SES addition and renovation could start NEXT summer...

[Stoneleigh United]

It's a long shot, but it is worth speaking up to try and get there. Here's
how:

YOU participate in this final e-mail letter writing campaign of the school
year.

Let our Baltimore County School Officials know that we want Stoneleigh
Elementary School to be moved up the Priority Funding List.  This list will
be released in August 2011.   

Moving up in priority can allow SES to receive funds from the BCPS FY2013
Capital Improvements Budget and, hopefully, break ground next summer. 

It is simple.  We have included a letter below  with  Dr. Hairston's e-mail
address and  two emails to whom to to cc the letter.  Feel free to use this
letter, or to author your own asking to make SES renovation a priority, and
for funds from the FY2013 budget for our beloved Stoneleigh Elementary
construction! 

Wouldn't  it be wonderful if all of our parents could actually attend the
spring awards ceremonies for their children in a few years because our
schoolhouse could serve the needs of our  children and their community again?

E-mail Dr. Joe Hairston, Superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools,

<mailto:jhai...@bcps.org> jhai...@bcps.org

and include a copy to:

Ms. Kara Calder, Executive Director of the Deptarment of Planning and
Support Operations, BCPS,
kca...@bcps.org

Mr. Michael Sines, Executive Director of the Department of Physical
Facilities, BCPS
msi...@bcps.org

Happy Summer and thank you, as always, for your support!

Stoneleigh United

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Dr. Joe A. Hairston

Superintendent

Baltimore County Public Schools

6901 Charles Street

Towson, Maryland 21204



SUBJECT:   Stoneleigh Elementary needs to move up the priority funding list
FY2013 and should receive funds in the BCPS FY2013 Capital Improvements
Budget



Dear Dr. Hairston:



Thank you for your continued support for an addition and renovation of
Stoneleigh Elementary.  We believe that the Stoneleigh Elementary project is
well positioned to move up the funding priority list in the FY2013 budget.
We are confident that BCPS will include funds FY2013 Capital Improvements
Budget. We eagerly await the updated list in August.



As you know, Stoneleigh Elementary is 81-years-old this year, the fifth
oldest school in the county.  It is an institution of which to be proud -
with strong academics, a devoted staff and great parent support.  We are
severely overcrowded:

*    Sept. 1, 2010 enrollment was at 126.1% capacity (629 students in a
school built for 499), and

*    Is projected to increase to 132% next year (659 students).

We would like to reiterate the reasons our overcrowding is more significant
due to the age of our building.  Students at Stoneleigh:

*    have much smaller classrooms and hallways than most others in the
county;

*    endure an inadequately sized nurse's suite;

*    often are unable to use dedicated space for library, art, music,
technology and PE every week;

*    must use building bathrooms in multiple shifts; 

*    use four trailers and two more are coming this summer, impinging our
already limited recreation area.

We are not only over capacity but our classrooms are even tighter than the
average school because of their smaller size, due to the age of our
building. 

*    Classrooms are on average 745 square feet (a full 100 square feet
smaller than the current classroom expectations at 850 square feet). 

*    Of Stoneleigh's 24 regular classrooms, 10 are less than 700 square
feet.  Furthermore, 20 of the 24 classrooms are under 752 square feet.

We are grateful that County Executive Kamenetz and the Baltimore County
Planning Board reallocated $2 million in the County budget for a design for
the addition and renovation.  We understand that a contract is already in
place and work on the architectural designs will begin July 2011.  We
appreciate that you and County Executive Kamentez requested and were granted
approval of planning for the Stoneleigh project from the BPW.



Stoneleigh Elementary project is different from other projects as it:

*    has planning approval from the state, and

*    will have architectural designs completed by spring 2012.

We want BCPS to include funds in the FY2013 Capital Improvements Budget to
renovate and add an addition to Stoneleigh.  We are hopeful the state will
support one of Baltimore County's key capital projects by allocating state
funds to move the Stoneleigh project forward.



By beginning construction summer 2012, we can permanently address the issues
of overcrowding and keep Stoneleigh the excellent school it is. 



Sincerely,

YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS HERE