. Thank you. Sincerely, Robert Zatkowski. Kathleen V. Hanks From: Erin Day Hello, Ls.upport.Dr;. cha°wu's plan. ' Hemaintainscommunity boundaries, addressesFARM and addressing cost, responsibly. He.must be hea, ''d;. ' 'lv!'" Glenelg Manor Estateswe are slated to attend wilde Lakethe very nextdeve'lopment'ove^is Slatedto GlenelgHigh School with Jennifer Mallo's plan, again breaking up a tight knitcommunity that would-move'-even more of our kids and leave the FARM rates potentially worse in some schools and would create low feeds. Kathleen V. Hanks From: Madeline Mirecki MADELINE MIRECKI Polygon 183 Dear Howard County BOE members, I^writethis morning in response to Monday Oct. 28, 2019 work session. My family and strongly oppose Ms. Malio's proposed redistricting plan. My reasons are as follows: 1. Our Polygon 183 is divided from our sister polygons 1] 83 and 2183. We are a strong community and they are our village and our support when emergencies or needs arise and help each other. This goes against Policy 6010 because it disrupts neighborhoods breaking us apart. Ms. Mallo's plan is more disruptive to our community than Superintendant Martirano's plan. There is Unity in Community - keep children together and at their local schools. 2. Our polygon is still being moved to the third closest high school WLHS which by time would result in a one hour or longer bus ride each way. By time, WLHS is 5th closest high school. We will cross a very busy 108 which is a natural and enter co!umbia_Tov^n Center and manuver 10 stop lights to get to high school. This is not fair to our children and ALL children matter. Our current hian school RHH^S is significantly closer, has only one stop light, and is a direct path from Folly Quarter Road, to Sheppards Lane, a quick left on Rt. 108 and^in'tothe high school. 3. Moving our polygon to a school so far from home increases the money spent on transporation, increasing carbon emmissions. Buses will still travel their route and those parent who can afford the time and have the means will be driving their children to school to avoid the hour long bus ride more than doubling the carbon emmissions for each child traveling to and from school. This will greatly increase the congestion in downtown Columbia. 4. ^Ms. Mallo's plan does not support nor set up a strong feeder system. 5. The change Ms. Mallo makes to the move from RHHS to WLHSwas reduced by three large polygons. The data used in the BOE's enrollment data for current'and mture projections is drastically incorrect for polygon 183. We currently have 9 public high school students in our poiygon -not the 17 noted. That is almost a 50% error. After polling our polygon the 2020-2021 school year will only have 19 public high^school students and not the 29 projected in your'data sheet. ' This Is" almost a 30% error. The data needs to be more accurate. Such large margins of error are not acceptable. What was a small feed in Superintendant Martirano's Fl _n.'..note , at 17%, (which is over inflated based on our polygon's actual counts), is now^smaller by three large polygons. The feed is now'less'than 12% which is' against policy 6010. 1 6. Ms. Mallo's plan pulls students eastward where the over crowing is. The plan should pull students westward where the seats are. RHHS is not overcrowded therefore our polygon should remain at RHHS. If polygon 183 must be redistricted out of RHHS, the logical move would be to GHS whicti is our closest high school and has available seats, and stays with our sister polygons 1183 and 2183. My family and I strongly support Dr. Wu's plan for the following reasons: 1. Dr. Wu's plan is the least disruptive, moving the least number of students necessary to address over crowding. 2. Dr. Wu's plan takes into account a feeder system which i.vill create stability which is what HC needs. Dr. Wu's p!an supports Ms. Delmont-Small and her strong statements that a feeder system should be established, Susperintendant Martirano also supported this motion. 3. Peolple should be able to move to Howard County with an idea that they will be schooled local. Residents should know that they may be redistricted but it should always be to a school close to home, not 3-8 schools away. 4. Dr. Wu's plan takes into account the cost of transportation helping control the t-^^ -. wy y^ j^i ^' f\ /-* /fr^ C3i !i3UU) LC^ I! US I i^UbLb bE!(JU!U Uf liiiiiiii ilZ.^U bU bLI :aiors, lecnnoioQy csasses, T'crsiQn !3HQU8Qc DroQranis QH! teachers class room budgets, 5. Dr. Wu's plan takes into consideration natural boundaries and minimizes traversing hazards which will keep our counties students safer. at polygons 147, 1147 and 4147. Moving these polygons to WLHS reduces the over capacity at Centenial High School. These polygons will improve the FARM rates at WLHS. Logistically this makes sense. These polygons are considerably closer to WLHS and do not have to traverse natural or hazardous boundaries. This move keeps their community together. Keeping Polygon 183 with sister Polygons 1183 ans 2183 will then keep our community together and safely on the west side of 108, by keeping us at RHHS or GHS. Please keep all kids v;ith safe travel boundaries and at schools close to home. Thank you for reading my comments. Kathleen V. Hanks From: Rob Levine Hi - The Wallo plan is now splitting the Dorsey's Search neighborhood by moving half of that neighborhood's polygons (276, 1ctS, 21W, 11^8) to RKES & UJLWS- ftlso you are taking away a significant portion of the more affordable housing that currently attends NE5- Polygon 21t8 (while bused) is actually quite walkable at 0-7 miles from MES with the pathways- I know that "Columbia road" looks like a natural boundary But it isn't -- we have worked hard to physically rejoin our two areas back to one neighborhood--we have 3 separate and safe cross points and we all are one yroup with one focal swimming pool, and 5 tot lots- You also create an even smaller feed of the remaining Dorsey Hall neighborhood to NES-DWS-UiL-1-IS Kathleen V. Hanks From: Erin Day From: Erin Day Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2019 4:33 PM To; '[email protected]' Hello, I support Dr. Chao Wu's plan. He maintains community boundaries, addresses FARM and addressing cost, responsibly. He must be heard. I live in Glenelg Manor Estates we are slated to attend Wilde Lake the very next development over is Slated to Glenelg High School with Jennifer Mallo's plan, again breaking up a tight knit community that would move even more of our kids and leave the FARM rates potentially worse in some schools and would create low feeds. Kathleen V. Hanks From: David Burnham I am asking you to reconsider Polygon 127 in the Mallo plan. My son who is in 6th grade struggled last year when^he was moved from CCESto PRES. Wedealt with it becausewe knew in thelong run it would benefit him as he moved to CMS with a much bigger feed. Now in the Mallo plan, not only would my son attend a 4th school in 4 years, but he would once again be moved out ofhis school with virtually none of his friends. The same is true for my younger son who is currently in PRES. Our polygon will be virtually will be the only students from PRES going to WLMS. I understand there are a lot ofthings to consider, but please consider our polygon. The Mallo plan goes against policy 6010 by moving us twice in 4 years andputting us back into a small feed. Requiring students to go to 4 schools in 4 years (5 different schools in 6 years) is not fair to them. To whom it may concern: I am writing in opposition to the recently proposed alternate redistricting plan presented by BOE member Jen Mallo. Earlier in this process I expressed opposition to the Superintendents plan as it separated neighboring communities, which I believe can be detrimental to the success of my kids and all Howard County children. However, the new plan exaggerates that issue and now divides our middle school boundary down the middle of our street. We live on Indian Summer Dr. in Polygon 2028 and while the original plan seemed to use Great Star Dr. as a de-facto border in our neighborhood, the new plan cuts our community (Pheasant Ridge) in half along an invisible polygon boundary that simply does not make sense, Please see Fig 1 below as reference: Fig 1: Middle School Boundary under Jen Mallo's Alternate Plan _ll. !''S:^S*; . fi'": f -ai Further, the alternate plan continues to mix and match feeds among those in direct proximity to our home as my children would attend Elementary School and High School with a similar group of students but would attend Middle School with many kids they eventually will split away from again. While other goals are being sought after, that basic element of group consistency is missing. I appreciate the work the BOE is doing to review all testimony and input, but as illustrated in this example, this plan does even more harm to the concept of community. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of an established, cohesive neighborhood destroys the concept of community stability that has repeatedly been voiced as the number one priority among residents and one that I share. I urgethe BOEto continue theirwork with community continuity in mind andto keepPheasant Ridge and its neighbors (polygons 186, 1186, 28, 1028, 2028, 187, 1187, 1188, 188, 185,and 1185)together. Josh Lukin Polygon 2028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Jiayan Chen Dear BoE members, Thanks for your hard work all these months! I am a resident in polygon 185, and I appreciate if you kindly consider polygon 185 remaining in Clarksville Middle school for the reasons below. 1. Our polygon has low student density although it looks big on map - by fall 2020 we only have 7 middle school students. By moving our middle school students to Harper's choice middle school does not really impact much for Clarksville Middle school or Harper's choice school. Included in the 7 students, 2 FARM students as well (helped by residents in our community/polygon). 2. Remaining them in the same middle school with their friends they grow up with from Clarksville elementary school and River Hill high school in the future, helping shaping them well psychologically and psychiatrically. 3. Remaining in Clarksville Middle school helps saving them 1 hour of sleep/activity/study time every day. This helps physically for their better development to become a useful persons to our society. Because traffic time on Route 108 to Harper's choice Middle school in rush hour takes 3-4 times more then going to Clarksville Middle school via Trotter road for 10 minutes driving only. 4. Remaining in Clarksville Middle school help saving busing budget. While BoE is already struggling in funding to keep same amount of technique, music, GT program teachers, spending 3 times more' budget in busing students to much further school does not help to keep teachers. If every school teach quantity and quality reduced, what's the point to busing FARM kids to less FARM concentrated schools? Thanks for your listening and serious considerations. Jiayan Chen, M. D., Ph. D. University of Maryland, Baltimore Washington Medical Center Dear BOE members, I am Xuewu cai from polygon 2028. 1 am a registered voter of District 4. It s only about two months since the superintendent proposed the redistricting plan, but it has been a long and hard time for Howard County residents. Based on thousands of emails and mails, hundreds of testimonies and dozens of protests, the superintendent's plan is selective data driven, lack of evidence, poor in logic, underestimating the consequence, short of budget and overlook of residents' interests. Fortunately, the people voted BOE members would listen to the voice of the current residents and think about the credible alternative policy. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are part of Village of River Hill and feeders of Clarksville Middle School (CMS). The superintendent's plan intends to move polygons 28-1028- 2028 to be feeders of Harper Choice Middle School (HCMS) and move HCMS students to CMS. I'd like to reinstate why BOE should keep children from polygon 28-1028-2028 atCIVIS. Figure 1. Map of Polygon 28-1028-2028. ' . \ 20-30 min busl Harper's Choice trafficyeht\Mlddle School RH village Orange; 2019 CMS Boundary Town Center Red; Village of River Hill Green: Polygon28, 1028, 2028 Clarksviile Middle School i. )t)i^-> MtAfl '^0 ;)*<^--!'^n First, overcrowding is not an issue in HCMS or CMS. According to 2019 Feasibility Study, the capacity utilization rates of HCMS and CMS are both less than 110% till 2027. Even using superintendent's criteria, there is no reason to swap students between the two schools. Second, it is much shorter bus ride for polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMS than to HCMS. As shown in Figure 1, from the center of polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMS, the bus ride is less than 2 miles on small roads through our neighborhood and takes only 7 minutes. Moreover, a middle schooler can safely bike to school using sidewalk throughout the village and the bike ride takes no more than 15 minutes. On the other hand, from the center of polygons 28-1028-2028 to HCMS, the distance is 4. 5 miles, more than doubled the distance to CMS. The time spent on bus increases to 20-30 minutes because the bus cannot go through the 1021-acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area and will have to travel on major roads (i.e.. Route 108 and Harpers Farm Road) and pass 8 traffic lights to get to HCMS. Furthermore, hiking to school will no longer be an option. Longer bus rides not only take way time for things that are important for children's physical and mental development, but also cost a lot of money. For FY2020, without redistricting, BOB is already dealing with a budget deficit of $96 million. How will the increased transportation cost be funded? Third, polygons 28-1028-2028 is an integral part of Village of River Hill. As shown in the map (Figure 1), Village of River Hill is well defined in a terrestrial boundary. The west boundary of River Hill is route 108, the south boundary is route 32, and the northeast boundary is the big Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are not only walkers to CES and RHHS, but also within 0, 1- to 0. 8-mile walking distance to the River Hill Village Town Center. We, with other polygons in the River Hill Village, which will stay at CMS in the superintendent's plan, attend many community activities organized by the Village together. The bonding among our children and families, which was established at schools, has been strengthened by these community activities, like summer swimming team, July 4th parade, Halloween fun party etc. A school is the anchor of a community. If the children are now being separated to two different middle schools, the neighborhood will literally fall apart. It's unreasonable to tear apart the neighborhood. Finally, middle school is probably the most challenging period for students. Tweens need to be accepted and feel part of something. Uprootingtheteensfromtheir community make them feel alienated. CMS is attended proudly by children from its community, just like Harper's choice middle is attended proudly by children from its community. Attending neighborhood schools is a more desirable means of educating children because it gives them a sense of pride and identity. To conclude, I urge BOE to keep children from Polygon 28-1028-2028 at CES-CMS-RHHS because there is no overcrowding issue at CMS or HCMS and swapping these children will break communities, increase transportation cost and take away their valuable time for sleeping, studying and spending with family and friends. Sincerely, Xuewu Cai Polygon 2028 Dear HCPSSBoard of Education Members, I am writing this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') far HowardCounty school redistricting posted byJen Mallo on her Facebookpage (https://www. facebook;co2yj ienmallo4boe/). Though, I am grateful for the BOE's time and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues. First, the total movement of7, 300students istoo large ofan impactfor redistricting in SY2020-2021 when HS13will open shortly in 2023. Considering that Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (-7, 400), I believe Ms. Mallo's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSSalready hasa limited budget where certain programs(e. g.,technology) andstaff (e. g., paraeducators) hadto be cut recently. Although I acknowledge Ms. Mallo's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities andschool feeds. Dividingone or more polygons from the restof their established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedlyvoiced asthe numberone priority. Keepingthese highlydiverse neighborhoodstogether in their neighborhood schools directly upholdsthe standardsin Policy6010 with regardsto community stability, maintainingstrong feeds, minimizingtransportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facilityutilization. Furthermore, sendingstudents outside oftheir communities without addressing the root causeof the achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child awayfrom their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good, I would also like to remind the BOEthat through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strong feedsfrom one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs whenredistricting. Ms. Mallo'sproposal would not bealigned with the HowardCounty community's input. Inclosing, I urgethe BOEto consideralternative redistrictingplans that betterbalance emergency capacityissues with community continuity in mind and waitto do anymajor redistricting until HS13is available. Furthermore, I askthe BOEto considerchoice-based alternative methodssuch as Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead ofjust redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed aswe wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening. Thank you, District4 Voter: ^ J^'/i^e, Polygon# ^^- Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members, I am writing this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redistricting posted by Jen Mallo on her Facebook page (https://www. facebook. com/jenmallo4boe/). Though, I am grateful for the BOE'stime and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues. First, the total movementof 7, 300students istoo large ofan impact for redistricting in SY2020-2021 when HS13will open shortly in 2023. Consideringthat Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number ofstudents (-7, 400), I believe Ms. Mallo's proposal will havea similarfinancial impact, whichis not fiscally responsiblewith the consideration that HCPSSalready hasa limited budgetwhere certain programs (e. g., technology) andstaff (e. g., paraeducators) hadto be cut recently. Although I acknowledge Ms. Mallo's proposed plan may reducethe individualschool capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest oftheir established, cohesivecommunity neighborhood destroys the very community stabilitythat your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regardsto community stability, maintainingstrong feeds, minimizingtransportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sendingstudents outsideof their communities withoutaddressing the root causeof the achievementgap places greater barriersto student achievement. Movingany child awayfrom their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good. I would also like to remind the BOEthat through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strong feeds from one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not bealigned withthe HowardCounty community's input. Inclosing, I urgethe BOEto consideralternative redistricting plansthat better balanceemergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I askthe BOEto consider choice-based alternative methods such asMagnet schools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead ofjust redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed aswe wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening. Thank you, District 4 Voter: Dalia Shlash Polygon # 1028 Dear Board of Education, After watching the meeting of 10/27, 1 fully support Dr. Wu's plan. It moves less than half of the student's of Dr. Martirano's Plan, keeps communities and feeder schools together, saves millions on transportation costs, improves FARM, and avoids the long transportation and its effects on our children and families. It is a plan we can build a feeder school system around. It will free up funds to hire more support staff for our students most at risk. It makes our county a county where people will want move, because there is as much stability as we can provide in our growing county. Additionally, Dr. Wu did an excellent job on the numbers and data, and really spent the time developing this thorough plan. I fully support the idea of a Magnet program at HS13. Perhaps the funds that will be saved on transportation can be used for funding it. I greatly appreciate the feeder school effort introduced as well. Thank you, Mike Mantua, Polygon 1200 l^. d hi!' [yi 112^^ tic ps s. Ofg Dear BOB members, As a resident ofHoward County and a registered voter in District 4, 1 would like to thank youfor your service and for providing opportunities forthe people ofour county to provide feedback during the ongoing school rcdistricting process. , mwritlngtorcspectfulIy. I'equestyou to keepkids in ourneighborhood polygons 28, 1028,and 2028 at Clarksville Middle School(CMS). Thesuperintendent^ redistricting plan proposes to move these kids from our neighborhood school (CMS), which is about 2 miles away, to Harpers ChoiceMiddle School"(HCMS), whichis'almost 5 miles away" and ocated in a different village As many ofmy neighbors haveshown you, through hundredsof written and oral testimonies, thisproposed move is counter productive and will put undue burdens on working families in our community: This plan doesnot address anyovercrowdine issues. Theproposed move essentially swaps students betweenCMS and HCMS, andboth schools arepresently well withinthe range of target utilization rate. . ^'?tears °"r communitv aPart. As shown in the map below, Polygons 28, 1028, and2028 arean integral part ofthe River Hill community, andonly a short 5-10 min walk away from the village center. Children from the entire River Hill Village have alwaysbeen going to our two neighborhood elementary schools (Clarksville Elementary and Pointers Run Elementary) and Clarksville Middle School. CMS is linked to homes m Polygons^^1^028, and 2028 through localroads and also a networkof walking trails in RiverHill CMSis also the locationof many activities withinRiver Hill, includingthe amiual Independence Day Parade that many kids from Polygons 28, 1028, and 2028 participate m. Moving these children will take them away from their friends from other polygons ofRiver Hill community, ata critical stagefor their mental andphysical development. This plan will put undue burden on children and parents in both CMS and HCMS. Between River Hill and Harper's Choice sits thcl021-acre Middle Patuxent" Environmental Area (seemap below). The busride from Polygons 28, 1028, and2028 to ^,klst,'Ikc"ion]y 7~10 min thro"gh local roads. The bus ride from these polygons to , £MS' ,on the. otherhand>takes children through a heavily traveled state highway (Route , _8)md8 trafflclights' with the travel time increased by 10-20min one way on a daily basis. This^takes time away from children for them to bond with parents and other friends inthe neighborhood, exposes them to more air pollutants on the road, and unnecessariiy increases^nsks for bullying andtraffic incidents. Similarly, children proposed to move ' from HCMS to CMS will also be adversely affected. Thisplan^further strainsthe financial resources ofHCPSS.The proposed move will increasethe cost for transportation, whenour school system is alreadyfacing a significant budget shortfall andwhen you already hadto make difficult cuts in important programs and services. In summary, theproposed plan to move students in Polygons 28, 1028, and2028 from CMS to HCMS doesnot address overcrowding in ourschools, tears ourcommunity apart, adds undue burden on children and parents, andworsens HCPSS'sfinancial situation. I'd strongly urge our BOE members to thoroughly consider all these factors, and keep children from in Polygons 28, 1028, and 2028 at CIarksville Middle School.' Thank you for your consideration. Regards, ChenLi(1028) ? . \ 20-30 mlnbus^ Harper's Choice Middle School aarksvllle ES V.. River Hill HS RH village Town Center' Orange: 2019 CMS Boundary Red; Village of River Hill v Green: Polygon28, 1028, 2028 -' ^ ^ . . Cosur J ; . ^^ v / ClarksviJI^ Middle School .f Written on behalf of Woodmark Neighborhood Members Polygons 180, 181, 1180 To Howard County Board of Education, We are writing as dedicated parents, concerned citizens of Howard County/ and committed members of the Woodmark Community. We are a neighborhood (polygons 180, 181 and 1180), established almost SO years ago, located along Carroll Mill Rd. and consisting of 232 homes. Woodmark is still home to many of the original owners/ new families, and all generations in between, In Woodmark, we have no public pathways, no shared playgrounds, and no "village center" within walking distance. Despite these barriers, we are a tight knit small community. We have many annual events including a Halloween parade and party, a Fall Picnic, and Neighborhood yard sales. We even have monthly Bunco gatherings. We pay community association dues. It requires effort, but we are dedicated to maintaining the close- knit community that is Woodmark. Under the proposed redistricting plan and feasibility studies, polygon 181, comprised of approximately 60 homes, is proposed to be split from the rest of the neighborhood. This goes against many of the policy 6010 factors, including those factors intended to help stabilize communities. Summary 1) Woodmark is comprised of polygons 180, 181, 1180. This proposal would divide our neighborhood for high school, sending polygon 181 to Wilde Lake (projected only 19 children) and polygons 180 and 1180 to Glenelg (projected 35 children). 2) This proposal would decrease the high school feed for polygon 181 in half down to 17%, Not only would our children be without the support group that they ve grown up with in the Woodmark community, but they would be cutting their feed percentage in half as a result of this proposal. 3) With the expected redistricting to support high school 13 in 3 years/ there is a likelihood that kids moved as a result of this redist riding are moved again when the high school opens. This is disruptive. 4) Wilde Lake is much further by car and bus than other alternatives. It is almost double the commute of Glenelg or River Hill by car. If separated from the rest of our neighborhood, carpooling to and from extracurricular activities becomes increasingly difficult. 5) While this proposal separates us from our immediate neighborhood and communities to the north and east, to our immediate south are t\wo miles comprised of the University of Maryland Agriculture school and the Franciscan Friary and their farmland. This natural land buffer serves to create even more of a feeling of isolation from the rest of the proposed communities off Sheppard and Homewood. Point by Point We understand that the Howard County School system is working to address a crisis of overcrowding. We understand children must move. We want the best for all students in Howard County. However, we want to draw BOE members' attention to how each plan would affect our neighborhood and what BOE members can do to help our neighborhood continue to thrive. Woodmark Community Letter page 1 Neighborhood Division Three proposals have been released in 2019 regarding redistricting. The Feasibility study provided two options and Superintendent Martiriano proposed one option. All options unanimously keep our entire neighborhoodat Triadelphia RidgeElementary School (TRES), and FollyQuarter MiddleSchool (FQMS). Yet,for highschool, a myriadof options havebeen proposed, all ofwhich divide our neighborhood.The following chart summarizes the proposed highschools for our neighborhood aswell as how many children are in each polygon. Projected # Current HS Feasibility Feasibility HS students study Option Study Option 2020-2025 ffl ff2 Martiriano's Plan 1180 < 10 River Hill HS GlenelgHS GlenelgHS GlenelgHS 180 31-35 River Hill HS River Hill HS Glenelg HS GlenelgHS 181 16-21 River Hill HS River Hill HS River Hill HS Wilde Lake HS ALL OPTIONS send all three Polygon's to TRES and FQMS As you can see, our neighborhood is currently districted to River Hill High School (RHHS). The feasibility study options divideour neighborhoodbetween RHHSand Glenelg HighSchool (GHS) and Martiriano's plan dividesour neighborhoodbetween Glenelg High School (GHS) andWilde Lake High School (WLHS). We OPPOSE the proposals that divide our neighborhood and would argue that our neighborhood should be districted TOGETHERto one ofthe geographically appropriate highsschools such as RHHS orGHS. Facility Utilization In Policy6010, facility utilization includessubcategories of efficient use of available space, long-range enrollment, fiscal responsibility by minimizingcapital and operating costs, number of students that walk or receive bus service, and location of regional programs. Target Facility Utilization is defined as enrollment either below 90% or above 110% of capacity. Forthe three high schools being considered for our neighborhood(RHHS, GHS, and WLHS), the Superintendent's plan does not improvetarget facility utilization, but, in fact, exacerbates overcrowding. Historically WLHShas hadthe highest of capacities of the three high schools (see below): 2017-2018 School Total % Capacity school Capacity Enrollment profiles GHS 1420 1173 82% RHHS 1488 1157 78% WLHS 1424 1276 89% In his proposal, the Superintendent plans to move part of our neighborhood from RHHS (at lower % capacity) to WLHS(at higher% capacity). Rather than improving facility utilization, his plan Woodmark Community Letter page 2 exacerbatesovercrowding at WLHS. In hisplan, WLHSwould beat 108%capacity the year of 2024-2025 making it more crowded than GHS and RHHS. Longer Commute There are three highschools (GHS, RHHS, and MRHS) that are closer to the Woodmark Community as you can see below: High Minutes Miles Traffic School d rive from from Mt lights Mt Albert Albert Rd. Rd. GHS 9 min. 4. 6 mi RHHS 11 min. 5. 3 mi. MRHS 13 min. 6. 7 mi. WLHS 16 min. 7 mi. Drivingdirectly without busstops, WLHSis 77% further awaythan GHSand 45% further away than RHHS.Spending more time on a bus means that our children will have LESSTIME to sleep, complete homework, participate in extracurricular activities, and spend time with family. The risk for accidents would begreater on a commute to WLHS, especially foryoung drivers, which has 6-7 more traffic lights than the alternatives. Importantly, parents who have middle and high school students who choose to drive their children directly to school in order to limit time on the bus will NOTbe able to make it from WLHSat its start time of 7:25 andthen to FQMSat its start time of 7:40. It takes 17 minutes without trafficto makethis drive- meaning that the middle school child would easily be 5 minutes LATEto school every day. Our carbon footprint would also be much larger. Small Feeds Community stability, in Policy 6010, calls for "feedsthat encourage keeping students together from one school to the next, " in addition to "areas that are made up of contiguous communities or neighborhoods. " At the time ofthe writing ofthis letter, the entire Woodmark neighborhood goes from FQMSto RHHS. Ourchildren aresurrounded by about halfof their friends from FQMSwhen they arrive at RHHS. Currently about halfof FQMSgoes to GHS(433/869)and halfgoes to RHHS (436/869). Put another way, when they are at RHHS 32% of RHHS is comprised of students from FQMS. This feed would besplit in HALFunder the superintendent's proposal, includingfor polygon 181- where only 17%of WLHSwould be fed from FQMS (see chart on next page). Woodmark Community Letter page 3 Current Feed Superintendent s proposal Feed from FQMS to RHHS 32. 86% Feed from FQMS to GHS 42. 37% 45. 