Families rally to save a Bowie school from closing

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. - Prince George’s County families rallied Monday to save a local school from closing.

The school system is changing up boundaries for the district to address a growing number of new students, a plan that could shut down several schools, including Pointer Ridge Elementary in Bowie.

A few dozen Pointer Ridge parents and students protested the potential closure outside the Prince George's County Public Schools Sasscer Administration Building.

"They should be focused on our students' academic achievement, not moving them around like chess pieces!" one mom said.

Layoni Martin, a Pointer Ridge second-grader, came to the rally with her father.

"I just love the school because my old school, I don’t really like it," she said. "So, I just want to stay in this school."

Her dad, Alexander Martin, said he grew up in Bowie and called Pointer Ridge a staple in the community.

"This will be her third school in four years if this plan goes into action," he said. "She’s enjoying this, as you heard from her, so we just want to keep her grounded."

The possible closure comes as Prince George’s County Public Schools tries to address a ballooning number of students.

The district says since 2014, enrollment has increased from 125,000 to 136,000 students with growth expected to reach nearly 143,300 by 2024. 

The district also says it has dozens of overcrowded schools and dozens more that are underutilized. 

PGCPS hired an outside consulting firm, WXY Studio, to address the issues and redraw boundaries.

The final proposal includes closing Pointer Ridge and Concord Elementary in District Heights next school year and Rose Valley Elementary in Fort Washington a year later.

Pointer Ridge mom Sarah Creel started a petition back in December to save the school but said she had trouble getting it off the ground. The petition now has over 2,800 signatures.

"It was surprising to me how many people didn’t even know this was happening. Like they had no idea," Creel said.

Pointer Ridge PTA President Darius Hyman said he’s confused by the proposed closure, considering the hundreds of new homes being built in Bowie. He said he believes the community can still convince the school board and CEO that the school should stay open.

"The level of uncertainty makes you upset because the kids are the ones that would be the collateral damage if the right decision isn’t made," Hyman said.

In an emailed statement, PGCPS CEO Dr. Monica Goldson said: "Knowing the impact of school boundary changes on students and families, I will be thoughtful and equitable in making final determinations. Every child deserves to learn, work and play in the best environment possible. This work will ultimately create a stronger PGCPS by expanding program offerings, balancing enrollment and offering more students access to modernized facilities."

There was a school board public hearing Thursday where parents spoke out and there will be another on Tuesday.

A final vote on the plan is scheduled for Nov. 10.

Earlier this year, there were similar efforts to save Community Based Classroom, an alternative school in Lanham that the board ultimately voted to close.