Latest news with #EducationalFacilitiesMasterPlan
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
In new run for school board, Fletcher focuses on fiscal responsibility
After an unsuccessful run for school board last year, Frederick County Board of Education candidate Heather Fletcher said she needs 'every minute' of campaign time before 2026. Fletcher, a former air traffic controller at Joint Base Andrews, said she pulled her children out of Frederick County Public Schools in 2021 because 'I didn't feel like it was a safe place.' 'They weren't listening to the parents,' she said. 'They had no concern over the parents.' Fletcher ran for a seat on the school board in 2022, but lost in the primary. She ran as a write-in candidate in 2024 and lost again. She received 21,185 votes, or 6.42% of all votes cast for school board candidates in the election. Fletcher said after the COVID pandemic, she made it her full-time job 'to inform the public about what's really happening in the schools.' 'I feel like if they know, and they still choose to elect these candidates, and they are informed voters, then that's their choice,' she said. 'But I feel like there's been so many lies and so much deceit that the regular person might not be researching these policies and the curriculum and have no idea what's going on in these schools.' Fletcher said her biggest priorities for the school system were school safety, fiscal responsibility, academic excellence and parental rights. She explains her priorities on her website, She said it was not fair to students or staff members at Brunswick High School, who deal with 'asbestos tiles crumbling on their heads and a roof leaking,' because the school board's room in the FCPS central office underwent construction last year. The Frederick News-Post reported in 2023 that community members advocated to the Frederick County Council about asbestos in Brunswick High School. In 2024, the school board met virtually from late February to early May, with one in-person meeting in April. The construction was for 'modernization ... including the installation of new audio and video equipment, to replace dated infrastructure utilized since the building opened in 2010,' according to an FCPS Facebook post. Fletcher said the construction was 'just a humongous waste of our taxpayer money.' She said she would 'cut absolutely everything that wasn't down to bare basics' in the budget if she were elected. 'Get rid of everything that is not absolutely necessary to improve our test scores, to help our teachers out,' she said. Fletcher said she volunteers as a teacher's assistant and a substitute at her children's school. FCPS said in 2023, 17 out of 42 elementary schools, excluding charter schools, had more students than state-rated capacity, according to the 2024 Educational Facilities Master Plan. 'I would much rather pay to have assistants' helping with teachers and class sizes than pay administrator salaries, she said. She said teacher's assistants could help with overcrowded classrooms. Fletcher has been outspoken against a districtwide transgender and gender nonconforming affirmation policy. Policy 443 was created to 'prevent discrimination, stigmatization, harassment, and bullying of students who are transgender or gender nonconforming' and to 'create school cultures that are safe, welcoming, and affirming for all students.' The policy compels students, staff members and teachers to refer to students by their preferred names and pronouns. Fletcher said that part of the policy is unconstitutional. 'They cannot force speech,' she said. 'In Policy 443, it says that whatever pronouns somebody wants to use, that the staff and teachers have to use it. You are violating our constitution.' The policy also allows students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with a student's gender identity, and allows students to bunk with students of the same gender identity for overnight field trips. She said if a student does not feel comfortable using the girls' or boys' bathrooms, they can use a private bathroom. 'If they're LGBTQIA, they identify as whatever. ... I don't want any person harmed,' she said. 'Nobody should be bullied.' In 2022, Fletcher checked out around 20 LGBTQ books from a pride month display at the Brunswick Library, saying she was 'disturbed' and worried it would prompt 'age-inappropriate' questions from young children. She returned the books a few days later. For the 2026 election, four seats are on the ballot. Casey Day, Jess Douglass, Chad King Wilson Sr. and David Migdal have filed as school board candidates. Current school board members Karen Yoho and Nancy Allen have said they are not running again. Board President Rae Gallagher and Vice President Dean Rose have said they are unsure if they will run again. The deadline to file to run is 9 p.m. on Feb. 24, 2026. The primary election is on June 30, 2026, and the general election is on Nov. 3, 2026.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