50% Feed from FQMS to WLHS 17% The superintendent's proposal divides our neighborhood, sending two polygons (1180 and 180) to GHS and one polygon (181) to WLHS. Our neighborhood is literally being sent in opposite directions- while our children can walk to each other's homes, they would be attending high schools 20 minutes from each other. We understand that the Superintendent was likely unaware that Polygons 181, 1180 and 180 were all part of one neighborhood and would ask that this be addressed, and proposed schools reconsidered. We do not want there to be a precedent that makes it acceptable to divide our neighborhood. Keeping our neighborhood together at RHHS or GHS should not significantly impact any overall plan's numbers as we are a relatively small neighborhood. In the schoolyear 2018-2019, Polygon 181 is currently comprised of 31 high schoolers, Polygon 180 has 21 high schoolers, and Polygon 1180 has <10 high schoolers. The feasibility study projected that Polygon 181 would have 16-21 high schoolers, Polygon 180 would have 31-35 high schoolers, and 1180 would have <10 high schoolers. Our numbers are small and, considering the numbers, it should be feasible to keep our community together at one of the high schools that provide larger feeds and closer proximity to our community. If the BOE is committed to keeping Polygon's 180 and 1180 at Glenelg, as is recommended in the Superintendent's plan, we would request that Polygon 181 also be sent to GHS. If the BOE is considering the ideas presented in the Feasibility study's proposal which provides GHS and RHHS as options to Woodmark, we would ask that our neighborhood be kept together as a community at either high school. Whatever option is chosen, we would request that there be a clause to keep rising Juniors at their current high school (which is RHHS) until they finish their education. Woodmark members work to promote community and continuity for their children. The superintendent's Proposal divides our neighborhood and sends it in different directions. We believe that sending all three of our polygons to the same HS would be most consistent with Policy 6010 in that these options provide efficient facility utilization and ensure community stability without significant impact to the distribution of farm percentages. In the Area Attendance Boundary Review Survey citizens in Howard County prioritized what aspects of Policy 6010 they believed were most important. Transportation considerations, keeping feeds of students together, and maintaining contiguous communities or neighborhoods were listed as the top three priorities. Considering demographic factors was the 5th most important priority. We would ask that these Voter's preferences be considered. Please vote "NO" on the Superintendent's Proposal. [community signatures begin on next page] Woodmark Community Letter page 4 Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members, I am writing this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redistricting posted by Jen Mallo on her Facebook page (https;//www. facebook. com/ienmallo4boe/). Though, I am grateful for the BOE's time and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues. First, the total movement of 7, 300 students is too large of an impact for redistricting in SY 2020-2021 when HS13 will open shortly in 2023. Considering that Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (~7, 400), I believe Ms. Mallo's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSS already has a limited budget where certain programs (e. g., technology) and staff (e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently. Although I acknowledge Ms. Mallo's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside of their communities without addressing the root cause of the achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child away from their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good. I would also like to remind the BOE that through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strong feeds from one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not be aligned with the Howard County community's input. In closing, I urge the BOE to consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I ask the BOE to consider choice-based alternative methods such as Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead of just redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed as we wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening. Thank you, District 4 Voter: Hyon Kwon Polygon#1028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Mo Bajaj Dear Board of Education Members, My name is Amnoldeep S. Bajaj, and I am a resident ofpolygon 176 along with my wife and 3 children. I have already submitted written testimony and given oral testimony in opposition to Dr. Martirano's redistricting proposal, and am writing to you nowin reference to Ms. JenMallo's redistricting proposal. In Ms. Mallo's plan, polygons 176 and 3176 are split at the high school level, with polygon 3176 staying at RHHS andpolygon 176 being changedto WLHS. I strongly urge you to reconsider changingpolygon 176 in this plan, and to keep BOTHpolygons 176 and 3176 at their MUCH closer neighborhood school, whichis RHHS. Polygon 176 (Walnut Creek Community) and Polygon 3176 (Walnut Grove Community) are sister polygons, and share close ties both geographically and socially. In fact, apart ofthe Walnut Creek Community, phase 1, actually shares the same neighborhood entrance with the Walnut Grove community. Our children are neighbors and close friends, as are the parents. We are ONEcommunity, and should not be separated at the high school level. Our communities, polygons 176 and 3176, have been extremely vocal AGAINST redistricting. Please listen to our communities, and please understand that separating polygons 176 and 3176 goes completely against policy 6010. Once again, I STRONGLY urge you to keep polygon 176 at RHHS. I sincerely hope that you will do what is right for our community, and for all of the communities in Howard County. The changes you make will dramatically impact the lives of ALL Howard County residents. Thank you for your tireless efforts throughout this process, and for your time. Anmoldeep S. Bajaj Polygon 176 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Gary Wu Dear BOE, I'm writing to express my opposition to Ms. Jen Mallo's redistricting plan which she proposed at the last "working session." It is shocking to me that after all the community feedback, and all the public testimony, Ms. Mallo came up with a plan that moves more students and disrupts more communities than the Superintendent's plan. Her plan is also likely more costly. So I can't help but to ask "why?"What's the purpose of public input if she does not hear anything that numerous citizens have expressed. Dr. ChaoWu's plan is better than Ms. Mallo's plan and the Superintendent's plan on all metrics. It moves fewer students, addresses over capacity issues, improves socio-economic equity and costs less tax payer money. I strongly urge the BOE to use Dr. Wu's plan as a foundation and make improvement from that. It is very disappointing how little impact citizens' voices have had on the redistricting process. Please stop Ms. Mallo from making matters worse. Sincerely, Gary Wu 11880 Linden Chapel Road, Clarksville, MD 21029 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Carin Kim Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members, I am writing this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario" for Howard County school redistricting posted by Jen Mallo on her Facebook page (hi:tos://www.facebook. com/ienmallo4boe/). Though, I am grateful for the BOE's time and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues. First, the total movement of 7, 300 students is too large of an impact for redistricting in SY 2020- 2021 when HS13 will open shortly in 2023. Considering that Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (~7, 400), I believe Ms. Mallo's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSS already has a limited budget where certain programs (e. g., technology) and staff (e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently. Although I acknowledge Ms. Mallo's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside of their communities without addressing the root cause of the achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child away from their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good. I would also like to remind the BOE that through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strong feeds from one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not be aligned with the Howard County community's input. In closing, I urge the BOE to consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I ask the BOE to consider choice-based alternative methods such as Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead of just redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed as we wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening. Thank you, District 4 Voter: Carin Kim Polygon # 1028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Lilia Kaplan-Robbins Dear BOB members, As a mother of two young children, I would like to provide them with predictability and stability emotionally, psychologically andphysically. I appreciate and respect very much that Dr. Wu's proposed plan incorporates feeder system. The plan addresses overcrowding issue, balances FARM numbers and has minimal impact on communities by moving much less students compared to Dr. Martirano's and Ms. Mallo's proposed plans. Pleaseuse Dr. Wu's plan as a starting point for future work sessions. It is a plan ofeducation, integrity and communal respect. Thank you, Lilia Kaplan-Robbins Polygon 1028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Aruna Gajera Dear Board Members, My name is Aruna Gajera and I am a parent residing in Polygon 84, 95, 1095 and 2095 I strongly support Howard County Board of Education member Dr. Chao Wu's proposed area adjustment plan for the Howard County Public School System. I urge the BOE to move forward with his solution, which directly addresses capacity, cost, our community's priorities, free and reduced meals ratios and future redistricting needs for HS13. Jen Mallo's plan. creates islands for Montgomery Meadows. Our polygon were never in discussion to move for past 2 months and in one session shehas decidedthat we should get moved. It doesn't ever give us time to give feedback. So please vote for somethingthat wasn't well thought out. Sincerely, Aiuna Gajera Kathleen V. Hanks From: Bollman Bridge PTA I^amwriting in opposition to_JenMallo's planfor redistricting elementary schools. Moving students from Polygons 20and 1020out ofBoIlman Bridge to Guilford ESjust to swapthem with studerts'from'Guiiford (polygons 26, 27, 1026, and 1027) is completely pointless. This swapsimply moves kids in both directions ac:l'oss_Guaford, Road'UProoting kidsand families forno reason at all. It splits upthe Huntington neighborhood w?e", neither sch001is overcrowded andneither will benefitfrom that change. WhileMalTo provides no -'^^^_data;_it seemsl, ik.e ;twouldbe detrimental toBollman Bridge, which is already a Title 1 school,by removing polygons with lower FARMS from the school. This would severely cripple the PTA andvolmiteer poolat Bollman Bridge, cutting out most of our PTA Executive Board and many many of our consistent volunteers. Andfor no reason but to swapus with other people, whoI amsure are already invested in their school_and don't wantto switch. Whywould you intentionaily harm a Title 1 School when it's not fixii issue???? Whileour polygons appear to border Guilford on the map, they do not in reality because of 32 and we would ave,todnvePAST Bollman. to6° to Guilford, which makes lio sense. It fixes no needs and disrupts our existingfeed to PatuxentValley and Hammond. Ourchildren would be pulled from their peers-only-to be broughtback this way for MS, while the same happens to current Guilford students. It is also detrimental to the students in&e polygons mentioned abovefrom Guilford. They areimmediately beside Mission Roadwhere the uewHS will bebuilt. It doesnot make sense to move themnow only to havethem move backin a fewyears. BoUrnanBridge needs polygons 20and 1020and we need to stay!!! Pleasedo not follow through with the awfiU,poorly thought outplan. My family hasbeen a partoftheBBES community for sevenyears andThave spent countless hours working to help our school. We would be devastated to bemoved and our'school would be as well. Sincerely, Jennifer Macomber PTA President, Bollman Bridge ES FTfi Bollman Bridge Elementary School Dear BOE members, I am Heng Zhang from polygon 1028. am a registered voter of District 4. It's only about two months since the superintendent proposed the redistricting plan, but it has been long and hard time for Howard County residents. Based on thousands of emails and mails, hundreds of testimonies and dozens of protests, the superintendent's plan is selective data driven, lack of evidence, poor in logic, underestimating the consequence, short of budget and overlook of residents' interests. Fortunately, the people voted BOE members would listen to the voice of the current residents and think about the credible alternative policy. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are part of Village of River Hill and feeders of CIarksville Middle School (CMS). The superintendent's plan intends to move polygons 28-1028- 2028 to be feeders of Harper Choice Middle School (HCMS) and move HCMS students to CMS. I'd like to reinstate why BOE should keep children from polygon 28-1028-2028 at CMS. Figure 1. Map ofPolygon 28-1028-2028. ^3-'3>ii!f, E»£ .'. 7> ?Tii;w3 ;';;i"i3''S ChO;-- ,'^,. IC, '^i'li. i.. ia;.i;s- Scne'ci ;:^ri ?, :». -". -fl'h.S 1028 2; 28 . ";^;';Vi;i^530!'h;TO, ' ;-::!i -V. 3d - ^J t. Clc. t*kjv:J;c? ""rfc;o -;..< First, overcrowding isnot an issuein HCMSor CMS. According to 2019 FeasibilityStudy, thecapacity utilization ratesof HCMS and CMS are both lessthan 110%till 2027. Evenusing superintendent's criteria, there is no reason to swap students between the two schools. Second, it ismuch shorter busride for polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMSthan to HCMS.As shown in Figure 1, from the centerof polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMS,the busride isless than 2 mileson small roads through our neighborhoodand takes only 7 minutes. Moreover, a middleschooler cansafely bike to school using sidewalk throughout the village and the bike ride takes no more than 15 minutes. On the other hand, from the center of polygons 28-1028-2028 to HCMS, the distance is4. 5 miles, more than doubled the distance to CMS. The time spent on bus increases to 20-30 minutes because the bus cannot gothrough the 1021-acreMiddle Patuxent Environmental Areaand will haveto travel on major roads (i. e., Route 108and Harpers Farm Road) and pass 8 trafficlights to get to HCMS.Furthermore, hikingto school will no longer be an option. Longer bus rides not only take waytime for things that are important for children's physical and mental development, but also cost a lot of money. For FY2020, without redistricting, BOEis already dealing with a budget deficit of $96 million. How will the increased transportation cost be funded? Third, polygons 28-1028-2028 isan integral part ofVillage of River Hill. Asshown in the map (Figure 1), Village of River Hill iswell defined in a terrestrial boundary. The west boundary of River Hill is route 108, the south boundary is route 32, and the northeast boundary isthe big Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are not only walkers to CESand RHHS, but also within 0. 1-to 0. 8-mile walkingdistance to the River HillVillage Town Center. We,with other polygons inthe RiverHill Village, which will stay at CMS inthe superintendent's plan, attend many community activities organized bythe Village together. The bondingamong our children andfamilies, whichwas established at schools, has been strengthened bythese community activities, like summer swimming team, July 4th parade, Halloween fun party etc. A school isthe anchor ofa community. Ifthe children are now being separated to two different middle schools, the neighborhood will literally fall apart. It's unreasonable to tear apart the neighborhood. Finally, middle school isprobably the most challenging period for students. Tweens need to beaccepted and feel part ofsomething. Uprooting the teens from their community make them feel alienated. CMS is attended proudly bychildren from its community, just like Harper's choice middle is attended proudly by children from its community. Attending neighborhood schools is a more desirable means of educating children because it gives them a sense of pride and identity. To conclude, I urge BOEto keep children from Polygon 28-1028-2028 at CES-CMS-RHHS because there is no overcrowding issue at CMS or HCMS and swapping these children will break communities, increase transportation cost andtake awaytheir valuable time for sleeping, studying and spending with family and friends. Sincerely, Heng Zhang Polygon 1028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Anne Schulte Dear BOB, My son is currently attending River Hill high school, an 8-minute drive from our house. I oppose a planthat addsfinancial burden to analready stressed HCPSSbudget as well as less sleep for students who often stayup pastmidnight to complete homework. Brianbenefits from the long-standing friendships he hascultivated from the local community, anintegral socialpiece in favor ofadolescent happiness and development. This flawed plan of social engineering will not solve nor benefit students and families. River Hill, for example, is not overcrowded, so whycreate a transportation miasma. Pleaserethink this plan andinvolve family stakeholders. Thank you, Anne .. :-;. .. ;. -;:;-.:. ;-; and Company Inc 11765 Farside Road EllicottdtyMD21042 p 410 997 8075 m 443 812 0545 aschiilteco.com linkedin. com/in/aschiilte Kathleen V. Hanks From: Mary Christensen Good morning, We live in Glenelg Manor Estates offof Folly Quarter Road, in polygon IS3. 1 have four children who are currently in 3rd and 4th grade at TriadelphiaRidge Elementary School, 8th grade at Folly Quarter Middle School, and 9th grade at River Hill High School. We love the schools we currently attend, and while I know it's not popular to say we moved to our home with these schools in mind, we did decide to live here in part because we were looking forward to sending our children to our nearby community schools. The redistricting proposal as set forth by Mr. Martirano, andnow this newerplan by Ms. Mallo, send our neighborhoodin polygon 183 from River Hill High School to Wilde Lake High School. Based on mileage and logistics, this seems preposterous to me. Why would we send students farther awaywhen there are closer options? First of all, 1 should say I have no particular bent toward one school over another. 1 am sure there are great experiences and teachers andprograms at all the schools in this county. My main concern, then, is not with Wilde LakeHigh School itself, but rather the extra driving and bus time we will have to deal with if this arbitrary shuffling of students occurs. Also, if this is about overcrowding, moving us eastward into Columbia, whichis already more crowded, doesn't make any sense. Uprooting and swappingstudents and breaking up school communitiesjust for the sake of swappingis not conducive to educational consistency andhurts the well-being of all children involved. Secondly, I think it's silly to be doing high school redistricting at all right now because it seems like a short- term solution given that a new high school will be built soon and this while rigmarole will begin again in just a few years. Why don't wejust wait so we don't have to go through this twice in a relatively short time period? That seems the best solution. Ifredistricting at the high school level really does need to take place right now, then I support Dr. Wu's plan as it is well thought out and moves fewer children. Please keep us in our current, non-overcrowded, neighborhood, nearby community schools. Mary Christensen Kathleen V. Hanks From: Subba R 10/30/2019 Board of Education 1091 OCIarksville Pike EllicottCity, MD21042 Dear Board members: My name is Subba Sista, and am a parent residing in the polygon 176. Lstronglysupport Howard county Board of Education (BOE) member Dr. ChaoWu's proposed area adjustment plan for the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS). -^^the. ?OE.to. !Tlove-forwardwith his solution. whichdirectly addresses capacity, cost, our com munity's priorities, free and reduced meals (FARM) ratios/and future redistricting needs for Sincerely, Subba Sista POLYGON 176 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Krishna Veeramachaneni 10/30/2019 Board of Education 1091 OCIarksville Pike EllicottCity, MD21042 Dear Board members: My name is Krishna Veeramachaneni, and I am a parent residing in the polygon 176. I strongly support Howard County Board of Education (BOE) member Dr. ChaoWu's proposed area adjustment plan for the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS). I urge the BOEto move forward with his solution, which directly addresses capacity, cost, our community's priorities, free and reduced meals (FARM) ratios, and future redistricting needs for HS13. Sincerely, Krishna Veeramachaneni POLYGON 176 Kathleen V. Hanks From: luowenbo Dear BOE members, I would like BOE member to give a final and formal conclusion of Dr. Martirano's redistricting plan before discussing any further plan. It is superintendent's job to research and propose redistricting plan. It's in the job description and superintendent is paid for that. Whether opposing or supporting the plan, BOE should give an answer. That's the procedure. It is not respectful to the superintendent to discuss any other redistricting plans before coming to a conclusion of his plan. Between the plans provided by Dr. Wu and Ms. Mallo, I appreciate Dr. Wu's proposal which incorporates feeder system in his plan. The plan addresses overcrowding issue, balances FARM numbers and has minimal impact to communities by moving much less students compared to the superintendent's plan and Ms. Mallo's plan. Please use his plan as a starting point for future work sessions. Wenbo Luo Polygon 1028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Brian Edwards Dear BOB Members, I appreciateall the hard work you are putting in, the countless letters and emails, social-media pings, etc. that must occupy your time. You are all appreciated for the thankless job that you do on this board. First I would !u , to.!xpre$s my..suPport for °sing chaoWu's plan asa newstarting point for redistricting. Affecting fhe^Ieastamount of kids as necessary should be one of the primary goals of redistricting. I amvery concemed wiflithe screen grabbelow shared on SocialMedia suggesting Ms. Ellis isasking supporters ofthe "swapping andbusing plan" to showup atthe meetings. It's one ofmany events that have occurred over the months that is ^ep-,r? -e^ble, m thiselltlreredistoictingprocess. Andhere is the kicker - LarryWalker calling the need to swap andbus "the largest Civil Rights issue in this County". Theonly Civil Right being violated°is the right to'go to your community schoolor the next closest (dueto overcrowding). This iswhy people chooseto live where they did. Busing a child across the county essentially swapping with a different child for racial/income-level (whatever you want to call it), is a Civil Rights violation. Busing is the Civil Rights violation! "Brown vs. Board was a busing problem" to refresh your memories of an early testimony. d be a H fiar^r?te^. sllotll. se<:ondary goaL you can relieve overcrowding and there are multiple polygons that logically makesense to move, thenmove thepolygons thathelp increase Farm rates in a lowFarm Rate school or vice-versa. But the moving thousands-of kids with Socio-Economic Desegregation'a's'tiie primary goal is whatI disagreewith. It may appear to solve one problem, but causesa hosfofothers and ^.^a^?lours of, festimo?iesfrom students alltl Parentson those. Maybethe County and State Highway ^^i!tra^o^s. needto weigh in onwhat Martirano and Mallo's plans are going to be doing to the morning commutes in this county putting children who ride the bus and High Schoo'l students that drive to schooIaF more risk of danger. From AACR President Lctrry Walker; Leaders, Today I spoke with Board Chair Mavis Ellis and mcTiber Vicky Cutroneo, it is critlcat that our community turnout for these critical work sessions including tomorrow, Wednesday evening P;esse spread the news and confirm with me if ydd arid members of your organization wili atiend. This is ihe Most Imporidnl G. vil Rights Issue in (his county since the impiementation of the Brown decision. . "'Request from Ehair Ellis are asking that we get fosks to tne BOE work sessions on redistrict. ng now' There a;e two nsv; ptopssed Fedistticting pisns . " play; one from ChaoWuwhich does not use any FARM? cntena ai ati Oive {'ron'i Jen Mallo, an acjusteri plar> whsdr; currently has best shot at passing. Ana the original plan, proposed by Dr. Martlrano, under significar't attack. The pubiie room ihey have been getting is often hostile to any .'nention of frse and reduced meals rate (FARM}, er even equity as a term offcferCTce. Booing, hissipg, disgusted Kathleen V. Hanks From: Jessica BOE Members, I am writing this e-mail in response to the most recent work session regarding school redistricting, as well as the 'test scenario' that board member Jen Mallo shared on herFacebook page earlierthis week. I urge you to keep my polygon, 1186, at Clarksvilte Middle school, and together with the other polygons that make up our Pheasant Ridge community. Ms^Mallo's plan separates 1186 from 186 and sends the former to HCMS while keeping the latter at CMS. These are both polygons off ofTrotter road. My kids in polygon 1186 can easily walk to their friends houses in polygon 186 using Columbia bike paths. The Superintendent's plan already proposes to divide our community of Pheasant Ridge between two schools. Ms. Mallo's plan"is worse forour community than the Superintendent's plan, asthe students beingmoved would bedoing so with a smaller feed, making the transition even more difficult. Dividingone or more polygonsfrom the rest oftheir established, cohesivecommunity neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feecis'mlnlmizm9 transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outsideof their communities without addressing the rootcause of the achievementgap placesgreater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child away from their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good. I support Dr Wu's plan which is far less disruptive than the other plans discussed so far. Dr. Wu's plan can use some adjustments to reduce small feeds and make sure that communities across the S°_unt. y. _ar?. k?p,t to9ethwwhenever Possible, but I believe that it is a much better starting off point than Ms. Mallo's orthe Superintendent's plans. Those plansare unnecessarilydisruptive acrossthe county, especially in light of the fact that HS13 will open shortly in 2023. I urgethe BOEto considera redistricting plan thatcan balanceemergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13'is available. urthermore''. askthe BOEto consi(:ler choice-based alternative methods such as Magnetschools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead ofjust redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed as we wait for the availability of "HS13 and concurrently imDlemented with its opening. Thank you, Jessica Zirkle Polygon 1186 District 4 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Bridget Wildt Dear BOE Members, I urge you to keep 1186 in CMS. Ms Mallo's plan separates 1186 from 186 and sendsthe former to HCMS while keeping the later at CMS. These are both polygons off of trotter road. My kids in polygon 1186 can bike to their friend's houses in polygon 186 using trails. Please don't break our community. I support Dr Wu's plan which is far less dismptive than the other plans discussed so far. Bridget Celedon Polygonll86 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Bailey Sterrett Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members, I am writing this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redistricting posted by Jen Mallo on her Facebook page (httRS://www. facebook. com/ienmallo4boe/). Though,I am grateful for the BOE'stime and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues. First, the total movementof 7, 300 students is too large of an impact for redistricting in SY 2020-2021 when HSlSwill open shortly in 2023. Consideringthat Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (~7, 400), I believe Ms. Malta's proposal will have a similarfinancial impact, whichis not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSSalready has a limited budget where certain programs (e. g., technology) and staff (e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently. Although I acknowledge Ms. Mallo's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividingone or more polygons from the rest oftheir established, cohesive community neighborhooddestroys the very community stabilitythat your constituents have repeatedlyvoiced asthe numberone priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographiccharacteristics, minimizingthe numberofstudents moved, andoptimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside of their communities without addressing the root cause ofthe achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child awayfrom their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good. I would also like to remind the BOEthat through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spokentestimony that an overwhelming majority of HowardCounty residentsstrongly value community stability, strong feedsfrom one school level to the next, and minimizedtransportation costswhen redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not be aligned with the Howard County community's input. In closing, I urge the BOEto consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I ask the BOE to considerchoice-based alternative methodssuch as Magnetschools and Controlled Choice Policiesto addressequity instead ofjust redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed as we wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening. Thank you, District 4 Voter: Bailey Sterrett Polygon #1028 Howard County Board of Education 10910 Clarksville Pike Ellicott City, MD 21042 Dear Members of the Board, I am writing to comment on Board Member Jen Mallo's proposal for elementary/middle school redistricting recently posted on her Facebook page. My family resides in Polygon 148. This proposal would move my daughter from Northfield Elementary School, which she has attended for 4 years, to Running Brook Elementary, and then on to Wilde Lake Middle School instead of Dunloggin Middle School with her peers. As my community argued the last time this was proposed a couple years ago, this move would go against several of the Board's stated redistricting goals. Specifically, it would 1) split the Dorsey's Search community, 2) remove a large chunk of the affordable housing feeding into Northfield Elementary and Dunloggin Middle, thereby greatly negatively affecting the diversity of those schools, and 3) create significant transportation issues for many ofthe students to be redistricted. I hope that these concerns are taken into account when considering Ms. Mallo's proposal. Thankyou. Sincerely, /s/ Beau R. Pichon Polygon 148 Parent October 30, 2019 Dear HCPSS Board Members: My name is Marybeth Steil and am a parent residing in Polygon 1186. stronRly oppose HowardCounty Boardof Education (BOE) member Ms.Jennifer Mallo's Brooosed area adjustment planfor the HowardCounty School System (HCPSS). I urpe the BOEto rejectthis solution, whichopens all highschools to furtherdevelopment (!) sincetheir utilization is under 110%, will cost a fortune in transportation and implementation costs, and moves an established RiverHill Community (my polygon 1186,which includesthe RHvillage ofPheasant Ridge, a Columbia Association village which is part of River Hill) to schools awayfrom our neighborhood/feeder school of Clarksville Middle School. This is unacceptable and will not work. Ms. Mallo's plan isworse than Dr. Martirano's folly ofa plan (it affects more students) andonly pits more communities against each other in another misguided attempt to address socioeconomic issues, which is the purview of County and zoningand housingpolicy. While I do not support school boundary moves that elevate FARMS percentages, I believe the BOE should take a more holistic, focused approach of using a different funding structure to address achievement gaps. Higher FARMS schools should be funded in such a waythat allows them to obtain andretain betterstudent: teacher ratios and wrap-a round support programsto close achievement gaps. Hammond HighSchool isan excellent example ofa school which is"beating the odds"with respect to' their student achievement and the programs implemented there should be enhanced and replicated across the county. Sincerely, Marybeth Steil South Wind Circle, MD Polygon 1186 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Peisheng Zhao Dear BOE members As a mother of two young children, I would like to provide as much predictability and stability to them. I really appreciate that Dr. Wu's incorporated feeder system in his proposed plan. The plan addresses overcrowding issue, balances FARM nuirJsers and has minimal impact to communities by moving rr-uch less students compared to the superintendent's plan and Ms. Mallo's plan. Please use his plan as a starting point for future work sessions Thank you, Peishenc Zhao Poiygon 1028 10/30/2019 Board of Education 10910ClarksvillePike Ellicott City, MD 21042 Dear Board of Education members, My-name [s -lan®tMunro and I am a parent residing in polygon 1190, District 4, located in the River Hill Community. Lstron.gly. supp°rt H. °wa''d. county Boal'd of.Education (BOE) member Dr. ChaoWu's proposed area adjustment plan for the Howard County Public School System (HC'PSS). lsupp°rt. m°vin? p°'y9°n 11?0 to River Hi" Hi9h School for its proximity (it isthe closest school from my resi e".ce^, and, t',ecause myfamilysh°PS and actively participates in many activities held in the River Hill community and River Hill VillageCenter - including Claret Hall, the Columbia Gym, andthe Clarksville 5th District Fire Department where my husband volunteers. L^'?