Anne Arundel County parents are in an uproar over a proposal to send 2,900 students to new schools, but maybe they should relax: There's no money in the $35.7 million capital budget for the needed construction.
That lack of funding is why the Anne Arundel County Council of PTAs has vowed to oppose the redistricting plan when hearings on the proposal begin this week, said Rita Lowman, council president.
"We know redistricting is necessary. We know schools are over crowded, and it has to be done. But they're creating upheaval for certain kids without knowing how long it will be until the new construction could be completed," said Mrs. Lowman. "Because of construction costs, this plan could sit on the shelf for umpteen years before a majority of students designed to leave an area could leave."
Ken Lawson, associate superintendent for instruction and student support services, confirmed Friday that some of the redistricting recommendations "are interconnected."
"Some moves are not do-able for several years," he said. "Recommendations connected to the Broadneck addition project, for instance, won't transpire until it's completed. It all won't be initiated in one year."
Mr. Lawson said the plan, which could be finished in five years, could relieve overcrowding for as long as 10 years in some cases.
The Countywide Redistricting Committee's proposal to ease crowding and make the best use of capital budget money involves adding wings of classrooms to schools.
Rather than build a new elementary school for $9 million, the plan calls for spending $7.1 million to build wings of six or eight classrooms at six schools: Crofton, Davidsonville, Freetown, Jones and Windsor Farm elementaries and Crofton Middle School.
The school system also would have to spend $25 million on full-scale additions and renovations at Marley Middle School and at Ridgeway and Jacobsville elementaries before students could moved.
In addition five new schools -- two paid for by developers -- would have to be built.
That series of projects means the county would need four fewer schools than earlier projected. Plans for Crofton Middle School, and Crofton North, Provinces and Seven Oaks elementaries could be scrapped, saving the county $41.2 million that would have been spent on those projects.
Michael A. Pace, president of the eight-member Board of Education, said he isn't concerned that the capital budget did not include money for projects related to redistricting.
He said the school board would not decide on a plan until after four public hearings.
"Redistricting is a complicated issue," Mr. Pace said. "One of the problems is the sequencing. If after redistricting it appears that we have to make a modification in the capital budget, we'll still be within the time frame to approach the county executive before he submits his budget [to the County Council]."
Whether the board will have to ask for an adjustment in the capital budget is uncertain, he said.
Money isn't the only problem, said Ms. Lowman, the PTA council president.
"The year-round education report won't be out until June," she said. "They'll be making a decision on redistricting without hearing what the committee has to say. If we go with a year-round education experiment, they might not have to have as much of the construction money . . ."
Public hearings on the redistricting plan are scheduled at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Old Mill High, March 1 at Annapolis High, March 8 at Broadneck High and March 13 at Northeast High.
The board must approve a redistricting plan by April 30 if any of the changes are to begin this fall.