FCPS considers redistricting 980 students to balance elementary enrollment
A draft option of redistricting would move 980 students between four elementary and two middle schools in Frederick County Public Schools in anticipation of a new school. In addition, the school system is considering moving the boundaries of two other schools — one elementary and one middle — but the current proposal doesn't include moving students from those schools. Elementary School #41 is scheduled to open for students in August 2026. The school, which does not have a name yet, will be built at Whiterose Drive and Mussetter Road near New Market. The redistricting is to balance enrollment between the new school and five other elementary schools: Blue Heron, Oakdale, Deer Crossing, New Market and Spring Ridge. The attendance boundaries of three middle schools — Gov. Thomas Johnson, New Market and Oakdale — will also be affected. Based on 2024 enrollment, 6,086 students combined attend the eight schools. Elementary School #41 is expected to have a state-rated capacity of 882 seats. Oakdale Elementary School is operating close to 170% capacity, according to FCPS' Educational Facilities Master Plan's 2024 enrollment. The draft option included moving: * 681 students from Oakdale to Elementary School #41 * 104 students from Spring Ridge to Oakdale Elementary School * 86 students from Blue Heron to Oakdale Elementary School * 2 students from Deer Crossing to Elementary School #41 * 107 students from Oakdale to Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle School The draft option for the redistricting is scheduled to be presented to the Frederick County Board of Education at its meeting on Wednesday. The school board will not be voting on whether to approve the draft, but will discuss the draft and potentially direct staff members to make certain changes. As required by FCPS Policy 200, which governs school attendance areas and redistricting, several community engagement sessions are scheduled throughout May and June, including virtual and in-person meetings, and a general feedback form. No dates have been set yet. FCPS hosted two community engagement sessions last month. A public hearing for the redistricting is also scheduled for October. A date has not been set yet. The school board is scheduled to vote on a final redistricting plan for the area in November or December, which would take effect at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year. WXY Architecture + Urban Design of New York led the redistricting study and created the draft option. The redistricting will cost the school district approximately $250,000 from Elementary School #41's project fund. The agency has previously provided reports and recommendations to Prince George's County Public Schools and Montgomery County Public Schools for school district boundary changes. After the draft option is presented to the school board, WXY plans to post the draft option to the project website, which is available at To create the draft option, WXY looked at student enrollment data, such as the number of students who are eligible for Free and Reduced-Price Meals, who are eligible for an Individualized Education Program and who attend special programs at any of the eight schools. FCPS recently accepted submissions for a name for the new elementary school. Submissions closed on April 25. On May 8, the school district is scheduled to announce a list of five to 10 names for the community to provide feedback. The deadline to provide community feedback on the shortlist of names is May 23. The committee will then select three names to recommend to the school board in August. The school board makes the final decision.
