When are Woodward boundaries going to be decided?

[Anonymous]

Will all the new development planned for Randolph Road feed into Viers Mill?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ummmm for demographics. Cut off the most FARM-y areas of Einstein to make free space in the school, send some to WJ and some to Woodward, insert I dunno Kensington Parkwood into Einstein. Demographics at Einstein solved.

THAT is the world Option 4 opens.

Then Einstein becomes a much different school overnight and moves from a GS 5 to a GS 7 at least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will all the new development planned for Randolph Road feed into Viers Mill?

Randolph Farms, I believe. Those will be high end townhouses. Plus some other new development? It’s hard to keep up with the growth. Viers Mills is close geographically to Woodward, but not sure it’s big enough to accommodate all the new development.

[Anonymous]

I really thought there was supposed to be a new ES in North Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

No. There is a countywide analysis of boundaries going on. That is entirely separate from the boundary study that will happen before Woodward opens and that will (based on current CIP) involve Walter Johnson and the DCC.

You are making the assumption that after the boundary analysis the boundary study process will remain the same. In addition to looking at current student population distribution, some of what should be in the report are alternate methods being used elsewhere for assigning students to schools. There have been other ideas discussed in the open forum already.

Personally I'd like to see a process where there were no fixed boundaries. Every home/neighborhood would have at least 2 schools, and preferably 3 or 4, that students could attend at each level. Students would submit a preference form when entering K, 6, and 9. Students would be placed according to both preference and countywide facility utilization. No base school that is automatic. If overall a particular year was projected to be 105% building utilization at a certain level, then students would be assigned to fill schools to 105% +/- 5%. After the initial switch to such a system, it would be relatively stable. If student enrollment is increasing in one part of the county, then students would slowly be shifted away from that area. If student enrollment is decreasing in an area (think Clarksburg HS in 20 years, or Magruder now), then students would slowly be shifted towards those schools.

[Anonymous]

So maybe Woodward gets Luxmanor, Garrett Park, Farmland plus Viers Mills and performing arts magnet. It will be so interesting to see what the BOE does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does that leave two ES at Einstein? Or do you move some over from Wheaton or something? Moving 4 ES seems like pretty big takeaway from Einstein.

There are six ESs going to Einstein now.

When Woodward was open before, Viers Mill went there and now goes to Wheaton. I fully expect Viers Mill to go back to Woodward. Less sure about Shriver.

There are five ESs in the Einstein cluster: Highland, Rock View, Oakland Terrace, Flora Singer, and Woodlin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does that leave two ES at Einstein? Or do you move some over from Wheaton or something? Moving 4 ES seems like pretty big takeaway from Einstein.

There are six ESs going to Einstein now.

When Woodward was open before, Viers Mill went there and now goes to Wheaton. I fully expect Viers Mill to go back to Woodward. Less sure about Shriver.

There are five ESs in the Einstein cluster: Highland, Rock
View, Oakland Terrace, Flora Singer, and Woodlin.

Glen Haven is technically, but it articulates to Northwood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No. There is a countywide analysis of boundaries going on. That is entirely separate from the boundary study that will happen before Woodward opens and that will (based on current CIP) involve Walter Johnson and the DCC.

You are making the assumption that after the boundary analysis the boundary study process will remain the same. In addition to looking at current student population distribution, some of what should be in the report are alternate methods being used elsewhere for assigning students to schools. There have been other ideas discussed in the open forum already.

Personally I'd like to see a process where there were no fixed boundaries. Every home/neighborhood would have at least 2 schools, and preferably 3 or 4, that students could attend at each level. Students would submit a preference form when entering K, 6, and 9. Students would be placed according to both preference and countywide facility utilization. No base school that is automatic. If overall a particular year was projected to be 105% building utilization at a certain level, then students would be assigned to fill schools to 105% +/- 5%. After the initial switch to such a system, it would be relatively stable. If student enrollment is increasing in one part of the county, then students would slowly be shifted away from that area. If student enrollment is decreasing in an area (think Clarksburg HS in 20 years, or Magruder now), then students would slowly be shifted towards those schools.

How would they deal with the bus routes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ahh Viers Mill. I knew there was another ES that went to Woodward back in the day.

As wasn't Bradley Hills attending NBMS and WJ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dear OP - this is why we did not buy in WJ. However, we do not commute to DC. If you do and look to stay in WJ, my analysis is def avoid WJ assigned part of Kensington - there is at least 50/50 they will get reassigned, and there is a $150k-$200k differential for WJ in every single one of those homes. That is what every single family stands to lose, more so with recent buyers.

