Woodward HS boundary study - BCC, Blair, Einstein, WJ, Kennedy, Northwood, Wheaton, Whitman impacts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:7:09 PP who asked about HS boundaries/reassignment here -

thanks to all who replied! It sounds like it will be complicated, but at this point, still possible that 10th graders could be reassigned when Woodward opens. My oldest will be in 10th grade then, hence my interest. Thanks again.

What’s even more likely is that there are more delays that crop over the next few years and your kid is a junior or senior by the time Woodward opens. I also have a class of 2030 student and this is how I’m leaning at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7:09 PP who asked about HS boundaries/reassignment here -

thanks to all who replied! It sounds like it will be complicated, but at this point, still possible that 10th graders could be reassigned when Woodward opens. My oldest will be in 10th grade then, hence my interest. Thanks again.

What’s even more likely is that there are more delays that crop over the next few years and your kid is a junior or senior by the time Woodward opens. I also have a class of 2030 student and this is how I’m leaning at this point.

There is also a lot of new apartments and condos in Rockville so that may also impact numbers. I think it will mainly impact WJ and a drop of the surrounding area but they are not going to bus sone of the DCC kids cross town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7:09 PP who asked about HS boundaries/reassignment here -

thanks to all who replied! It sounds like it will be complicated, but at this point, still possible that 10th graders could be reassigned when Woodward opens. My oldest will be in 10th grade then, hence my interest. Thanks again.

What’s even more likely is that there are more delays that crop over the next few years and your kid is a junior or senior by the time Woodward opens. I also have a class of 2030 student and this is how I’m leaning at this point.

There is also a lot of new apartments and condos in Rockville so that may also impact numbers. I think it will mainly impact WJ and a drop of the surrounding area but they are not going to bus sone of the DCC kids cross town.

Which town are they not going to bus some of the DCC kids across?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happens to kids who are starting 10th grade when the new boundaries go in place? How would they decide who moves to Woodward since many DCC kids don’t attend their home high school?

It's a big question. I'm the person who posted about their DD who will be a junior. In my opinion (which means jack) they should start the school with a freshman class and build from there. If they do that though, how do they have sports teams? Do kids just miss our? I honestly have no idea. I really hope that they don't make juniors and seniors move though.

Juniors and seniors are typically allowed to remain at their previous schools. Sophomores are likely to be moved.

How do they do it for middle school? Do 7th graders get to stay or do they have to move?

Rising 7th graders, I mean. Do they get to stay where they started in 6th or do they have to switch and do 7th grade in a whole new school if the boundaries get redrawn?

Rising 7th graders usually switch to the rezoned school. Rising 8th graders stay.

This is how they phrased it in the last MS boundary study, in Gaithersburg:

"Resolved, That for the middle schools, the boundary reassignments be implemented, beginning with Grade 6 and Grade 7 in the 2022–2023 school year and that students in Grade 8 remain in their current middle schools, followed by full implementation of Grades 6–8 in the 2023–2024 school year."

DP - thank you! Do you (or anyone else) know if there's any specific language for Grade 10 in these cases? What I found online suggests they'll have a choice whether to stay or change schools, but this thread has suggested they'll need to move. TIA.

The last time HS boundaries changed was with Clarksburg, Northwest, and Seneca Valley. It was more complicated. See pages 3-4:

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/boundarystudypdfs/SVHS_BOEResolution.pdf

This part is interesting

Resolved, That current Grade 9 students who have begun one of the following special programs
be permitted to remain at their current high school to complete the special program.
Clarksburg High School
 Advanced Placement Power Scholars Signature Program (APPS)
 Pathways in Network and Information Technology (P-TECH)
Northwest High School
 Ulysses Signature Program
 Middle College (MC2
) Program;

So kids who are in Apex, Aces or any other special program at WJ may be able to stay put.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7:09 PP who asked about HS boundaries/reassignment here -

thanks to all who replied! It sounds like it will be complicated, but at this point, still possible that 10th graders could be reassigned when Woodward opens. My oldest will be in 10th grade then, hence my interest. Thanks again.

What’s even more likely is that there are more delays that crop over the next few years and your kid is a junior or senior by the time Woodward opens. I also have a class of 2030 student and this is how I’m leaning at this point.

