CEDARMERE ELEMENTARY PTA FORMS OVERCROWDING COMMITTEE

New school PTA group to pursue solutions to the school’s overcrowding problem.

For Immediate Release – April 23, 2004

Reisterstown, MD -  The Cedarmere Elementary School (CES) PTA announces the formation of the Cedarmere Overcrowding Committee to address CES’s worsening problem of school overcrowding. 

“This committee, under Co-Chairpersons, Stewart Richardson and Amie Bell, is now dedicated to investigating the issues that lead to school overcrowding, and taking a proactive approach to resolving those issues so that Cedarmere can continue to be an effective educational environment” said Cedarmere PTA President, Shamren Fletcher.

Specifically, the Committee is looking to:

• Forge partnerships and coalitions with school, government, business, and community leaders and groups to help mobilize awareness, dialogue, and an appropriate solution to this complex problem.
• Work with concerned parties to critically examine and possibly curtail short-term residential development within the school district, and
• Review the underlying causes of school overcrowding and suggest proactive systemic controls to help prevent future overcrowding and its negative impacts (relocatable classrooms, less attention to students, and lack of sufficient classroom, cafeteria and restroom space).

Cedarmere, like many Northwest Baltimore County public schools, faces a serious issue with overcrowding that jeopardizes not only its children’s education, but if not properly addressed, the surrounding community.  Current school enrollment is nearly 112% of the capacity of its building, as determined by the state.  Although its building capacity is 461 students, the Baltimore County Public School system forecasts CES to grow from an already overcrowded 530 students to over 600 students in the next 5 years.  According to school system statistics, as of September 30, 2003, CES’s overcrowding was the second worst among the 20 elementary schools in the Northwest Area.

Persons interested in more information on the committee, or assisting its efforts can contact:

Cedarmere Elementary School PTA – Overcrowding Committee

17 Nicodemus Road, Reisterstown, Maryland 21136

Email: crowdedschool@hotmail.com