Howard County Councilman Suggests Not Advertising Public Schools On House For Sale Signs
ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (WJZ) -- Howard County Councilman Opel Jones has a request for home buyers, sellers, realtors and developers.
Jones is asking they hold off on advertising public schools on the for sale sign.
He says this resolution will provide more transparency because even if a home is zoned for one particular school zone, it could easily change within a year.
"We want to make sure that anyone who buys a property, that they know that whatever school they go to it's going to be some of the best in the country," Jones said.
Councilman Jones says his resolution comes at the same time the county is having a conversation about redistricting.
The resolution, which was introduced this week, is independent of the Board of Education's redistricting proposal- but it's not entirely unrelated.
"If they also see a sign on top that says this particular school district, they think this is the school that I'm definitely going to when in fact that could change from year to year," Jones said.
For the last few weeks, Howard County parents and students have been voicing their concerns about the superintendent's plan to reassign close to 7,400 students to new schools.
"I want to stay with my friends, people that I know, teachers who I'm comfortable with," Rigel Wachter, a student, said.
Superintendent Michael Martirano has listened to hours of testimony but says the changes are necessary to ix overcrowding in some schools while addressing inequities poorer children face.
Councilman Jones says that his resolution is not a result of the redistricting proposal and that it is in no way legally binding- it's simply a suggestion.
The County Council will vote on this resolution on Nov. 4, and if it passes, it will go into effect immediately.
