Perhaps the most touching testimony on a proposed school redistricting plan came last night from a 10-year-old girl who attends Southgate Elementary School.
Sarah Ayersman, a fifth-grader who supports the school board's plan, sketched three pictures of over crowding at Southgate.
"First, I have noticed that there are a lot of students in my class. The teachers have trouble teaching class because of too many students," Sarah told the county Board of Education at the first public hearing on the redistricting proposal, held at Old Mill High School in Millersville.
"Second, since Southgate's gym is also the cafeteria, and there are so many lunch periods needed for all the students, sometimes we have gym class in classrooms," Sarah said. "And finally, some students don't get the best education because the teachers can't help everyone that needs special help."
About 500 people attended last night's hearing. The issue for parents was that their communities stay intact and that their children be allowed to attend schools in their own communities.
One example of how strongly parents feel about that came when the audience rose and applauded after Karen Liston told the board that South Shore Elementary School parents want their children to stay in the Old Mill feeder system.
A feeder system consists of a group of elementary and middle schools whose students move on to a particular high school.
Under the current proposal, for example, students promoted from the fifth grade at Quarterfield Elementary would attend Old Mill South Middle School instead of Corkran Middle School. Students promoted from the fifth grade at Glendale Elementary School would attend Corkran Middle instead of Marley Middle School.
Cathy Guay, president of the Glendale PTA, told the board it had her PTA's support for changes at the school. Mrs. Guay said she imagined it was very difficult for one side of the county to understand the problems of the other.
The issue of redistricting has pitted community against community and neighbor against neighbor, said Mark Hagerty, who lives in Crofton. "It seems only appropriate that we try to keep the children attending Crofton schools together," he said.
The board has proposed moving 2,900 of the county's 72,000 students to ease crowding in some areas.
Last night's public hearing was the first of four on redistricting. The board must vote by April 30 on any boundary changes that would take effect next fall.
Superintendent Carol S. Parham's redistricting plan is based on a report by 12 citizens who were appointed by the board.
Parents told the board that their biggest investments in their futures are their homes and their children's education, and they urged the board to consider all alternatives.
"We ask you to leave no stone unturned," said Thomas Dimka of the Greater Crofton Council.