Few people at public hearing about proposed closure of two Md. schools

Two people addressed the Washington County Board of Education on Monday night at a public hearing at Williamsport High School about the proposed closings of Hickory and Fountain Rock elementary schools.

The school board is tentatively scheduled to vote during its 6 p.m. meeting on June 20 about the superintendent's recommendation to close the two elementary schools. Superintendent David Sovine's recommendation is to replace the two schools that were built in the 1970s with one larger school to be built on school system property in front of the system's Downsville Pike headquarters.

The new school could cost $45.3 million, although that's a rough estimate. It would accommodate 628 students.

If the school board moves forward with the closures, a redistricting process affecting bordering school attendance zones could begin during the 2024-2025 school year's winter or spring, school system officials said in an interview.

Retiree Donna Weimer, who taught at Fountain Rock for 40 years, said in an interview she was disappointed with the lack of turnout at the hearing. Weimer also attended an April informational meeting about the proposed closures. About 25 people, mostly teachers and parents, attended that meeting, she said.

She said she wished she knew whether people didn't show up Monday night because they didn't care or if, like her, they feel the issue has "pretty much" been decided already even though the school system has to go through a formal process.

Weimer, 71, of Williamsport, told the school board she is concerned about class sizes and safety given at least one warehouse being built across Downsville Pike from the site for the proposed new school.

Safety was her top concern given the "monstrosity" being built and the tractor-trailers expected to travel in the area when the warehouse becomes operational, Weimer said. Tractor-trailers will take up much of that state highway, Md. 632, and the road is already not a big highway, she said.

"I think a better place could be found," said Weimer, noting there is a lot of land at the current Fountain Rock Elementary site.

About class sizes, Weimer said a new, larger school is supposed to help with that, but she "doesn't see that happening." Class sizes depend on money, she said.

Weimer was the only person to address the school board during the first hour of the hearing.

With no other speakers immediately after Weimer, Board President Melissa Williams called a recess and board members and school system employees waited until 7 p.m. when Williams called the hearing back in session.

Just as Williams said there didn't appear to be any other speakers, Ethan Loewen raised his hand and addressed the board. Loewen , who ran for school board last year, posed some questions to the board about the benefits of replacing two smaller community schools with a larger school.

Then the hearing came to a close. Williams said at the start of the hearing that it is important for the board to get feedback about the proposal, but that board members would not engage in dialogue or respond to comments during the hearing.

Written comments can be submitted for the official record by June 16 by emailing [email protected] or mailing comments to Washington County Board of Education, 10435 Downsville Pike, Hagerstown, MD 21740.

The only other person in the audience who didn't appear to be a school system employee or member of the media was Matt Donnelly, who recently moved to Maryland and is in the school design and construction business.

Sovine said in May the school system is facing "what's bound to become a facilities crisis" with so many aging schools and limited resources.

Hickory Elementary's student enrollment has been over its state-rated capacity since 2016 and Fountain Rock has been over its capacity for three of the last four school years, according to the superintendent's report regarding the proposed closings. Both schools are projected to remain over capacity through at least 2032 with Hickory's enrollment forecasted to grow. Hickory and Fountain Rock each have two portable classrooms.

Both schools were built in the 1970s with open classroom designs. The two schools rate poor regarding several facilities characteristics, including spaces for classrooms, health services, media centers, art and music.

Fountain Rock's issues include using well water that, when the pump fails, requires students and staff to use bottled water.

Jeff Proulx, the school system's chief operating officer, said the cost of bringing public water and sewer to the current Fountain Rock Elementary site is about $8 million.

The school system already owns the Downsville Pike property where the new school is proposed to be built.

When schools are closed, the school board generally orders a redistricting review for adjacent school districts.

Chad Criswell, senior project manager and planning supervisor, said a redistricting review for this situation would be expected to include attendance zones for Lincolnshire, Emma K. Doub, Rockland Woods, Williamsport, Jonathan Hager and Sharpsburg elementary schools. The goal would be for the school board to make a decision on school attendance boundaries no later than June 2026, with the new school to open in August 2027.

Proulx said staff at Hickory and Fountain Rock would go through a special voluntary transfer process where they could choose to go to the new school rather than another school. The new school is expected to have 5 1/2 fewer classroom teaching positions than Hickory and Fountain Rock combined. If all the affected teachers choose to go to the new school, seniority would decide who gets to make the move, he said.

Board member Mike Guessford was absent Monday night because he was working, Williams said.