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Starr’s Capital Budget Includes B-CC High School Addition

By WTOP Staff

Bethesda-Chevy Chase High SchoolMontgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Joshua Starr on Monday released a recommended $1.55 billion capital budget program that includes additions for Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School and North Bethesda Middle School.

The schools, which MCPS planners say have experienced a large increase in students over the past 10 years, were the only two new projects added to the capital program, or CIP. Starr recommends a schools CIP every two years before County Executive Isiah Leggett comes out with his overall CIP.

Starr’s $1.55 billion recommendation is a $184 million increase compared to the current CIP for years 2013-2018. MCPS claims it would need $2.2 billion to meet all of its capital needs.

“I am hopeful that a solution can be found, but I have to develop my budget based on what I know, not on what I hope,” Starr said.

There are now 1,872 students enrolled at B-CC high school. That number is projected to grow to 2,000 by 2016 and 2,400 by 2023. The school’s current capacity is 1,692.

The addition project would be ready by 2017 and increase the school’s capacity to 2,399. The original target capacity number discussed in planning sessions was 2,200.

Starr’s recommendations also include an addition for North Bethesda Middle School in the Walter Johnson cluster. The school has 901 students with a capacity of 864 this year. The enrollment number is expected to surpass 1,000 in 2015 and hit 1,300 in 2023. The addition would also open in 2017 and mean a capacity for 1,208 students.

In his recommendations, Starr made a distinction between “addition” projects and “revitalization/expansion” projects, formerly known as “modernization” projects of existing buildings. No new revitalization/expansion projects were added to this year’s CIP.

“This was a very difficult decision, because I know the communities impacted by these delays have been waiting a long time for these projects to begin,” Dr. Starr said. “But as a steward of taxpayer dollars, I must use the available resources where they are needed most and will have the biggest impact.”

Plans for a new Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster middle school at Rock Creek Hills Local Park went unchanged, with a recommendation for funding in FY 2015 and completion in 2017.

A boundary study of the reassignment of elementary schoolers living on the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center base has been added to the recommendations. The recommendation is for that study to take place this winter.

Students from the base were recently switched from Bethesda Elementary School to Rosemary Hills Elementary School for grades K-2 and North Chevy Chase Elementary School for grades 3-6.

Those changes and other recent boundary changes were meant to ease overcrowding concerns at Bethesda Elementary, but MCPS has apparently been hit with a wave of transfer requests from families of kids who temporarily live on the base:

Officials at the Medical Center have expressed concern over the recently adopted school assignments. They report that families who temporarily reside at the Medical Center have enrolled their children in Bethesda Elementary School attendance for many years and disrupting this assignment would present a hardship for these families. This year families with elementary school students residing at the Medical Center were granted Change of School Assignments to Bethesda Elementary School. This provided the opportunity to review the school assignment for the Medical Center this year, without disrupting students enrolled at Bethesda Elementary School. Following the abbreviated boundary review, the superintendent’s recommendation would be provided for Board of Education action in spring 2014.

Dr. Starr’s recommendations will now be reviewed by the Montgomery County Board of Education, which will hold a CIP work session on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m. The Board will then hold two public hearings on Monday, Nov. 11, and Thursday, Nov. 14. More information about how to register to testify at those hearings is available on the Board’s public participation website.

The Board is expected to approve a CIP request on Monday, November 18. That request will then be submitted to the County Executive and County Council for consideration.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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