MCPS superintendent Joshua Starr answered questions regarding MCPS policy and his personal outlook on education in front of about 60 parents at a Listen and Learn event at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Nov. 16.

Two attendees asked about MCPS’ June decision to lease a 20-acre Brickyard Road property to the county government.  MCPS has leased the land to Nick’s Organic Farm since 1980 but now plans to lease it to the Montgomery County Department of General Services, which will hire a private developer to build soccer fields on it.

One parent suggested that the farm be allowed to remain on the property and that it be used as an learning center for students.  He also mentioned violations of the Open Meetings Act that occurred during negotiations between MCPS and the county government.

Starr said MCPS is working to resolve the Open Meetings Act violations.  He defended the decision, which was made before he was hired by the school system, to lease the property to the county, citing the need for cooperation between MCPS and the county government.

“We’re in a relation with the county where sometimes they need to give us something, and sometimes we need to give them something,” Starr said.  “It’s land we own, and they need it for fields, and so what we get is a good relationship with the county and more soccer fields for kids.”

Other issues raised included the student achievement gap, the increase in class sizes and the state of fine arts programs.  Starr expressed commitment to improvement in all these areas but stressed the limiting effects of the school budget.

“We are pretty much gonna stay where we are with class sizes for the foreseeable future,” Starr said.  “I don’t want them to get any bigger, and they’re not likely to get any smaller because we simply don’t have the money to make any significant reductions in class sizes across the board.”

The final Listen and Learn community event is Nov. 21 at Sherwood High School.  Video recordings of the events are available on the MCPS website.