Overcrowding at Walter johnson

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know what’s going on with WJ regarding overcrowding? Heard about a new high school to split up WJ. Sorry I am new to this area

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know what’s going on with WJ regarding overcrowding? Heard about a new high school to split up WJ. Sorry I am new to this area

Yes, they are building a new high school on Old Georgetown north of WJ to relieve overcrowding at WJ and other schools. It’s the site of the former Woodward high school which was closed in the 80s. Search this forum for Woodward and there’s a ton of information here.

[Anonymous]

You can find lots of info about the new Woodward HS plans here:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/facilities/construction/project/woodwardhs.aspx

But the opening date has recently been pushed back to fall of 2026.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can find lots of info about the new Woodward HS plans here:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/facilities/construction/project/woodwardhs.aspx

But the opening date has recently been pushed back to fall of 2026.

So none of the students currently in the school will benefit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can find lots of info about the new Woodward HS plans here:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/facilities/construction/project/woodwardhs.aspx

But the opening date has recently been pushed back to fall of 2026.

So none of the students currently in the school will benefit

True. And even the students entering 9th grade next year, who'll be seniors the year the new school opens, will end up staying at WJ that year because MCPS doesn't rezone rising seniors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can find lots of info about the new Woodward HS plans here:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/facilities/construction/project/woodwardhs.aspx

But the opening date has recently been pushed back to fall of 2026.

The website you linked appears to still say Fall 2025, where did you hear that it’s shifted to 2026?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can find lots of info about the new Woodward HS plans here:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/facilities/construction/project/woodwardhs.aspx

But the opening date has recently been pushed back to fall of 2026.

The website you linked appears to still say Fall 2025, where did you hear that it’s shifted to 2026?

It was part of the budget process last year - maybe in the CIP - but I think the final decision to delay it came later, not sure.

[Anonymous]

Classic vapor ware from MCPS - this school will actually be complete in 2035

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can find lots of info about the new Woodward HS plans here:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/facilities/construction/project/woodwardhs.aspx

But the opening date has recently been pushed back to fall of 2026.

The website you linked appears to still say Fall 2025, where did you hear that it’s shifted to 2026?

It's in the current CIP:

Charles W. Woodward High School
Capital Project: To address the urgent space needs at Walter Johnson High School and the Downcounty Consortium high schools, an FY 2021 appropriation for construction was approved to reopen the school. The Board of Education approved that Charles W. Woodward High School be used as a holding school, starting in August 2023. for Northwood High School for two years. Northwood High School will return to its facility in August 2025. An FY 2023 appropriation was requested for construction cost increases and the balance of construction funds. However, due to fiscal constraints, the County Council, in the adopted FY2023-2028 CIP, delayed this project one year. The additional expenditures were approved, but the scheduled completion date for the reopening of Charles W. Woodward High School is now August 2026.

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/MP23_Chapter4JohnsonW.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can find lots of info about the new Woodward HS plans here:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/facilities/construction/project/woodwardhs.aspx

But the opening date has recently been pushed back to fall of 2026.

The website you linked appears to still say Fall 2025, where did you hear that it’s shifted to 2026?

It's in the current CIP:

Charles W. Woodward High School
Capital Project: To address the urgent space needs at Walter Johnson High School and the Downcounty Consortium high schools, an FY 2021 appropriation for construction was approved to reopen the school. The Board of Education approved that Charles W. Woodward High School be used as a holding school, starting in August 2023. for Northwood High School for two years. Northwood High School will return to its facility in August 2025. An FY 2023 appropriation was requested for construction cost increases and the balance of construction funds. However, due to fiscal constraints, the County Council, in the adopted FY2023-2028 CIP, delayed this project one year. The additional expenditures were approved, but the scheduled completion date for the reopening of Charles W. Woodward High School is now August 2026.

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/MP23_Chapter4JohnsonW.pdf

And, to be clear, the dates they have there for Northwood are now delayed as well. So, as of now, Northwood is in phase I of the Woodward building as a holding school for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years, and Woodward phase II reopens as a new HS for the 2026-27 school year.

[Anonymous]

Join the club. My kid is at Einstein and the stairwells are jammed, hallways crowded, some classrooms can't accommodate number of kids. My main concern is safety in case there is an emergency/evacuation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Join the club. My kid is at Einstein and the stairwells are jammed, hallways crowded, some classrooms can't accommodate number of kids. My main concern is safety in case there is an emergency/evacuation.

Yep. Same at our high school. It is SO crowded.

The population in Montgomery County has exploded in the past 5-10 years. Almost ever school (ES/MS/HS) is overcrowded and understaffed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Join the club. My kid is at Einstein and the stairwells are jammed, hallways crowded, some classrooms can't accommodate number of kids. My main concern is safety in case there is an emergency/evacuation.

Northwood is 275 students over. Einstein is 250 over. Blair is 300 over. WJ is 550 over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Join the club. My kid is at Einstein and the stairwells are jammed, hallways crowded, some classrooms can't accommodate number of kids. My main concern is safety in case there is an emergency/evacuation.

Northwood is 275 students over. Einstein is 250 over. Blair is 300 over. WJ is 550 over.

Those are last year's numbers. It'll be interesting to see how much each of them has gone up when this year's numbers are released.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Join the club. My kid is at Einstein and the stairwells are jammed, hallways crowded, some classrooms can't accommodate number of kids. My main concern is safety in case there is an emergency/evacuation.

Yep. Same at our high school. It is SO crowded.

The population in Montgomery County has exploded in the past 5-10 years. Almost ever school (ES/MS/HS) is overcrowded and understaffed.

Why do they keep giving developers a pass on taxes to fund building more schools to accommodate al the new housing?