There is also a lot of new apartments and condos in Rockville so that may also impact numbers. I think it will mainly impact WJ and a drop of the surrounding area but they are not going to bus sone of the DCC kids cross town.

Which town are they not going to bus some of the DCC kids across?

Kensington, silly!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The new CIP is posted ahead of Tuesday's meeting. Here is the language about the delay:

"As part of the recommended FY 2025–2030 CIP, the completion date for the Northwood High School project is delayed one-year due to an extension of the construction timeline. As a result of Northwood High School remaining at Charles W. Woodward High School, its holding facility, for one additional year, the recommended completion date for the reopening of Charles W. Woodward High school is August 2027. A recommendation to adjust the timeline of the approved boundary study to align with the opening of Charles W. Woodward High School will be presented as part of the Board of Education’s worksessions on the FY 2025-2030 CIP."

Today they briefly showed a slide which proposed pushing all of the Woodward study dates forward by one year, so the vote on new boundaries would now happen in March 2026, with the school(s) opening in Fall 2027. But then Rebecca Smondrowski asked if all these HS projects coinciding would be a good opportunity to look a countywide boundary study, and Seth Adams didn't say yes or no, but said they would have to evaluate the possibilities and could come back to the board in the spring with some new proposals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Adventist hospital site would have worked but it seems like the DCC just isn't a priority.

I agree the hospital is the largest potential site inside the beltway. But even that is only 14 acres. BCC is the smallest current HS site, and it's 16.36 acres.

Maybe not ideal but would work if they built up and didn't bother with nonsense like a sports arena which doesn't seem all that necessary anyway.

It may not seem all that necessary to you, but the discussion about Woodward showed that most people disagree with you and believe a high school needs a sports stadium.

Sports aren't a necessary part of public education.

Great to know that MCPS can look to solve their fiscal problems by shutting down athletics county-wide!

MCPS is responsible for providing similar access to reasonably equivalent educational experiences across the whole county. They can't give short shrift to an area that is "difficult" because of poor past planning and claim to be doing their job.

If they wanted to entertain the posssibility of a high school without field sports in order to save money, they'd need to provide something different/unique that would result in matriculating students having a reasonably equivalent liklihood of desiring to attend that school vs. others in the county (and not just adjacent schools), given the choice.

They already deny access to sports and extracurriculars for tax-paying homeschoolers, so either make it a community function through Parks and Rec, or shut it down...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Adventist hospital site would have worked but it seems like the DCC just isn't a priority.

I agree the hospital is the largest potential site inside the beltway. But even that is only 14 acres. BCC is the smallest current HS site, and it's 16.36 acres.

Maybe not ideal but would work if they built up and didn't bother with nonsense like a sports arena which doesn't seem all that necessary anyway.

It may not seem all that necessary to you, but the discussion about Woodward showed that most people disagree with you and believe a high school needs a sports stadium.

Sports aren't a necessary part of public education.

Great to know that MCPS can look to solve their fiscal problems by shutting down athletics county-wide!

MCPS is responsible for providing similar access to reasonably equivalent educational experiences across the whole county. They can't give short shrift to an area that is "difficult" because of poor past planning and claim to be doing their job.

If they wanted to entertain the posssibility of a high school without field sports in order to save money, they'd need to provide something different/unique that would result in matriculating students having a reasonably equivalent liklihood of desiring to attend that school vs. others in the county (and not just adjacent schools), given the choice.

They already deny access to sports and extracurriculars for tax-paying homeschoolers, so either make it a community function through Parks and Rec, or shut it down...

It's so terrible how MCPS does not allow non-MCPS students to participate in MCPS sports and extracurriculars!

Actually I'm being sarcastic. I don't think it's terrible at all. I think it's how it ought to be. If you want your kid to be able to participate in MCPS sports and extracurriculars, then enroll your kid in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Adventist hospital site would have worked but it seems like the DCC just isn't a priority.

I agree the hospital is the largest potential site inside the beltway. But even that is only 14 acres. BCC is the smallest current HS site, and it's 16.36 acres.

Maybe not ideal but would work if they built up and didn't bother with nonsense like a sports arena which doesn't seem all that necessary anyway.

It may not seem all that necessary to you, but the discussion about Woodward showed that most people disagree with you and believe a high school needs a sports stadium.

