KENT COUNTY MARYLAND RESIDENTS AGAINST THE CURRENT 2016 SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION SCHOOL CLOSURES

Kent County against Consolidation and School Closures:

PETITION OUTCOMES AND FINAL NOTES

On Feb. 23, 2016, the County Commissioners voted to keep our schools open!

 “Go-along-to-get-along” social types are complacent and numb, but they can be ignited by a small spark. That spark enables them to be involved in solutions in a non-competitive arena, knowing that the voting public has a voice that matters.

This is not about promoting oneself for political office.  It is about letting as many people as possible know what is going on in their community, which has been my, Kathy Florent’s, goal in posting this information for everyone to view. This is especially true if elected officials propose something that the community wants to stop.  Our officials are of the people, by the people, and therefore subject to the people.  If we work together in sharing information, everyone’s voice can have value.

Good outcomes, such as our county commissioners being able to find $1.6 million to help keep our schools open, can stimulate new ideas. Everyone should try and keep as informed as possible, and if you want to see a change happen write or e-mail your ideas to the officials you elected.

SCHOOL BOARD

kcouch@kent.k12.md.us  - Superintendent- Karen Couch

jreed@kent.k12.md.us - School Board President -Jeff Reed

bwilliams@kent.k12.md.us – School Board Vise President-Brian Williams

wcosta@kent.k12.md.us – School Board Member -Wendy Costa

tmcgee@kent.k12.md.us - School Board Member- Trish McGee

bkirby@kent.k12.md.us – School Board Member- Bryan Kirby

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

wpickrum@kentgov.org – President-William W. Pickrum

rfithian@kentgov.org – Member-Ronald H. Fithian

wshort@kentgov.org – Member- William A. Short

We must be careful of people who are interested in self-promotion or for only select individuals. When we work together for the greater good and combine our efforts, it makes the community strong. Some people might surprise you with something you never thought of, or with an idea from a new direction.  Every person in our community has something to offer, no matter how small that contribution may be. Even if it is signing a petition or being able to write how you feel about an issue and trusting that it will be seen.

Transparency means that all should know what happens at closed meetings, especially if these meetings involve drastic changes that impact our community’s welfare.  If an official proposes a change, he should inform all the residents about it so that they can take action if they oppose it.  Poor communication is why so many people with whom I have spoken did not know about the school board vote that was made.

PETITION RESULTS

Wow! What an amazing few weeks this has been! The purpose of this petition has been fulfilled. Our schools WILL stay open. Over 235 local voices in our community had a say in this vote. All of the signatures were signed in two weeks, your fast action in this matter was a success, and we all should be proud to have had a part in our schools being saved. Your voices contributed to this outcome. Digital copies of this petition were sent to all of your school board members on the day they voted to close the schools. Now, only a few weeks later, that decision has been altered by our county commissioners. We can create change when we come together, and can be heard in large numbers. It is true what they say:  the squeaky wheel gets the grease. So do not be silent. Everyone counts. Our elected politicians sometimes need to have a fire lit under them to get their attention. Please, as always, use the “Kent County MD/DE Swap ‘n Sell” Internet board to raise community spirit with your local non-profit events, PTA events, and public meetings. Sorry guys, but our group does not allow business advertisements or promotions.

“Swap ‘n Sell” group page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/kentcountyswapnsell/

WHAT IS NEXT?

In accordance with sharing information, I have arranged a LIVE PODCAST with Madhu Sidhu, member, Maryland State Board of Education; she is a resident of Kent County and was appointed by the Governor in 2009. I asked her to talk about these issues and then take questions live.  She has always been a dear friend and has offered her time freely to make this happen in your home at no cost if you have data or internet access on your devices. This event will be posted as soon as we have a date.

MY 2 CENTS

There was a great injustice done when the school board closed Galena Middle School. It seems the north end of the county does not need two elementary schools (which is why they were willing to close Millington). Why not right a wrong and re-instate Galena Middle School? It would solve bussing issues and an overcrowded middle school in Chestertown. This might also encourage growth up in the northern part of the county with the 301 corridor being widened and the fiber optics being laid. Growth is healthy and keeps small towns from becoming a page in the history books.