-^!lle^oEto, m°ye f°T/ardwith Dr- Wu's solution which efficiently addresses capacity, cost, our community's ?!'J?-rLtle^'. -free_an Thankyou in advancefor undertaking this much neededtask of comprehensive redistricting at HCPSS. Sincerely, Janet Munro Polygon 1190 Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members, I am writing this letter to express my concern and opposition to the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redistricting posted byJen Mallo on her Facebookpage (https://www.facebook.com/ienmallo4boe/). Though, I am grateful for the BOE'stime and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues. First, the total movement of 7, 300 students is too large of an impact for redistricting in SY2020-2021 when HS13will open shortly in 2023. Consideringthat Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (-7,400), I believe Ms. Mallo's proposal will havea similarfinancial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the considerationthat HCPSSalready hasa limited budgetwhere certain programs (e. g., technology) and staff (e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently. Although I acknowledge Ms. Malta's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesivecommunity neighborhooddestroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regardsto community stability, maintainingstrong feeds, minimizingtransportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside of their communities without addressing the root causeof the achievement gap placesgreater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child awayfrom their neighborhoodschool and community supports does more harm than good. I would also like to remind the BOE that through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strong feedsfrom one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Malta's proposal would not be aligned with the Howard County community's input. In closing, I urge the BOE to consider alternative redistricting plans that better balance emergency capacity issueswith community continuity in mind and waitto do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I ask the BOEto consider choice-based alternative methods such as Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead ofjust redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed as we wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening. Thank you, Voter name: MichelleGrey Polygon # 28 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Jen Macomber I am writing in opposition to JenMallo's plan for redistricting elementary schools. Moving students from Polygons 20 and 102Q out ofBollman Bridge to Guilford ESjust to swap them with students from Guilford (polygons 26, 27, 1026, and 1027) is completely pointless. This swap simply moves kids in both directions across Guilford Road, uprooting kids and families for no reason at all. It splits up the Huntington neighborhood whenneither school is overcrowded andneither will benefit from that change. While Mallo provides no FARMS data, it seems like it would be detrimental to Bollman Bridge, whichis already a Title 1 school, by removing polygons with lower FARMS from the school. This would severely cripple the PTA and volunteer pool at Bollman Bridge, cutting out most of our PTA Executive Board and many many of our consistent volunteers. And for no reason but to swap us with other people, who I am sure are already invested in their school and don t want to switch. Why would you intentionally harm a Title 1 School when it's not fixing any issue???? While our polygons appear to border Guilford on the map, they do not in reality because of 32 and we would have to drive PAST Bollman to go to Guilford, which makes no sense. It fixes no needs and disrupts our existing feedto PatuxentValley and Hammond. Ovir childrenwould be pulled from their peers only to be brought back this way for MS, while the same happens to current Guilford students. It is also detrimental to the students in the polygons mentioned above from Guilford. They are immediately besideMission Road where the new HS will be built. It does not make sense to move them now only to have them move back in a few years. Bollman Bridge needs polygons 20 and 1020 and we need to stay!!! Please do not follow through with the awful, poorly thought out plan. My family has been a part of the BBES community for seven years and I have spent coundess hours working to help our school. We would be devastated to be moved and our school would be as well. Sincerely, Jennifer Macomber PTA President, Bollman Bridge ES Kathleen V. Hanks From: kjju Dear all, Thankyou for the hardwork you do to ensurepublic schools are suitable for all. I would like to urge you to adopt Dr. Wu's careful proposal to redistrict polygons with respect to CIarksville. As a fonner scholarship kid, I believe closing the achievement gap andpromoting social mobility for disadvantaged groups is a worthy goal that can be accomplished more effectively through other means, (i. e., magnet programs, mentorship opportunities, tutoring, scholarships, county wide orgaiiizations(i. e., churches, scouting, etc. )). All the best to you. Kind regards, Julie Kim, M. D. On Wed, Sep 4, 2019, 7:00 AM kiju Many of us in Clarksville do not agree with the redistricting plan, as proposed. Please consider letters from 3 concerned parents and a photo of our children. See attached. Kind regards, Julie Kim, M.D. Dear BOE members, I am Xianghua Yin from polygon 28. am a registered voter of District 4. It's only about two months since the superintendent proposed the redistricting plan, but it has been a long and hard time for Howard County residents. Based on thousands of emails and mails, hundreds of testimonies and dozens of protests, the superintendent's plan is selective data driven, lack of evidence, poor in logic, underestimating the consequence, short of budget and overlook of residents' interests. Fortunately, the people voted BOE members would listen to the voice of the current residents and think about the credible alternative policy. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are part of Village of River Hill and feeders of Clarksville Middle School (CMS). The superintendent's plan intends to move polygons 28-1028- 2028 to be feeders of Harper Choice Middle School (HCMS) and move HCMS students to CMS. I'd like to reinstate why BOE should keep children from polygon 28-1028-2028 at CMS. Figure 1. Map of Polygon 28-1028-2028. i\5-i0ni np.,3 -.. ^ ^;fi-:5 ?. '^ih;!':rt^ 1028 2N8 First, overcrowding is not an issue in HCMS or CMS. According to 2019 Feasibility Study, the capacity utilization rates of HCMS and CMS are both less than 110% till 2027. Even using superintendent's criteria, there is no reason to swap students between the two schools. Second, it is much shorter bus ride for polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMS than to HCMS. As shown in Figure 1, from the center of polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMS, the bus ride is less than 2 miles on small roads through our neighborhood and takes only 7 minutes. Moreover, a middle schooler can safely bike to school using sidewalk throughout the village and the bike ride takes no more than 15 minutes. On the other hand, from the center of polygons 28-1028-2028 to HCMS, the distance is 4. 5 miles, more than doubled the distance to CMS. The time spent on bus increases to 20-30 minutes because the bus cannot go through the 1021-acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area and will have to travel on major roads (i. e., Route 108 and Harpers Farm Road) and pass 8 traffic lights to get to HCMS. Furthermore, hiking to school will no longer be an option. Longer bus rides not only take way time for things that are important for children's physical and mental development, but also cost a lot of money. For FY2020, without redistricting, BOE is already dealing with a budget deficit of $96 million. How will the increased transportation cost be funded? Third, polygons 28-1028-2028 is an integral part of Village of River Hill. As shown in the map (Figure 1), Village of River Hill is well defined in a terrestrial boundary. The west boundary of River Hill is route 108, the south boundary is route 32, and the northeast boundary is the big Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are not only walkers to CES and RHHS, but also within 0. 1- to 0.8-mile walking distance to the River Hill Village Town Center. We, with other polygons in the River Hill Village, which will stay at CMS in the superintendent's plan, attend many community activities organized by the Village together. The bonding among our children and families, which was established at schools, has been strengthened by these community activities, like summer swimming team, July 4th parade, Halloween fun party etc. A school is the anchor of a community. If the children are now being separated to two different middle schools, the neighborhood will literally fall apart. It's unreasonable to tear apart the neighborhood. Finally, middle school is probably the most challenging period for students. Tweens need to be accepted and feel part of something. Uprooting the teens from their community make them feel alienated. CMS is attended proudly by children from its community, just like Harper's choice middle is attended proudly by children from its community. Attending neighborhood schools is a more desirable means of educating children because it gives them a sense of pride and identity. To conclude, I urge BOE to keep children from Polygon 28-1028-2028 at CES-CMS-RHHSbecause there is no overcrowding issue at CMS or HCMS and swapping these children will break communities, increase transportation cost and take away their valuabie time for sleeping, studying and spending with family and friends. Sincerely, XianghuaYin Polygon 28 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Yu Mei Dear BOB members, I am Yu Mei and from polygon 28, a father ofthree young children. \ redl.ywrcciate thetime^ndrffbrt BOEon the redistricting. Aftercomparing Dr. Martirano's proposal and and M,s', _Mau°'s_proposal Dr- wu's proposal. Dr- wuls incorporated feeder system in his proposed pfan"Dr~ ,wu'!propos^has lessimPacton the communities andmore feasible. The plan addresses overerowding issue, balancesFARM numbers and has minimal impact to communities by moving much less students compared to superintendent's plan and Ms. Mallo's plan. I would suggestBOB use his plan asa startingpoint for future work sessions. Regards, YuMei Polygon 28 October 30, 2019 Dear HCPSS Board Members: My name is Marybeth Steil and I am a parent residing in Polygon 1186. stronelv supoort Howard Countv Board of Education (BOE) member Dr. Chao Wu's oroposed area adjustment plan for the Howard County School System (HCPSS). I urge the BOE to move forward with his solution, which directly addresses capacity, cost, our community's priorities, free and reduced meals (FARMS) ratios, and future redistricting needs for HS13. Sincerely, Marybeth Steil South Wind Circle, MD Polygon 1186 Kathleen V. Hanks From: WAYNE MOORE Dear Board members Bothproposed redistrictingplans have significantimpact on Ploygon# 1199, the families, students andthe community. We are in favor and advocate for a plan that keeps Polygon 1199 as it has been assigned for many years to Riverhill High School. ^ Sending students in the community in Polygon 1199 to Glenelg high school will destabilize social structure built over the years in elementary and middle school. ° Students will have a longer commute going forward if moved from River Hill HS to Glenelg HS, increasing the already existent stress of early days and less sleep for young children i The increased psychological stress of being accepted into new social circles while adjusting to and dealing with the challenges of early teenage years and academics is unnecessary. The arbitrary reassignment of a small population of students does not address the perceived underlying issues attendant in school system »Assigning students to Glenelg will cause additional stress to student acceptance with the long standing competition between the two schools 3 There is no clear articulation of the benefit of reassigning a population of students from River Hill to Glenelg. What is the objective? How was the carving of Polygon 1199 arrived at? ° The proposal to change the assigned highschool from Riverhill to Glenelg will have adverse and unnecessary impact on an existing and established community ° Chao Wu's alternate plan keeps Polygon 1199 and neighboring communities together in River Hill high school and avoids the associated negative impacts of reassignment to Glenelg Robert W. Moore 13687 Gilbride Lane Claiksville, Md. 21029 Hedgerow Community J From: Jeffrey Heiges Dear Members ofthe Board of Education, ^.s. a-concerned,Howardcounty parent'! want you to know that we are watching very closely not only what youuaresaymg\but howy?" are. reacting- K_isclear that there are members ofthe BOB who have already made up-^ir-mmds_regM'(ii"g thisredistricting. Forthose of you who are listening to the comm'unity andcarefuny" Ting the best options, I thank you from the bottom ofmy heart. Please do not make the children victims 1 thatadults have caused and created Studentsare stressed already and spread very YhinTyTtrymgto makethemselves competitive ina difficultworld. Let'swork together to findawayto'address the" overcro_wdmgofschools AathasbeeD. createdby the County Council allowing builders to put up housing with noregard to how the county will handle the influx of students. Thisis in no way the fault of the''students°and" ; thatthoughtfully decidedto live inthe rural parts ofthe county. i'le.a considermmimal disruPti°nof students, assuggested in Dr. Wu's plan. Pleaseput the money that would i wasted on busing to good use, helping the children that need it most. Thank you, Heidi Heiges Polygon 176 Kathleen V. Hanks From: MandyWebb I support Dr. Wu's plan. With the small change that I feel 1183 should be zoned to Glenelg High school (nearest school by a distance of 2 miles, only three miles away). This is my polygon. Thanks for the your time and consideration. Mandy Campbell Polygon - 1183 (Buckskin Wood) On Thu, Sep 12, 2019 at 12:30 PM Mandy Webb . If implemented, the current proposal would be logistically onerous on my family due to the increased travel time to/from school. There are two high schools closer to my home than the high school we'd be redistricted to. . The intended outcome ofproposal is not clearly defined. Whatwill it really achieve and at what cost? To me, balancingFARM rates (while a noble effort) is a meansto an end, not an outcome itself. Once defined, the outcomes should be commiuiicatedwith supporting data showinghow the outcomes will be achievedby implementing the plan. I support school improvements in HCPSS. However, I believe enhancements shouldbe directly targetedto where the need is. We should be purposeful andtransparent in this effort to give ALL kids in Howarda world class education. Respectfully, Mandy Campbell Polygonll83 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Robin Slaw Dear HCPSS Board members, My name is Robin Slaw, and I live in polygon 143. I've only lived in Columbia for a little over three years, but chose this town and my current career position because of what Columbia was built to be. My children are all grown, so I am writing to you as a person ^who works with children and adolescents who live in Howard County. I see the issues caused by hunger and poverty, I see the differences equity in education can make, and all our children deserve the best we can give them. I fully support the redistricting plan as proposed by Superintendent Martirano for these reasons: 1. Diversity allows children to build a broader perspective of the world, which helps them to be better global citizens. Businesses are looking for employees with those broader perspectives. 2. Students who attend integrated equity-based schools develop empathy. Diverse communities are closer and better able to work together to solve issues for everyone. 3. Students who attend integrated schools are more likely to graduate and more likely to succeed in college if they choose to continue with further education. Please hold strong in the face of racism! Sincerely yours, Robin Slaw *_. *_. *_. *^. * .. *_. *_. *_. *_. *-*-. *_. *--* * - * Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go cfo if. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. ~ Howard Thunnan Robin Slow Director of Religious Education, Credentialed Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia dre; I am Peisheng Zhao from polygon 1028. am registered voter of District 4. It s only about two months since the superintendent proposed the redistricting plan, but it has been a long and hard time for Howard County residents. Based on thousands of emails and mails, hundreds of testimonies and dozens of protests, the superintendent's plan is selective data driven, lack of evidence, poor in logic, underestimating the consequence, short of budget and overlook of residents interests. Fortunately, the people voted BOE members would listen to the voice of the current residents and think about the credible alternative policy. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are part of Village of River Hill and feeders ofClarksville Middle School (CMS). The superintendent's plan intends to move polygons 28-1028- 2028 to be feeders of Harper Choice Middle School (HCMS) and move HCMS students to CMS. I'd like to reinstate why BOE should keep children from polygon 28-1028-2028 at CMS. Figure I. Map of Polygon 28-10Z8-2028. 2G-S3CTi.1B.i-i -. 5 .... '. I!: S '. '. Si'fjr'. ; Chc'ce l;r'.?ii. ::^n^ . ' . \;n;i Scnooi CL/itsy;!;e uS 1, «'^. :',!';-; 1028 ^ 2028 \;< '[:... ; .. i:. ^. ^? cr. i;-';, - ::!!' i f- i. .. -, .. cte, -;3":"t' i-. itit., '; iT. 'MK'l First, overcrowding is not an issue in HCMS or CMS. According to 2019 Feasibility Study, the capacity utilization rates of HCMS and CMS are both less than 110% till 2027. Even using superintendent's criteria, there is no reason to swap students between the two schools. Second, it is much shorter bus ride for polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMS than to HCMS. As shown in Figure 1, from the center of polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMS, the bus ride is less than 2 miles on small roads through our neighborhood and takes only 7 minutes. Moreover, a middle schooler can safely bike to school using sidewalk throughout the village and the bike ride takes no more than 15 minutes. On the other hand, from the center of polygons 28-1028-2028 to HCMS, the distance is 4. 5 miles, more than doubled the distance to CMS. The time spent on bus increases to 20-30 minutes because the bus cannot go through the 1021-acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area and will have to travel on major roads (i. e.. Route 108 and Harpers Farm Road) and pass 8 traffic lights to get to HCMS. Furthermore, hiking to school will no longer be an option. Longer bus rides not only take way time for things that are important for children's physical and mental development, but also cost a lot of money. For FY2020, without redistricting, BOE is already dealing with a budget deficit of $96 million. How will the increased transportation cost be funded? Third, polygons 28-1028-2028 is an integral partof Village of River Hill. As shown in the map (Figure 1), Village of River Hill is well defined in a terrestrial boundary. The west boundary of River Hill is route 108, the south boundary is route 32, and the northeast boundary is the big Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are not only walkers to CES and RHHS, but also within 0. 1-to 0. 8-mile walking distance to the River Hill Village Town Center. We, with other polygons in the River Hill Village, which will stay at CMS in the superintendent's plan, attend many community activities organized by the Village together. The bonding among our children and families, which was established at schools, has been strengthened by these community activities, like summer swimming team, July 4th parade, Halloween fun party etc. A school is the anchor of a community. If the children are now being separated to two different middle schools, the neighborhood will literally fall apan. It's unreasonable to tear apart the neighborhood. Finally, middle school is probably the most challenging period for students. Tweens need to be accepted and feel part of something. Uprooting the teens from their community make them feel alienated. CMS is attended proudly by children from its community, just like Harper's choice middle is attended proudly by children from its community. Attending neighborhood schools is a more desirable means of educating children because it gives them a sense of pride and identity. To conclude, I urge BOE to keep children from Polygon 28-1028-2028 at CES-CMS-RHHS because there is no overcrowding issue at CMS or HCMS and swapping these children will break communities, increase transportation cost and take away their valuable time for sleeping, studying and spending with family and friends. Sincerely, Peisheng Zhao Polygon 1028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Alenoosh Yousefian Dear Board of Education: Myname is Ally Koliofotis and I amresident ofpolygon 232 uniquely situated near route 32 and highway 70.1 amwriting jto you today askingyou to pleasekeep polygon 232 at WFES,Mount ViewMiddle^A Marriott's Ridge High. I along with my community, andinost communities are in STRONG OPPOSITION againstthis redistricting plan. I sayuniquely because though we area mile from boththese major roadways, we areliving in a veryrural part of the county. Wedo not have sidewalks, we do not have public water, we do not have have street lights, andthe closest market is 1 5 minutes away. We live amongst farmers and farmland in n narrow back roads. We do not have the of the of betwee privileges those living in the urban areas but you can saythat is by choice I choseto live where I livebecause I wantedto be close enough to my parents and my districted schoolso that between working parents, andfamily wecould manage the transportation, timingof school,work commute, volunteering, schedulingofextracurricular activities forour 4 children. Asyou may havekids I'm sure you canunderstand whatthat takes. We gaveup conveniences to live where we live andwe shouldn'thave to considermoving againso we can be closer to a schoolto make our lives work Imagineif we did this every time the county officials felt propelled to redistrict our students and families. You have to understandthese commute times areunreasonable for us. Welive 2 miles from school. It takesus 4 minutes to driveto schoolnow. They shouldn't have to be bussed to a school8 milesaway. In addition to busing (which wouldbe over an hour commute), as parents we are thinking about our kids driving to school,every morning wiflirest ofthe work commuters inthe region. The safety on 32 hasalways beena concern, more sothan ever before It isa fact,the more you are on the road the more likely it isyou will getinto a caraccident. Whyshould weput our inexperienced teenagers onthese roads more thanwe have to? Whyput them in harm's way?'As parentswe suffer from worry and stress for our children, whether it begun violence at their school, bullying or onlinesafety. Butto wony about which school our child is going to and how they are getting there shoulcln't ave.to.beoneoftfaem- who's shoulders and conscious does this fall on when a childis hurt during along commute to school, who will be responsible? And for what? Sothe Calvin Ball, Larry Walker, and"their- s.?I!orters can, sayh, e made anil???act ontilesocio economic equality inHoward County? There is noproof whatso ever thatredistricting will solve fortheir initiative. Inwas publically statedby Martirano thatthere was and will be no guarantee. Thecitizens of this county have elected you to makereasonable, educateddecisions on our behalf. Herewe are voicing^our opinions, louder than ever, and the message is clear. WE ARE OPPOSED TO REDISTRCITING. CalvinBall andthe county executives launcheda campaign"Live Where you Work" which provides rental subsidies forlow and moderate incometo livenear their work place. Heis encouraging people to moveto the area, to live_wherethey work. But where aretheir kids goingto school? Shouldn't this uutiative be better" ^"^ ?ut-?-Ifs. alihyPO(:riticaL Meanwhilethe rest of the county wants Aeir kids to go to schoolwhere they e'. Hehas created division i° thiscounty, richvs. poor, whitevs. black. Andrather than creating better solutions he is having closed door conversations with the wrong people while on mission to create a name for himself. Thewestern part ofthe county hasbeen getting a badrap, for being elitist, rich, or too white. Butthat isfar from the case. We not only have one of the most diverse counties in the country, butour neighborhood aloneconsists over 10different nationalities andmultiple racesand of different socioeconomic backgrounds, you seenot everyone is rich, not everyone is poor, most ofus aremiddle class families, working 40 and 80 hours a week ( in my families' case) trying to provide whatour kids need, a solid foundation. A solidfoundation. ^While the county thinks it isgoing to fill thetest score gap by shuffling these kids around, trying to level theplaying field, it might bewise trying to seewhy the test scores are better at certainschools. Ratherthan helping students with lower test scores, the county wants to level outall thetest scores throughout thecounty schools to show all the schools in the county are top notch or equal. Simply a fayade,an illusion to makethings look better&an theyreally are. Usingchildren oiiceagain as pawns to masksometfung thecounty doesn't wantto repair. Providebetter programs, provide assistanceto those students thatdon't havestable households thatdon't have help at home to dohomework orstudy. Providetutors andafterschool support. Put moneyjntothe schools that need it. Ratherthan reshuffling kids around, let's dive deep, look at the budget, and reshuffle finances to help solve for the root ofthe problem^ Asmother, I try to teachmy children some important lessons, one ofthe most imponant is whenyou do something^anything whether it beyour homework or simplyhelping with chores. Don'tjust do it forthe sake Make sure when do ofhaying^done^something. you something its fully thought out and you do it RIGHT, and you do it WELL. And for the record.. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO SUFFER. Thank you for time. Ally Koliofotis Ally Koliofotis Field Account Maiiager A UnitedHealthcare Company Office: 952-769-87281 fax: 844-881-8986 email: alhLMiofotis(2), umi. com This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or proprietary information, andmay be used only by the person or entity to which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient or his or her authorized agent, the reader is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the senderby replying to this message and delete this e-mail immediately. Re: I urge BOE members to keep polygons 28-1028-2028 at Clarksville MS Dear BOE members, I am HualingWangfrom polygon 1028. It s only about two months since the superintendent proposed the redistricting plan, but it has been a long and hard time for Howard County residents. Based on thousands of emails and mails, hundreds of testimonies and dozens of protests, the superintendent's plan is selective data driven, lack of evidence, poor in logic, underestimating the consequence, short of budget and overlook of residents' interests. Fortunately, the people voted BOE members would listen to the voice of the current residents and think about the credible alternative policy. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are part of Village of River Hill and feeders ofClarksville Middle School (CMS). The superintendent's plan intends to move polygons 28-1028- 2028 to be feeders of Harper Choice Middle School (HCMS) and move HCMS students to CMS. I'd like to reinstate why BOE should keep children from polygon 28-1028-2028 atCMS. First, overcrowding is not an issue in HCMS or CMS. According to 2019 Feasibility Study, the capacity utilization rates of HCMS and CMS are both less than 110% till 2027. Even using superintendent's criteria, there is no reason to swap students between the two schools. Second, it is much shorter bus ride for polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMS than to HCMS. As shown in Figure 1, from the center of polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMS, the bus ride is less than 2 miles on small roads through our neighborhood and takes only 7 minutes. Moreover, a middle schooler can safely bike to school using sidewalk throughout the village and the bike ride takes no more than 15 minutes. On the other hand, from the center of polygons 28-1028-2028 to HCMS, the distance is 4. 5 miles, more than doubled the distance to CMS. The time spent on bus increases to 20-30 minutes because the bus cannot go through the 1021-acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area and will have to travel on major roads (i. e.. Route 108 and Harpers Farm Road) and pass 8 traffic lights to get to HCMS. Furthermore, hiking to school will no longer be an option. Longer bus rides not only take way time for things that are important for children's physical and mental development, but also cost a lot of money. For FY2020, without redistricting, BOE is already dealing with a budget deficit of $96 million. How will the increased transportation cost be funded? Figure 1. Map of Polygon 28-1028-2028. :lO-SO?r, :iuu? !f, j,'!-i, !ni ,t;an?. ''3 C. iwis ^ »;'';«'< "*ru. ;';. !t;a;e <>e;!;(ii C:L. r';wl-e£s >'','srhiii;i-i3 1028 2i. 2S : \ 21 , 3^; -I!';. -; 37, 4, t'3i' ;'ii; .. ^i,^ ;;;;.-! Third, polygons 28-1028-2028is an integral partof Village of RiverHill. Asshown in the map (Figure 1), Village of River Hill is well defined in a terrestrial boundary. The west boundary of River Hill is route 108, the south boundaryis route 32, and the northeast boundaryis the big Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are not only walkers to CES and RHHS, but also within 0. 1- to O. S-mile walkingdistance to the River HillVillage Town Center. We,with other polygons inthe River Hill Village, whichwill stayat CMS in the superintendent's plan, attend manycommunity activitiesorganized by the Village together. The bonding among our children and families, which was established at schools, has been strengthened by these community activities, like summer swimming team, July 4th parade, Halloween fun party etc. A school isthe anchorof a community. Ifthe children are now beingseparated to two different middle schools, the neighborhood will literally fall apart. It's unreasonable to tear apart the neighborhood. Finally, middle school is probably the most challenging period for students. Tweens need to be accepted and feel part of something. Uprooting the teens from their community make them feel alienated. CMS is attended proudly by children from its community, just like Harper's choice middle is attended proudly by children from its community. Attending neighborhood schools is a more desirable means of educatingchildren because it givesthem a sense of pride and identity. To conclude, I urge BOEto keep childrenfrom Polygon 28-1028-2028at CES-CMS-RHHSbecause there is no overcrowding issue at CMS or HCMS and swapping these children will break communities, increase transportation cost andtake awaytheir valuable time for sleeping, studying and spendingwith family a nd friends. Sincerely, HualingWang Polygon 1028 Dear Board Members, Thank you for serving on the Board of Education. Wevalue your commitment andyour support for the education of Howard County children. I am a resident of Polygon 127and am writing to express concern regarding Board Member Mallo's test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES- WLMS-AHS. I also would encourage the Board to explore Board Member Wu's test scenarios as theyappear to addressseveral goals of the Boardwhile still preparingthe Countyfor the inclusion of High School #13. My specific concerns with Board Member Mallo's test scenarios are: The scenarios would undo the successful 2017 redistricting that fixed the small feed problem for Polygon127: In2017, our polygon wasredistrjcted from ClemensCrossing ES and Lime Kiln MSto Pointers Run ESand Clarkesville MS (took effect for the 2018-2019 school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behind the Board's decision to redistrict our community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMSto fix the small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Mallo's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed. I oppose Board Member Malta's scenarios and support keeping Polygon 127 with its current large feed of PRES-CMS for elementary and middle school. Four schools in four years is untenable and directly violates Policy 6010: Current sixth graders in Polygon 127 would be expected to attend four schools in asmany years under Board Member Mallo's approach: o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES(CCES) o Sth grade at Pointers Run ES(PRES) o 6th gradeat Clarksville MS (CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS) Therefore Board Member Mallo's approach would violate the goals of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ), which states the Board will make "every attempt to not move a student more than once at anyschool level orthe same student more frequently than onceevery five years. " This policy is important to our neighborhood because in the 2018-2019 school year we experienced firsthand the impact and challenges redistricting presents asour children worked to adjust to new academic environments and friend groups after the last redistricting decision. Forthese samechildren to endureanother redistrictingjust a fewyears later placesan extreme burden on them. Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability nowand inthe future: Moving our children yet again to a new middle school just two years after the last redistcicting for our neighborhood would be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now .ltat PRES-CMS' Further' m°ving our community to WLMSdoes not support long term stability in light ofthe current andfuture development near Downtown Columbia and to the east.As a resultof that growth, it's reasonableto conceivethat our polygon could besubject to additional redistricting inthe nearfuture ifwe are moved to WLMSnow. All plans and scenarios to date (except for Board Member Malta's scenarios) recognize these factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS. In contrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Mallo's scenarios, Board Member Wu's scenarios appearto take a holistic and long-term approach to redistricting and should be further explored^ Thisshould include exploration ofthe testing scenario thatwould keep Polygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS-AHS. The Superintendent's proposal (moves Polygon 127 from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES-CMS-River Hill HS)also could support longterm stabilityfor our polygon. Ifthe Superintendent's planis advanced, please consideran exception forour current students atAHS to stayat the school If they provide their own transportation. Such an exception should include current freshman eca"se. thcY would otherwise be required to attend four schools infour years (7th grade at LKMS,8th grade at CMS, 9th grade at AHS, and 10th grade at RHHS). It isimportant to notethat the potential for stability I mention inboth the Superintendent's plan and in Board Member Wu's plan would only exist ifall ofthe changes included inthose plans are made.Singular changes to the Superintendent's plan or to Board MemberWu's scenarios would jeopardize the stability the plans are designed to enable and could potentially exacerbate the overall problems the Board aims to address. Wehave always taken a reasonable approachto redistrictingand thank you for the considerationof our concerns. Wewill continueto payclose attention duringthe Board meetings and will provide updated feedback as new considerations arise or additional concerns areidentified. We implore you to remember Polygon 127'srecent redistricting inthe 2018-2019 school year, askthat you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguous stable feeds for Polygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Dalia Aly Bracy Polygon 127 Kathleen V. Hanks From: M BAHRAIN Dear Board Members, I appreciate everyone working to ensure that Howard County education remains one of the very best in the country. We^reside in Walnut Creek which is polygon 176. However the part ofWalnut Creek that we reside in is Dartof Walnut Grove, polygon 3176. We have to go through polygon 3176to get out ofthe'community' l. w°uld. Nke-t°-p, °int °.ut. thatMS-. Mallo's P'an ofsplitting Polygons 176and 3176to 2 different high schools will split a neighborhood into 2. Part of polygon 176 resides within polygon 3176.... we share"the same entrance" LnS. the.<::°:mmu.rl.'ty', share the same sc:h°01. buss8s Elnd bus stops'This plan would make neighbors go^to" high schools and complicate bussing inside the neighborhood. We have no road con'nection'tothe other part ofWalnut Creek or to Sheppard Lane except through Walnut Grove. I askthat the BOEtake this into consideration beforesplitting the Polygons andkeep 3176 and 176together Thank you, Mustufa Bahrain. Get Outlook for Android Re: urge BOEmembers to keep polygons 28-1028-2028at Clarksville MS Dear BOE members, lamMingshiChenfrom polygon 1028. am a registered voter of District 4. It'sonly abouttwo monthssince the superintendent proposed the redistricting plan, but it hasbeen a long and hard time for Howard County residents. Based on thousands ofemails and mails, hundreds of testimonies and dozensof protests, the superintendent's plan isselective data driven, lack of evidence, poor in logic, underestimatingthe consequence, short of budget and overlook of residents' interests. Fortunately, the people voted BOEmembers would listen to the voice ofthe current residentsand think about the credible alternative policy. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are part ofVillage of River Hill and feeders ofdarksville Middle School (CMS). The superintendent's plan intends to move polygons 28-1028- 2028 to be feeders of Harper Choice Middle School (HCMS) and move HCMSstudents to CMS. I'd like to reinstate why BOEshould keep children from polygon 28-1028-2028 at CMS. First, overcrowding is not an issue in HCMSor CMS. According to 2019 FeasibilityStudy, the capacity utilization ratesof HCMSand CMS are both lessthan 110%till 2027. Even usingsuperintendent's criteria, there is no reason to swap students between the two schools. Second, it is much shorter bus ride for polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMSthan to HCMS. As shown in Figure 1, from the center of polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMS, the bus ride is less than 2 miles on small roads" through our neighborhood and takes only 7 minutes. Moreover, a middle schooler can safely bike to school using sidewalk throughout the village and the bike ride takes no more than 15 minutes. On the other hand,from the centerof polygons28-1028-2028 to HCMS,the distance is4. 5 miles, more than doubled the distance to CMS. The time spent on bus increases to 20-30 minutes because the bus cannot gothrough the 1021-acreMiddle Patuxent Environmental Areaand will haveto travel on major roads (i. e.. Route 108and Harpers Farm Road) and pass 8 traffic lights to get to HCMS. Furthermore, hikingto school will no longer be an option. Longerbus rides not only take waytime for things that are important for children's physical and mental development, butalso cost a lot ofmoney. ForFY2020, without redistricting, BOEis already dealingwith a budget deficit of $96 million. How will the increased transportation cost be funded? Figure 1. Map of Polygon 28-1028-2028. 2C'-3fl rtli.is.ls .;-3 fT'i^ts-5 ;. a.-'^''S C;~3i>-y ; t:.. ^:-^ .\. ia(;is idisoi C'.. r|;iVir. 3l:c ?;VO'tili;,i5 1028 ; !8 \ . /. ;:;V;:il.:;30:n;-,3,-. ;;" ..;, . -I. ; .. (.. '.,..:.. ^i. , .,;, it^y J! .. . .-^t !."..>: ; Cla.'ks"ii;» i"i;6u. 6 SCrti^OI Third, polygons 28-1028-2028 isan integral part ofVillage of River Hill. Asshown in the map (Figure 1), Village of River Hill iswell defined in a terrestrial boundary. The west boundary of River Hill is route 108, the south boundary is route 32, and the northeast boundary isthe big Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are not only walkers to CES and RHHS, but also within 0. 1- to 0. 8-mile walkingdistance to the RiverHill Village Town Center. We, with other polygons in the River Hill Village, whichwill stay at CMS in the superintendent's plan,attend manycommunity activitiesorganized by'the Villagetogether. The bondingamong our children andfamilies, whichwas established at schools, has been strengthened bythese community activities, like summer swimming team, July 4th parade, Halloween fun party etc. A school isthe anchor ofa community. Ifthe children are now being separated to two different middle schools, the neighborhood will literally fall apart. It's unreasonable to tear apart the neighborhood. Finally, middle school is probably the most challenging period for students. Tweens needto be accepted and feel part ofsomething. Uprooting the teens from their community make them feel alienated. CMS is attended proudly bychildren from its community, just like Harper'schoice middle is attended proudly by children from its community. Attending neighborhood schools is a more desirable means of educating children because it gives them a sense of pride and identity. To conclude, I urge BOE to keep children from Polygon 28-1028-2028 at CES-CMS-RHHS because there is no overcrowding issue at CMSor HCMSand swapping these children will break communities, increase transportation cost and take away their valuable time for sleeping, studying and spending with family and friends. Sincerely, MingshiChen Polygon 1028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Shelby Bentson Good Morning BOE, My name is Shelby Bentson. My husband and have raised 4 children in the community that we very carefully chose - specifically for it's excellent schools. In fact, our most important criteria when we were scratching together every single penny to make our big move to Howard County was the specific schools that our chosen neighborhood was slated for; andthat would be-TRES; FQMS; RHHS. Several members on the BOE board would have their current residences conveniently switched from a High School with lesser test score averages into the River Hill HS district, where students, teachers, and parents have worked extremely hard over the years to earn and achieve scholarly excellence. It would sen/e everyone in all communities well to improve schools that are not up to par, rather than busing students out of their respective communities to try to improve school ratings. Further, here's a question: why are the Centennial area polygons largely untouched despite their relatively closer proximity to other Columbia schools? Does it have anything to do with their huge "campaign contributions" to Calvin Ball? Many of us who vote certainly wonder about that.... seems verging on criminal activity. After reviewing the working meeting information to date, I encourage all board members to reread the personal testimonials from individuals and communities that would be disrupted and torn apart beyond belief by some of the preposterous redistricting proposals. Of all the redistricting proposals put forth at this time, Dr. Wu's is the only reasonable plan. It displaces fewer children at a lower cost, while addressing the capacity issues facing Howard County schools. Is this not the true goal of disrupting so many??? Hmmm...... again, I wonder about the ulterior motives of certain board members. Thank you, Shelby Bentson Polygon 183 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Sowmya Krishnamoorthy BOE Members, I urge you to keep^l 186 in CMS. MsMallo's plan separates 1186 from 186and sends the former to HCMS epingtfae later at CMS. Theseare both polygons off of trotter road. My kids in polygon n86~canbike to their friends houses in polygon 186using trails. Please don't breakour community. I supportDr Wu'splan which is farless disruptive thanthe other plans discussed so far. SowmyaKrishnamoorthy Polygon 1186 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Manjula Ananthram Dear members of the Board of Education, I am a resident of Misty Rise Court in polygon 185 and I implore you to please strongly consider keeping Polygon 185 at Clarksville Middle School. Reasons for considerationare listed below. 1. Moving polygon 185 Clarksville Middle School to Harper's Choice Middle School will significantly increase busing costs for the district, as additional buses would ride through same streets to pick up children to bus them to different schools from contiguous neighborhoods. It will also add an additionalburden/expense on the parents to arrange for reliable/safetransportation whenchildren attend extra curricular activities at school. In addition, even on days whenthey do not have extra curricular activities at schoollfthey remain at Clarksville Middle School they can walk to their ftiend's homes/ support system in the Guilford/Great Star corridor in River Hill. Moving our childrento Harper's Choice Middle School will negatively impact their afterschool activities, and disrupt our "after school support system" to keep our middle schoolers engaged, productive and "out of trouble" after school while parents are still at work. 2. The move from Clarksville Middle School to Harper's choice will increase commute times for our children, traf6c on 108 is dense duringrush hours. On the other hand,traffic to Claiksville Middle School is not bad even during rush hour. The increase in commute times will decrease their "productive time" for other activities. 3. There will be few middle schoolers (fewer than 7 across 49 homes by fall 2020 at plan implementation) in our polygon whichwill barely move the numbers at Clarksville Middle School and have a negligible impact on Harper's Choice Middle standardizedtest results. 4. We have two FARM kids in our conununity, given our FARM rate of 14-24%, we do not make a significant impact in moving Harper's Choice Middle School's FARM rate in the right direction as much as we disproportionately help bring Clarksville Middle School's FARM rate in the right direction. 5. As a concerned mother and physician I request you to kindly reconsider your redistricting proposal as I strongly believe that this will negatively impact chiidren in our polygon, dismpting their social structure (elementary school friends and after school support system which are interlinked in the River Hill community). Transition to middle school can be very difficult even when redistricting is not involved, aad not having their elementary school friends and disruption ofthe afterschool support system duringthis transition can pose to be troublesome andtumultous during their formative teenage years. Thankyou for your time and consideration; Best Regards, Manjula Ananthram DearBOB members, As a residentof Howard County anda registeredvoter in District4, 1 wouldlike to thank youfor your service andfor providing opportunities forthe people ofour county to provide feedbackduring the ongoing school redistricting process. , ^owriti??^Jesp^tfullyrequest youto keePkids m ourneighborhood polygons 28, ^028 and2028 at Clarksville MiddleSchool (CMS). Thesuperintendent^ redistricting planproposes to_move these kids from our neighborhood school (CMS), whichis about 2 milesaway, to Harpers Choice Middle School~(HCMS), which is'almost 5 milesaway" andlocated in a differentvillage Asmany of my neighbors have shown you, through hundredsof written and oral testimonies, thisproposed move iscounter productive and will putundue burdens on working families in ourcommunity: Thisplan does not address anyovercrowdingjssues. Theproposed move essentially swaps students between CMS andHCMS, andboth schools arepresently well withinthe range of target utilization rate. tears our commlmitv 1^? apart- As shown in the map below, . Ji1. Polygons 28, 1028, and2028 are anintegral part ofthe River Hill community, and only a short 5-10 min walkaway from the village center. Children fromthe entire RiverHill Village-have- ^Tbeen^om^° ourtwoneighb°rhood elementary schools (Clarksville Elementary and Pointers Run Elementary) and Clarksville Middle School. CMS is linked to homes m polygons. 28.\1. 028' and2028 Trough local roads andalso a network ofwalking traTls'in' "- er,1^111;CMS, isals^thelocati011 of many activities within River Hill, mcTudmgthe annual Independence DayParade that many kids from Polygons 28, 1028, and2028 participate in. Moving these children will take them away from their friends from other polygons ofRiver Hill community, ata critical stagefor their mental andphysical development. Thisplan will putundue burden on children and parents inboth CMS andHCMS. Between River Hill andHarper's Choice sits the 1021-acre Middle Patuxent" EnvironmentalArea_(see map below). Thebus ride from Polygons 28, 1028,and 2028 to TTMSt,akesonly. 7'10min throu811^ local roads- The bus ride from these polygonsto l^-.8'-,0??e^th, er hEIDd'. t^ies children through a heavilytraveled statehighway (Route i- ?-a^.8 trafficlights. with the travel time increased by 10-20min one way on a daily basu.This takes time awayfrom children for them to bond with parents and other friends exPoses themto more air pollutants on the road, and . ?-_-eneigh_1?oril oo,d' , uimecessaiily increase nsks forbullying andtraffic incidents. Similarly, children proposed to move"' from HCMS to CMS will also be adversely affected. Thisplan^further strains thefinancial resources ofHCPSS. Theproposed move will increasethe cost for transportation, when our school system is already facing a significant budget shortfall andwhen you alreadyhad to make difficult cuts in important programs and services. In summary, the proposed plan to move students in Polygons 28, 1028, and 2028 from CMS to HCMS doesnot addressovercrowding in our schools, tears our community apart, adds undue burden on children and parents, and worsens HCPSS's financial situation. I'd strongly urge our BOB members to thoroughly consider all these factors, andkeep children from in Polygons 28, 1028, and2028 at Clarksville Middle School. Thank you for your consideration. Regards, Can Li(1028) '3-;.Q". -S.. ': ^ ^ 'ti'. J-S ;(..:; ';, i. 1028 Zt'ZS I» Dear Board Members, Thank you for serring on the Board of Education. We value your commitment and your support for the education of Howard County children. I am a resident of polygon 127 and am writing to express concern regarding Board Member Mallo s test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES-WLMS-AHS. I also would encourage the Board to explore Board Member Wu's test scenarios as they appear to address several goals of the Board while still preparing the County for the inclusion of High Schoo! #13, My specific concerns with Board Member Malta's test scenarios are: The scenarios would undo the successful 2017 redlstricting that fixed the small feed problem for Polygon 127; In 2017, our polygon was redistricted from Clemens Crossing ES and Lime Kiln MS to Pointers Run ES and Garkesville MS (took effect for the 2018-2019 school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behind the Board's decision to redistrlct our community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMS to fix the small feed that existed at the time. !n Board Member Malta's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed. I oppose Board Member Mallo's scenarios and support keeping Polygon 127 with its current large feed of PRES-CMS for elementary and middle school. Four schools in four years is untenable and directly violates Policy 6010: Current sixth graders in Polygon 127 would be expected to attend four schools in as many years under Board Member Malta's approach: . 4th grade at Ctemens Crossing ES (CCES) . 5th grade at Pointers Run ES (PRES) . 6thgradeatClarksvilleMS(CMS) . 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS) Therefore, Board Member Malio's approach would violate the goals of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2-), which states the Board will make "every attempt to not move a student more than once at any school level or the same student more frequently than once every five years." This policy is important to our neighborhood because in the 201S-2C19 school year we experienced firsthand the impact and challenges redlstricting presents as our children worked to adjust to new academic environments and friend groups after the last redistricting decision. For these same children to endure another redistrictlng just a few years later places an extreme burden on them. Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability now and In the future: Moving our children yet again to a new middle school just two years after the last redlstrlcting for our neighborhood would be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now built at PRES-CMS. Further, moving our community to WLMS does not support long term stability in light of the current and future development near Downtown Columbia and to the east. As a result of that growth, 'fs reasonable to conceive that our polygon could be subject to additional redistrictlng In the near future if we are moved to WLMS now. All plans and scenarios to date (except for Boa'd Member Mallo's scenarios) recognize these factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS. In contrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Malta's scenarios, Board Member Wu's scenarios appear to take a holistic and long-term approach to recilstricting and should be further explored. This should include expioration of the testing scenario that would keep Polygon 127 dis-tricted to PRES-CMS- AHS. The Superintendent's proposal (moves Pclygon 127 from PRES-CMS-AHSto PRES-CMS-River Hill HS) also could support long term stability for our polygon. If the Superintendent's plan is advanced, please consider an exception for our current students at AHS to stay at the school. Such an exception should include current freshman because they would otherwise be required to attend four schools in four years (7th grade at LKMS, 8th grade at CMS, 9th grade at AHS, and 10th grade at RHHS). it is important to note that the potential for stability I mention in both the Superintendent's plan and !n Board Member Wu's plan would only exist if all of the changes included in those plans are made. Singular changes to the Superintendent's plan or to Board Member Wu's scenarios would jeopardize the stability the plans are designed to enable and could potentially exacerbate the overal! problems the Board aims to address. We have always taken a reasonable approach to redistricting and thank you for the consideration of our concerns. We will continue to pay close attention during the Board meetings and wil' provide updated feedback as new considerations arise or additional concerns are identified. We implore you to remember Polygon 127's recent redistricting in the 2018-2019 school year, ask that you avoid smaH feeds and maintain contiguous stable feeds for Polygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely 0/30/9^) °) Dr. Sabyasachi Roy Polygon 127 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Mike Zippelli Polygon 1183, Michael Zippelli October 30, 2019 Dear Board Members, We are writing in support of Dr. Wu's Plan to retain our polygon 1183 along with our sister polygons 183 and 2183 at River Hill High School. We realize that no plan is perfect but believe Dr. Wu's Plan does the best job of minimizing transportation costs and community disruption for the overall county by moving less than half the number of children compared to Dr. Martirano's Plan. As longtime residents of Howard County, we understand that redistricting has to happen from time to time to address overcapacity while also maintaining adherence to Policy 6010's objectives of community stability and student body diversity. We understand that this is a complex and sometimes contentious process and appreciate the Board's hard work and willingness to shoulder this burden on behalf of our county's children. We especially appreciate Dr. Wu, Ms. Delmont- Small and Ms. Mallo's obvious hard work and attention to detail in Grafting a workable solution to reduce the disruption going forward by developing a true feeder system. We strongly support further work in this area to improve predictability for parents and families in future redistricting waves. Maintaining fiscal responsibility by minimizing capital and operating costs is critical especially in light of continued pressure from rising healthcare costs. We are also concerned about the potential further cuts in technology instruction due to budget pressures-something we can ill afford in today's competitive landscape. We can ill afford diverting funds from technology instruction or having to layoff teachers/paraeducators to pay for more buses to swap children between schools. Respectfully, Michael Zippelli Kathleen V. Hanks From: Lauretta Buscher I support Dr. Wu's school plan on keeping all kids in their present schools andnot moving to schools in other districts. Sent from my iPad Kathleen V. Hanks From: Hang Lei Hi, BOE We heardthat you are going to scaiify our community by moving our kids to a far away school. You also tearing our reservoir community by making neighbors going to different schools. You guys needto step down! You are irresponsible and selfish persons without any help in improving the education system in Howard county! Hang Sent from my iPhone Kathleen V. Hanks From: motw56@verizon. net Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2019 10:17 AM To: Hcpss Redistricting Subject: [External] Howard County Redistricting Proposal - Opposition to Mallo's Plan - Polygon 183 Dear BOE Members, I live in Polygon 183 and oppose Ms. Mallo's reformulated redistricting plan for Howard County. The plan proposes 3000 students to be moved at the HS level and in some scenarios appears to create favoritism to some polygons that were previously tagged to be redistricted from RHHS to Wild Lake HS. Ourpolygon 183, continues to be redistricted to Wild Lake yet polygons located on Shepard Lane (Polygon 118311) are now proposed to be moved from the original redistricted Wild Lake to Glenelg HS. In fact, polygon 1183 would pass by our development in getting to the Glenelg HS which make no sense that we are not also being redistricted to Glenelg HS, our closest HS to address the under capacity at this school. Our students in being redistricted to Wild Lake HS would also be pulled away from the feeder elementary and middle school which are less than 2 miles from our community and links to their friends and activities in our community area. Remaining at RHHS would also make sense as that school is the second closest to our community and has been the school for our community and feederschools Redistricting our kids to Wild Lake HS is very disruptive and does not resolve the academic and behavioral performance issues of the FARM students at Wild Lake. As was previously mentioned in manytestimonies innovative programsto assistthese students and parents in setting education excellence as a priority needs to be put in place. Justshipping these kids to another location will not engagetheir parent(s) in establishinga home life that supports academicperformance as a priority. Prior literature on busing activities has highlightedthe continued segregation within the redistricted schools and lack of performance for the lower performing students. In essence the overall average performance of the school goes down with this action. Dr. Wu's plan should be given more consideration overall as it is much less disruptive with appropriately 2, 000 students being moved, FARM score averages improving, addresses capacity and achieves the BOE overall goals. Dr. Wu s plan keeps polygon 183 at RHHSwhich is much less disruptive to the students at our community and aligns to the very close by feeder schools for our community. Do the right thing and critically look at creating a plan that is less disruptive, does not "bus kids to further school locations, and maintains community feeds and aligns to the general community location. Throwing kids in "distance neighborhoods leads to emotional distress for the kids and additional stress for parents in coordinating activities, day care and other functions in supporting their children's achievement for well being. You need to take a more critical look at Dr. Wu's plan and not just accept Ms. Mallo's plan which is basically a small modification to Dr. Martirano's plan. Regards, Thomas M. Webster Polygon 183 Dear BOE members, I am Wenbo Luo from polygon 1028. It s only about two months since the superintendent proposed the redistricting plan, but it has been long and hard time for Howard County residents. Based on thousands of emails and mails, hundreds of testimonies and dozens of protests, the superintendent's plan is selective data driven, lack of evidence, poor in logic, underestimating the consequence, short of budget and overlook of residents' interests. Fortunately, the people voted BOE members would listen to the voice of the current residents and think about the credible alternative policy. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are part of Village of River Hill and feeders of Clarksville Middle School (CMS). The superintendent's plan intends to move polygons 28-1028- 2028 to be feeders of Harper Choice Middle School (HCMS) and move HCMS students to CMS. I'd like to reinstate why BOE should keep children from polygon 28-1028-2028 at CMS. Figure 1. Map of Polygon 28-1028-2028. ^. ^Jf^-:. ^^^ '.- . Fi.. 3S i. ", First, overcrowding isnot an issuein HCMSor CMS. According to 2019Feasibility Study, the capacity utilization ratesof HCMS and CMS are both less than 110% till 2027. Evenusing superintendent's criteria, there is no reasonto swapstudents betweenthe two schools. Second, it ismuch shorter busride for polygons 28-1028-2028to CMSthan to HCMS.As shown inFigure 1, from the center of polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMS,the bus ride is lessthan 2 miles on small roads" through ourneighborhood and takes only 7 minutes. Moreover, a middleschooler can safely bike to school using sidewalk throughout the village and the bike ride takes no more than 15 minutes. On the other hand,from thecenter ofpolygons 28-1028-2028 to HCMS,the distance is4. 5 miles, more than doubledthe distanceto CMS.The time spenton busincreases to 20-30minutes because the buscannot gothrough the 1021-acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area and will haveto travel on major roads (i. e.. Route 108and Harpers Farm Road)and pass 8 traffic lightsto get to HCMS. Furthermore, hikingto school will no longer be an option. Longerbus rides not onlytake way time for things that are importantfor children's physical and mental development, but also cost a lot ofmoney. For FY2020, without redistricting, BOEis already dealing with a budgetdeficit of $96 million. Howwill the increasedtransportation cost befunded? Third, polygons 28-1028-2028 isan integral part ofVillage ofRiver Hill. Asshown in the map (Figure 1), Village of River Hill is well defined in a terrestrial boundary. The west boundary of River Hill is route 108, the south boundary is route 32, andthe northeast boundary isthe big Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are not only walkers to CES and RHHS, but also within 0. 1- to 0. 