Sports aren't a necessary part of public education.

Great to know that MCPS can look to solve their fiscal problems by shutting down athletics county-wide!

MCPS is responsible for providing similar access to reasonably equivalent educational experiences across the whole county. They can't give short shrift to an area that is "difficult" because of poor past planning and claim to be doing their job.

If they wanted to entertain the posssibility of a high school without field sports in order to save money, they'd need to provide something different/unique that would result in matriculating students having a reasonably equivalent liklihood of desiring to attend that school vs. others in the county (and not just adjacent schools), given the choice.

They already deny access to sports and extracurriculars for tax-paying homeschoolers, so either make it a community function through Parks and Rec, or shut it down...

It's so terrible how MCPS does not allow non-MCPS students to participate in MCPS sports and extracurriculars!

Actually I'm being sarcastic. I don't think it's terrible at all. I think it's how it ought to be. If you want your kid to be able to participate in MCPS sports and extracurriculars, then enroll your kid in MCPS.

They also deny the kids in MCPS Virtual School as well.. there is zero reason why homeschool or virtual kids should not get to participate, especially when MCPS promised Virtual families they could.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Adventist hospital site would have worked but it seems like the DCC just isn't a priority.

I agree the hospital is the largest potential site inside the beltway. But even that is only 14 acres. BCC is the smallest current HS site, and it's 16.36 acres.

Maybe not ideal but would work if they built up and didn't bother with nonsense like a sports arena which doesn't seem all that necessary anyway.

It may not seem all that necessary to you, but the discussion about Woodward showed that most people disagree with you and believe a high school needs a sports stadium.

Sports aren't a necessary part of public education.

Great to know that MCPS can look to solve their fiscal problems by shutting down athletics county-wide!

MCPS is responsible for providing similar access to reasonably equivalent educational experiences across the whole county. They can't give short shrift to an area that is "difficult" because of poor past planning and claim to be doing their job.

If they wanted to entertain the posssibility of a high school without field sports in order to save money, they'd need to provide something different/unique that would result in matriculating students having a reasonably equivalent liklihood of desiring to attend that school vs. others in the county (and not just adjacent schools), given the choice.

They already deny access to sports and extracurriculars for tax-paying homeschoolers, so either make it a community function through Parks and Rec, or shut it down...

It's so terrible how MCPS does not allow non-MCPS students to participate in MCPS sports and extracurriculars!

Actually I'm being sarcastic. I don't think it's terrible at all. I think it's how it ought to be. If you want your kid to be able to participate in MCPS sports and extracurriculars, then enroll your kid in MCPS.

They also deny the kids in MCPS Virtual School as well.. there is zero reason why homeschool or virtual kids should not get to participate, especially when MCPS promised Virtual families they could.

Home school kids: not enrolled in MCPS
Private school kids: not enrolled in MCPS
MCPS Virtual School kids: enrolled in MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Adventist hospital site would have worked but it seems like the DCC just isn't a priority.

I agree the hospital is the largest potential site inside the beltway. But even that is only 14 acres. BCC is the smallest current HS site, and it's 16.36 acres.

Maybe not ideal but would work if they built up and didn't bother with nonsense like a sports arena which doesn't seem all that necessary anyway.

It may not seem all that necessary to you, but the discussion about Woodward showed that most people disagree with you and believe a high school needs a sports stadium.

Sports aren't a necessary part of public education.

Great to know that MCPS can look to solve their fiscal problems by shutting down athletics county-wide!

MCPS is responsible for providing similar access to reasonably equivalent educational experiences across the whole county. They can't give short shrift to an area that is "difficult" because of poor past planning and claim to be doing their job.

If they wanted to entertain the posssibility of a high school without field sports in order to save money, they'd need to provide something different/unique that would result in matriculating students having a reasonably equivalent liklihood of desiring to attend that school vs. others in the county (and not just adjacent schools), given the choice.

They already deny access to sports and extracurriculars for tax-paying homeschoolers, so either make it a community function through Parks and Rec, or shut it down...

It's so terrible how MCPS does not allow non-MCPS students to participate in MCPS sports and extracurriculars!

Actually I'm being sarcastic. I don't think it's terrible at all. I think it's how it ought to be. If you want your kid to be able to participate in MCPS sports and extracurriculars, then enroll your kid in MCPS.