CBS News
02-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Chicago Vocational Career Academy, West Side Frank Lloyd Wright House make Landmarks Illinois endangered list
Landmarks Illinois has released its annual lost of the 10 Most Endangered Landmarks — which includes a sprawling high school and an outdoor theater on Chicago's South Side, and a Frank Lloyd Wright house on Chicago's West. Chicago Vocational Career Academy, Chicago Paul Morgan Chicago Vocational Career Academy — originally called Chicago Vocational High School and known as CVS for short — is at the top of the list this year. The school is a complex of four buildings — a main school building constructed between 1938 and 1940, an aircraft hangar built in 1941, and two outbuildings of the World War II era. When the school was completed in August 1940, the Chicago Tribune called it "the most modern and best equipped trade school in the United States." Chicago Vocational opened in 1941. The U.S. Navy used the school as a training facility for aircraft repair between 1941 and 1946, and afterward, the school resumed civilian training and operated up to 30 programs, Landmarks Illinois said. Famous alumni of Chicago vocational include Chicago Bears great Dick Butkus and comedy legend Bernie Mac. Landmarks Illinois warned that while CVS was constructed to serve up to 6,000 students, fewer than 900 attend the school now. The 2018 Chicago Public Schools Educational Facilities Master Plan calls the school underutilized. Paul Morgan A wing of the school along Anthony Avenue that was completed in 1943 to house heavy industry vocational programs, is now completely unused, Landmarks Illinois said. But a previous proposal to have this wing torn down has never gone ahead due to lack of funds, Landmarks Illinois said. CPS invested $56 million in CVS in 2015, and the school was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022, Landmarks Illinois noted. But the organization said low enrollment continues to raise concerns about its future. Landmarks Illinois would like to see CVS declared a Chicago landmark, and thus protected from being torn down in the future. The organization noted that the CVS main building is the largest non-skyscraper example of Art Deco design in the city. John Jacob Walser House, Chicago Paul Morgan Also on the list is the Joseph Jacob Walser Jr. House, a Frank Lloyd Wright house in the South Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side. The house also made the Preservation Chicago seven most endangered list this year. The house, at 42 N. Central Ave., is one of only five standing Prairie School structures designed by Frank Lloyd Wright within the city — a list that also includes the Frederick C. Robie House in Hyde Park and the Emil Bach House in Rogers Park. The Walser House is also the only single-family Frank Lloyd Wright house on the West Side. J.J. Walser and his wife, Grace, bought the property in 1903 and commissioned Wright for the house, Preservation Chicago noted earlier this year. The Walser house is not as well-known as some Wright structures such as the Robie or the Wright home and studio not far away in Oak Park, but Preservation Chicago noted that it still incorporates the aesthetic beauty of the Prairie Style. The Walsers sold the house in 1910, and it was sold 11 different times over the next 60 years, Preservation Chicago said. Hurley and Anne Teague bought it in 1970, and their stewardship ensured it remained standing, according to Landmarks Illinois. Hurley Teague kept the house in good repair until he died in 1997, Landmarks Illinois said. After that, Anne Teague obtained a reverse mortgage for the house to cover maintenance. Anne Teague died in 2019, and the interest on the reverse mortgage became unaffordable for her heirs, Landmarks Illinois said. The house is now vacant and facing foreclosure, and photos shared by Landmarks Illinois show the interior in horrible shape. Paul Morgan Holes in the foundation and roof have led to deterioration and water damage, and trespassers have made a mess of the interior, Landmarks Illinois noted. "When my grandparents purchased the Walser home, it represented upwardly mobile Black people establishing legacies for their families and creating a blueprint for home ownership in the Black community. My grandfather was a builder. He made sure he maintained our home as well as our neighbors' [homes] if they needed assistance, taking pride in how he could serve this community better," Teague heirs Charisse J. Grossley and Johnny Teague said in a statement published by Landmarks Illinois. "This home serves as a tangible link to our past, offering insight into the lives of those who came before us and the events that shaped our community. The preservation of this landmark is essential not only for its historical value to the community but also for its potential to educate future generations." Landmarks Illinois called for a resolution of concerns about property control for the reverse mortgage, and noted that the community group Austin Coming Together would like to see the Walser House as part of a revitalized Central Avenue corridor. South Shore Country Club outdoor theater, Chicago Paul Morgan Landmarks Illinois also listed the outdoor theater at the South Shore