8-mile walking distance to the River HillVillage Town Center. We, with other polygons inthe River Hill Village, which will stay at CMS inthe superintendent's plan, attend many community activities organized bythe Villagetogether. The bondingamong our children andfamilies, whichwas established at schools, has been strengthened bythese community activities, like summer swimming team, July4th parade, Halloweenfun partyetc. A school isthe anchor of a community. Ifthe children are now being separated to two different middle schools, the neighborhood will literally fall apart. It's unreasonable to tear apart the neighborhood. Finally, middle school is probably the most challenging period for students. Tweens need to be accepted and feel part of something. Uprooting the teens from their community make them feel alienated. CMS is attended proudly bychildren from its community, just like Harper'schoice middle is attended proudly bychildren from its community. Attending neighborhoodschools isa more desirable meansof educating children because it gives them a sense of pride and identity. To conclude, I urge BOEto keep children from Polygon 28-1028-2028 at CES-CMS-RHHS because there is no overcrowding issue at CMS or HCMS and swapping these children will break communities, increase transportation cost andtake awaytheir valuable time for sleeping, studying and spending with family and friends. Sincerely, Wenbo Luo Polygon 1028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Monaca Noble Dear Members of the Board of Education, Thankyou for your hard work. I appreciatethe difficulty of the task. I am disappointedthat Forest Ridge Elementary School was pulled into the redistricting fight. The primary goal for the 2020 redistricting is to reduce crowding in several schools. Forest Ridge is not currently overcrowded, we have a utilizationrate of 95 percent. Our current FARMs rate is around 30 percent. Withthe other proposed moves, the rate could see an increase after moving polygons 46, 12, and 2046 - how does this make any since? One ofthe things I love aboutForest Ridge Elementary is that we are a model of diversity across Howard County. It has the perfect combination of cultural, racial and socio-economic diversity within the school. The Kings Woodsneighborhood, specificallypolygons 46, 1046 and 3046, add this this and removing those neighbors will impact Forest Ridge's awesome community. Forest Ridge polygons are in the impact area for HS#13. With HS#13 opening in 2023, we have the unique opportunity to be a true feeder system. Children &om polygons attendingForest Ridge and Patuxent Valley Middle School could potentially have a continuous feed from elementary to high school. Why would you disrapt our communities now when some ofthese samekids will needto move againby the time the high school opens? Reservoir High School comprises feeds from Hammond Middle, Lime Kiln Middle, Murray Hill Middle and Patuxent Valley Middle. At 13 percent, the PatuxentValley Middle School feedto Reservoir High School has always been the smallest feed among the middle schools attending. Moving 46, 2046 and 12 from Patuxent Valley to Murray Hill Middle School leaves a very small feed from Patuxent Valley to Reservoir. The Kings Woods neighborhood (polygons 46, 1046 and 3046) means you are moving about 1/3 of an established neighborhood. Polygons 46, 2046, 12 and several others were among those redistricted in 2012 &om Murray Hill to Patuxent Valley to fill Thomas Viaduct Middle, and Dr. Wu's proposal moves these same polygons back to Murray Hill seven years later. The Kings Woods coimmunity has been assigned to Forest Ridge since it opened in 1992. Again, Forest Ridge is not over crowded, so why move this community out! Please reconsider your plan to impact schools like Forest Ridge that are not overcrowded and thus not part of the crowding in several schools in new development areas. Thank you, Monaca Noble, Forest Ridge Elementary Schoolparent Laurel, Maryland Kathleen V. Hanks From: Vincent Zheng Hi, Board of Education, We, the people in 1007 and 7, noticed that the crazy plan proposed by Jen Mallo and WuChao, which will send our kids from the nearest schools to the far away schools. And, it becomes an enclave. The driving distance to Murray Hill middle school is more than two times far away from the Hammond Middle School. The driving distance to Laurel woods Elementary is 4 times far away more than the nearest elementary school. We definitely against this plan. You as committees just care yourselves. Making this plan is just to response the strong voice to againstyou on the previous plan, andcover your selfish actions. Your irresponsible actions may affectingthis commimity and society. It further causesthe hate enhanced. Vincent Kathleen V. Hanks From: Melissa Chambers Dear Howard County Board Members, I appreciate the hard work and time you've all time spent on considering redistricting plans for our county. I am writing to express my concerns over the plan put forward by Board Member Mallo at this week's work session. According to this plan, our children will still be sent to a high school that is a significantly further away from our home then they are currently slated for (River Hill). la fact, there are two high schools closer to our home than the proposed Wilde Lake. I am extremely concerned about the increased cost, time, and stress on our roads and environment that this switch will entail. At the high. school level, Mallo's plan is not significantly different from that presented by Dr. Martirano, which I've alreadyvoiced my concern over. To make things worse, Mallo's plan will necessitatethe disruption of many additional children at the elementary and middle school levels to maintain reasonably-sized feeds. These past few months have been extremely stressful for Howard County families effected by the proposed redistricting. This time when we should be focusing on my 8th grade son doing his best to prepare for high school has been completely overshadowed for us by the uncertainty of his high school placement next year. I've donemy best to reassure him that no matter where he goes, he will thrive, but this positive attitude is getting harder and harder for me to maintain as eachnew proposal works to tear apart our community in a different way. In the end, Mallo s proposal, as well as the proposal put forth by Dr. Martirano, does little to address the true issue of school overcrowding, and both are short-siding in considering the way the new high school will change things once again. I urge the board to proceed with caution, and to choose the least disruptive change for our kids. Holding off any significantmoves until anyplan gains sigmficant community support, whichalso takes into accountthe new high school, seems like the oiily logical plan. Best regards, Melissa Chambers Polygon 183 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Barbara Vandermer Dear Board of Education Members, As a long time resident ofWoodmark, and a former teacher, I was dismayed to read of the plan to bus Howard County students to schools far from their homes. Under the plan that Ms. Malo proposed our Woodmark polygon would be moved to Wilde Lake High School with an extremely small feed. Currently we attend River Hill High School in an approximate 30% feed from Folly Quarter Middle School. The remaining 70% go to Glenelg High School. Please keep Polygons #180, #181, #1180, #1181 together. Barbara and Jack Vandermer Sent &om my iPhone Kathleen V. Hanks From: howardctysue@aol. com Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2019 9:50 AM To: Hcpss Redistricting Subject: [External] boundary adjustments Sue Norman polygon 2176- no students in the schools, former teacher. I gave oral and written testimony and gave you a packet with information about MCPSS signature programs as a possible alternative solution to redistricting. I've watched the work sessions and it is already obvious that you as a Board are not considering any other option other than redistricting. To be frank, it's also obvious who will vote for any plan put forth and who is seriously considering trying to do best for all children. Since you are determined to try to create integrated schools through the busing of children would like you to think hard about a few items as you make your decisions. You will not accomplish your goals if you do not create more of an impact on Wilde Lake and River Hill. With the juniors and seniors exempt, there will be far fewer children going to Wilde Lake from River Hill and the reverse. The number of children will not have a significant change on either school. The current line for River Hill and Wilde Lake is the Patuxent River (Creek) on Homewood Rd. In the past 10 years there have been 3 large, million dollar neighborhoods built that are districted to Wilde Lake yet very few of those students go to the public high school. The neighborhood of Gather Farm is also districted to Wilde Lake and very few students go to the public school. If you do not send enough students to make a significant impact on Wilde Lake you will not improve the school because the families in the communities you are moving simply will pull their children out of the public schools and Wilde Lake will remain the same. If they see that the school has a significant change in population mate up they may be willing to send their children. There is much animosity in the County by many people towards the River Hill community. As a former RHHS parent I have had to fend off many rude comments and inaccurate assumptions made by other families throughout the County about the "extras" River Hill students receive because of the affluence of their parents. Please consider significantly changing the make up of River Hill so that the negative feelings toward the community can help to heal this growing animosity. Make RHHS at least 15 to 20% FARM. The immigrant community is growing rapidly with multiple families living in apartments made for one. It is going to be very difficult to predict the number of students entering the schools from these communities. In addition, now and in the future, the school system is going to need to devote more resources to help these families and students and with the increase in transportation costs it seems unlikely it will happen. I have been one of the volunteer coordinators of the Salvation Army Angel Tree program in Howard County for the past 12 years. In the past 4 years we have seen the make up of the disadvantage population dramatically shift to a large immigrant population. Many of these families are not literate in their own language and come without documentation so they are unable to utilize the county, state and federal social services. They rely on the schools for any support. The pupil personal workers are the front line as they try to get help for the children and families in their schools, Many of the students need ESOL and academic support as well as emotional support. Also, as we have seen, additional family members are constantly coming to live with established family members. We often have multiple families living at the same address that we serve. Moving foward the school system is going to need to address this growing population with more teachers and support programs. With the funds diverted to transportation I fear this population will not have their needs met and the FARM level as well as academic disparity will continue to rise. Please consider my thoughts as you make your decisions. It would be so defeating fiscally, academically and emotionally to move so many children and disrupt so many schools and families without accomplishing your goal of integrating the schools and providing education equity. Thank you, Sue Norman Kathleen V. Hanks From: kimberiy Williams Howard County BOB, I guess I am perplexed by the last minute changes to polygons that have not been part of the discussion whatsoever andnow all of a suddenare proposed to be redistricted with little time to voice any opinions ofthe situation. We are in polygon 1018 and havejust been redistricted to Guilford and Patuxent Valley. I fail to understandwhy you would take one scenario ofkeeping Hammond ES, Hanunond MS, Patuxent Valley MS, and Guiiford from being around 90% capacity and soar their numbers to 105-109% capacity according the the published chart. How is being overcrowded good for any school and more importantly for any child. This scenario does not look to relieve any overcrowding at any school close to us but will put a strain on the teaching and learning for all at each school. We are all of a suddenthe only polygon beingmoved &om Hammond MS to Patuxent Valley is ludicrous and detrimental to the students well being and mindset. Only approximately 12-15 students from each grade level will be moved fromjust our neighborhood. You are asking students to enter into middle school or continue in middle school, which is the most difficult emotional time for students where they will know next to nobody. No friends, no confidants, no trusted adults, no peer group, absolutely nothing to get through the emotional tribulations of middle school. The thought that they may have even one person in their class they know is about I %. Middle school brings on enough anxiety on its own andwithout a peer group of friends this becomes a situation where you are isolating students to be singled out . It is going to be hard to start 6th grade, and even worse to end in 8th grade with no one you have known. This move makes Patuxent Valley an overall 20% rise in student population putting them over capacity by about 10%.This creates strenuous learning environment for all, when it can be avoided and by keepingthe polygon at Hammond MS. I have lived in my home for over 18 years and we have never gone to Guilford and this proposal would make a school that is in need of more supports, and already has portables, go from 86% capacity to 105% capacity. Moving the same number ofkids out of one school to go to another school andvisa versa doesn't make sense, (Bollman Bridge to Guilford and visa versa) then throwing in the small percentage from Hammond again does not seem to be helping schools alleviate their populations. Why would you consider cramming students into a small school, and we know the supports will not increase due to other budget cuts, and think our students who need extra supports to the students who need exceptional challenging curriculum to keep growing is acceptable. Guilford is too small to support being over capacity at 110%. The other scenarios do not put this strain of being overcrowded on the aforementioned schools. It also makes me feel like our voice doesn't matter and we are being cast aside and not considered. These conversations have been happening for months and throwing out a new scenario 2 weeks before voting with no time to have a commimity meeting or to voice our opinions is inequity at its best. Please reconsider the move for our polygon to Guilford and even more so to PatuxentValley, asthe detrimental mental impact on our middle school students will be overwhelming. Thankyou- Kimberiy Williams Dear Board Members, Thank you for serving on the Board of Education. We value your commitment and your support for the education of Howard County children. I am a parent of two elementary aged children residing in Polygon 127 and am writing to express concern regarding Board Member Mallo's test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES-WLMS-AHS. I also would encourage the Board to explore Board Member Wu's test scenarios as they appear to address several goals of the Board while still preparing the County for the inclusion of High School #13. My specific concerns with Board Member Malta's test scenarios are: The scenarios would undo the successful 2017 redistricting that fixed the small feed problem for Polygon 127: In 2017, our polygon was redistricted from Clemens Crossing ES and Lime Kiln MS to Pointers Run ES and Clarkesville MS (took effect for the 2018-2019 school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behind the Board's decision to redistrict our community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMS to fix the small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Malta's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed. I oppose Board Member Mallo's scenarios and support keeping Polygon 127 with its current large feed of PRES-CMS for elementary and middle school. Four schools in four years is untenable and directly violates Policy 6010: Current sixth graders in Polygon 127 would be expected to attend four schools in as many years under Board Member Mallo's approach: o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES (CCES) o 5th grade at Pointers Run ES (PRES) o 6th grade at Clarksville MS (CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS) Therefore, Board Member Malta's approach would violate the goals of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ), which states the Board will make "every attempt to not move a student more than once at any school level or the same student more frequently than once every five years. "This policy is important to our neighborhood because in the 2018-2019 school year we experienced firsthand the impact and challenges redistricting presents as our children worked to adjust to new academic environments and friend groups after the last redistricting decision. For these same children to endure another redistricting just a few years later places an extreme burden on them. Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability now and in the future: Moving our children yet again to a new middle school just two years after the last redistricting for our neighborhood would be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now built at PRES-CMS. Further, moving our community to WLMS does not support long term stability in light of the current and future development near Downtown Columbia and to the east. As a result of that growth, it's reasonable to conceive that our polygon could be subject to additional redistricting in the near future if we are moved to WLMS now. All plans and scenarios to date (except for Board Member Mallo's scenarios) recognize these factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS. In contrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Mallo's scenarios, Board Member Wu's scenarios appear to take a holistic and long-term approach to redistricting and should be further explored. This should include exploration of the testing scenario that would keep Polygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS-AHS. The Superintendent's proposal (moves Polygon 127 from PRES-CMS-AHSto PRES-CMS-River Hill MS) also could support long term stability for our polygon. If the Superintendent's plan is advanced, please consider an exception for our current students at AHS to stay at the school If they provide their own transportation. Such an exception should include current freshman because they would otherwise be required to attend four schools in four years (7th grade at LKMS, 8th grade at CMS, 9th grade at AHS, and 10th grade at RHHS). It is important to note that the potential for stability I mention in both the Superintendent's plan and in Board Member Wu's plan would only exist if all of the changes included in those plans are made. Singular changes to the Superintendent's plan or to Board Member Wu's scenarios would jeopardize the stability the plans are designed to enable and could potentially exacerbate the overall problems the Board aims to address. We have always taken a reasonable approach to redistricting and thank you for the consideration of our concerns. We will continue to pay close attention during the Board meetings and will provide updated feedback as new considerations arise or additional concerns are identified. We implore you to remember Polygon 127's recent redistricting in the 2018-2019 school year, ask that you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguous stable feeds for Polygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Angela Stark Polygon 127 Dear Board Members, I live in polygon 2148. These comments are with respect to Jen Mallo's proposed middle school and elementary school moves as posted on her facebook page on 10/29/2019. Please reconsider the moves for Dorsey Search. The proposal splits the Dorsey's Search neighborhood by moving half of that neighborhood's polygons (148, 276, 302, 1148, and 2148) from NES and DMS to RBES and WLMS.This proposal would remove a significant portion of the more affordable housing that currently attends NES and DMS-ln fact all of the townhomes and condominiums in Dorsey Search are impacted while none of the single family homes at Dorsey's Search are changed. Our community has worked very hard in the last 8 years to make our community stronger and more walkable. We now have three safe areas for crossing Columbia road, which now means for many of the proposed polygons (especially 1148 and 2148) the DMSand NES are quite walkable taking about 15 minutes-even less time when hiking. Thank you for your consideration, Julie Whittaker Dear HCPSS Board of Education Members, I support Dr. Chao Wu's proposed plan which addresses utilization and FARMS percentages in the least disruptive manner. I ask the BOEto vote in favor of this plan. I oppose the proposal (i. e., 'test scenario') for Howard County school redistricting posted by Jen Mallo on her Facebook page (httos://www. facebook. com/ienmallo4boe/). Though, I am grateful for the BOE's time and dedication to the school redistricting process including for Ms. Mallo sharing her 'test scenario', her proposal has several issues. First, the total movement of 7, 300 students is too large of an impact for redistricting in SY 2020-2021 when HS13 will open shortly in 2023. Considering that Dr. Martirano's proposed plan will move similar number of students (~7, 400), I believe Ms. Malta's proposal will have a similar financial impact, which is not fiscally responsible with the consideration that HCPSS already has a limited budget where certain programs (e. g., technology) and staff (e. g., paraeducators) had to be cut recently. Although I acknowledge Ms. Malta's proposed plan may reduce the individual school capacities, the plan will split communities and school feeds. Dividing one or more polygons from the rest of their established, cohesive community neighborhood destroys the very community stability that your constituents have repeatedly voiced as the number one priority. Keeping these highly diverse neighborhoods together in their neighborhood schools directly upholds the standards in Policy 6010 with regards to community stability, maintaining strong feeds, minimizing transportation costs, fiscal responsibility, demographic characteristics, minimizing the number of students moved, and optimizing facility utilization. Furthermore, sending students outside of their communities without addressing the root cause of the achievement gap places greater barriers to student achievement. Moving any child away from their neighborhood school and community supports does more harm than good. I would also like to remind the BOEthat through online surveys, community input sessions in July, and written and spoken testimony that an overwhelming majority of Howard County residents strongly value community stability, strong feeds from one school level to the next, and minimized transportation costs when redistricting. Ms. Mallo's proposal would not be aligned with the Howard County community's input. In closing, I urge the BOE to vote in favor of Dr. Wu's plan or consider alternative redistrictlng plans that better balance emergency capacity issues with community continuity in mind and wait to do any major redistricting until HS13 is available. Furthermore, I ask the BOE to consider choice-based alternative methods such as Magnet schools and Controlled Choice Policies to address equity instead of just redistricting. These alternative methods can be developed as we wait for the availability of HS13 and concurrently implemented with its opening. Thank you, District 4 Voter: Kelly Cao Polygon ft 1186 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Tara Mahanti To whom it may concern, I am very concerned about Jen Mallo's proposed plan to change polygon 1018 at both the elementary and middle school levels. First of all, to make a last minute proposal when that leaves limited opportunity for our neighborhood to voice our concerns is unreasonable. Polygon 1018 was NEVER involved in any previous proposals. Why the change now?? What is the benefit of making the switch at the elementary level? What sense does it make to have Guilford go from 86% to 105% and Hammond go from 95% to 109%. Both these schools would be at over capacity with this proposal. With recent and still to come budget cuts, putting these schools at over capacity is not in the best interest of our students. Already large class sizes will continue to increase with less support available as positions are being cut (as in the last year budget cuts with math support teachers and para educators being cut). Please re-consider this new proposal and think about those kids in 1018. Thank you, Tara Mahanti Kathleen V. Hanks From: Ramienski, Noreen P Dear Board Members, Thankyou for serving on the Board of Education! Wevalue your commitment and yoursupport for the education of Howard County children. I am a residentof the Rivers Edge neighborhood which is Polygon 127 and am writing to express concern regarding Board Member Mallo's test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES-WLMS-AHS. I also would encourage the Board to explore BoardMember Wu's test scenarios as they appear to addressseveral goalsof the Boardwhile still preparing the County for the inclusion of High School #13. My specific concerns with Board Member Mallo's test scenarios are: a The scenarios would undo the successful 2017 redistricting that fixedthe small feed problem for Polygon 127: In 2017, our polygon was redistricted from Clemens Crossing ESand Lime Kiln MS to Pointers Run ESand Clarksville MS(took effectfor the 2018-2019school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behindthe Board'sdecision to redistrict ourcommunity andoverwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMSto fixthe small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member' Malta's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed. I oppose Board Member Mallo's scenarios and support keeping Polygon 127 with its current large feed of PRES-CMS for elementary and middle school. D Fourscho^ols infour years isuntenable and directly violates Policy6010: Current sixth graders in Polygon 127wouldbe expected to attendfour schools in asmany years under Board Member Mallo's approach: o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES (CCES) o 5th grade at Pointers Run ES (PRES) o 6th grade at Clarksville MS (CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS) Therefore, BoardMember Mallo's approach would violate the goals of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ), whichstates the Board will make"every attempt to notmove a studentmore than once at any school level orthe samestudent more frequently than once every fiveyears. " This policy is important to our neighborhood because in the 2018-2019school yearwe experienced firsthandthe impact and challenges redistricting presents as our children worked to adjust to new academicenvironments andfriend groups after the last redistricting decision. Forthese same children to endure another redistrictingjusta few years later places an extreme burden on them. D Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability now and in the future: Moving our children yet again to a new middle school just two years after the last redistricting for our neighborhood would be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now built at PRES-CMS. Further, moving our community to WLMS does not support long term stability in light of the current and future development near Downtown Columbia and to the east. As a result of that growth, it's reasonable to conceive that our polygon could be subject to additional redistricting in the near future if we are moved to WLMS now. All plans and scenarios to date (except for Board Member Mallo's plan)recognize these factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS. In contrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Malta's scenarios, Board Member Wu's scenario appears to take a holistic and long-term approach to redistricting and should be further explored, including his testing scenario that would keep Polygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS- AHS. Likewise, the Superintendent's proposal (moves Polygon 127 from AHS to PRES-CMS-River Hill HS) is also an approach that could support long term stability for our polygon. It is important to note that the stability I mention for these two plans only exists if all of the changes included in those plans are also made. Singular changes to the Superintendent's plan or to Board Member Wu s scenarios would jeopardize the stability the plans are designed to enable and could potentially exacerbate the overall problems the Board aims to solve. We have always taken a reasonable approach to redistricting and thank you for the consideration of our concerns. We will continue to pay close attention during the Board meetings and will provide updated feedback as new considerations arise or additional concerns are identified. We implore you to remember Polygon 127's recent redistricting in the 2018-2019 school year, ask that you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguous stable feeds for Polygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Noreen Ramienski Cleos Court Polygon 127 Dear Members of the Board of Education, My name is Paul Scott and I reside in Polygon 1186. Along with hundreds of my community members, I voiced my opposition to the Superintendent's redistricting proposal for the River Hill community in the form of open public testimony on one of the five scheduled evenings . I watched the television broadcast would like to comment specifically on the proposals outlined by Ms. Mallo and Dr. Wu during the October 28, 2019, meeting. I strongly oppose Ms. Mallo's alternate redistricting proposal, which includes the movement of Polygons 185, 1028, 1185,1186, and 2028 from Clarksville Middle School (CMS) to Harpers Choice Middle School (HCMS). During her work session remarks regarding her proposed high school scenario, Ms. Mallo stated that her proposal addresses overcapacity, keeps communities intact, minimizes transportation distances, and retains strong community feeds. It appears, however, her middle school scenario meets none of these objectives when applied to the Pheasant Ridge polygons, noted above, based on the following four reasons. First, neither CMS nor HCMS is currently overcapacity, therefore, the proposed swapping of students is not necessary and does not address an overcapacity issue. Second, the movement of these polygons is in direct contrast to her objectives of keeping communities together. Moving the five polygons noted above splits the Pheasant Ridge community in half, with half of the students going to CMS and the other half moving to HCMS. Furthermore, because Polygon 186, which is directly south of Polygons 1186 and 1185 on Trotter Road, remains at CMS, this split results in disruption of the community. Families in these polygons swim together at the neighborhood pool, socialize at the community village center, and hike the shared Columbia Association trails. This disruption is in direct contrast to her stated objective of keeping communities together. Third, Ms. Mallo's alternate proposal does not minimize transportation, but in fact increases the bus transit time for students in Polygons 185, 1028, 1185, 1186 and 2028, as they are bused out of their neighborhoods, in the opposite direction of their closest and current middle school. Because of the location of the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area, the bus route is not as the crow flies, but along busy, congested Maryland Route 108/Clarksville Pike to HCMS. And lastly, implementation of Ms. Mallo's proposal further reduces the size of the feed to CMS compared to the Superintendent's proposal, thereby contradicting her assertion that her plan retains strong feeds. I remind Ms. Mallo that the Pheasant Ridge Community has spoken loudly in opposition to the movement of Polygons 185, 1028, 1185, 1186, and 2028 from CMS to HCMS. Through our testimony, both written and spoken, in addition to the signed petitions, we urge the members of this board to keep our community intact, minimize bus transportation, and retain strong community feeds. In contrast to Ms. Malta s proposal, Dr. Wu's proposal appearsto focus on keepingcommunities together, minimizing overall student movement, and addressing overcapacity, and reflects the true intent of Policy 6010. Whatever the final plan, Polygons 185, 1028, 1185, 1186, and 2028 at CMS should stay at CMS to keep the Pheasant Ridge community intact, maintain our strong feed to CMS, and minimize our transportation time. Sincerely, Paul Scott Alternative Plan Updated with 2020 Polygon Data Superintendent's Attendance Area Adjustment Plan (SAAAP) was prepared with three guiding principles: 1) To balance capacities; 2) To advance equity by distribution students participating in FARMS; and 3) To do so by planning ahead thereby minimizing double moves. While SAAAP has started a countywide ideological debate, however before we get too caught up in the tall claims it is important to pause and look at the actual numbers; Is this hype or is the plan actually delivering on these priorities? Is average 3. 2% reduction in FARMS (from 40. 8% to 37. 