Shape the Future: Vote on the West Towson Elementary School Boundary
Baltimore County Public Schools are redistricting elementary schools and are at the stage where they are conducting a survey to see which of their final 4 options garners the most support. Given the potential impact on our local elementary school, we are providing an overview of the options for for West Towson.
An example map of Elementary School Boundaries being evaluated.
West Towson families with children living at home overwhelmingly prioritize public school options for our neighborhood. That’s why it’s so important for West Towson parents to share their voices as part of Baltimore County Public School’s Central Area Elementary School Capacity Relief Boundary Study. The purpose of the study to relieve schools projected to be overcrowded and to maximize use of available space at elementary schools in the region. The school board is conducting a survey to see which of the 4 options garners the most public support while tackling the core issue of overcrowding at area schools. For West Towson Elementary there are important differences among the 4 options. Read more below:
Options A & B: both options would require the children that currently walk to school to be bused to Riderwood Elementary School. In the language of the survey, this “Disrupts transportation and walking patterns for students”. In Option A, almost 40% of the current students would be in another school next year. This figure is almost 30% for Option B. Options A & B send the most current West Towson students to other schools, but offer the most socioeconomic and racial diversity.
Option C: this option maintains the neighborhood walkers and keeps 75% of the current students at West Towson. This comes at the cost of shrinking the school size by about 50 students or about 1/8th and forgoing the opportunity to increase diversity. West Towson would not welcome any students from Hampton in this option. Socio-economic diversity is roughly the same and racial diversity is slightly less.
Option D: this option maintains the neighborhood walkers, keeps 75% of the current students at the school, and ultimately is the closest to maintaining the status quo for West Towson. The school size would remain mostly unchanged and West Towson would welcome 15 students from Hampton Elementary in this option. Socio-economic is roughly the same and racial diversity is slightly less.
Perspective from your neighbors
In his capacity as a neighborhood resident and not as a West Towson Neighborhood Association board member, Ben Aylesworth, shared his thinking. “My kids go to West Towson Elementary and I have been very happy so far. It’s tough to wade through all the data to understand the differences among the options, but what sets Option D apart for me is that it keeps the school at the same size, and it doesn’t force walkers onto buses to go to another school. My kids also have a lot of close friends that live in near Lake Roland. They would be so sad to see them go.”
Summing it all up
The West Towson Neighborhood Association is not taking a position on any of the options, but is hoping to educate and empower our neighbors so they can make an informed decision. The table below is meant to highlight the key differences among the options:
