Redistricting, police protection discussed in Keedysville

September 22, 2009|By DAVE McMILLION

KEEDYSVILLE -- School redistricting and police protection were among the issues discussed Tuesday night in a meeting the Washington County Commissioners held in Keedysville.

The commissioners met with residents at Keedysville Town Hall, where Mayor Matt Hull said there are concerns about a proposed school redistricting plan in the county.

Among the concerns is a proposal to send children from new developments in town to Rockland Woods Elementary School and to send the rest of the town's elementary students to Boonsboro Elementary, Hull said.

Hull said splitting the town's elementary school students between two schools "goes against my gut feeling." Washington County Board of Education member Ruth Anne Callaham, who was at the meeting, said redistricting is "one of those things you look at a lot. We're doing the best we can."

After the meeting, Callaham said she understood Hull's concern. But, she said, she could not comment too much on the issue because the redistricting proposals are still being studied by a Facilities and Enrollment Advisory Committee, which will make a recommendation to the Board of Education.

The commissioners and Washington County Sheriff Douglas W. Mullendore, who attended the meeting, talked about a meeting last week in Rohrersville about crime concerns in the Pleasant Valley area, which is generally considered to include Keedysville, Rohrersville, Brownsville, Sandy Hook and Knoxville.

There have been burglaries and thefts in the area recently and Pleasant Valley area residents, county officials and police met at the Rohrersville Ruritan Schoolhouse to discuss police response times and other issues.

Mullendore said Tuesday night that the boundary between the City of Hagerstown and the county can be confusing and it can make it hard for Hagerstown Police and the sheriff's department to respond to calls in their areas because of the boundary.

Mullendore said he and Hagerstown Police Chief Arthur Smith have talked about taking calls in each other's territory when it makes sense to do so. It will make the police operations more efficient, Mullendore said.

Mullendore said it would be a "small impact," but together with other changes could allow for flexibility to deal with issues in Pleasant Valley.

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