In addition, re-instating Galena Middle School could foster school spirit. The county has done a stellar job with the music departments, and the high school’s Brigade Of Blue has been nothing short of amazing under the direction of Dr. Keith Wharton. They have been growing their excellent program by encouraging the younger students and involving them in inter-school performances. If a “school-run” sports program was initiated in the middle schools, we might see the same success as the music departments. Allow inter-county sports competitions, like volleyball, tennis, sports that will not subtract from county-run sports but utilize the resources that these schools have. We could better prepare students for regional competitions at the high school level. The children would also have time to get to know future teammates and encourage good sportsmanship.

 I believe in forward thinking. I hope the results of this petition have revitalized everyone’s community spirit. Please, share your ideas with the people listed above. The outcome of this petition has shown me how strong our community is and if we come together, we CAN make changes that matter.

God bless,

 ~ Kathy

Original Petition Letter

In late October 2015, the School Board of Kent County presented to the pubic another consolidation plan for our public schools.  That proposal was passsed by the Board on February 8, 2016 at a meeting in Rock Hall.  The previous consolidation proposal occurred five years ago, in 2010.  The 2010 change improved the school board's budget.  But our community was rushed into the vote without taking into consideration the effect it would have on our local economy.  The result was a stifling of growth by failing to bring in new residents.  Our area's standard of living continues to decline.

Why after only four months has our school board pushed for a final vote on this proposed consolidation?  Why would the majority of the school board members back this idea?  Money, or the lack of it, seems to be the prime motivator.  Has the voice of our community really been heard?

Schools play a large role in how our county grows.  Whether families will stay and new residents will move in are essential to this growth.  Our home values are also affected.  Many of us have voiced opposition to this consolidation.  We feel that a monetary Band-Aid for a failed budget should not be the only approach to this issue.  Lack of money alone should never be the means for school closures.  Had the community been given a real voice, the School Board of Kent County might have reached a different conclusion on this matter.  We as a community must rally to save a school, the Millington Elementary School, that is a main staple of our way of life.  This is not hard to do for a strong community like ours.  When given the chance, our community can be powerful.

I live in the village of Massey and have seen firsthand how the values of our homes have gone down.  If what has already happened is an indicator of what this rash decision’s outcome will be, we can expect huge property value declines not just in Massey but also in Galena, Millington, and Golts.  We lost our middle school with the last consolidation.  With two elementary schools remaining, our community has not been able to sustain them.  The school board's decision was therefore to close the Millington Elementary School!

I believe this has been directly attributable to the way the school board and county commitioners make their decisions.  Their method is not only bad for our students but for our community.  In the aftermath of the 2010 consolidation, we lost bussing for after-school activities at the high school.  At the same time, the largest solar array in the state of Maryland was built (which now is said to have been a mistake).  The school board also chose to sell our old Board of Education building, move it to the far reaches of the county, and pay huge amounts of taxpayer dollars to renovate it into offices.  These offices are now on the slate to be moved to the Kent County High School in Worton.  Did this really encourage our community to become active to stop infringement of our community’s rights?  We need to concentrate on forward thinking and realistic outcomes.  I, as do others in opposition to this proposal, feel this has not been a factor in the vote that was made on February 8.  There has not been any compromise that has included community involvement.  This has been a one-sided issue.

Everyone I have spoken with has been shocked about how this has progressed.  There was not even a forum in Millington.  The YouTube video of the proposed consolidation only had 44 hits when I started my petition on Sunday, February 7.  In less than 48 hours, that rate soared to over 90.  It is still growing, demonstrating how many people have not been given this information, especially those persons who do not have children in the county schools.  That fact is obvious by the quick responses of the community to this petition, with almost 170 signatures within the first 48 hours.

We as a community are concerned about how fast this has happened.  We want to ask questions of the school board and have our concerns taken seriously.  We would like to help to build up our community rather than allow it to be broken down.  If the school board wanted our support, they should have offered us a meeting in our area (Millington or Galena) and a mailing to residents in this area who do not have students enrolled in the public school system.  We are a strong community, and we want to save our school.

We thank you for your time in addressing this issue, but we feel this subject has not been closed.  I personally pledge to get this vote repealed as soon as possible for all the children and families within the school district.  This has already been a very emotional situation for all involved.  I would hope when we the community hold our open forum that you, the School Board members of Kent County, will attend.  Our hope is to help build up this community with all voices being heard.

Sincerely,

Community Members of Kent County, Maryland against the Current Consolidation and School Closures

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