As a parent involved in the Seven Locks community for the past 11 years, I am astonished at the process the county appears to be following in its rush to close the existing school in favor of building a new school on Kendale Road. Despite claims to the contrary, neither the Board of Education nor the County Council have taken meaningful steps to involve their constituents in this decision. Indeed, it appears that the decision was made long ago, and that public input is being ignored if not actively discouraged.

More than two months ago, I wrote to all of the board and council members expressing concerns about the decision to abandon the existing small neighborhood school at Seven Locks and Bradley in favor of building a new school in what are now woodlands along a twisting, narrow road. Only two of these officials responded to my letter. Neither response acknowledged the substance of my concerns, which focused on the safety problems.

On the day I wrote that letter, as I drove to work along the newly re-opened Kendale Road, I had to come to an abrupt halt as I rounded the curve leading to the bridge over Ken Branch. A county truck was backing up off the bridge, so a school bus could cross in the opposite direction. Even after the bus passed the truck, I had to pull my car (a Jeep Liberty, not particularly wide) half off the road so that the bus could get around the turn.

I asked the board and council to imagine the difficulties inherent in forcing multiple school buses, and the cars and SUVs of parents, to negotiate this road in the mornings and afternoons, competing for space with children who will try to walk to school despite the lack of sidewalks. The obvious potential for disaster in this situation did not even generate a response from most of our elected officials.

This is not the type of government we deserve, and this is not a decision in the best interest of our children and our community.

David C. Beck, Potomac