Dance Delays Magnet Rule Recommendation

A decision regarding a won't be made anytime soon.

The rule change, which was created toward the end of former administration, no longer permits priority placement for kindergartners who have siblings at Baltimore County's seven elementary magnet schools beginning in the 2015-2016 school year. 

"Since it does involve complex issues, we're not going to rush to judgement on this," Superintendent S. Dallas Dance said at a Tuesday night Board of Education meeting.

l have been particularly vocal against the change, arguing that having children at different schools would be a burden on parents and disrupt the school community.

Dance said that his staff would need to be "systematic" in considering the rule change since the matter "far exceeds " and impacts all schools. He plans to make a recommendation to the board in February 2013.

"We're going to be deliberate with this," he said.

County Councilman David Marks, who said he understands the idea behind the rule change in the interest of countywide fairness, suggesting that the superintendent, as a compromise, extend priority placement until the 2018-2019 school year or grandfather the change to exempt current affected families.