6%) in 5 high FARMS schools viewed as sufficient success? Is the plan being able to deliver close to uniform capacity utilizations across the county? Is there actual advance planning so the proposed moves don't need to be undone in 2024? Is this a minimum disruption plan, reassigning 7, 396 students today and possibly the same number again in 4 years when additional capacities are added in Talbott Spring ES, ES43, Dunloggin MS, Hammond HS and HS13? Are there any other plans that can deliver the same or better results with lesser disruption? What if there is a plan with half the numbers of reassignments that delivers much better results? High School numbers is a good place to start, because they offer a summary view of what is happening: High Schools SAAAP will end up reassiening around 6.000 hieh school students over 4 years (2, 851 now + a similar number in 4 years with 1,858 new capacities in HS13 & Hammond), and bring down max FARMs in high schools from 47% to 42%. The Alternative Plan can potentially deliver much better results by reassienine only 3, 150 hieh school students over the same 4 year period (1, 200 now +1, 950 after HS13). Uniformly balancing the overcrowding across all high schools to a 97%-106% range, and reducing the max FARMS across high schools from 47% to 40%. This table summarizes the plan for High Schools: column (A) with only sos moves in 2020 addresses the immediate overcrowding at Howard, Hebron & Centennial and fixes some of the FARMs balance; Column (B) with 1.499 moves in 2024, brings high schools to a max 117% utilization; and Column (C) shows better distribution of FARMs with max down to 41%, instead of 42% with SAAAP. - Polygon details at the end of this report High Schools STO 2010 ZNfl aB4 WMl Move to. in 20%' ves»t Move to. in2B24] 2024% FARMS SAAAP FARMS FARMS AltPlan Move I - Reduce Overcrowding Hebron JAL (+Growth in 2020Polys) JSL inA JnB JO- Mt Hebron 1,400 1, 644 117% 1,791 128%) to Marriott 135 105% to Marrott 44 115X 16% 14% 17% MarriottsR I,S13 1,530 95X 1, 661 103X1 106% 114% 5% 5« Glenelg 1,420 1, 164 82% 1, 202 85%| 2% 1% 2% Move II - Reduce Overcrowding in Centennial & Distribute FARMS Centenr'al 1, 360 1, 634 120% 1, 698 125% to Wi'de L to Wilde L 114 113% 11% 12X 5 12%] Wlide Lake 1,424 1, 349 95% 1, 347 95% to River H 100X lamt 46X 39 41%[ RlverHI;! 1,488 1, 462 98% 1, 358 91% I04K 97K 3» 6«; Athoiton 1,460 1,482 102% 1, 537 I05X 102% 105% 10% 10X1 Move 1)1 . Utilize HS13/HammondJ^dditional Capacity a^educe Overcrowdingin Howard Howard 1,420 1, 921 136% 2, 028 143% to Oakland 141 119% to Long R 134 117% 14X 15% 35 14% to Long R 94 Oakland M 1, This picture will help understand what is causing the difference; SAAAP is moving 2, 851 high school students in a westward direction, a lot of these moves are quite unnecessary, and will need to be undone in 2024 when Hammond & HS13 create 1, 858 new capacities in the east- side (represented by the big white circle). 2023 West Side Particularly harmful is the 502 students being moved from Capacity 10. X67 ?rolscted 10M1 schools adjacent to HS13: SAAAP extra 502 Utilization 109% . (+) 192 from Hammond to Atholton H^l3 s. /Z023EattSltio . (+) 256 from Oakland Mills to Atholton f Capacity8, 937 . I--/. Projected 8, 891 . (+) 96 from Reservoir to River Hill '< ' SAAAPLess S02 . (-) 65 from Wilde Lake to Oakland Mills Utilization 94% HS13 is well positioned to absorb all overcrowding from neighboring east-side schools of Long Reach, Oakland Mills, Hammond, Reservoir and Howard, and still have capacity for more. Moving 502 students awayfrom HS13 will bring the average utilization of east-side schools down to 94% and the west-side to an overcrowding of average 109%. The Alternative Plan directs these moves more carefully, addressing the entire east-side overcrowding in Long Reach, Oakland Mills, Hammond, Reservoir and Mflftfel Howard, by absorption into HS13, without any moves out- west from any of these schools. Since the only overcrowding really needing to be addressed is in 2023 West Sid» Capsdty 10, 167 Centennial and Hebron (represented by the red circle) Projected 10, 541 Utifi. tation 104% with no new capacity is being created there, the ^ Alternative Plan directs this overcrowding toward the Moved 2023 East Side little available capacity in Glenelg, Marriott's Ridge, River <^- Capacity8, 337 Projected 8, S91 Hill & Wilde Lake, and also balances FARMs numbers Utilization 99% along the way. Middle Schools SAAAP was supposed to be guided by 3 things - overcrowding, FARMS & planning ahead. It is clear the SAAAP for middle schools completely ignored overcrowding and planning ahead, and followed only one objective - 'do whatever it takes to balance the FARMS'. Interestingly SAMP didn't even do a good job for FARMs. Bringing max FARMs down from 53% to 45% while this 'T?*>' ^.. 'vwi Tr Alternative Plan brings down to 53% to 42%. ^ y; '"^x - '^ Let's take a closer look at what SAAP did at the 4 most crowded middle schools: Most Crowded Sizel 2020 M201 2024 2024i Extra SAAAP 2024; <--^ IPatapsco 643| 775 121%' 885 138%' 242 -62 128X IMurray 1-1 662| 799 121X1 847 '-23%, 185 0 128%, iHammond 604| 702 116%' 752 126%! 158 27 131% Mount V 7981 842 106%| 940 118%, 142 54 125% SAAAP did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to reduce the overcrowding in these schools. It reassigned 62 of the potentially 242 excess students in Patapsco. It left all the potentially 185 excess students in Murray and it actually moved additional students into Hammond and Mount View. So overcrowding was certainly not a criterion. And looking at these swapsand moves away from underutilized schools to crowded schools it is apparent there was no planning ahead. The Alternative Plan once again directs moves more carefully, not doing a dingle swap and moving students away from overcrowded to underutilized schools, fixing the FARMs populations along the way. Data for Middle Schools Alternative Plan is on the next page. The table below summarizes the entire plan for Middle Schools: Column (A)with only 195moves in 2020addresses the immediateovercrowding at Patapsco&Murray and fixessome ofthe FARMSbalance; Column (B) with 1.550moves in 2024, bringsall schoolswithin a 95%-116%utilization range; and Column (C) showsthat this results in much better distribution of FARMs with max down to 42%, instead of 45% with SAAAP. - Polygon details at the end of this report Middle Schoots Size! 2020 2020 2024 2024 Move to.. In 2020 2020X Move to.. in 2024 2024X FARMS SAAAPMtPlan IVIove I - Reduce Overcrowding in Potapsco (A) (B) (C) Patapsco 643 775 121% 885 138% to Burleigh 117 119% to Dun 100 104% 17% 18% 19% Dunloggin 662 652 98% 676 102% 98% to OM 100 95% 19% 19% 19% to EM 50 Oakland Mills 506| 500 99% 516 102% 99% to EM 100 102% 48% 45% 42% Move II - Reduce Overcrowding in Murray Hill Murray Mil! 662 799 121% 847 128% to Patuxent 78 109% 116% 38% 38% 35% Patuxent 760 715 34% 682 90% 104% 114% 38% 37% 41% Move III - Reduce OvercrowdingIn Mount View Mount View 798 842 106% 940 118% 106% to Burl 100 99% 3% 3% to Glen 50 Bur!eJgh Manor 779 806 103% 784 101% 103% to Harp 150 95% 11% 11% 9% to WL 110 3% Harpers Choice 506 490 97% 453 90% 97% 111% 52% 34% 41% Wilde Lake 760 655 86% 730 96% 96% 47% 45% 42% Glenwood 545 532 98% 499 92% 98% 101% 8% 7% a% Folly Quarter 662 674 102% 649 98% 102% 3% 3% Move IV- Reduce Overcrowding in Hammond Clarksville 643| 704 109% 701 109%! 109% Lime Kiln 50 101% 3% 13% 3% LlmeKiln 701| 676 96% 743 106%! 96% to Hamm 100 3% 3% Hammond 604| 702 116% 762 126%! 116% to Lake E 220 106% 19% 30% 16% Lake Elkhorn 643| 555 86% 501 78%1 86% 112% 53% 41% 42% Move V - Reduce Overcrowding in Elkridge & Thomas Viaduct Elkridge 779 747 96% 867 111% 96% to Thorn 100 98% 21% 27% 21% Thomas Viaduct 701 748 107% 773 110% 107% to Patux 60 116% 45% 42% 42% Ellicott Mills 857 910 106% 878 102% 106% to Bonn 100 108% 11% 11% 25% Bonnie Branch 701 691 99% 693 99% 99% to Mayf 110 97% 32% 30% 31% Mayfleld 798 842 106% 850 107% 106% to Patux 50 114% 44% 44% 42% 13, 710 14, 015 102% 14, 429 105% Total Moves 195 Total Moves 1, 550 Elementary Schools The table below summarizes the entire plan for Elementary Schools: column (A) withonly 392 moves in 2020; Column (B) with 2. 075 moves in 2024, brings all schools a max 119% utilization; and Column (C) shows much better distribution of FARMs with max 49%, instead of 54% with SAAAP.- Polygon details at the end of the report ElementarySchools SizeI 2020 2020 2024 20Z4iMovetg in 2020 2020% Move to.. tn 2024 2024% FARMS SAAAP AltPlan Move I - Reduce Overcrowding in Pointers Run (A) |B) (C) Pointers Run 744 925 124X 1, 060 142X to Swans 86 113% to Swans 100 117% 3% Swansf'eld ES G94 547 79% 535 77K 79X 104X 61% 44% Move II - Distribute Student Polulations In West Schools Dayton Oaks 675 667 99% 789 117X 99» 117% 3» 5X 3X Triadelphia Ridge 581 542 93% 552 95X 93% 104K 3* 3% Clarksville 543 381 70% 364 57X 79K 76X 3% 17X Bus!"yPark 744 597 80% 530 71% 80% 71% 3» Lisbon 527 484 92% 523 99% 92% 12X 12X 12X Move III-Populate ES43 Hammond 653 618 35% 696 107X 95%| toBollman 50 25K 25X 25K Bollman Bridge 666 683 103% 765 115X 103%] toES43 200 100X 51% 51X 49K Fulton 826 1, 009 122% 1,070 130K to darks 50 116%! to ES43 115 110% 5% 5» 5X 202G ES43 6001 0X1 53% 3X 34% Move IV .Distribute FARMspopulations in Laurel Gorman Crossing 735 826 112K 861 117% 119X to Laure! 200 90% 18X 18% 18% Forest Ridge 713 678 740 104» 95% to Laure; 104X 34» 34X 34% Laurel Woods 640. 556 87X 550 87% to Bo! I man 50 109X 61X Move V . Reduce Overcrowding in Waveriy Wave rly 788 886 112% 918 116X 1UX 116% 3K 3X Manor Woods 681 624 92% 607 89X 92X 89X s% West Friendship 414. 426 103X 532 129% 103X to Long 60 114X 6X 6» Centennial Lane 647| 715 111X 741 115X 111% to Run 50 107% 6% 6K Running Brook 515| 468 583 113X 91% to Long 50 113% 52X 51» 48X Longfellow 5121 438 474 93X S6% to Bryant 50 104» SIX 52X 46X Bryant Woods 361| 451 125* 489 135% toAthol 53 1--0% to Clemens 100 108X am 48X 49% Clemens Crossing 521| 548 105K 620 119% 105% toStever. 50 105K 13» 10% 19% to Grade! 50 119X Atholton 424| 461 109% 444 105X 111% to Stever 100 100% 15% 2SX 319S to Grade! 10 Cradle rock 398| 460 116% 473 119X 116X toGilford 170 91% 55% SIX 49» iuilford 4651 367 79% 364 78%. 79% IlSXi 46% 43X 47X1 Move VI - ReduceOvercrowding in JohnsSouthwards ItJohns Lane 612 726 119X 787 129» 119* to Northf 60 119X 10% Morthfield 700 759 108% 824 118* 108X toThun 50 119K 11X 11% 11X FhunderHil! 509i 508 100X 466 92K 100» to Tal bat 1C 21% 37X 20X Falbott Springs 540| 465 86X 409 86» 50» 46X 49X itevens Forest 3991 414 104X 435 109% to Atho! 63 toAtholton 10C I06X 54K 49X MoveVlf - ReduceOvercrowding in Hollifleld Hol;ifie!d Station 732 923 126X 870 113% to Vetrans 70 117*1 109% 24% 24% 24% Feterans 799 822 103% 801 100K 112»| 109% 21» 22% 21% Waterloo 663 548 83% 508 77% 83X1 84X 24X 44» 26X PhelpsLuck 597 566 95% 584 98% toJe^fers 70 83K| 7<* 63% 36% 48% leffersHIII 421 413 98% 389 92% 115X1 109% 36% 34% 39% lchester 584 598- 102% 641 110% 102X] lllBt 3% 3% Worthi ngton 515; 458 89% 492 96% 89X1 5X Vlove VIII-Distribute Student Population Between North East Schools tockburn 609 593 97% 638 105% 97X 105% 6% [Ikridge 760 893 118X 926 122% 118% to Ducket 200 96% 33% 32K 33X Sucketts Lane 694 569 S2% 600 86% to Hanover 50 108X 55% 49% 49X Hanover Kills 8101 723 697 86K 91% 33X 37X 34X Move IX- Distribute Student Population Between North EastSchools ellows Spring 751 767 102X 867 115X 102X to Deep R 150 17% 18% 17% 750 >eep Sun 682 91% 786 105X 91K to Waterloo 50 118*! 53% 49% 26, 512 ,25,784 97K 27,000 102X Total Moves 392 Total Moves 2. 075 Polygon Data Updatingthis plan with polygon data hasfurther reducedthe numberof moves required to achievethe Utilization & FARMS objectives, as can be seen in the HS, MS and EStables above. This is because polygons have been selectively targeted that offerthe most impactto FARMs.(Provided they are adjoiningto receivingschools) Just like SAAAP, this Alternative Plan is driven entirely by Utilization & FARMs numbers. Meanwhile there is feedback on social media that such data driven plans sometimes overlook the ground realities like communities getting split; separation by the highway; poor road connectivity; distance etc. While numbers are important, these community considerations might also be important. The good news isthat sincethe Alternative Plan delivers results very efficiently with minimum moves, it therefore has room to add redundant moves, or pick alternative polygons to fix things on the ground. Even by doing so it will remain much more efficient than SAAAP. The polygons proposed to be moved by the Alternative Plan in 2020 are: Sending Recewmg # of Students Polygons Proposed for Reassignment Mt Hebron HS Marriott's Ridge HS 135 162, 1162, 2161 Centennial HS Wilde Lake HS 52 147 Wilde Lake HS River Hill HS 86 135, 1174, 2135, 2174 Howard HS Oakland Mills HS 142 65, 1065, 2065, 67, 311 Howard HS Long Reach HS 94 78, 86, 2087, 3087 Patapsco MS Burleigh Manor MS 117 159, 1159, 1034, 2034, 34 Murray Hill MS Burleigh Manor MS 78 121, 1121 Pointers ES Stansfieid ES 103 64, 1129 Fulton ES Clarksville ES 50 112, 2112 Bryant Woods ES Atholton ES 53 1133, 4133, 5133 Stevens Forest ES Atholton ES 60 2062 Hollifield Station ES Veterans ES 70 105, 1105 Phelps Luck ES Jeffers Hill ES 30 70 The Alternative Plan is proposing 35 Polygons be moved in 2020 (HS+MS+ES)with 1, 095 students, while SAAAP is proposing 287 Polygons be moved in 2020 (HS+MS+ES) moving 7, 170 students The difference between the two numbers nothing short of shocking 2024 Polygons: SAAAPoffers no visibility into the moves it has planned for 2024. It only shows 2020 moves. The Alternative plan has been fully built out to a polygon level through 2024 for High Schools. It will take 39 additional polygon moves in 2024 mostly to populate HS13 which will complete the HS Plan. That plan can be provided on request however this Alternative Plan already includes summary school level data that is indicative of the 2024 polygon data. MS and ES have not yet been built out to a polygon level, but this Alternative Plan already includes ESand MSschool level data indicative of 2024 polygons, thereby already offering more insight into the 2024 plan than has been shared by SAAAP Conclusion There is no easierway to sayit "SAAAPjust missesthe mark".The alternate proposal clearly showsthat much better outcomes can be achieved with far less disruption. There is no justification for the Board of Education to accept SAAAP. SAAAP had 3 guiding principles: 1) Reduce Overcrowding; 2) Balance FARMs and 3) Plan ahead. This document shows that SAAAP hasfailed to deliver on all three. SAAAPcompletely ignored overcrowding, leavingthat problem for another dayand as a result did not even carefully plan ahead.That will mean undoing a number ofthe proposed moves in a 2024 when additional capacity comes available. And when it comes to FARMS... The big debate on Social Media is that SAAAPis pro-integration, pro-equity because FARMS balancing is really what SAAAPis all about. Thefacts are quite the opposite. It is the Alternative Planthat outshines SAAAP in integration with 49% max FARMS down from 68%, while SAAAP bring down FARMS only to 54%. Publictestimonies arecreating divisions in the community, whilethere's absolutely no casefor SAAAP. SAAAP Alternative Plan Moves 16, 000 * 6, 219 2020 Polygon Moves 287 35 Max Utilization 138% 119% Max FARMS 54% 49% HS MS ES HS MS ES 2020 Moves 2, 815 1, 351 3, 194 508 195 392 2024 Moves 3, 000+ . 1, 500+ 3, 100+ * 1, 499 1. 550 2,075 Double Moves 502 To East * 1, 015 Swaps Unknown 0 0 0 Max 2020 Utilization 136% 130% 121% 119% 119% 119% Max 2024 Utilization 138% 128% 121% 117% 112% 119% Max FARMs 42% 45% 54% 41% 42% 49 * Estimated since actual data is not available SAAAP utilized consultants and took months of effort to put together. While this Alternative Plan is a quick back of the envelop calculation compiled over a few days, and then a few more for Polygon data. This quickly put together Alternative Plan does not claim to bethe only rightway to do it, but it hasexposed serious weaknesses in SMAP making the case for a different, much better approach. In light ofthis SAAAP should be paused by the BOE white alternative plans are evaluated. Sumeet Singh Resident of Polygon 3176 KathleenV. Hanks From: Yu Mei Dear BOB members, I am Yu Mei from polygon 28. am a registered voter of District4. I'm writingto begyou to keep polygons 28/1028/2028 united and in Clarksville Middle School (CMS). It's only about two months since the superintendent proposed the redistricting plan, but it has been a long and hard time for both Howard County residents and BOEmembers. Basedon thousandsof emails and mails, hundredsof testimonies and dozens of protests, the superintendent's plan is selective data driven, lack of evidence, underestimating the consequence, short of budget and overlook of residents' interests. Fortunately, the people voted BOEmembers would listen to the voice ofthe current residents and think about the credible alternative policy. Polygons 28/1028/2028 are part of Village of River Hill and feeders of Clarksville Middle School (CMS). The superintendent's plan intends to move polygons 28/1028/2028 to be feeders of Harper Choice Middle School (HCMS) and move HCMS students to CMS. I'd like to reinstate why BOE should keep children from polygon 28/1028/2028 at CMS. 20-iO'ninbus if.^":,... H3;i':1''' c'l:;:<' 31" t?i( i^ht, ., . /_, _ ^_._ -'.. i^C. :-': '.^itOC-/ C'v;. :!, ';;;*ES , '<^v<. )' ."i^ii ;-:S \ 2028 . >. ^. : ":i: '^-1:: T''. :',-. < C!i-';;S»!ii . , ii.';C..t! SCI';!.,!.'! Figure 1. Map of Polygon 28/1028/2028. First, overcrowding is not an issue in HCMS or CMS. According to 2019 Feasibility Study, the capacity utilization rates of HCMSand CMSare both less than 110%till 2027. Even usingsuperintendent's criteria, there is no reason to swap students between the two schools. Second, it is much shorter bus ride for polygons 28/1028/2028to CMSthan to HCMS.As shown in Figure 1, from the center of polygons 28/1028/2028 to CMS, the bus ride is less than 2 miles on small roadsthrough our neighborhood and takes only 7 minutes. Moreover, a middle schooler can safely bike to school usingsidewalk throughout the village and the bike ride takes no more than 15 minutes. On the other hand,from the center of polygons 28/1028/2028to HCMS, the distance is 4. 5 miles, more than doubled the distance to CMS. The time spent on bus increases to 20-30 minutes because the bus cannot go through the 1021-acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area and will have to travel on major roads (i. e., Route 108 and Harpers Farm Road) and pass 8 traffic lights to getto HCMS. Furthermore, hikingto school will no longer be an option. Longerbus rides not onlytake awaytime for thingsthat are important for children's physical and mental development, but also cost a lot of money. For FY2020, without redistricting, BOE is already dealing with a budget deficit of $96 million. How will the increased transportation cost be funded? Third, polygons 28/1028/2028 is an integral part of Village of River Hill. As shown in the map (Figure 1), Village of River Hill is well defined in a terrestrial boundary. The west boundary of River Hill is route 108, the south boundary is route 32, and the northeast boundary is the big Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. Polygons 28/1028/2028 are not only walkers to CES and RHHS, but also within 0. 1- to 0. 8-mile walking distance to the River Hill Village Town Center. We, with other polygons in the River Hill Village, which will stay at CMS in the superintendent's plan, attend many community activities organized by the Village together. The bonding among our children and families, which was established at schools, has been strengthened by these community activities, like summer swimming team, July 4'" parade, Halloween fun party etc. A school is the anchor of a community. If the children are now being separated to two different middle schools, the nejghborhood will literally fall apart. It's unreasonable to tear apart the neighborhood. Finally, middle school is probably the most challenging period for students. Tweens need to be accepted and feel part of something. Uprooting the teens from their community make them feel alienated. CMS is attended proudly by children from its community, just like Harper's choice middle is attended proudly by children from its community. Attending neighborhood schools is a more desirable means of educating children because it gives them a sense of pride and identity. To conclude, I urge BOE to keep children from Polygon 28/1028/2028 at CES-CMS-RHHS because there is no overcrowding issue at CMS or HCMS and swapping these children will break communities, increase transportation cost and take away their valuable time for sleeping, studying and spending with family and friends. Sincerely, Yu Mei Polygon 28 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Ravi Gogineni Ravi Gogineni Polygon 1186 10-OCT-2019 Board of Education Howard County Public School System 10910 Clarksville Pike Ellicott City, MD 21042 Dear Board Member, I live in Polygon 1186 and have lived in the River Hill Community for the past 4 years. I oppose the superintendent's proposed plan to redistrict our community of homes in Polygon 1186 and others nearby to Harpers Choice Middle School. My primary reason for opposingthe superintendent's proposed plan is that transporting our children out of our River Hill community to the Village of Harpers Choice or any other community for that matter, would fragment our community from the rest ofRiver Hill. Itwould take our children awayfrom theirfriends and community members, whomthey have developed close relationships with, and place them in a different environment outside oftheir own communities during their most formative years. From a geographical perspective, the distance to Harpers Choice Middle School compared to Clarksville Middle School isslightly longer, however, it isthe isolation ofthese children from the community during those formative years that I believe will have a lasting detrimental effect on the children. Further negative consequences that the plan will have include longer bus rides and increased traffic on Route 108, which Is already congested with heavytraffic during commute times. It willalso come at a greatercost to the HowardCounty Public School System asthe plan will incur greater cost from the required logistical staffing, bus drivers, and buses needed to transport kidsto further schools. Lastly, the plan will increase the carbon footprint that HCPSSwill leave on the environment resulting from a large increasein childrentransported bylonger bus ridesall overthe county. Pleasedo not re-districtour community to HarpersChoice MiddleSchool and keepour kids intheir own communities. Sincerely, Ravi Gogineni 240-779-3778 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Lohiya Atluri Dear Board Members I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the efforts and time you alt are dedicating for the bettennent of our communities andnext generation. A simple thanks is very little for the efforts you all a pitching in. I am an immigrant to this country. We had a tough life back home as my dad is a very hard working below middle class self employed bus driver. He put all his efforts to give us good education by sending us to good schools. That laid a great foundationfor me and my brother. He came to this country first and I followed him. This country provided a great opportunity for us andwe were ableto capitalizeand here we are living happily with our families in Howardcounty. One ofthe best counties in the USA. WhenI came to this country first I had very hard time and gone thru several struggles. When I am going thru that phase my brother helped me to ;et over those. We had a great bondingas we went to the same school and go andplay together. We want to build the same bondingwith our kids so we buy houses in the sameNeighborhood at Walnut Creek. My brother lives here n 3176 polygon and I live in 176 polygon by separating these two OUT kids struggle emotionally and physically as they share same after school activities. My request is please consider not to split our communities and stay intact thank you very much I really hope that you consider my request have a good day. Thanks Lohiya Re: Please Keep Polygon 2S-1028-2028 Community in Clarksville Middle School (CMS) Dear BOE board members, I am Xinming Liu from Polygon 1028, and I am a registered voter of District 4. During the last two months, the Howard County experienced historic massive opposition (e. g. thousands of emails and mails, hundreds of testimonies, dozens of protests and 7 public hearing) on the superintendent's redistricting proposal because the proposal is selective data driven, lack of evidence, poor in logic, underestimating the consequence, short of budget and overlook of residents' interests. It is long and hard time for both Howard County residents and BoE members. We are fortunate to have our voted BOB board members that would listen to the public voice of Howard County, and think about the credible alternative policy with common sense during last two work sessions and beyond. Dear BoE board members, many thanks for your service and work. Polygon 28-1028-2028 families (split sister polygons) are located in the center of River Hill community. We are traditional feeders ofClarksville Middle School (CMS). The superintendent's plan intends to move Polygons 28-1028-2028 to be feeders of Harper's Choice Middle School (HCMS) and move HCMS students to CMS, which will significantly disrupt community integrity and create Polygon Island by the natural barrier of 1021-acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area (see Figure 1 below). We'd like to reinstate why BOB should keep children from Polygon 28-1028-2028 at CMS. <''^^^ ^\:^\":l:. f. .. -> .*'-'i:^S ;' t*. . 'll. i-i1 }... 1028 2t18 ; ! \ Figure 1: Map ofPolygon 28-1028-2028. First, overcrowding is not an issue in HCMS or CMS. According to 2019 Feasibility Study, the capacity utilization rates of HCMS and CMS are both less than 110% till 2027. Even using superintendent's criteria, there is no reason to swap students between the two schools. Second, it is much shoner bus ride for Poiygoa 28-1028-2028 to CMS than to HCMS. As shown in Figure I, from the center ofPolygon 28-1028-2028 to CMS, the bus ride is less than 2 miles on small roads through our neighborhood and takes only 7 minutes. Moreover, a middle schooler can safely bike to school using sidewalk through the village and the bike ride takes no more than 1 5 minutes. On the other hand, from the center ofPotygon 28-1028-2028 to HCMS, the distance is 4. 5 miles, more than doubled the distance to CMS. The time spent on bus increase to 20-30 minutes because the bus cannot go through the 1021-acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area and will have to travel on major roads (i. e., route 108 and harpers farm Rd) and pass 8 traffic lights to get to HCMS. Furthermore, hiking to school will no longer be an option. Longer bus rides not only take way time for things that are important for children's physical and mental development, but also cost a lot of money. For FY2020, without redistricting, BOB is already dealing with a budget deficit of $96 million. How will the increased transportation cost be funded? Third, we are part of Village of River Hill. As shown in the map (Figure 1), Village of River Hill is well defined in a terrestrial boundary. The west boundary of River Hill is route 108, the south boundary is route 32, and the northeast boundary is the big Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. Polygons 28-1028- 2028 are not only walkers to CES and RHHS, but also within 0. 1- to 0. 8-mile walking distance to the River Hill Village Town Center. We, with other polygons in the River Hill Village, which will stay at CMS in the superintendent's plan, attend many community activities organized by the Village together. The bonding among our children and families, which was established at schools, has been strengthened by these community activities, like summer swimming team, July 4* parade, Halloween fun party etc, Schools are anchor of a community. If the children are now being separated to two different middle schools, the neighborhood will literally fall apart. It's unreasonable to tear apart the neighborhood. Finally, middle school is probably the most challenging period for students. Tweens need to be accepted and feel part of something. Uprooting the teens from their community make them feel alienated. CMS is attended proudly by children from its community, just like Harper's choice middle is attended proudly by children from its community. Attending neighborhood schools is a more desirable means of educating children because it gives them a sense of pride and identity. In summary, we urge BOB to keep children from Polygon 28-1028-2028 at CMS in following work sessions because there is no overcrowding issue at CMS or HCMS and swapping these children will break communities, increase transportation cost and take away their valuable time for sleeping, studying and spending with family and friends. Many thanks for your work and service. Sincerely, Xinming Liu Polygon 1028 Dear BOE members, As a resident ofHoward County and a registeredvoter in District4, 1 would like to thank you for your service and for providing opportunities for the people of our county to provide feedback during the ongoing school redistricting process. I m writing to respectfully request you to keep kids in oiir neighborhood polygons 28, 1028, and 2028 at Clarksville Middle School (CMS). The superintendent's redistricting plan proposes to move these kids from our neighborhood school (CMS), which is about 2 miles away, to Harpers Choice Middle School (HCMS), which is almost 5 miles away andlocated in a different village. As many ofmy neighborshave shownyou, through himdreds of written and oral testimonies, this proposed move is counter productive and will put undue burdens on working families in our community: This plan doesuot addressany overcrowdingissues. Theproposed move essentially swaps students between CMS and HCMS, and bofh schools are presently well within the range of target utilization rate. This plan tears our community apart. As shown in the map below, Polygons 28, 1028, and 2028 are an integral part of the River Hill community, and only a short 5-10 min walk awayfrom the village center. Children from the entire RiverHill Villagehave always been going to our two neighborhood elementary schools (Clarksville Elementary and Pointers Run Elementary) and Clarksville Middle School. CMS is linked to homes in Polygons 28, 1028, and 2028 through local roads and also a network of walking trails in River Hill. CMS is also the location of many activities within River Hill, mcluding the annual Independence Day Parade that many kids from Polygons 28, 1028, and 2028 participate in. Moving these children will take them away from their friends from other polygons ofRiver Hill community, at a critical stage for their mental andphysical development. This plan will put undue burdenon childrenand parents in both CMS andHCMS. Between River Hill and Harper's Choice sits the 1021-acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Aiea(see map below). Thebus ride from Polygons 28, 1028, and 2028 to CMS takes only 7-10 min fhroughlocal roads. The bus ride from these polygons to HCMS, on (he otherhand, takes children through a heavily traveled state highway(Route 108) and 8 traffic lights, with the travel time increasedby 10-20min one way on a daily basis. This takes time awayfrom childrenfor themto bondwith parents and other friends in the neighborhood, exposes them to more air pollutants on the road, and unnecessarily increasesrisks forbullying and traffic incidents. Similarly, childrenproposed to move from HCMS to CMS will also be adversely affected. This plan further strains the finaacial resources of HCPSS. The proposed move will increase the cost for transportation, when our school system is already facing a significant budgetshortfall and when.you abeadyhad to makedifficult cuts in importantprograms and services. In summary, the proposed plan to move students in Polygons 28, 1028, and 2028 from CMS to HCMS does not address overcrowding in our schools, tears our community apart, adds undue burden on children and parents, and worsens HCPSS's financial situation. Id strongly urge our BOB members to thoroughly consider all these factors, and keep children from in Polygons 28, 1028, and 2028 at Clarksville Middle School. Thank you for your consideration. Regards, ChenLi(1028) ;y. 3i;~.. -;': IOZ8 2>>28 It Kathleen V. Hanks From: Mark Zaroogian Dear Board of Education members, I am concerned by a recent proposal to the redistricting for our school district. Under the plan that Ms. Mallo proposed on October 28, 2019, the Woodmark polygon would be moved to Wilde Lake High School with an extremely small feed. Woodmark students currently attend River Hill High School in an approximate 30% feed from Folly Quarter Middle School. The remaining -70% of FQMS goes to Glenelg High School. By keeping polygons 3176 and 176 at River Hill High School and moving only our 3 polygons to Wilde Lake High School this proposal would create an unacceptably small feed of students traveling alone to Wilde Lake. Please do not create a small feed like this for our children. The children of our Woodmark community deserve better than this. We respectfully request that you please keep polygons 180, 181 and 1181 in a larger feed. Thank you. Mark Zaroogian Kathleen V. Hanks From: Jenifer Gesell Good morning Board of Education, First off, I would like to thank each of the members of the Hoard County Board of Education for their respective efforts thus far. It is not lost on me that each of the BOE members sat through many long meetings to hear the community's responses to Superintendent Michael Martlrano's Attendance Area Adjustment Plan, dated August 20, 2019, and are making efforts to take the concerns of the community into account, and have expended significant amounts of time to come up with sensible alternative scenarios with stability being a significant goal. These past efforts are appreciated by our community; we support your continued efforts. In regards to Monday's work session and the two plans put forward. I strongly disapprove of Ms. Malto's plan. It appears to be less thought out and more disruptive than the original plan from Dr. Martriano. While Dr. Wu's Plan serves as the best template from which to work, I believe that Polygon 1200/200 under Dr. Wu's Plan should be slated to go to River Hill High School instead of Gtenelg High School. Under Dr. Wu's Plan Polygons 203 and 202 are slated to remain at RHHS. Given the one route of ingress and egress for Polygon 1200 through Linden Church Road, our immediate neighbors are Polygons 202 and 203 ( and this is across Route 32). The approximate distances and travel times from Polygon 1200/200 to RHHS-districted Polygons 203 and 202 are approximately 1. 