The Parkside Elementary School Community Committee would like to provide you with a synopsis of past events concerning Parkside Elementary School. It is hoped that this will supply you with a working foundation and encourage you to become further informed by visiting the Allegany county Board of Education website at www.boe.allconet.org and reviewing Dr. AuMiller’s Long-Range Educational Facilities Plan. You are also encouraged to visit the Cumberland Times-News website at www.times-news.com and review under the search options James Rada’s articles over the last several months concerning educational issues.
  
  The Allegany County Board of Education contracted 3D/ International to conduct a comprehensive utilization study of schools within the county. On January 7, 2002, 3D/International completed the study and made the following initial recommendations:
   • Eliminate overcrowding at Washington Middle
   • Significantly improve the utilization of Beall High School
   • Significantly improve the cumulative utilization of the middle school facilities
   • Address extreme under utilization of Flintstone Elementary
  
  They provided further recommendations by assessing the educational adequacy, physical condition and utilization of each school.
  
  Parkside Elementary School was found to have a good educational adequacy rating of 80, which was the fourth highest in the county. In general, the higher the score, the more “suitable” the school is to support the educational program. Parkside was found to be in poor condition with a facility condition index of 33.19. This places us near the bottom. Our building was only mildly underutilized at 88%. Other mildly underutilized schools include Northeast, Westernport, West Side, Cash Valley and Bel Air. Their recommendation was to continue with current instructional use - make quality and capital improvements an indicated.
  
  3DI projects that by the year 2006, county elementary schools will be 83% utilized, middle schools with be 79% and high schools will be 72%. There is excess capacity at each type of school. However, the excess is greatest at the high school and middle school level. According to board President Tim Woodring, “If you’re going to accept inefficiency anywhere , it should be at the elementary level. The high school school level is were we really do need to look at it.”
  
  Dr. AuMiller’s Long Range Educational Facilities plan dated 3 12/02 concurred with 3DI. AuMiller recommended Parkside continue with the current instructional program. Finally he suggested the Board approve the renovation of Parkside in future capital improvement plans.
  
  Over the summer, with the Board of Education’s blessing, the Parkside PTA committed $7,400 to further enhance our school. They spent $6,000 to resurface the blacktop on the playground. They spent $400 buying 4 basketball systems for the playground. They partnered with Adam Danner, a Boy Scout working on his Eagle Scout Project, raising $1,000 on a new pavilion, which broke ground over the summer.
  
  On Aug. 26th, Parkside Elementary School’s 46 member faculty opened the facility at 88% capacity, welcoming its 281 children. Also on opening day, Dr. AuMiller presented his Long Range Educational Facilities Plan to the School Board. In this plan, Dr. AuMiller made a complete turn around concerning Parkside and recommended it for closure beginning with the next school year. The plan calls for students to be reassigned to Cash Valley, Cresaptown, and Northeast. It also recommends that the board retain the Parkside facility for use as the county alternative school site. Needless to say, our community was blind sided by this plan.
  
  The county alternative school site is currently located at the Eckhart school facility. The alternative school is for 6-12 graders who are unable to conform to a traditional school environment due to absenteeism and behavioral problems. Enrollment starts low and increases during the year. Presently the school serves 80 students. This aspect of the plan closes an elementary school with 281 students and 46 staff members and replaces it with far fewer. It is difficult to see how this will increase system utilization. The Eckhart building will be retained by the system for use during future school renovation projects in other county schools. So, the Eckhart building will sit empty. When and if funding is found for future renovation, the Eckhart building will again be utilized.
  
  On Sept. 4, the Cumberland Times-News ran an article written by James Rada. In this article, AuMiller admitted that the decision to close Parkside first was in response to criticism the board had received from other areas of the county and NOT EDUCATIONAL REASONS. “This takes the argument toff the table that we’re only picking on the outlying communities,” said Dr. AuMiller. His divisive comment attempts to pit on part of the county against the other. We are saddened a plan put together by educational professionals recommends closing Parkside for political reasons and is not educationally motivated.
  
  The School Community Committee needs to begin work. We must review and assess all relevant information, seek input and community reaction, develop an action plan and finally report findings and recommendations in a written report by October 1st. This tight timeframe makes it difficult to formulate a comprehensive response, and does not reflect the gravity of the situation. However, the committee is determined to do a quality job.
  
  Anyone who would like to assist in this work should contact a parent or teacher at the school.
  
  - Maxine Lowe, Cumberland
  09/13/02