HOWARD COUNTY, Md. — There’s a week to go before the Board of Education is set to take a final vote on redrawing the lines, with dozens of concerned parents lined up to voice their concerns.
WATCH: Howard County school redistricting vote next week
In the last decade and a half, the county's population has grown by more than 16%, with many moving to the area specifically for the district's reputation as one of the best in the country.
The overcrowding is only expected to get worse over time, if nothing changes. But no plan is perfect.
Six potential plans are now on the table, including Superintendent Bill Barnes’ proposal and Concepts I-V.
After public feedback last month, some parents felt not all were created equal.
“There really are no bad schools in Howard County. But you can create one,” parent Brandon Barrett said. “If you withdraw resources from a school if you make the kids go there regardless, and make them fend for themselves."
Barrett’s daughter attends Bryant Woods Elementary School, and his second child has plans to attend in a few years. The school is over-capacity, a number expected to rise to 151.9% by 2035 if the boundaries aren’t redrawn.
Though about half of the students are eligible for free or reduced lunches, he says the school’s test scores were on the up. Now, he worries if a plan that routes students of a higher socioeconomic background to other schools, it’ll fall behind.
“I don't feel like we made a mistake by sending our daughter to Bryant Woods Elementary School but what I don't want to see is decisions being made that result in resources that our school currently had being pulled out of,” he said.
Redistricting Centennial Lane Elementary, another school over capacity but less so than Bryant Woods, was once off the table but put back on after these concerns were raised at an October 9 meeting.
The changes mobilized dozens of parents to speak out against the new plans, Concepts I and II, which affect more students and cost more than the other plans.
“Bryant Woods is critically over capacity, Centennial Lane is still manageable. Let me put it this way, thanksgiving dinner is coming. Bryant woods is in a dress too small and it's bursting at the scenes, while Centennial Lane is in sweatpants,” parent Bena Zeng said.
“Redistricting polygon 173 turns walkers into bus riders, rips children from 98% of their neighborhood peers, creates an island of polygon 173, wastes money and deprives our children of opportunities to participate in activities within our immediate community,” parent Michael Candor said at a meeting last Thursday.
Every additional bus needed to make a plan work, costs an additional $100,000 each. For Concept II, that's half a million dollars. Parents expressed worry about what may have to be cut, due to budget shortfalls within the district.
The Superintendent's plan is the second most fiscally-conservative, affecting the least amount of students.
Some parents have also pointed out Concept IV as the best of both words, affecting the second-least amount of students, only adding one bus and further balancing the socioeconomic makeup of Bryant Woods.
It’s expected to reduce the number of Direct Certification level from 46% to 38%.
It would still switch 45 walkers from Bryant Woods to bus riders to Swansfield Elementary.
“The Board of Education needs to make a decision that will ultimately lead to the success of all of the elementary schools within Howard County and not just all but just a couple that are gonna be negatively impacted by the changes,”Barrett said. “ I know it's possible.”
The Board has two more scheduled public meetings, including an expected straw vote Thursday, November 13th and a late addition meeting on Monday, November 17th.
A final vote is anticipated on Thursday, November 20th.
Click here for the full report on the proposed changes.