OK, I know I can bloody well look on a map as well as anyone, but I have to wonder what the easternmost school located in Howard County is. For the life of me, I can't think of any county schools located east of US Route 1. And I'm not looking at a map because, well, I'm lazy.
Well, that's about to change. At least in a couple years. First is the new elementary school in Elkridge on Ducketts Lane. Then, there's going to be a new middle school in the county in 2014 on Coca-Cola Drive, as reported in this article by the totally wonderful (yes, I'm sucking up to her again) Sara Toth.
So there does seem to be a bit of illogic why that site was recently rejected as a location for an elementary school, but yet is okey-dokey for a middle school. The county cites timing as the deciding factor, in that the need for the new middle school is pressing. I still have concerns though, about what will happen should the new CSX transfer facility be sited at the location near the school site. After all, the proximity of the proposed CSX site was the reason why the location of the elementary school was moved.
Perhaps the bigger question then is: why was the elementary school location moved from the Coca-Cola Drive site to the Ducketts Lane site at all?
Poor Elkridge---the red headed stepchild. DPZ and HCPSS did not listen to the Elkridge community 5 years ago and now they find themselves in a fix. They did not plan for schools in the eastern corridor. First HCPSS said there was no money, but the county executive said he would provide whatever they needed if they would first use the money already in the kitty. But HCPSS chose to use it for renovation. Poor Elkridge. And yet there is land still available. But, HCPSS has not purchased sites for a high school, middle school and another elem. school. WHY? And why is it okay to put a middle school where an elementary school should not go? Why does Elkridge have to get saddled with a deal to increase density in return for a school site near train tracks and $4M? Why can't the HCPSS find better alternative sites? Maybe the people in charge of doing so should get off their duffs and get the job done! Perhaps they should be fired. I am tempted to take a reporter with me and knock on people's doors and ask them if they'd be willing to sell their land. It's there. I've made my own list because for whatever reason HCPSS will not come up with one of their own and share it. Makes me believe they don't have one and it is all BS. So I'll do the leg work and then I'll send the county my bill for services rendered. It is outrageous that there is no land in the land bank for the Route 1 corridor. And if the excuse is there is no land, then use the right of eminent domain on developer's property. Let's do what's right for the Elkridge community right NOW!
Posted by: Val McGuire | October 25, 2011 at 08:33 AM