A Baltimore County Council member said a lack of council support is forcing him to turn to nonlegislative moves to combat school overcrowding in the Perry Hall area.
Council Member Vince Gardina, D-District 5, withdrew two aggressive bills before the council could vote on them at Monday night?s council meeting. The bills, which would have enacted a moratorium on new homes in the Honeygo area until overcrowding can be remedied and also initiated a development fee to cover the cost of a new elementary school, still had a positive effect, he said.
“I was able to work out an agreement with [Superintendent] Joe Hairston, and we have a plan that will deal with the perceived and real overcrowding at Chapel Hill Elementary School,” Gardina said.
Chapel Hill, which Gardina cites as his top priority, is about 8 percent over the state-rated capacity. The county fully funded another school in the area ? Vincent Farms Elementary, at a cost of $25 million ? which will open in 2008. If the county waited for state assistance, Gardina said, the school would be delayed at least six more years.
Gardina said he and Hairston will announce their plan in July. He said he is also working to organize a task force to study solutions to remedy school overcrowding in his district.
Redistricting to accommodate Vincent Farms will begin next spring to give residents ample notice of changes, Gardina said, and a “significant” number of Chapel Hill students will be considered for Vincent Farms. Last week, school spokesman Brice Freeman said the system tries to redistrict only when new schools open.
“In other places, students might actually change schools several times, and we don?t see that as the best thing for their education,” Freeman said. “There?s a real science and art to it.”
Gardina said there are 19 county schools more overcrowded than Chapel Hill. Under the direction of Council Member Sam Moxley, D-District 1, the county is assembling a separate task force to study countywide overcrowding.
