The Board of Education of Anne Arundel County tonight declined to approve any of the redistricting plans that would have helped relieve overcrowding at Tyler Heights Elementary School, opting instead to await the completion of area school renovation projects and the new comprehensive school facilities study before revisiting the issue.
“Throughout this process there have been countless hours of conversation and significant input from the public about the options we were considering,” Board President Stacy Korbelak said. “It has become clear to me that a partial redistricting is not in the best interests of our students. There are too many moving parts, including the pending Monarch charter school, the MGT study, and more development in the Annapolis area. Further, while everyone concedes there is a substantial issue with Tyler Heights, families at the school do not want their children moved to different schools multiple times in the next few years and would rather stay the course at this point.”
The Board directed Superintendent George Arlotto to come up with a plan to present at the May 20 Board meeting that would put measures in place to relieve overcrowding at Tyler Heights in the next school year. The school has a state-rated capacity of 442 students and an official 2014-2015 enrollment of 602 students. The school has 13 portable classrooms.
By 7-0 votes, the Board declined to implement the following four options with regard to Tyler Heights:
- Shifting approximately 150 students from the Reserve at Quiet Waters neighborhood from Tyler Heights to Georgetown East, and approximately 48 students from the Harbor House neighborhood from Tyler Heights to Eastport, effective in the 2016-2017 school year. This option was recommended by Superintendent George Arlotto.
- Moving approximately 99 students from the Reserve at Quiet Waters neighborhood living east of Thom Drive and south of Graf Court, as well as those residing on Martha Court, from Tyler Heights to Georgetown East effective in the 2015-2016 school year, and then moving the remainder of the students from the Reserve at Quiet Waters neighborhood from Tyler Heights to Georgetown East, and approximately 48 students from the Harbor House neighborhood from Tyler Heights to Eastport, effective in the 2016-2017 school year.
- Moving students from the Reserve at Quiet Waters neighborhood from Tyler Heights to Georgetown East in August 2015; moving approximately 48 students from the Harbor House community from Tyler Heights to Eastport in August 2016; and moving approximately 42 students from the Bay Ridge Avenue/Tyler Avenue, The Landings, North Green, and Regent Street communities from Tyler Heights to Georgetown East in August 2016. This option was recommended by the Annapolis Area Redistricting Committee.
- Move students in the Harbor House, Eastport Terrace, and Bay Ridge Avenue/Tyler Avenue North communities from Tyler Heights to Eastport; move students from the Woodside Garden and Juliana Circle communities from Eastport to Georgetown East; move students in the Ambridge, Timber Creek, and Cedar Ridge communities from Tyler Heights to Georgetown East; move students from the Regent Street community from Tyler Heights to Germantown; and move students in the Severn House, Fairview, Highland, and Parkwood communities from Georgetown East to Eastport, effective in the 2015-2016 school year. In addition, transfer the prekindergarten program from Tyler Heights to Georgetown East in the 2016-2017 school year. This proposal was offered by Annapolis resident Jessica Pachler and impacts approximately 280 students.
By a 7-0 vote, the Board did approve a plan to adjust the boundary between Mills-Parole Elementary and Edgewater Elementary to reallocate properties along Admiral Cochrane Drive (including Knights of Columbus property) to Mills-Parole Elementary.