Baltimore County Public Schools Considering West Towson Elementary School Enrollment Cap

West Towson Elementary School has been open for one school year, and already administrators with the Baltimore County Public School system are considering an enrollment cap.

Unlike other campuses, where trailers & other mobile units can be brought in to help give more classroom space, the West Towson campus shares its’ space with Ridge Ruxton School, and does not have that ability.

West Towson Elementary is designed for 451 students, and the projected enrollment for the 2011-2012 year is over 500. Just before school started, 463 were actually enrolled. More details are in an article in the Towson Patch.

A cap means that if a certain grade were full, yet someone who lived in the school district wanted to attend, they could not, and would be sent to another school with space in that grade level.

This could affect Towson house values, if you aren’t certain that even if you live in the district, your child would definitely attend the school. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Ruxton-Riderwood-Lake Roland Area Improvement Association Holiday Party In The WoodsDecember 18, 2010

The Ruxton-Riderwood-Lake Roland Area Improvement Association (RRLRAIA) has its’ annual Holiday Party In the Woods scheduled for Saturday, December 18, 2010 from 4-6 pm.

If you live in Towson in the neighborhoods in the Association, you are invited to join in! Last year’s Holiday in the Woods party was snowed out with our first two foot accumulating storm on December 19, 2009.

Hopefully this year will happen & all can come enjoy!

There will be a visit from Santa, caroling, and good times with neighbors.

The party is located at the Olde Rugby Field in Ruxton between Robert E. Lee Park & the Light Rail (make sure to park on L’Hirondelle Club Road).

Make sure to wear boots, dress warmly, and leave your pets at home! Bring a flashlight — it will be dark!!!!

Ruxton-Riderwood-Lake Roland Improvement Association 2010 Annual Meeting

The Ruxton-Riderwood-Lake Roland Improvement Association has its’ annual meeting and election of the Board of Directors on Thursday, September 23, 2010 at 7 pm at the new West Towson Elementary School.

Tours of the new West Towson Elementary School will be given to members prior to the meeting at 6:30 pm.

Also, principal Susan Hershfeld will share news of what students will be experiencing this year at the new school.

The annual meeting should have discussion on the 2020 Ruxton Area Community Plan that was presented at Blakehurst on the 13th, and will have the election of the new Board of Directors for the upcoming year.

So come learn about the RRLRIA and what it can and has done for our Towson neighborhoods!

Ruxton-Riderwood-Lake Roland Area Community Plan

The Ruxton-Riderwood-Lake Roland Area Community Plan for 2010 is underway, and now the committee is asking for feedback on the proposed plan.

The Community Plan input meeting is to be held September 13, 2010 at 7 pm at Blakehurst Retirement Community in Towson, 1055 West Joppa Road.

This Ruxton area community plan is due to be adopted by the Baltimore County Master Plan 2020.

Much of the new Ruxton-Riderwood-Lake Roland area plan involves the continuation of the expansion of Bare Hills on Falls Rd with park space, more buildings, and mixed-use capacity, plus large sidewalks to make a walkable-moveable friendly area where you don’t need a car to get around, and people should be able to avoid being struck by vehicles due to safety precautions.

The Jones Falls Valley Trail is in the plans to be expanded with more biking and hiking trails to people to enjoy.

Historic Preservation of areas such as the Scott Settlement area are addressed, as are Commercial areas for better access in & out for consumers’ use.

If you have ideas or thoughts on the Ruxton-Riderwood-Lake Roland Area Community Plan, make sure you are there on Monday, September 13, 2010 at 7 pm. A lot of hard work has been put into this, but they are looking for suggestions for improvement!

Help make our Towson neighborhoods even better places to live!

West Towson Elementary School Fall Registration

It’s time to register your child if you have been redistricted to the West Towson Elementary School.

The Baltimore County Public Schools site has finally been updated so it is correct for redistricting!

To make sure you need to register at West Towson, use the School Boundaries finder and enter your address.

If you did not receive a package, you will need to go to West Towson Elementary School at 6914 North Charles Street, Towson, MD 21204.

For all Baltimore County School registration, you will need, according to bcps.org:

•            When registering a child, you will need to present :

o            Proof of Baltimore County residency in accordance with Rule 5150 (Deed or lease and photo ID with 3 proofs of residency)

o            Certificate of birth

o            Immunization record

o            Copy of the child’s most recent report card (if applicable)

•            If the student is transferring from another public school in Maryland, a copy of the Maryland Student Transfer Record will be required. This form may be obtained at the school from which the student is transferring.

•            Most importantly, contact the appropriate school prior to registration. Schools are open throughout the summer to accommodate parents during the registration process.

Registration is open during the week so make sure if you have a child who should be registered for Fall 2010 at West Towson Elementary School, stop by to do so!

Ruxton Riderwood Lake Roland Community Plan Meeting

The Ruxton Riderwood Lake Roland community is having an input and community plan meeting on Wednesday, July 14, 2010.