Cultural Center, at 7059 S. South Shore Dr. The South Shore Cultural Center itself is thriving, but the theater is not. The South Shore Country Club was founded in 1905, when Chicago Athletic Club president Lawrence Heyworth envisioned an exclusive club in a "country setting." The land he picked had been used for fishing and duck hunting, the Chicago Park District said. Architects Marshall and Fox, who designed the Drake Hotel and other luxurious buildings, were brought on as architects for the country club. The club quickly outgrew its first facility, and Marshall and Fox were also the architects behind the second clubhouse, which was built in 1916 and incorporated the ballroom from the original facility, the Park District said. Both the original and the second and current clubhouses were constructed in the Mediterranean Revival style. The club's membership peaked in the 1950s, only to fall as many African Americans moved to South Shore while the club went on excluding Black members, the Park District said. This policy led to the closure of the club in 1973, the Park District said. The Park District bought the property in 1974. It had planned to have the deteriorating clubhouse torn down, but community members rallied to save and restore it. However, the outdoor theater adjacent to the clubhouse has not fared so well. The theater opened in 1920, and features a small stage and terrazzo dance floor with the logo for the old country club on it, Landmarks Illinois said. While the rest of what is now the South Shore Cultural Center has undergone several renovation projects since the Park District took over, the theater was only stabilized and was never fully restored, Landmarks Illinois said. Today, the outdoor theater is deteriorated with broken concrete to the point where it cannot be used. It does not have the needed lighting and sound systems, and does not meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards, Landmarks Illinois said. The 2018 Chicago Park District South Lakefront Framework called for restoring the outdoor theater, but this never happened due to a lack of funds, Landmarks Illinois said. Fordon Horse Barn, Oak Brook Paul Morgan In the suburbs, the list includes the historic Fordon Horse Barn in Oak Brook — built when the western suburb was the polo capital of the United States. The Oak Brook Polo Club was founded in 1922, and club member and competitive polo player Jerry Fordon bought the barn for his polo ponies in 1941, Landmarks Illinois said. The Saddle Brook Development Company gave the barn and the nearby park land to the Oak Brook Park District in 1975. The polo club itself closed just this past March, Landmarks Illinois said. As for the barn, Landmarks Illinois said the Oak Brook Park District is planning to have it torn down. It was used for storage, but is no longer needed for that purpose, and the park district wanted it torn down by the end of April, Landmarks Illinois said. Landmarks Illinois said the Oak Brook Park District could renovate the barn as a programmable space, and the Saddle Brook Community Association has expressed interest in taking it over. Pushback from the community has delayed demolition, but the Park District 2025-2026 budget still identifies demolition of the barn as a capital project for the fiscal year to come, Landmarks Illinois said. William A. McConnell farmstead, Richmond, Illinois Paul Morgan In the McHenry County community of Richmond, Landmarks Illinois lists the William A. McConnell Farmstead, at 6102 Broadway Rd. McConnell was the first non-Indigenous settler in present-day Richmond, Illinois, Landmarks Illinois said. The Pennsylvania carpenter arrived in 1837 — the same year Chicago to the southeast was incorporated as a city. McConnell first built a log cabin, and when other families came to the site, his farmstead became home to the first school of the area. McConnell built a Greek Revival-style house on the property in 1852, and another in 1868, Landmarks Illinois said. Meanwhile, he became county postmaster, commissioner, and judge. The Farmstead and its eight structures — a house, a granary, and several barns — are owned by the McHenry County Conservation District, Landmarks Illinois said. The 1852 house is privately owned and occupied, but the 1868 house, barn, and outbuildings are not in such good shape, Landmarks Illinois said. The barn roofs are "in dire need of repair," and funding has not been allocated to protect the structures. Judge William D. Barry House, St. Charles Paul Morgan In St. Charles, the Judge William D. Barry House at 217 Cedar Ave., dating back to 1844, is on the list. The Green Revival-style house was built by Barry, who was an accomplished attorney before being elected judge in 1851, according to Landmarks Illinois. Barry managed Union Civil War Gen. John F. Farnsworth's successful runs for Congress, Landmarks Illinois said. The house is now owned by the Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, which plans it to have it torn down for a parking lot, Landmarks Illinois said. The church bought the house in 1993 to provide housing for those in need, but has not used if for anything since at least 2017, Landmarks Illinois said. The church's most recent request for demolition, filed this past October
