safety of MCPS/Blair

[Anonymous]

We are debating switching from private to MCPS public for HS. One major concern is school safety. We are located for Montgomery Blair. Just heard of recent incidents there this week.
Can any current or past parents comment on frequency of "incidents", and have they been increasing in number? What does the school/mcps plan to do to improve the situation?
Do your kids feel safe at the school? TIA!

[Anonymous]

Remember the kids often self-segregate and if you have a child in higher classes they will be sheltered more but it will be a huge culture shock for you and your child from private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are debating switching from private to MCPS public for HS. One major concern is school safety. We are located for Montgomery Blair. Just heard of recent incidents there this week.
Can any current or past parents comment on frequency of "incidents", and have they been increasing in number? What does the school/mcps plan to do to improve the situation?
Do your kids feel safe at the school? TIA!

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

[Anonymous]

Give your self and your kid the gift of staying in private. You're welcome. -signed a mcps parent, taxpayer, voter.

[Anonymous]

They will lock bathrooms.
Humans are having all sorts of digestive, bladder, hygiene and mental issues over finding smokeless, available, safe bathroom stall with a working toilet, toilet paper and soap.

[Anonymous]

As you can see, all the replies above are from private schools parents who still have chips on their shoulders and trolls.

[Anonymous]

what was the incident this week?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As you can see, all the replies above are from private schools parents who still have chips on their shoulders and trolls.

There are very much issues in MCPS. Let's be real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are debating switching from private to MCPS public for HS. One major concern is school safety. We are located for Montgomery Blair. Just heard of recent incidents there this week.
Can any current or past parents comment on frequency of "incidents", and have they been increasing in number? What does the school/mcps plan to do to improve the situation?
Do your kids feel safe at the school? TIA!

I have a good friend who had a DC at Blair and just did the opposite after a rash of incidents there over the past year. They had older children who went and graduated from there but according to them, Blair has been on a seemingly unyielding downward trend in terms of safety over the past several years and they just had reached their point - they so no sign of things getting better, only worse. I have no idea how they were able to switch mid-year but they did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They will lock bathrooms.
Humans are having all sorts of digestive, bladder, hygiene and mental issues over finding smokeless, available, safe bathroom stall with a working toilet, toilet paper and soap.

This

I have two teenage sons at two different DCC schools

They do not use the bathrooms

they go from 715am to 315pm without peeing

if you can afford private, go private

[Anonymous]

We didn't really encounter any incidents. I know there was a shelter in place for a kid with a knife once, but he was apprehended in the parking lot. Also a bomb threat once with everyone cleared to the field.

I have been so impressed with Blair's leadership. How can Ms. Johnson manage such an enormous school with so much good will and cohesion? I witnessed this first hand having volunteered a lot -- sports, music, Afterprom.... I was really impressed by the level of respect students had for each other as well as parents and staff.

Recent grad parent.

[Anonymous]

Isn't Ms Johnson retiring this year?

[Anonymous]

My 9th grade boy at Blair uses the bathroom without any trouble and doesn’t feel unsafe at school. This week’s incidents were:

1) one kid brought a pellet gun to school - it was quickly dealt with by school and police

2) one child was acting “erratically”. That child was taken to the nurse and then to the hospital in an ambulance.

My kid wasn’t aware of either incident until I told him. Those are the only things I can recall this year other than the bomb threats that went to several MCPS high schools and middle schools and were ultimately chalked up to a hoax perpetrated by a 12 year old.

He has never seen a fight in the hallway or, as previously mentioned, had any issues in the bathroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 9th grade boy at Blair uses the bathroom without any trouble and doesn’t feel unsafe at school. This week’s incidents were:

1) one kid brought a pellet gun to school - it was quickly dealt with by school and police

2) one child was acting “erratically”. That child was taken to the nurse and then to the hospital in an ambulance.

My kid wasn’t aware of either incident until I told him. Those are the only things I can recall this year other than the bomb threats that went to several MCPS high schools and middle schools and were ultimately chalked up to a hoax perpetrated by a 12 year old.

He has never seen a fight in the hallway or, as previously mentioned, had any issues in the bathroom.

A ghost gun was brought onto campus at the beginning of this school year as well: https://wjla.com/news/local/ghost-gun-montgomery-blair-high-school-firearm-possession-school-property-safety-concerns-violence-county-police-mcpd-students-custody

[Anonymous]

I have a 9th grader and a 12th grader at Blair. Neither feels unsafe. They hadn’t even heard of the two incidents from yesterday.

They’ve been in public since middle school (we pulled them from private) and this kind of stuff just rolls off their backs. Part of going to a school of 3000+ and also living in Silver Spring and the DC metro area. They’re not afraid to go anywhere or do anything.