Try to buy in North Bethesda MS. I also think that, as long as you are in the lower market segment, your housing value will more or less maintain itself.

A lot of misinformation in this post. Kensington Parkwood ES is zoned for North Bethesda MS. Also, the disparity in Kensington is due to one area being zoned for WJ (GS 9 score) and one area being zoned for Einstein (GS 5). If Kensington Parkwood gets rezoned to Woodward, I’m guessing Woodward will be at least a GS 7, if not higher.

KP should go to HS which is less than mile from KP. Neighborhood schools should be made as much a possible and in this case putting KP in Einstein will achieve balancing geography, demography and capacity. It's a logical step. KP shouldn't be part of either WJ or Woodward. Einstein is right next to KP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ummmm for demographics. Cut off the most FARM-y areas of Einstein to make free space in the school, send some to WJ and some to Woodward, insert I dunno Kensington Parkwood into Einstein. Demographics at Einstein solved.

THAT is the world Option 4 opens.

Then Einstein becomes a much different school overnight and moves from a GS 5 to a GS 7 at least.

Right approach. Einstein will improve by adding KP. It won't be the same Einstein.

[Anonymous]

Huge new development in Rock Spring (walking distance to WJ) will also have to be squeezed in. We need a consultant just to keep track of all the new development!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dear OP - this is why we did not buy in WJ. However, we do not commute to DC. If you do and look to stay in WJ, my analysis is def avoid WJ assigned part of Kensington - there is at least 50/50 they will get reassigned, and there is a $150k-$200k differential for WJ in every single one of those homes. That is what every single family stands to lose, more so with recent buyers.

Try to buy in North Bethesda MS. I also think that, as long as you are in the lower market segment, your housing value will more or less maintain itself.

A lot of misinformation in this post. Kensington Parkwood ES is zoned for North Bethesda MS. Also, the disparity in Kensington is due to one area being zoned for WJ (GS 9 score) and one area being zoned for Einstein (GS 5). If Kensington Parkwood gets rezoned to Woodward, I’m guessing Woodward will be at least a GS 7, if not higher.

KP should go to HS which is less than mile from KP. Neighborhood schools should be made as much a possible and in this case putting KP in Einstein will achieve balancing geography, demography and capacity. It's a logical step. KP shouldn't be part of either WJ or Woodward. Einstein is right next to KP.

It’s actually not. Kensington-Parkwood elementary is almost as close to WJ as it is to Einstein (both are around 2.5 miles away). And if you put Kensington-Parkwood into Einstein which schools from Einstein would go to WJ or Woodward? Rock View ES is in Einstein’s zone so it’s not going. And schools like Highland and Oakland Terrace are almost 5 miles away from WJ and Woodward. That is going to be a hell of a ride for kids in rush hour traffic.

[Anonymous]

And schools like Woodlin and Flora Singer are almost 7 miles away from WJ and Woodward. The “walkable” school argument to switch KP to Einstein falls apart when every ES they’d have to pull out of Einstein and transfer to WJ or Woodward is 2x to 3x further away from WJ and Woodward as KP is from Einstein.

As someone said in the thread on the real estate forum the only thing that makes sense is for some Tilden MS zoned ESs to go to Woodward along with an ES like Viers Mill from Wheaton. And if Viers Mill leaves Wheaton maybe Highland ES can be rezonedn there (Wheaton has space and just had a remodel).

I live in Kensington and my DS is zoned for WJ. I am not worried about resale value because I live within walking distance to the MARC and shopping and Kensington will always be desirable for its mix of architecture (one of the only close in bedroom communities with Victorian homes), walkability and access to transit and a great park system. Homes zoned for Einstein and close to the MARC are flying off the market, so I’m not worried about the price of my home dropping below what I paid for it in 2025 when the zoning changes happen. By then I can walk to the MARC and be at Amazon’s HQ in Crystal City in around 45 to 50 minutes. The Purple Line will be built and it will be a 5 minute drive to Chevy Chase Lake. Pike and Rose part 2 will be in and so will a slew of development less than 10 minutes away in North Bethesda. Being transfered to Einstein in 2025 shouldn’t keep you up at night or stop you from buying a home in a beautiful neighborhood like the Town of Kensington. Everything will be fine.