Draft:Mt. Airy Elementary School

Mt. Airy Elementary School is an American public primary school located in Mt. Airy, Maryland that serves third through fifth grade. As of June 2024, approximately 470 students are enrolled. School hours range from 9:15am to 3:45pm. Reviews from parents generally recommend sending school-aged children to attend the institution.

Statistics
According to an online U.S. News school ranking in which 844 Maryland public schools were considered, Mt. Airy Elementary School places #158 in Maryland elementary schools and #10 in Carroll County elementary schools. The ranking uses data from the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years. There are 31 full-time teachers and the percentage of whom who are certified stands at 96%. The student to teacher ratio is 14:1, which is over 1 student less per teacher than the national average in the United States, as of 2023.

Design
The building features large glass windows that can open when necessary. It employs bricks for the main structure, which is mixed with green colored roofing, doorways, and gutters. It is accessible via the main street of Mount Airy, but can also be accessed by walking on a paved path that connects with Parr's Ridge Elementary School. There are two parking lots. The larger of the two is located between the school building and playground. In the mid-1980s, the school received major renovations both inside and out. The school has a natural-gas-fired heating system, school-wide air conditioning, and Internet access from the classrooms and computer lab.

History
The town of Mt. Airy is a registered historic district. Due to this, many important buildings, such as schools, have construction dates that can be traced back many decades. Notable defunct schools that have been established in Mt. Airy's boundaries include: Pine Grove Chapel (1846-1847), Old Mount Airy School (1916-1935), and the St. James School (1911-1912). By 1910, the population of Mount Airy grew to 428 residents and it was determined that the town had enough student population to justify a state accredited high school. The original structure was built in 1935. At the time, it was named Mount Airy High School and served kids from ninth through twelfth grade. In 1967, the high school closed and was subsequently replaced with the elementary school. Other Mt. Airy elementary schools still in use include: Parr's Ridge Elementary School (2006-present) and Twin Ridge Elementary School (1992-present).

2015 Closure Controversy
On September 21st, 2015, residents of Mt. Airy gathered in the cafeteria of Mt. Airy Elementary School to listen to local politicians and volunteers give a presentation about addressing a major funding issue for the local department of education. A week later, on September 28th, 2015, protestors held a rally outside of the Carroll County Board of Education in Westminster, Maryland. This event was not only a result of the proposed closure of Mt. Airy Elementary, but also many other schools across Carroll County. The most notable communities were Finksburg, Hampstead, Silver Run, and New Windsor, who created online petitions and Facebook groups to advocate against the mass closure of schools. According to a petition on Change.org, 260 students would be sent to Winfield Elementary School, 80 students would be sent to Lipton Springs Elementary School, and the remaining students would be sent to Parr's Ridge Elementary School. The Carroll County Board of Education claimed that the only way manage budget cuts within their department was to re-draw boundary lines and cut funding to certain schools that were deemed unworthy due to lower than average classroom sizes. According to the Baltimore Sun, "School officials say school closures and countywide redistricting will be necessary to reduce future cuts to the school system’s instructional budget. But the plan has drawn criticism from elected officials and residents who question why specific schools were chosen."

Second Closure Controversy (2017)
On October 27th, 2017, Mayor Patrick Rockinberg made an announcement to the citizens of Mount Airy. He requested that everyone took the time to participate in a Carroll County Public School survey which gauged the public's opinion on certain issues regarding re-districting and school funding. According to Mayor Rockinberg, "Mount Airy had a long history of school overcrowding and only recently has seen relief with the addition of Parr's Elementary and the re-build of Mount Airy Middle School." Additionally, in the announcement, Rockinberg solidified the general consensus of the town government's position on school closures, "We also oppose any re-districting of those within our defined town borders. We are a defined community already split by county lines."