Bullis Expansion?

[Anonymous]

When I was driving by Bullis this weekend and noticed signs saying they were seeking a zoning exception. I found this letter online:https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/BOA/Resources/Files/pdf/worksessions/20220420/Item5RequestforMajorMod.pdf

Looks like they are looking to build a new lower school and increase enrollment. Guess they are really seeing an increase in demand.

[Anonymous]

WOW

[Anonymous]

I wonder if they can fill another 200 slots. Wonder if that will all be in this new lower school?

[Anonymous]

Given that Bullis has turned away well more than that for multiple years, yes, they can fill those seats.

[Anonymous]

Don't do it! It is not worth it. Segregated community and lack luster academics. New head is proving to be just as bad as the last one. So many better options.

[Anonymous]

It’s an odd time to look to expand when the demographics trend is against them in the short term. The school age population of children is supposed to fall nationwide for a decade and Montgomery County is not growing. Maybe they are trying to get ahead of the next baby boom when Millennials start having children in large numbers 5 years from now.

[Anonymous]

They expanded from one to two K classes for this year. We got into Bullis and were choosing between Bullis and Norwood. We ended up choosing Norwood because we felt that Norwood has more of an emphasis on the younger grades. We know another family who made the same choice for the same reason.

It will be interesting to see how Bullis’s lower school evolves. We felt that the emphasis seemed to be more on the middle and high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They expanded from one to two K classes for this year. We got into Bullis and were choosing between Bullis and Norwood. We ended up choosing Norwood because we felt that Norwood has more of an emphasis on the younger grades. We know another family who made the same choice for the same reason.

It will be interesting to see how Bullis’s lower school evolves. We felt that the emphasis seemed to be more on the middle and high school.

If they are putting the resources into building a new lower school building, that would seem to indicate a lot of emphasis on younger grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They expanded from one to two K classes for this year. We got into Bullis and were choosing between Bullis and Norwood. We ended up choosing Norwood because we felt that Norwood has more of an emphasis on the younger grades. We know another family who made the same choice for the same reason.

It will be interesting to see how Bullis’s lower school evolves. We felt that the emphasis seemed to be more on the middle and high school.

If they are putting the resources into building a new lower school building, that would seem to indicate a lot of emphasis on younger grades.

Right, but what they’re doing speaks to the future, which is great, but doesn’t help families like ours as much. In contrast, Norwood has served the younger grades for their entire existence as a school. They will have a new K-2 building open in the fall. For us, it just seemed like Norwood has a more well-developed lower school program. Bullis may very well have one in the near future, but we didn’t see it at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anyone have info on the timeline for this new building?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone have info on the timeline for this new building?

Presumably they would still need to fundraise? So who knows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone have info on the timeline for this new building?

Presumably they would still need to fundraise? So who knows.

I would assume that going to the zoning board would be the last step before breaking ground.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't do it! It is not worth it. Segregated community and lack luster academics. New head is proving to be just as bad as the last one. So many better options.

Love the direction set by the HoS as do most people I talk to. What do you mean by proving to be just as bad as the last one?

[Anonymous]

But can they get the staff?? Currently 20 open positions on their website with current capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But can they get the staff?? Currently 20 open positions on their website with current capacity.

Did you actually look at what the open positions are? Very few are teaching positions.