They're denying me access to MCPS. Of course I'm a bit older than the usual student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Adventist hospital site would have worked but it seems like the DCC just isn't a priority.

I agree the hospital is the largest potential site inside the beltway. But even that is only 14 acres. BCC is the smallest current HS site, and it's 16.36 acres.

Maybe not ideal but would work if they built up and didn't bother with nonsense like a sports arena which doesn't seem all that necessary anyway.

It may not seem all that necessary to you, but the discussion about Woodward showed that most people disagree with you and believe a high school needs a sports stadium.

Sports aren't a necessary part of public education.

Great to know that MCPS can look to solve their fiscal problems by shutting down athletics county-wide!

MCPS is responsible for providing similar access to reasonably equivalent educational experiences across the whole county. They can't give short shrift to an area that is "difficult" because of poor past planning and claim to be doing their job.

If they wanted to entertain the posssibility of a high school without field sports in order to save money, they'd need to provide something different/unique that would result in matriculating students having a reasonably equivalent liklihood of desiring to attend that school vs. others in the county (and not just adjacent schools), given the choice.

They already deny access to sports and extracurriculars for tax-paying homeschoolers, so either make it a community function through Parks and Rec, or shut it down...

It's so terrible how MCPS does not allow non-MCPS students to participate in MCPS sports and extracurriculars!

Actually I'm being sarcastic. I don't think it's terrible at all. I think it's how it ought to be. If you want your kid to be able to participate in MCPS sports and extracurriculars, then enroll your kid in MCPS.

They're denying me access to MCPS. Of course I'm a bit older than the usual student.

You can go to mcps school then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7:09 PP who asked about HS boundaries/reassignment here -

thanks to all who replied! It sounds like it will be complicated, but at this point, still possible that 10th graders could be reassigned when Woodward opens. My oldest will be in 10th grade then, hence my interest. Thanks again.

What’s even more likely is that there are more delays that crop over the next few years and your kid is a junior or senior by the time Woodward opens. I also have a class of 2030 student and this is how I’m leaning at this point.

BINGO!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new CIP is posted ahead of Tuesday's meeting. Here is the language about the delay:

"As part of the recommended FY 2025–2030 CIP, the completion date for the Northwood High School project is delayed one-year due to an extension of the construction timeline. As a result of Northwood High School remaining at Charles W. Woodward High School, its holding facility, for one additional year, the recommended completion date for the reopening of Charles W. Woodward High school is August 2027. A recommendation to adjust the timeline of the approved boundary study to align with the opening of Charles W. Woodward High School will be presented as part of the Board of Education’s worksessions on the FY 2025-2030 CIP."

Today they briefly showed a slide which proposed pushing all of the Woodward study dates forward by one year, so the vote on new boundaries would now happen in March 2026, with the school(s) opening in Fall 2027. But then Rebecca Smondrowski asked if all these HS projects coinciding would be a good opportunity to look a countywide boundary study, and Seth Adams didn't say yes or no, but said they would have to evaluate the possibilities and could come back to the board in the spring with some new proposals.

I think it would be great to do a county-wide reassessment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new CIP is posted ahead of Tuesday's meeting. Here is the language about the delay:

"As part of the recommended FY 2025–2030 CIP, the completion date for the Northwood High School project is delayed one-year due to an extension of the construction timeline. As a result of Northwood High School remaining at Charles W. Woodward High School, its holding facility, for one additional year, the recommended completion date for the reopening of Charles W. Woodward High school is August 2027. A recommendation to adjust the timeline of the approved boundary study to align with the opening of Charles W. Woodward High School will be presented as part of the Board of Education’s worksessions on the FY 2025-2030 CIP."

Today they briefly showed a slide which proposed pushing all of the Woodward study dates forward by one year, so the vote on new boundaries would now happen in March 2026, with the school(s) opening in Fall 2027. But then Rebecca Smondrowski asked if all these HS projects coinciding would be a good opportunity to look a countywide boundary study, and Seth Adams didn't say yes or no, but said they would have to evaluate the possibilities and could come back to the board in the spring with some new proposals.

It’s a good opportunity sure, but they can’t seem to make any progress on conducting any of these boundary studies on their own, individuallly. That is not going to become any easier by adding significant complexity to the task.