May 10, 2004
Council President Steve Silverman
100 Maryland Ave, 6th Floor
Rockville, MD 20850
Dear Council President Silverman:
The citizens of our civic association are writing in support of full funding for Downcounty Consortium (DCC) capital improvement projects, particularly for full funding of the 2006 re-opening of Arcola Elementary School.We appreciate the County Council's interest in addressing the overcrowded elementary schools in the DCC. During the past year, our community has worked on the Design Advisory Committee with Joseph Derosa, the MCPS Project Manager, to develop a conceptual plan to address the overcrowding in our local elementary schools, and provide our community with a modern, sustainably built school that will complement the Environmental Academy at Northwood High School, which will reopen in fall 2004. We are particularly excited about the plans to use extensive daylighting in the classroom, which has been shown to improve student performance.
We would like to take this opportunity to encourage the Council to fully fund this project. We are concerned that delaying the re-opening will have serious consequences for our community. Our first concern is that the Wheaton area has been experiencing tremendous growth during the past few years. In fact, during the next few years, approximately 1,000 new housing units will be built in the area (information on redevelopment in the Wheaton area). The re-opened Arcola Elementary School is needed to relieve severe overcrowding that currently exists at two DCC elementary schools in our neighborhood - Kemp Mill and Highland. Obviously, our current overcrowded schools will not be able to adequately accommodate the families that will be moving into these new housing units.
Our community's second concern is that delaying funding for the re-opening of Arcola Elementary School will result in the existing building being left vacant. Unfortunately vacant buildings attract vandalism and other crimes.
We know that this is a difficult budget year. However, consistent, adequate funding of our school system is part of Montgomery County's identity and attraction for current and potential residents. We can't abandon it when times are tough.Leah V. Haygood
Co-coordinator, Sligo Headwaters CA
11505 Colt Terrace
Silver Spring, MD 20902
Edward Murtagh
Co-coordinator, Sligo Headwaters CA
1904 Ventura Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20902