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.

It was one of six named in Maryland in 2010, and is the 15th school in Baltimore County to receive the honor, and the third Baltimore County High School to do so.

According to the Baltimore County Public Schools article:

Blue Ribbon School designation is a state and national program that recognizes schools that meet rigorous standards developed by the Maryland State Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education.

Towson High School students are 98% proficient or above in Mathematics and 99% in English, according to the Maryland State Department of Education tests, and even Newsweek has named the school to its annual list of the best high schools in the nation for the past few years. In 2010, it was ranked #334.

This could help Towson house values as many homebuyers may look to the high school’s current zoning district to try to send their children to the school.

What buyers need to be aware of, is that school districts can be adjusted at any time, as many Towson homeowners found when West Towson Elementary School was opening.

Meanwhile, CONGRATULATIONS to Towson High School students and staff! Your hard work is definitely shining through!

Neighbors of the new school had complained to the Baltimore County Council and asked for a redesign. It is a very tall sign with LED lights that blinked information in red all day & night.

In a letter from Joe A Hairston, Superintendent of Baltimore County Schools, dated December 22, 2010, to Vicki Almond & David Marks, County Councilmembers covering the 2nd & 5th Districts, it states that the sign will be removed and replaced with one deemed more appropriate for the area, location, and neighborhood.

Charles Street is an historic “Scenic Bypass”, and some felt that the signs could threaten that designation.

The combination of the issues created a problem where a solution has now been set in motion. Thanks to Superintendent Hairston and Councilmembers Almond & Marks, West Towson Elementary School & Charles Street will be restored to a setting to which all should be happy about.

I look forward to seeing the new signs!

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!

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!

It will be a big adjustment for those coming north on Charles St from the West Towson area, because it is around a curve where many people drive quickly.

The reason for the light is the new West Towson Elementary School, which is located at that intersection. This will make it easier for crossing guards helping children cross the very busy Charles Street, and for parents dropping off and picking their children up at the brand new school.

It should really help slow the flow of traffic through this point, and hopefully help with the delays seen now around the time of dismissal from the multitude of schools in the area.

The West Towson Elementary School will open for the 2010 school year at the end of August.

Students from Rodgers Forge Elementary and Riderwood Elementary schools have been redistricted to the new school on Charles Street.

Contact me for more information on West Towson real estate and how these marked changes are welcome to the West Towson neighborhoods!

County pension and healthcare benefits were cut back to ensure that Baltimore County property taxes would not be raised.

Baltimore City income tax may be raised due to a deficit. Luckily the cuts and management of the Baltimore County budget prevent this need in the County.

Included in the budget is staffing for the new West Towson Elementary School.

The Baltimore Business Journal reported this great news about the budget.

To have property taxes not raised in a year where the economy is hurting so many people is a nice relief, and a definite plus for living in Baltimore County!

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.

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!

The Baltimore County School Board would like input on the boundary drawing possibilities from the Towson neighborhoods affected by the possible change in redistricting.

The open meeting being held January 6 will be at Loch Raven High School, which is located at 1212 Cowpens Avenue in Towson, MD 21286 at 7 pm.

The West Towson Elementary School is scheduled to open in August 2010 and is located on Charles Street next to the Ridge Ruxton School. The school is being built primarily to help reduce the overcrowding at Riderwood Elementary School and Rodgers Forge Elementary School in Towson.