Bulle Rock, Scenic Manor Parents Petition HCPS Over Redistricting

HAVRE DE GRACE, MD — Hundreds of signatures have been added to a petition to keep Bulle Rock residents in the Havre de Grace and Meadowvale elementary school districts.

Several parents from Havre de Grace spoke out at the Harford County Board of Education meeting Monday night, saying the city was centered around its schools.

"Everyone who lives here knows that community is everything to Havre de Grace and the city of Havre de Grace," said Brooke Granger, who called in to the virtual meeting. "This community connection and love is proven by the 360 neighbors so far that have already signed our ongoing petition to keep Bulle Rock and Scenic Manor in our current district."

As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 440 people have signed the petition, which is on Change.org.

"Scenic Manor and Bulle Rock are at risk of being redistricted to Roye Williams Elementary School," the petition says. "We as a community want to stay within Meadowvale or Havre de grace Elementary."

HCPS is reviewing its school district boundaries because some schools are overcrowded while others are underused, according to HCPS.

At the April 12 school board meeting, which was held virtually, Bulle Rock residents shared that redistricting would cause a disruption socially, did not make sense geographically and was unneeded given that enrollment projections were made before the coronavirus pandemic.

"Why are we doing this in the middle of a pandemic?" Granger asked, noting there were what she called an "excessive amount of boundary exceptions" at Havre de Grace Elementary School. "Why aren't we looking at those numbers?"

The process of reviewing school district boundaries was underway before the pandemic, according to HCPS.

"While the Advisory Team portion of this process started during the pandemic, the planning, funding, and contracting portion of the project was in progress prior to the pandemic," HCPS said in a statement. "As students return to school, HCPS is facing the same capacity issues impacting class sizes and staffing decisions. Additionally, it is essential that HCPS continues to plan for and is prepared to meet the future needs of our students. This process will assist HCPS in the facilities planning to ensure our school buildings are best serving the needs of students."

Redistricting Presentation Set For Wednesday

An advisory team made up of community members and HCPS personnel will present potential elementary school boundary adjustments at a Community Education Forum on balancing school enrollment hosted by HCPS from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 14.

The event will be held virtually through Microsoft Teams, and a recording will be posted on the website.

During the live event, people will be able to take part in polls to gauge public opinion as well as a chat.

The redistricting process will continue through the fall, when the superintendent will present a proposal to the Harford County Board of Education. The school board will engage the public through February 22 before making a decision, according to the HCPS page on balancing enrollment. Officials anticipate any boundary changes would take effect for the 2022–2023 school year.