Decision upsets parents; Garrett BOE meets tonight
Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
— OAKLAND — The doors will close permanently on Dennett Road and Kitzmiller elementary schools at the end of the month unless the school board decides for a revote at tonight’s meeting or the appeal to the state to stop the school closings comes through.
Dennett Road and Kitzmiller elementary schools will be closing May 30, a day before the rest of the schools close, according to Amy Barnhouse, human resources/administration for the Board of Education.
Members of the Parents for Garrett County Education are unhappy about the decision to close Dennett Road and Kitzmiller elementary schools a day earlier, according to Diane Donham, the group’s spokeswoman.
“At this point we are feeling pretty aggravated and we are not feeling hopeful that the board will decide to keep the schools open,” said Donham. “We encourage them to rebuild the community relationship. It’s something that has to be done. If the board decides not to close schools, we will work with the Board of Education to come up with a better plan.”
The board is meeting tonight to discuss how it will spend $1 million-plus that will be received from the passing of the state Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2012. Spending scenarios that will likely be discussed include retaining more personnel and revisiting the decision to close the schools.
Parents for Garrett County Education filed its appeal to stop the school closings with the Maryland State Department of Education on Monday. The appeal includes a petition, an appeal letter and a copy of an audit from when the decision was made to close Bloomington Elementary School last year, according to Donham.
On Monday, Leo Martin, mayor of Mountain Lake Park, presented a petition with more than 2,400 signatures to the board asking for another vote on the school closings.
The special board of education meeting will be held today at 8 p.m. in the Southern Middle School cafeteria.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
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