1 miles and 3 minutes and 0. 6 miles and 2 minutes. In fact, the current RHHS bus route for Polygon 1200/200, accounts for the efficiency of grouping Polygon 1200/200 with Polygon 202 as the current bus makes a stop at Harris Farm Lane in Polygon 202. While it is true that Polygon 1200/200 neighbors GHS-districted Polygons 1208 and 208, these Polygons are further away from Polygon 1200 than RHHS-districted Polygons 203 and 202, and any bus route for Polygon 1200/200 under Dr, Wu's Plan will require a bus to drive through RHHS-districted Polygon 203 and past RHHS-districted Polygon 202. Accordingly, keeping Polygon 1200/200 at RHHS will maintain the greatest efficiency, and avoid requiring a bus to drive through another school's district. Grouping Polygon 1200/200 with Polygons 1183 and 2183 and additional Polygons to the North and North East does not make senses as Polygon 1200 , 200 is geographically isolated from such other Polygons. There are no roadways directing connecting Polygon 1200/200 to Polygons 1183 and 2183 and the additional Polygons to the North and North East. In fact, Polygon2183 is the closest of the group slated to be moved to GHS and is approximately 7. 7 miles and 12 minutes away from Polygon 1200/200, which is greater than the distance between Polygon 1200/200 and GHS. I do think that Polygons 1200/200, if looked at in person, would make sense. We are truly a geographic island that no map can quite show clearly. We are combined only approximately 25 HS students. Lastly, it is with great appreciation that you have grandfathered rising juniors and senior. I have two current juniors and I am very happy they will not have to leave RHHS. With that being said, I would love the consideration of either leaving all current HS students at their schoo!, or at the very least rising sophomores as well. I also have a freshman this year and it would prove to be a real hardship to have three children at two different schools. Thank you for your time and consideration Jenifer Gesell Polygon 1200 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Qiang Qian Dear BOE members, Thanks for all boardmembers spending countless hours onthis redistricting, special thanksto Dr Wuand Ms Mallo for presenting the proposal last night. Between the two proposal last night, I strongly recommend to use Dr. Wu's plan as starting point, which is least disruptive more cost effective ( given usHCPSS budget concern), andcommon sensefocusing onmoving overcrowding school to under capacity school. 9^>?e. ot?ler h?ld' ^s Mallol s proposal is quite similar to Dr Martinaro's plan, massive redistricting by moving 7300students, breakingup Ifae communities andignoring the community feedbackthrough emails, public testimony, not considering the transportation cost. Ms Mallo's plan dividedpolygon 186 & 1186into 2 different feeds. 186to Clarksville Middle, and 1186to Harpers Choice. 186and 1186are always one cohesive community historically ontrotter roadwith 1000acre natural barrier ofMiddle Patuxent Environment Area. This creates unnecessary inconsistent feedwhich will leadto future redistricting issueswhen HS13 comes. Weare strongly againstit! Please keep 1186 at Clarksville Middle and thanks for your consideration! Asa medicaland health care worker, I alsostrongly suggestkeeping the eighth grade students not change, likejunior and senior students, becausethe eight grade is last year in the middle school, importantpreparation t, !^efor luSh school andalso most important and key time period for teens in their youth life, moving them to a different school will torture them physically andpsychologically. Respectfully, Qiang Qian Polygonll86 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Kim Patrick Sending my below message from yesterday again as I did not receive any confirmation ofreceipt. In addition to my statements from yesterday, I would like to addthat Mallo's plan is crazyexpensive, disrupts far too may children causes a busing nightmare and much higher taxes to pay for it. I feei herplan is careless and reckless and we implore the board to disregard it. Sincerely, Kim Patrick > On Oct29, 2019, at 12:43 PM, Kim Patrick > Good morning, > Weare writing fo support Dr. Wu'splan for several reasonsbut thetop two reasons are: > ^ cpss.!sin poor fmancial shaPe' especially with their health fund deficit that continues to spiralout of control. Dr. Wu's plan has a much lower cost basis than the others which would significantfy increase costs and wouldput additional financialstrain onthe school system. > > 2) Dr. Wu'splan is much less disruptive to students, parents andthe school system thanany other plan; therefore, preserving communities whichis extremely important for thewellbeing ofthe county! ^. Tm^ youfor focusing on the many hours of strong testimony againstthe radical andharmful redistricting proposals and for focusing on the two important factors above. > > Sincerely, > Kim Patrick >Polygon2176 > > Kathleen V. Hanks From: David Albert Dea-Board Members, Thank you for serving on the Board of Education. We va;ue your commitment and your support for the education of Howard County ch:!dren. ! am a resident of Polygon 127 and am writing to express concern regarding Boarc Member test5cepanos that wouid 'edistrict 127 for a Mal . "olygon secor-d time since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES-CVS-AHStc PRES-W-MS-AHS. I also would encourage the Board to explore Board Member Wu'stest scenarios as they appearto acdress several goals ofthe Board while st';! preparing the County for the inc'usion of High School #13. My specific concerns with Board Member Mallo's test scenarios are: Thescenarios would undothe successful 2017redistricting thatfixed the small feed problem forPolygon 127: In2017, OL.T polygon wasredistricted from Clemens CrossingES and Lime Kiln MSto Pointers Run ESand Clarkesville MS(took effect for the 2018-2019 school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behind t-e Board's decision to redistrict our community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMS to fix the small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Mallo's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed., oppose Board Member Mallo's scenarios and support keeping Polygon 127with its current large feed ofPRES-C^S for elementary and middle school. Fourschools infour years is untenable anddirectly violates Policy6010: Current sixthgraders in Polygon 127would be exoectedto attend fourschools in asmany years under Board Member Mallo's approach: o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES (CCES) o 5th grade at Pointers Run E5 (PRES) o 6thgradeatClarksvilleMS(CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS) Therefore, Board MemberMalio's approach would violate the goals of Policy6010 (IV. B. 2. ), whichstates the Board will make "every atterr-pt to not move a student more than once at anyschool level orthe same student more f'eque.nt!y than once every five years. " This policy is important to our neighborhood because in the 2C1S-2C19 schoo, yearwe experier-ced firsthand the impact and challenges redistricting presents as our children worked to adjust to new academic environments andfriend groups afte-the last redistricting decision. Forthese same children to endure another redistrictingjust a few years later places an extreme burden on them. . Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability now and inthe future: Mcv;rg our children yet againto a new middleschool just two years after the last redistricting for our neighborhood wou:d~be ha'-nful to'stab'iiity and to'the c°mml"";itY°ur c:hi, ldren havc now bL"ltat i:'RES-clv;s' Further, moving our community toWW. S does not support long term stability in 'ight ofthe current and future development near Downtown Co;umbia and to the east. As a resu;t of that growth, it's reasonaoie to conceive that our polygon could besubject to aadit'onal redistr'cting inthe nea.-'uture ;f wears moved to WLMSnow. A;! plans and sce-arios to date (except for Bca.'d Member Mallo's plan) recognize these factors ard have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS. Incontrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Mallo's scenarios. Board Member Wu's scenario apoears to take a ho!ist:cand long-te.-m approach to redistr;ct;"g ar^dshould befurther expiorec. -hisshould irclude expTorat'io'n'cf'the testing scenariothat would keep poiygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS-AHS. T-he. s.uoc'"rte"der't's p'°p°sal (m°ves F'olyg°"127 from PRCS-CMS-AHSto PRES-CMS-River Hi!!HS) also could Support !ongterm stability for our polygon. ifthe Superintendent's p'an is advanced, please conside- an exception toroL'7cjrrent students at AHS to stay at the school !f they provide their own transportation. Such an exception should inc'ude current freshman because they wouid otherwise be required to attend fourschoo:s in four years (7In grade at LKMS, Sth grace at CVS, 9th grade at AHS, and 10th grade at RHHS). :Il it is 'nportant to note that the potential for stability mentiori 'n both the Superintendent's an and m Boa'd Vlember Wu s plan oniy exists i* all of the changes Included ;n those sians are also made. Singular changes to the Super:"tendent's p:an or to Board Member Wu's scenarios wou:d jeopardize the stabil'ty the p:ansare designed to enable and could poter. tiaNy exacerbate the overa!! problems the Board aims to address. We have always taken a reasonable approach to redistricting and thank you fo" the consideration of our conce-ns. We wi!! continue to pay c'ose attention during the Board meetings and wi:: p-ovide updated feedback as new consice'at'ons arise a'- additiona' concerns are identified. We iT. p'.c'e you to remember Poiygcn 127's recent redistricting ;n the 2C18-2019 school year, ask that you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguous stable feeds for Polygon 127, and keep us disficted to PRES-CMS. Thank you for your consideration. S'ncerely, David Albert Polygon 127 Denise Zippelli Polygon 1183, October 30, 2019 Dear Board Members, We are writing in support of Dr. Wu's Plan to retain our polygon 1183 along with our sister polygons 183 and 2183 at River Hill High School. We realize that no plan is perfect but believe Dr. Wu's Plan does the best job of minimizing transportation costs and community disruption for the overall county by moving less than half the number of children compared to Dr. Martirano's Plan. As longtime residents of Howard County, we understand that redistricting has to happen from time to time to address overcapacity while also maintaining adherence to Policy 6010's objectives of community stability and student body diversity. We understand that this is a complex and sometimes contentious process and appreciate the Board's hard work and willingness to shoulder this burden on behalf of our county's children. We especially appreciate Dr. Wu, Ms. Delmont-Small and Ms. Mallo's obvious hard work and attention to detail in crafting a workable solution to reduce the disruption going forward by developing a true feeder system. We strongly support further work in this area to improve predictability for parents and families in future redistricting waves. Maintaining fiscal responsibility by minimizing capital and operating costs is critical especially in light of continued pressure from rising healthcare costs. We are also concerned about the potential further cuts in technology instruction due to budget pressures-something we can ill afford in today's competitive landscape. We can ill afford diverting funds from technology instruction or having to layoff teachers/paraeducators to pay for more buses to swap children between schools. Respectfully, Denise Zippelli Kathleen V. Hanks From: Dave Saul Good morning, My family current;y residesin polygon 183 orGlenelg ManorEstates inEllicott City. We'vepaid attention to the redistricting matter aswe have a 2 yr. old andhope for more. ^e.. appreciatethechallenges.. Howardcounty {acesas a growin&Popular countythat is nationally recognized . its education programs. It's a product ofyour success andone "that I'm proud to be attached with. onsider resi(iingm Howard a due to the lc county peat advantage strong school system. I was a product of ; city aDdcounty growing up. The general perception inthose'counties wasthat private'school was ; childrento besuccessful given deficiencies in the education programs. HowardCounty, ~Glen~elg . Estates and^more importantly the education programs attached to polygon 183factored-into~ow'decisio^ to move to Howard County. River Hill is annually recognized asa best in class institution and'abis selUr point when we bought. Weare cognizant though that Howard County is a popular areaand redistricting mightfactor into the future eq^ation. ^1look at^ll^e^evelopment takingplace near Columbia Mail and cm only guess-that~will hav'em on Howard, Wilde Lake and all the adjacent schools in the near future. Thatsaid, we are struggling to see&e logic behind the proposed redistricting plan. Takeone look at the < map and the proposed color breakdown for new school districts and it looks U'ke a preschooler's colonna project gone terribly wrong. WeUve 5 miles fromRiver_Hill, 6 miles from Glenelg and8 milesto WildLake. Howdoes that make sense to our kids to Wild Lake? ted with further There_mustte, t:ostsassc";ia teansportation. Gas, third party buses contracts, greater insurance eostlanduabllity;. Havethe amlual in';reases. iD costs associated with the proposed plan bee^ proven to" outweigh the one time cost ofschool expansions in fall capacity schools? and ofsocioeconomicequality family's income have been an underlining factor this ... ^etopicT throughout process. Howis this truly attainablein a popular county suchas Howard? I lookat Baltimore Citvas an from Hill exTpk-^re theybusingkids Cherry to Canton to make sure there's-socioe~conomic~balaii'crm the lat would be a logistical nightmare for transportation and costs and more importantYv'take kids', friends and family. ulre kids to wake whuat20 ProPosmgrequire^my up earlier and come home later. It requires less time at home. with family. How canyou ask me to subscribe to this approach? . ------'"". You'reproposmg an^experiment that places unnecessary stress on kids and families and offers no assurances in agsuccessful. Whathappens ifthis fails? Are weto move the kids backto another schooi?" I suspect I m not alone in these feelings and hope this plan is dropped. You could be laying the foundation for altering the local and national perception of Howard County. The success you've created over the years, leadingto the perception ofthe county as a prosperous areawith good education can be lost very quickly. I will not sendmy kids to schools that rank lower than the adjacent schools. As a product of a private school in Baltimore County I am fully prepared to make sure my kids receive the best schooling in this or another county. And if we decided to remain in Howard County, I'll vote for any individuals that propose lower taxes related to school budgeting. Dave Saul Kathleen V. Hanks From: Farrukh Jalisi Dear members of the Board of Education Howard County, MD I have been watchingthe testimonies duringthe public hearingprocess aboutthe school redistricting plans. I have also tried to keep up with your work sessions. I am concerned about the proposed ledistricting ofpolygon 1200. We are currently in River Hill high school and shouldNOT be moved. Our geographicallycontiguous polygons are with RHHS. Our commute times to RHHS are short compared to going to any other high school. As a parent I can get to RHHS in 6 minutes from home to attend teachermeetings or pickup kids after school events. The proposed Route 32 expansionis also going to generatemore traffic and congestion on the tributary roads emoute to schools especially towards Glenelg High school for several years. The other plan to send us to Wilde Lake also makes for unacceptable connnute times estimated at over 2 hours a day by bus, along with dismption of communities. I am hopeful that you will leave our polygon 1200in River Hill High school. This school is not near capacity and can continue to serve our community. The solution to the problem is improving infrastructure and capacity at current schools and building more schools in the Eastern part of the county where all the population growth is projected. The school board needs to be more vigilant about new developments proposed by builders and accepted by county without adequate planning for schooling. Please reassess the need to move our kids from polygon 1200. It does not affect the cunent capacity projections at River Hill high school and will not serve any purpose except cause disruption in the lives of students and parents. We are are culturally integrated multiethnic school with a strong knit school community. We already welcome FARM students to the school through county programs. More affordable housing is already planned near the school and that will help additional low income families in the near future and hep adjust your FARM statistics if that is a criteria you are concerned about. Polygon 1200 was not slated to move under the original county commissioned feasibility report for which the county tax payers payed a large sum. Why are we not listening to these experts and trying ill advised plans? Obviously no one likes gerrymandering and I am sure all of you will resist any advice to this effect from anyone in, or outside, the county administration. I urge we move to find solutions rather thancreate problems. I sincerely thank you all for listening to your real constituents, the parents and children of Howard county. Thank you. Sincerely, Farrukh Jalisi, MD Kathleen V. Hanks From: Vivica Williams Hi, Thankyou BOB members Chaoand Mallo forswitching us from WLHSin your plans. I amvery grateful if this goesthrough to nothave to drive sofar to take my children to HS. I amwriting becausemost ofmy neighbors arefighting to stayat RHHS instead ofGlenelg. They all havetheir own reasons. I amwriting to say that I really would like my kids to go to Glenelg. My son is a 9th grader at RHHS and he also would like'to be' movedto Glenelgnext year. Themain reason is because his friends gothere. Yousee our feeds, Dayton Oaks and Folly Quarter, send many many kids to GIenelg and it just so happens that almost all ofmy son's friend group go there. He attends all ofthe Glenelg Football games and tried to go to the Glenelg Homecoming dance. Goingto RHHShas been tough for him. I alsoforesee the samehappening for my daughter and her friend group. So, I am simply hereto saythat I amhappy with the Glenelg move. It makes sense with our current school feeds. However, wewould not put up a fuss ifwe remain at RHHS, but it is not ourpreference. Vivica Williams (443)710-5700 vivicalw03amail.com Dear Board Members, Thank you for serving on the Board of Education. We value yuur commitment and your support for the education of Howard County children. I am a resident of Polygon 127 and am writing to express concern regarding Board Member Malta's test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES- WLMS-AHS. I also would encourage the Board to explore Board Member Wu's test scenarios as they appear to address several goals of the Board while still preparing the County for the inclusion of High School #13. My specific concerns with Board Member Mallo's test scenarios are; . The scenarios would undo the successful 2017 redistricting that fixed the small feed problem for Polygon 127: In 2017, our polygon was redistricted from Clemens Crossing ES and Lime Kiln MS to Pointers Run ES and Clarkesville MS (took effect for the 2018-2019 school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behind the Board's decision to redistrict our community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMS to fix the small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Malta's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed. I oppose Board Member Malta's scenarios and support keeping Polygon 127 with its current large feed of PRES-CMS for elementary and middle school. . Four schools in four years is untenable and directly violates Policy 6010: Current sixth graders in Polygon 127 would be expected to attend four schools in as many years under Board Member Mallo's approach: o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES (CCES) o 5th grade at Pointers Run ES(PRES) o 6th grade at Clarksville MS (CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS) Therefore, Board Member Malta's approach would violate the goals of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ), which states the Board will make "every attempt to not move a student more than once at any school level or the same student more frequently than once every five years. " This policy is important to our neighborhood because in the 2018-2019 school year we experienced firsthand the impact and challenges redistricting presents as our children worked to adjust to new academic environments and friend groups after the last redistricting decision. For these same children to endure another redistricting just a few years later places an extreme burden on them. Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability now and in tne future: Moving our children yet againto a new middle schooljust two years after the last redistricting for our neighborhood would be harmful to stability and to the community our children have now built at PRES-CMS. Further, moving our community to WLMS does not support long term stability in light of the current and future development near Downtown Columbia and to the east. As a result of that growth, it's reasonable to conceive that our polygon could be subject to additional redistricting in the near future if we are moved to WLMS now. All plans and scenarios to date (except for Board Member Mallo's plan) recognize these factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS. In contrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Malta's scenarios, Board Member Wu's scenario appears to take a holistic and long-term approach to redistricting and should be further explored, including histesting scenariothat would keep Polygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS- AHS. Likewise, the Superintendent's proposal (moves Polygon 127 from AHS to PRES-CMS-River Hill HS)is also anapproach that couldsupport longterm stabilityfor our polygon. It is important to note that the stability I mention for these two plans only exists if all of the changes included in those plans are also made. Singular changes to the Superintendent's plan or to Board Member Wu's scenarios would jeopardize the stability the plans are designed to enable and could potentially exacerbatethe overall problems the Board aimsto solve. We have always taken a reasonable approach to redistricting and thank you forthe consideration ofour concerns. We will continue to pay close attention during the Board meetings and will provide updated feedbackas new considerationsarise or additional concerns are identified. We implore you to remember Polygon 127's recent redistricting in the 2018-2019 school year, askthat you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguous stable feedsfor Polygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, AnkitJoshi Polygon 127 Dear Board Members, Thankyou for serving on the Boardof Education. Wevalue your commitment andyour support for the education of Howard County children. I am a resident of Polygon 127 and am writing to express concern regardingBoard Member Mallo's test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127for a secondtime since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES-CMS-AHSto PRES-WLMS-AHS. I also would encourage the Board to explore Board Member Wu's test scenarios asthey appear to address several goals of the Board while still preparing the County for the inclusion of High School #13. My specific concerns with Board Member Mallo's test scenarios are: . Thescenarios would undo the successful 2017 redistricting that fixedthe small feed problem for Polygon127: In2017, our polygon was redistricted from ClemensCrossing ES and LimeKiln MSto Pointers Run ESand Clarkesville MS(took effectfor the 2018-2019 school year). Ourneighborhood understood thereason behindthe Board's decision to redistrict ourcommunity andovemhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMSto fixthe small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member' Mallo'sscenarios, our polygon would again be placedin a smallfeed. I oppose Board MemberMallo's scenarios and support keeping Polygon 127 with its current large feed of PRES-CMS for elementary and middle school. . Four schools in four years isuntenable and directly violates Policy 6010: Current sixth graders in Polygonl27would beexpected to attendfour schools in asmany years under Board Member Mallo's approach: o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES (CCES) o 5th gradeat Pointers Run ES(PRES) o 6th gradeat Clarksville MS (CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS) Therefore^Board Member Mallo's approach would violate the goals ofPolicy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ), which statesthe Boardwill make"every attempt to not move a student morethan onceat any school level or thesame student morefrequently than once every five years. " Thispolicy is important to oui- neighborhood because inthe 2018-2019school yearwe experienced firsthandthe impact and challenges redistricting presents asour children worked to adjustto newacademic environments and friendgroups after the lastredistricting decision. Forthese same children to endure another redistrictingjust a few years later places an extreme burden on them. ^-^mg°urpolv??, n ag,ai"negatively imPa<:ts stability now and in the future: Moving our children yet asaintoa newmiddle school just two years after the lastredistricting for our neighbo'rhoodwould b'e -!L"!!ul_t,?..s.ta^l,ity.a-ndto the c°mmunitv °ur children have now built at PRES-CMS. Further, moving our c°mmu"it_yt°wwts doesnot support longtel'm stabilityin ii8htof the current andfuture development near Downtown Columbia andto the east. Asa result ofthat growth, it's reasonable to conceive that' our polygon could besubject to additional redistricting inthe nearfuture ifwe are moved to'WLMS" now.All plansand scenarios to date(except for Board Member Mallo's plan) recognizethese factor and maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS. Incontrast to ourconcerns regarding Board Member Mallo's scenarios. Board Member Wu's scenario appearsto take a holisticand long-term approach to redistricting andshould befurther explored, including histesting scenario that would keep Polygon 127 districted to PRES-CMS-AHS. Likewise, the Superintendent's proposal (moves Polygon 127from AHSto PRES-CMS-River Hill HS)is also an approach thatcould support longterm stabilityfor our polygon. Ifthe Superintendent's plan isaccepted, please consider an exception for our current freshmen. Please allow them to stay atAHS (provided parents provide transportation), given they will have been in four schools in fouryears (7th grade at LKMS,8th grade at CMS, 9th grade atAHS and 10th grade at RHHS). It is important to note tha'tthe stability I mention for these two plans only exists if all ofthe changes Included In those plans are also made. Singular changes to the Superintendent's plan orto Board Member Wu's scenarios would jeopardize the stability the plans are designedto enable andcould potentially exacerbate the overall problems the Board aims to solve. We have always taken a reasonable approach to redistricting andthank you forthe consideration ofour concerns. Wewill continue to payclose attention duringthe Board meetings andwill provide updated feedbackas new considerations arise or additional concerns areidentified. We implore youto remember Polygon 127's recent redistricting in the 2018-2019 school year, askthat you avoid small feedsand maintain contiguous stable feeds for Polygon127, and keep usdistricted to PRES-CMS. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Katy Petty Polygon 127 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Lauren Kleinman Dear Board of Education Members: First, I would "ke to thank each of you for your hard work and dedication in serving on the Board of Education. While, I understand that the task of redistrictlng is not a simple one, I am quite disappointed with the recent proposal by Ms. Mallo as it creates a small feed for polygon 127 at the middle school level. Specifically, a small feed is created under Ms'. Mallo's by moving polygon 126 (which Is nearly entirely made up of APL) and polygon 127 to WLMS. Students in these two polygons would be the only ones who attend PRES and then go to WLMS. Polygon 127 was redistricted In the most recent round of redlstricting to alleviate the exact small feed situation that Ms. Mallo's plan creates. Pnor to 2018, polygon 127 was assigned to CCES and LKMS. It was the only polygon from CCES that went to LKMS, so the BOE decided to eliminate the small feed and redlstrict polygon 127 to PRES and CMS. Polygon 127 now has a very strong feed from PRES to CMS and, therefore, moving us out of'CMS to WLMS would put us backln the~same smal!^eed situati°n that the BOE fixed In 2018 and violates the goals"of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ). I respectfully request that the BOEdoes not create a small feed for the children In polygon 127, but instead leave 127 at its currently assigned middle school which the children were just moved to in 2018. A':ld.'ti°nall^. MS'.Ma"o's. pla"m. °Yes-1. 9 ol:the 21 Poly9°"s that Dr. M's proposal moves from AHS to RHHS. Ms. Mallo's plan Lea.v.e-S.PSIy?°ns 1.26 and ?27 at.^t!s instead °f moving them to RHHS as detailed in Dr. M's plan. I would respectfully request that you teave polygon 127 at its currently assigned elementary and middle schools given the strong feed that exists ^pe.d. v!'.thth?JS':tt??.t:tt'ey.. wel^eboth reassi9"ed in the most recent round of redistrictlng. Additionally, I would request th_aty°u-'r":"/e 127. to RHHS w'th the °ther 19 "elghborlng polygons being moved to maintain our strong feed and create ?