The meeting will be held at 7:30 pm at Blakehurst Retirement Community.

Blakehurst is located at 1055 West Joppa Road, Towson, MD 21204.

From the RRLAIA Neighborhood News:

The Plan identifies areas in need of improvement and locations in need of preservation. The wide variety of topics include traffic, schools, public safety, development, open space, bike and pedestrian routes and much more.

I look forward to seeing and hearing more of the Ruxton Riderwood Lake Roland Community Plan to even better our wonderful Towson neighborhoods.

Architectural Walking Tour of Sheppard Pratt in Towson

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 at 9:30 am, there will be an architectural walking tour of Sheppard Pratt in Towson.

Carol Allen, the President of Historic Towson, Inc. will lead the tour around the historic property.

Historic Towson, Inc. is a non-profit organization that is

“dedicated to preserving the architectural heritage of the community. It works with individuals, neighborhood associations and business to foster an awareness of historic preservation and to find methods to make it possible.”

Historic Towson, Inc. almost shuttered a few months ago.

This is being held in conjunction with the Ruxton-Riderwood-Lake-Roland-Improvement-Association and is one of the many things both organizations have to offer Towson residents.

Join in on Wednesday morning and find out about historic Towson and the old buildings that make up Sheppard Pratt’s rich background.

East Ruxton and West Towson Neighborhood Walk April 14

The Ruxton-Riderwood-Lake Roland Area Improvement Association announced the East Ruxton and West Towson Neighborhood walk on Wednesday April 14, 2010 from 9:30-11 am.

Participants will meet at the Baltimore County Board of Education located at 6901 North Charles Street, Towson, MD 21204. The entrance and parking lot is off Greenwood Road, which runs from West Joppa Rd to North Charles St.

The West Towson neighborhood tour will include areas known as Kalmia Park, Greenwood Meadows, Gunners Range, and Chestnut Hills.

The tour will highlight “historic properties from the 18th century Gott family land grant as well as many handsome 19th century estates owned by Towson’s first wealthy industrialists”, according to the RRLRAIA Spring Newsletter.

Dogs are welcomed if they are leashed.

Enjoy the spring weather and learn more about this great West Towson neighborhood!

West Towson Elementary School Boundaries Meeting March 10 and West Towson Homeowners

On March 10, the Baltimore County Board of Education had a final meeting before their March 23 vote on the boundaries of the new West Towson Elementary School.

This meeting, unlike the one in January, which had hundreds of attendees with many speaking about the boundary options, this one had very few, and only four Board of Education members available.

Loni Ingraham of the Towson Times covered the hearing, and described it as very tame in comparison to other sessions.

The scenario that has been recommended by the panel for the vote is the West Towson Scenerio G, as depicted in the 4th page of this document provided by Towson Families United.

It is a relief to have these meetings behind us and will be nice to be able to move forward, knowing where children will be attending school in the fall. Most West Towson homeowners were in the same position as my family, where in any of the scenerios, our district would be changed to the West Towson Elementary School, so we were not as affected as others.

I can understand the irritation and passion over where someone send their child to school, but redistricting can ALWAYS happen, and at least the Baltimore County Board of Education gave Towson residents the opportunity to have their voices heard.

This redistricting is part of why Maryland Realtors® are not allowed to talk about the quality of schools when helping someone with the purchase or sale of a home. Most also recommend calling your local school board or looking online (like www.bcps.org for Baltimore County Public Schools) to find a school district. You cannot safely choose a home solely because of a school district because you never know when the attendance boundaries might be changed.

Towson Residents Help Determine West Towson Elementary School Boundaries

Over 300 people attended the meeting at Loch Raven High School last night about where the boundaries may be drawn, and which children in Towson may be redistricted to the new West Towson Elementary School.

The Towson Families United group, which is “A coalition of parents and residents seeking a long-term solution to Towson’s overcrowded schools”, reports on their site that four different options were presented, and then the attendees were split into smaller groups to discuss what factor was most important to them in making a boundary change, and each individual was asked to choose which of the four they would prefer to see. The data collected will be sent to an independent research facility for analyzing and the results sent to the committee for further review.

The boundary committee making these recommendations to the Baltimore County School Board is run by Central Area Assistant Superintendent Barbara Walker, and is comprised of parents, community representatives (for example, there is one from the Ruxton Riderwood Lake Roland Improvement Association and one from the Rodgers Forge Community Association) , teachers, and Administrators.

A formal recommendation will be given to the Baltimore County School Board by school officials on February 9, 2010 at its regular Board Meeting. After that point, another meeting will be held for public commentary on February 24, 2010 at Loch Raven High School.

The final decision will be announced March 9, 2010 at 7:00 pm.

It is wonderful that Towson residents are given this opportunity to voice their opinions and be such a large part of this large decision making process. It makes it more and more prevalent why living in Towson is such a great thing!

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