Save Seven Locks School Coalition: Civic Organization based in Bethesda and committed to accountable local government

SAVE SEVEN LOCKS SCHOOL COALITION
Civic Organization Based In Bethesda Committed to Accountable Local Government

WHO WE ARE

The Seven Locks Coalition is an umbrella organization of civic associations representing approximately 6000 families in the area of West Bethesda and Potomac.

The Coalition was formed in Spring 2004 in order to challenge the decision of the Montgomery County School Board to shift from expanding and modernizing the Seven Locks Elementary School (intersection of Seven Locks Road and Bradley Boulevard in Bethesda) and, instead, to close that school, sell the site for non-school purposes, and build a replacement school on nearby Kendale Road.

Dubbed the “Save Seven Locks School Coalition,” the organization mobilized a broad campaign for the period, 2004-2006, to reverse the School Board’s plan. That campaign consisted of numerous statements before public hearings of the School Board and County Council, meetings with elected officials, meetings of the community, petition drives, outreach to the press and media, legal appeals and other efforts.

The Coalition achieved its primary immediate objective to “save Seven Locks School” in Spring 2006. This achievement was due to several factors: the determination of the community to stay the course, the public outcry over violations of County planning and land use procedures in Clarksburg, and the report of the County Inspector General on the “Seven Locks School Projects” which was highly critical of the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). Thanks to this confluence of events and pressures, the Montgomery County Council voted in Spring 2006 to reject the plan of the Board of Education and School Superintendent to build a large elementary school on Kendale Road and instead to endorse modernization and expansion of Seven Locks Elementary at its current site by December 2011.

Although the Seven Locks Coalition is pleased by much of the outcome regarding Seven Locks Elementary School, leaders of the Coalition remain concerned on two points:

o Given the history of the Seven Locks issue (see Time Line and “Saga of Seven Locks” in ARCHIVES), the Coalition believes that there could be yet another attempt by school officials to change plans for Seven Locks Elementary School.

o Given what the community learned about the lack of due process and transparency in some County decision-making and budget allocations, the Coalition considers the Seven Locks experience most important as a reflection of the broader need for increased accountability in local government.

For these reasons, the Coalition will remain active. Its goal is to encourage and maintain community vigilance in behalf of (a) the specific fate of Seven Locks Elementary School and (b) the more general need for increased accountability by Montgomery County government. The Coalition will thus hold periodic community meetings, issue updates, monitor government action, meet with government officials, maintain outreach to the press/media, and coordinate action with other comparably concerned organizations in Montgomery County and the State of Maryland.

Although the Coalition is non-partisan, one lesson from the Seven Locks experience is the need to understand the political process and to be ready to take required political action. The Coalition will therefore work with members of the community and other like-minded organizations to help identify candidates with a documented record of commitment to accountability and community participation in public policy.

The main civic associations affiliated with the Seven Locks Coalition are the following:

West Bradley Citizens' Association (WBCA)

Coverage: Area bounded by the Beltway, River Road, Cabin John Regional Park and Bradley Boulevard (over 800 homes)

Board of Directors:

Sandy Vogelgesang - President (301-365-2347)

Carl Koenig - Vice President and Treasurer (301-469-9189)

Sara Lowen – (301-365-5245)

Jane Ross - (301-469-0474)

David Tiktinsky - (301-365-2812)

Ralph Wilson – (301-469-6515)

Main contact for Seven Locks Elementary School issue:

Sandy Vogelgesang, (301-365-2347)