-^liit^ [°'". °urcl?'ldI?.n:-If.s'^(:?1-ls "ot P°ssible' I would alternatively ask that you consider leaving the 19 polygons you ?r,°,p°se to move to RHHS at AHS and perhaps follow the moves In Dr. Wu's proposal as they seem to most adequately address the overcrowding concerns while minimizing disruption to the community. Thank you for your consideration of my requests. Regards, Lauren Klelnman Polygon 127 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Joanna Casto Dear Board Members, Thank you for seniing on the Board of Education. We value your commitment and your support for the education of Howard County children. I am a resident of Polygon 127 and am writing to express concern regarding Board Member Malta's test scenarios that would redistrict Polygon 127 for a second time since the 2018-2019 school year, this time from PRES-CMS-AHS to PRES-WLMS-AHS. I also would encourage the Board to explore Board Member Wu's test scenarios as they appear to address several goals of the Board while still preparing the County for the inclusion of High School#13. My specific concerns with Board Member Malta's test scenarios are: . The scenarios would undo the successful 2017 redistricting that fixed me small feed problem for Polygon 127: In 2017, our polygon was redistricted from Clemens Crossing ES and Lime Kiln MS to Pointers Run ES and Clarkesville MS (took effect for the 2018-2019 school year). Our neighborhood understood the reason behind the Board's decision to redistrict our community and overwhelmingly supported the move to PRES-CMS to fix the small feed that existed at the time. In Board Member Malta's scenarios, our polygon would again be placed in a small feed.I oppose Board Member Mallo's scenarios and support keeping Polygon 127 with its current large feed of PRES-CMS for elementary and middle school. . Four schools in four years is untenable and directly violates Policy 6010: Current sixth graders in Polygon 127 would be expected to attend four schools in as many years under Board Member Malta's approach: o 4th grade at Clemens Crossing ES (CCES) o 5th grade at Pointers Run ES (PRES) o 6th grade at Clarksville MS (CMS) o 7th grade at Wilde Lake MS (WLMS) Therefore, Board Member Malta's approach would violate the goals of Policy 6010 (IV. B. 2. ), which states the Board will make every attempt to not move a student more than once at any school level or the same student more frequently than once every five years. " This policy is important to our neighborhood because in the 2018-2019 school year we experienced firsthand the impact and challenges redistricting presents as our children worked to adjust to new academic environments and friend groups after the last redistricting decision. For these same children to endure another redistricting just a few years later places an extreme burden on them. . Moving our polygon again negatively impacts stability now and in the future: Moving our children yet again to a newmiddle schooljust two years after the last redistrictingfor our neighborhoodwould be harmfulto stabilityand to the community our children have now built at PRES-CMS. Further, moving our community to WLMSdoes not support long term stability in light of the current and future development near DowntownColumbia and to the east. As a result of that growth, it's reasonableto conceivethat our polygon could be subjectto additional redistricting in the nearfuture if we are moved to WLMSnow. All plans and scenariosto date (except for Board Member Malta's plan) recognize these factors and have maintained our current feed of PRES-CMS. In contrast to our concerns regarding Board Member Mallo's scenarios, Board Member Wu's scenario appears to take a holistic and long-term approach to redistricting and should be further explored, including histesting scenario that would keep Polygon 127districted to PRES-CMS-AHS. Likewise,the Superintendent's proposal (moves Polygon 127from AHS to PRES-CMS-River Hill HS) is also an approach that could support long term stability for our polygon. It is important to note that the stability I mention for these two plans only exists if all of the changes included in those plans are also made. Singularchanges to the Superintendent's planor to Board MemberWu's scenarios would jeopardize the stability the plans are designed to enable and could potentially exacerbate the overall problems the Board aims to solve. Ifthe Superintendent's plan is accepted, please consideran exception for our current freshmen. Pleaseallow them to stay at AHS, given they will have been in four schools in four years (7th grade at LKMS, 8"' grade at CMS, 9th grade at AHS and 10:" grade at RHHS) We have alwaystaken a reasonableapproach to redistricting andthank you for the consideration of our concerns. We will continue to payclose attention during the Board meetings and will provide updated feedback as new considerations ariseor additionalconcerns are identified.We implore you to remember Polygon 127'srecent redistricting in the 2018- 2019 school year, askthat you avoid small feeds and maintain contiguous stable feeds for Polygon 127, and keep us districted to PRES-CMS. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Joanna and Robert Casto Parentsof Emily, AHSClass of 2018and Ehren, current 7"' grader at CMS Polygon 127 Dear BOE members, I am Lin Zhou from polygon 1028. 1 am registered voter of District 4. It's only abouttwo months sincethe superintendent proposed the redistricting plan, but it has been a long and hard time for Howard County residents. Based on thousands of emails and mails, hundreds of testimonies anddozens of protests, the superintendent's plan is selective datadriven, lackof evidence, poor in logic, underestimating the consequence, short of budget and overlook of residents' interests. Fortunately, the people voted BOE members would listen to the voice of the current residents and think about the credible alternative policy. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are part ofVillage of River Hill and feeders ofClarksville Middle School (CMS). Thesuperintendent's plan intendsto move polygons 28-1028-2028 to befeeders of HarperChoice MiddleSchool (HCMS) and move HCMSstudents to CMS.I'd like to reinstatewhy BOE should keep children from polygon 28-1028-2028 at CMS. Figure 1. Map of Polygon 28-1028-2028. lS-3Cm. i':'i,t : .lin';^ s -:>"'*9'<; ' W1S ^ Si First, overcrowding is not an issue in HCMS or CMS. According to 2019 Feasibility Study, the capacity utilization rates of HCMS and CMS are both less than 110%till 2027. Even using superintendent's criteria, there is no reason to swap students between the two schools. Second, it is much shorter bus ride for polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMSthan to HCMS. As shown in Figure 1, from the center of polygons 28-1028-2028 to CMS, the bus ride is less than 2 miles on small roads through our neighborhood and takes only 7 minutes. Moreover, a middle schooler can safely bike to school using sidewalk throughout the village and the bike ride takes no more than 15 minutes. On the other hand, from the center of polygons 28-1028-2028 to HCMS, the distance is 4. 5 miles, more than doubled the distance to CMS. The time spent on bus increases to 20-30 minutes because the bus cannot go through the 1021-acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area and will have to travel on major roads (l. e.. Route 108and Harpers Farm Road) and pass8 traffic lights to getto HCMS.Furthermore, hikingto school will no longer be an option. Longer bus rides not only take waytime for things that are important for children's physical and mental development, but alsocost a lot of money. ForFY2020, without redistricting, BOEis alreadydealing with a budget deficit of $96 million. How will the increased transportation cost be funded? Third, polygons 28-1028-2028is an integral part ofVillage of River Hill. As shown in the map (Figure 1), Village of River Hill is well defined in a terrestrial boundary. The west boundary of River Hill is route 108, the south boundaryis route 32, andthe northeast boundaryis the big MiddlePatuxent Environmental Area. Polygons 28-1028-2028 are not only walkers to CES and RHHS, but also within 0. 1- to 0. 8-mile walkingdistance to the River Hill VillageTown Center. We,with other polygons in the River Hill Village, whichwill stay at CMS in the superintendent's plan, attend many community activities organized bythe Villagetogether. The bondingamong our children andfamilies, whichwas established at schools, has been strengthened bythese community activities, likesummer swimming team, July4'1' parade, Halloweenfun party etc. A school Isthe anchor of a community. Ifthe children are now being separated to two different middle schools, the neighborhood will literally fall apart. It's unreasonable to tear apart the neighborhood. Finally, middle school is probably the most challenging period for students. Tweens needto be accepted and feel part of something. Uprooting the teens from their community make them feel alienated. CMS is attended proudly bychildren from its community, just like Harper's choice middle is attended proudly by children from its community. Attending neighborhoodschools is a more desirable meansof educating children because it gives them a sense of pride and identity. To conclude, I urge BOEto keep childrenfrom Polygon 28-1028-2028at CES-CMS-RHHSbecause there is no overcrowding issue at CMS or HCMS and swapping these children will break communities, increase transportation cost andtake awaytheir valuable time for sleeping, studyingand spendingwith family and friends. Sincerely, Un Zhou Polygon 1028 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Jabin Janoo Dear members of the Board of Education I am re-sending my email and they made a mistake in the number ofstudents coming from polygon 1200 and 200. The actual number is40 or less students coming from these two polygons are not 80as I had written in my prior email to you. See attached below. As you can see it such a small amount of number of students it will not make'a difference to Riverhill high school and we keepthe feed ofstudents together aswell as keep uscontiguous with the rest ofour neighbors as well as maximizing facility utilization. Please reconsider the current proposal by Dr.Wu to move Polygon 1200instead keep it at RiverHill highschool. JabinJanoo Begin forwarded message: From: JabinJanoo Dear Members of the Board: Thank you the time and effort that you are all putting in to make this redistricting in the best interests of all students. As I watch the redistricting process I am concerned about the proposed move of polygon 1200 and 200 being moved from the Riverhill highschool to Glenelg high school. Asyou cansee from the map attached belowwe are the only 2 polygonsthat are isolated and removed from our immediate' neighborswho remain at Riverhill highschool. With only one egress in and out of this community the e of this high schoolers is already and Riverhill is the closest commut long geographic location. Moving us away to any Other school increases the commute time and is detrimental to the health of our children. At this time rhill School Riye High is under utilized and the small number of students coming from f. s.secti°n °fthe c°mmunitywi" "ot substantially burden the current high school and if anything will help keepcontiguous communities together andsave on transportation cost. Please lookagain as the proposaland leave the 81 students from polygon 200and 1200 stay together at Riverhill highschoolln the best interests ofthe student aswell asthe county school system. hope you give this matter your due diligence. JabinJanoo !2010 Catherine Close road ClarksvilIe, MD 21029 Polygon 1200 1^< 1203 200 s Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Chris Obidi Dear Board Member; I can imagine this period is as stressful for you as it is the general public that you serve. Communities are dividing andanxieties areheightened. Dr. Wu'splan though notperfect creates lesser damage. Let's remember always thekids arethe parents and the parents are the kids. As the anxiety increases in the homes countywide the children we all want to protect become casualties. A gradual move in small increments might create a better proposal. Thank you. Chris Obi(Polygon 183) Polygon 1183 Howard & Beth Krakower October 29, 2019 Dear Board Members, We are writing in support of Dr. Wu'sPlanto retain our polygon 1183 along with our sister polygons 183 and 2183 at River Hill High School. We realize that no plan is perfect but believe Dr. Wu's Plan does the bestjobof minimizing transportation costs and community disruption for the overall county by moving less than half the number of children compared to Dr. Martirano's Plan. We understand that redistricting has to happen from time to time to address overcapacity while also maintaining adherence to Policy 6010's objectives of community stability and student body diversity. Dr. Wu's proposal does a good job of addressing overcrowding and its cost savings can be used to direct more resources towards schools in need thereby better addressing equity issues in HCPS5. His plan is Inline with the point I made in an earlier letter because it does not create the following issues that Dr. Maritano s plan does: 1) Longer commutes for children across the county and 2) Separating schools from the communities they are located in. These points are important to us because: In our situation (polygon 1183), Dr. Maritano's plan proposes moving our high school from River Hill to Wilde Lake which is about 8 miles from our house. My oldest son who is a freshman at River Hill current bus ride is over 30 minutes. I'm sure you can agree that is already along bus ride. In fact, the middle school (Folly Quarter) returns our younger children home before the River Hill bus! How much longer will the ride to Wilde Lake be? What about during inclement weather conditions and high traffic days? Based on Dr. Martirano's proposal, an already long commute time will increase even more to the high school as we move from River Hill to Wilde Lake. In fact there are 4 high schools closer. I imagine families who live in Wilde Lake and are being moved to River Hill have this same concern. Dr. Wu's plan keeps us at River Hill and the Wilde Lake families at Wilde Lake. This makes more sensefor both communities. One of the major advantages of placing schools in their local communities are the family's involvement in the school programs. The closer one lives to their school, the easier it is for them to be involved. This is especially true for the more economically-challenged communities who have limited private transportation options and are dependent on public transportation or being able to walk to their children's school to become involved. HCPSS has always promoted participation from the family and the community. In addition to our situation there are many other communities that will be moved further from their school as a result of Dr. Martjrano's proposal. For example, I've seen multiple posts regarding this in the Oakland Mills community on social media recently. In fact, there are some who are currently walkers to their school who will now be bussed to distant schools according to the proposal. Like many parents, we uprooted our family to move to this community and bought a house that is close to the schools of our choice so we can be involved in school activities. His proposal is literally robbing us of that opportunity. I currently volunteer a5 the treasurer for the RHHS band and music boosters. Given the added distance it would be challengingfor meto dothe sameat Wilde Lake. Again, Dr.Wu's proposal keeps us at River Hill enablingus to stay involved in the school community. Finally, Dr.Wu's plan is more inlinewith the plans proposed in the feasibilitystudy. Overcrowdingas it should isthe focus ofthe plan. Westrongly believethat Dr.Wu's plan provides a feasible, responsible basis for HCPSS's redistricting efforts and should be given the upmost consideration. Sincerely, Howard & Beth Krakower Parents and Residents - Polygon 183 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Christine Pearson Good Morning, I keep hearingabout the planto reassignour neighborhoodto other MS and/orHS other than OMHS. Besides all the insanity with the effect on the FARM percentages, do you realize the huge detrimental effect moving our polygon will have on OMHS? A decent number of the parents who are heavily involved in boosters, PTA, and who volunteer live in our polygon (and 1056 too I believe). I know several people who buy signs and such to support the school's sports programs (via boosters) live in AIlview. If you relocate our neighborhood, OMHS is going to lose quite a bit. That school might not look great on paper to some, but our cOMmunity and our school spirit make it a great place to call hOMe. Please do not relocate us!!! Atholton HS might seem like a better school on paper, but most of us are not interested in our kids attending any school aside from OMHS. Christine Pearson 6306 Beechwood Drive COLUMBIA,MD 21046 (410)608-0013 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Xris and Yems Obidi Dear Board Members, First, I would like to thank you all for your dedication to improving education for ALL Howard county students. As anxiety filled as I am about this whole process, I can only imagine you all feel the same because this isn't an easy task. While I applaud your efforts in balancing the schools based on several metrics, I do not agree with the current proposals on the table. I believe that the current proposals are disruptive without being effective. Based on my understanding the overall goal is to address an imbalance in FARM numbers and overcrowding in the schools. I believe this numbers game doesn't addressthe underlying issuesin US education. The issueof inequity will not be solved by moving SOME kids around. I believe that there some less dismptive alternatives that can close the achievement gap issue. 1. Magnetprograms at "HighFARM' schoolswill not only give students atthis school accessto special programs it will also attract other students from all over the county 2. Additional funding for lowpreforming schools. Equity doesnot mean equal. Some schools require extra funding for various reasons. I think this article (See below) addresses all the concerns on integration anddesegregation. The goal should always be that ALL students should have immediate access to great education and shouldn't have to be bused to gainaccess to that great education. Make all HCPSgreat by improving the school andnot shuffling our kids around. httDS://research. steinhardt. nvu. edii/site/metrobloe/2017/07/19/whv-the-goal-cannot-be-school-mteeration/ Ifall weare doing is shufflingour kids around "to improve ourschools" it givesour kids the impression that they are the issue and not the system. I ama parentfrom polygon 183and I donot support anyof the current HCPS redistricting proposals. Best regard, Joyce Obidi Polygon 183 Sent from my iPad To the board of education, I am a resident of Polygon 129. I was heartened by the release of both Dr. Wu and Mrs. Malta's plans that keep our neighborhood (64, 1064, 129, 1129)together in neighborhood schools (PRES with Wu's plan and CES with Malta's plan). This was the rallying point of our community group Pointers United and from my perspective both of these plans achieve our highest priority goals. Thank you for listening and responding, it is heartening in what has been a challenging process for us to experience. For Dr. Wu s proposal I have a suggestion some in our community have discussed. It seems by keeping our4polygons in PRES-CMS-AHS, we are at risk of become a small feed into AHS which continues to face overcrowding issues that are likely to worsen... My understanding is that within the larger River hill community of 64, 1064, 129, 1129, 295, 190, 1190, 128, there seems to a split of CMS to AHS vs RHHS with the majority going to RHHS and a small feed into AHS. I worry this sets us up for a future need of redistricting as a small feed into an overcrowded HS. With the push towards a feeder system (which cannot be underemphasized is EXTREMELYdesirable and which I commend all the BOE members for their discussion and emphasis on) it may be worth considering keeping all of these polygons together as a feeder into RHHS. Mohummad Siddiqui Polygon 129 October 29, 2019 Dear Ms. Mallo, WhileI appreciateyour effort to createa proposal forredistricting, yourplan has the potential of undoing the larger feed my polygon 127, fmally got as a result oflast year's redistricting. We were moved out ofClemens Crossing ES and Lime Kiln MS to Pointers Run ES and Clarksville MS. Our kids adjusted and built new relationships and friendships. Under your plan, you are creating a tiny feed for 127 from Pointers Run ES to Wilde Lake MS. During the last round ofredistricting my daughter, Aleena, wastaken out ofClemens Crossing ES (CCES) to complete 5thgrade atPointers Run ES(PRES) during the 2018-19 school year. It was very difficult for her to even fathom finishing her last year ofelementary school at an entirely different school after attending CCES since kindergarten. However, I explained to her that at least withthis change,she would have her 5th gradeyear to make friends at PRESwho would move to Clarksville MS (CMS) withher, becausewhen 127was at CCESwe were the only polygon going to Lime Kiln MS (LKMS). Knowing she would stay with her PRES classmates whentransitioning to middle school allowedher to bemore receptiveto theidea of changingelementary schools. Thankfully, Aleenamanaged to adjustwell andmake many new &iendsat PRESwho arenow at CMS withher. Justwhen she has become acclimated to a new schoolcommunity andfeels a senseof belonging, yourplan proposes shemoves againjust one year later, now from CMS to WLMS. Howmany times do you expect children from 127to move andreadjust? Forcurrent 6th graders (such asmy daughter, Aleena) this will be their fourth school in four years. The children from polygon 127deserve stability and lasting relationships. Wedo not want to goback to thetiny feedsituation we had for years. The last redistricting fixedthis small feed issue, but your proposal isrecreating it forpolygon 127which does not make sense. At the high school level, whether it isAtholton HS or River Hill HS, we wantto stayor go with a larger feedfrom CMS. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Jeehan Kashim Polygon 127 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Juanyu Bu Dear BOE Members, I'd really like to thank you for all your efforts in this important matter of redistricting. would also like to thank Ms. Mallo for taking the time to prepare and propose test scenarios for consideration. Your plan focuses on solving the issuesof capacity and overcrowding, but I have a personal concern related to our community of Polygon 176 and 3176. These two polygonsare essentially one same community. PartofPolygon 176 (Phase I of Walnut Creek) actually shares the only entrance way to Polygon 3176 (Walnut Grove). School bus will have to enter Polygon 3176 to pick up students in that part of 176. I live in Polygon 176, and there is a walk path from my backyard to the Walnut Grove in Polygon 3176. Breaking up a contiguous community is certainly a problematic and uncalled-for move. Also, there is no access from Homewood or Folly Quarter to Polygon 176. Both polygons 176 and 3176 share the same Sheppard Lane to and from River Hill High School, and both polygons are all within 2miles from RHHS. So I'd appreciate if you could review this unique circumstance and modify the plan to keep the community of 176 and 3176 in River Hill High School. Thank you for your consideration. Or. Jua.iyu Bu | Vice President - ..'toblliiy jtrategv M (901) 240-5771 | ibu@ctsl. com wwwxtsLcgrn | httDS://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-iuanvu-bu-488b3b7 Dear BOE members, I am Yun Lu from polygon 3176. 1 am writing on behalf of the Walnut Grove Homeowners' Association (HOA) to express our residents' support of Dr. Wu's redistricting plan and our strong wish to keep polygon 3176 at our community school River Hill High School. Reflectingon the BOEwork session on October28, 2019, wewant to thankthe BOEmembers Dr. Wu and Ms. Mallo forspending a tremendous amount oftime andeffort developing their own alternative plans and keeping polygon 3176 at the RHHS. We strongly urge the BOE members to start from Dr. Wu's redistricting plan in the next work session for the following reasons: 1) Dr. Wu's plan takes into account High School#13. 2) Dr. Wu's planfocuses on capacity (Policy 6010 IVB la), moves significantly fewer students, and is the least disruptive to the communities. 3) Dr.Wu's plan gives strong consideration ofproximity (Policy6010 IV B Id, 2b)and keeps walkers as walkers. 4) Dr. Wu'splan minimizesthe increasedtransportation time. 5) Dr. Wu's plan givesstrong consideration of budgetand fiscal responsibilities (Polk 6010 IV B 1c). We appreciate that Ms. Malta's plan gives consideration of traffic patterns. We would like to point out that Phase 1 of our sister community Walnut Creek (Polygon 176) shares the same entrance as Walnut Grove (Polygon 3176), so they will face the same traffic issue on North bound 108during morning rush hour. Thetraffic on Homewood Rdand Harpers Farm Rdwill be significantly worsened as well due to redistricting River Hill students to Wilde Lake. To effectively addressover-crowding, minimize disruption to the communities, we recommend the followingsteps for the next work sessions: start with Dr. Wu's plan to alleviate the most crowded schools between nowand the completion of HS #13 move studentsfrom over-crowded schoolsto their closest under-capacityschools, if feasible do notsend students from under-capacity schools unless necessary give strong consideration of proximity consider traffic impact give strong consideration of budget and fiscal responsibilities Insummary^ we urge the BOEto worktogether based on Dr. Wu'salternative plan and communityfeedback to finalize a planthat is the least disruptive, more effective in solving over-crowding, and can actually benefit underprivileged students. Sincerely, Yun Lu-on behalf of Walnut Grove HOA Keep Polygon 3176 at the RHHS Walnut Grove HOA Kathleen V. Hanks From: Devon Milne Good Evening, My name is Devon Milne. reside in polygon 2176 with my husband, children, cousins, and extended family. Ourpolygons 2176falls on the edge/border so we are often brought up in the redistricting process. I am writing this letter to inform you that I am in SUPPORT of"Dr. Wu's plan. Thefollowing sister/neighboring polygons 1183, 183, 1181,and 2176 have all been kepttogether so that our children can attend our local high school that feeds into that school with all friends and relationships thatwe have^made and worked so hard to build sinceelementary/middle school. We a.recurrently districted to TRES, FQMS, & RHHS - under Malta's plan we willbe redistricted to WLHS. Personally, our polygon as whole - 2176, & the neighboring polygons SUPPORT Dr. Wu's plan for the following reasons: . Wu's plan moves 3, 000 students and Mallo's plan moves 9, 000 students. . _Wu's plan is WAY less disruptive to students, parents, and schools. . The cost is much lower and more manageable. . The feeds are strong on all the levels- elementary, middle, andhigh school. The plan focuses onpreserving communities. Maximal effort to keep neighboring/sis together. o Wu'splan keepsus altogetherin a TRES/FQMS/RHHSfeed. Howeverif we must split us some of us can move to the TRES/FQMS/GHS feed while maintaining a strong feed within our community. . Theredistricting efforts focuses onmoving students away&om the overcrowded schools andleaving the under capacity schools alone. ' Jookint0^account the feedbackfrom all the testimonies- travel time, traffic, walkers, etc. . I like that^Dr.^Wu (aswell assome other BOBmembers) wantto getthe redistricting decision correct -1 applaud Wufor evenasking for anextension onmaking the plan/decision. In closing you should have also received a separate letter from our HOA of The Far Side Communit in opposition of Mallo's plan and SUPPORT ofWu's. This is my individual letter supporting Wu's plan. Lastlyj wouldJike to makea suggestionto the BOEthat polygon 147, 1147, and2147 be redistricted from Centennial to Wilde Lake high school. Thank you for your time, Devon & Justin Milne Polygon2176 Below is some ofmylettercopied/pasted opposing Malta's Plan: I DO NOT SUPPORT MALLO'S PLAN The following sister/neighboring polygons 1183, 183, 1181, and 2176 should all be kept together so that our children can attend our local high school that feeds into that school with all friends and relationships that we have made and worked so hard to build since elementary/middle school. We are currently districted to TRES, FQMS, & RHHS - under Mallo's plan we will be redistricted to WLHS. Personally, our polygon as whole - 2176, & the neighboring polygons oppose Mallo's plan for the following reasons: . If we have to be redistricted we should move AWAYfrom the over crowding. Not east towards it. . RHHS is not overcrowded. Why is 2176 and neighboring polygons being redistricted to an over crowded school - WLHS? Why are our kids disrupted out of the feeder system and not being sent to one of the two high schools that are currently being fed into FQMS? How come no one has thought about redistricting 2176 & etc. to GHS, which is under capacity? Before RHHS was built all of these polygons were districted to GHS. Keeping us altogether in a TRES/FQMS/RHHS feed, or if must split us, some of us can move to the TRES/FQMS/GHS feed. Mallo's plan moves about 9, 000 students and Wu's moves 3, 000 students. . Increased transportation costs - will have a detrimental effect on our county for years to come. . Mallo's plan does not take into consideration the travel logistics from our polygon: distance to RHHS and stoplights are significantly less. Our path to RHHS is direct, via Sheppard's Ln. there are natural turnarounds at the circle at Homewood/Sheppard/Folly Quarter Rd OR at en Oaks/Royal Farms. The travel path to GHS is also direct with no traffic lights. . Our county infrastructure (roads, traffic patterns and space available) cannot handle and EASTYWESTswap whereby more kids and more vehicles are traveling further at the most trafficked times of the day. . Ms. Mallo's plan goes against policy 6010 in that it completely disrupts neighborhoods, even more than Dr. Martirano's plan. It is breaking up our sister polygons. In closing you should have also received a separate letter from our HOA of The Far Side Community in opposition of this plan. This is my individual letter opposing it. Lastly I would like to make a suggestion to Malta's plan as well as the BOE that polygon 147, 1147 and 2147 be redistricted from Centennial to Wilde Lake high school. Thank you for your time, Devon & Justin Milne Polygon2176 Kathleen V. Hanks From: Devon Milne Good Evening, My name is Devon Milne. I reside in polygon 2176with my husband, children, cousins, and extended _amj'y: .°^ poly90ns 21. 76falls on the edge/border so we are often brought up in the redistricting process. I am writing this letter to inform you that I DO NOT support Mallo's plan. The following sister/neighboring polygons 1183, 183, 1181, and2176 should all be kept together so that our children can attend our local high school that feeds into that school with all friends and relationships that we have^madeand worked so hard to build since elementary/middle school. We arecul'rently districted to TRES, FQMS, & RHHS - under Mallo's plan we will be redistricted to Personally, our polygon as whole - 2176, & the neighboring polygons oppose Malta's plan for the following reasons: . Ifwe have to be redistricted we should move AWAY from the over crowding. Not east towards it. RHHSis notovercrowded. Whyis 2176and neighboringpolygons being redistricted to an over crowded school - WLHS? Whyare our kids disrupted out ofthe feedersystem and not being sent to one ofthe two high schools that are currently being fed into FQMS? . How comejio one has thought about redistricting 2176 & etc. to GHS, which is under capacity? Before RHHS was built all of these polygons were districted to GHS. Keeoina us altogether i_na_TRES/FQMS/RHHS feed, or if musfsplit us, some of us can moveto'the" TRES/FQMS/GHSfeed. . Mallo's plan moves about 9, 000 students and Wu's moves 3, 000 students. increased transportation costs - will have a detrimental effect on our county for years to come. Mallojs plan does nottake into consideration the travel logistics from our polygon: distanceto RHHSand stoPli9hts are significantly less. Our path to RHHS is direct; via Sheppard'sLn. there,are natural turnarounds at the circle at Homewood/Sheppard/Folly Quarter Rd OR at Ten Oaks/Royal Farms. The travel path to GHS is also direct with notraffic lights. * our. countyinfrastructure (roads'traffic Patterns and space available) cannot'handle and EAST/WESTswap whereby more kidsand morevehicles are traveling further at the most trafficked times of the day. ' MS'_Ma"o'SJ:)lan goes against p<:l.licy 601° in that it completely disrupts neighborhoods, even more than Dr. Martirano's plan. It is breaking up sister polygons. In closingyou should havealso received a separate letterfrom our HOAof The FarSide Communit in opposition ofthis plan. This is my individual letter opposing it. I support Dr. Wu's redistrictir sent an email expressing my support of his plan. Lastiyjwould liketo makea suggestionto Mallo's plan aswell asthe BOEthat polvaon 147. 1147 and 2147 be redistricted from Centennial to Wilde Lake high school. " -----.-.'a-- . ". Thank you for your time, Devon & Justin Milne Polygon2176 Honorable Members of the BOE, Please take a closer took atthe polygons along the Route 32 corridor (polygon 231 1131, and 232). Polygons 232, 231 and 1231 naturally belong to WFES, MVMS andMRHS. MVMS is literallyacross the street from MRHS. They share amenities, and fields for sport practices. Many students walk from one school to the other for activities or to meet up with siblings. Due to the natural geographic boundaries of Polygon 232 with 1-70to the south and farmland to the west. our children would be secluded from theircommunity with movement at any school level. It would also create a small, unsupported feed. Itwould also maketransportation times unnecessarily long and dangerous when forced to travel further along Rt. 32. Ms. Mallo's plan aims to reduce some ofthe impending student population growth at Mount View(and Marriotts Ridge) by moving polygons 1171 and 171, whichis the'new development area by Kiwanispark, out ofthose schools. Moving polygon 171 and 1171 with new development makesthe most sense. The development is not complete andwould be efficientin transportation dueto the higherdensity inthe neighborhood. Families would be making informed decisionsabout schools and transportation timeswhen purchasing their new homes. Once again, I urgeyou to keep Polygon 232, 231 and 1231 at WFES, MVMS and MRHS. Sincerely, Sangita Doshi Polygon 232