If a school boundary changes when your kid is in 10th grade, what happens?

[Anonymous]

Does your kid get to finish out high school in the current school with a COSA or your kid has to go to the new school that you will be zoned for?

My kid will be in 9th grade in 2026-27. I am wondering what will happen for 10th grade since our high school will most likely be changed.

[Anonymous]

Your child and all other students in the same situation would switch schools in 10th grade. You wouldn’t be able to get a COSA because this move would affect every student who was rezoned. COSAs are for specific personal circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Current 5th and 7th graders will end up having to switch schools after 6th and 9th grades because of the boundary changes.

[Anonymous]

Your child won't be alone, and other kids will move with your kid together to new school. Omg, you don't want your child to be the only one left behind, and that's quite challenging on making new friendship.

[Anonymous]

My understanding is this based on their legacy policy - Current high school students are allowed to stay at their original school through graduation, even if their home address falls into a new boundary zone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is this based on their legacy policy - Current high school students are allowed to stay at their original school through graduation, even if their home address falls into a new boundary zone.

Nope. In recent MCPS boundary changes (when new schools have opened, for example), 8th graders if new MS boundary and 11th/12th graders if new HS are allowed to stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Current 5th and 7th graders will end up having to switch schools after 6th and 9th grades because of the boundary changes.

The boundary changes will go into effect fall 2027. Current 7th graders would start 9th grade at new HS. Current 8th graders would switch after 9th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does your kid get to finish out high school in the current school with a COSA or your kid has to go to the new school that you will be zoned for?

My kid will be in 9th grade in 2026-27. I am wondering what will happen for 10th grade since our high school will most likely be changed.

The superintendent has said he plans to recommend to the Board that rising 7th and 10th graders have to move to the new school, while rising 8th, 11th, and 12th graders get to stay at the old school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your kid get to finish out high school in the current school with a COSA or your kid has to go to the new school that you will be zoned for?

My kid will be in 9th grade in 2026-27. I am wondering what will happen for 10th grade since our high school will most likely be changed.

The superintendent has said he plans to recommend to the Board that rising 7th and 10th graders have to move to the new school, while rising 8th, 11th, and 12th graders get to stay at the old school.

It’s really disruptive to the rising 10th graders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your kid get to finish out high school in the current school with a COSA or your kid has to go to the new school that you will be zoned for?

My kid will be in 9th grade in 2026-27. I am wondering what will happen for 10th grade since our high school will most likely be changed.

The superintendent has said he plans to recommend to the Board that rising 7th and 10th graders have to move to the new school, while rising 8th, 11th, and 12th graders get to stay at the old school.

It’s really disruptive to the rising 10th graders.

And the rising 7th graders. At least for the 10th graders there's some justification before you don't want the new high schools to have only freshmen in them and take 3 full years to fill up. But the middle schoolers are just changing places, not filling any empty schools, so there's no good reason to make the 7th graders switch besides "that's the way we've always done it."

[Anonymous]

so a rising 9th grader would go to old HS for one year and then switch? it seems more reasonable that once you're in a school you can stay thru the terminal grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:so a rising 9th grader would go to old HS for one year and then switch? it seems more reasonable that once you're in a school you can stay thru the terminal grade

Rising 9th graders would start HS at their newly assigned school and remain there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your kid get to finish out high school in the current school with a COSA or your kid has to go to the new school that you will be zoned for?

My kid will be in 9th grade in 2026-27. I am wondering what will happen for 10th grade since our high school will most likely be changed.

The superintendent has said he plans to recommend to the Board that rising 7th and 10th graders have to move to the new school, while rising 8th, 11th, and 12th graders get to stay at the old school.

It’s really disruptive to the rising 10th graders.

And the rising 7th graders. At least for the 10th graders there's some justification before you don't want the new high schools to have only freshmen in them and take 3 full years to fill up. But the middle schoolers are just changing places, not filling any empty schools, so there's no good reason to make the 7th graders switch besides "that's the way we've always done it."

High school is more detrimental as they need to apply for college. If they feel depressed during the change(e.g., leaving their friends), this has more impact on their future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your kid get to finish out high school in the current school with a COSA or your kid has to go to the new school that you will be zoned for?

My kid will be in 9th grade in 2026-27. I am wondering what will happen for 10th grade since our high school will most likely be changed.

The superintendent has said he plans to recommend to the Board that rising 7th and 10th graders have to move to the new school, while rising 8th, 11th, and 12th graders get to stay at the old school.

It’s really disruptive to the rising 10th graders.

And the rising 7th graders. At least for the 10th graders there's some justification before you don't want the new high schools to have only freshmen in them and take 3 full years to fill up. But the middle schoolers are just changing places, not filling any empty schools, so there's no good reason to make the 7th graders switch besides "that's the way we've always done it."

High school is more detrimental as they need to apply for college. If they feel depressed during the change(e.g., leaving their friends), this has more impact on their future.

Maybe the kid can write an inspiring overcoming a hardship essay about changing high schools after freshman year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:so a rising 9th grader would go to old HS for one year and then switch? it seems more reasonable that once you're in a school you can stay thru the terminal grade

I don’t think they’ve really thought this through completely. I have kids at two different MCPS high schools and there are some pretty significant differences, both academically with course offerings/sequences and also with extracurriculars. It would be unfortunate to transition and find out your foreign language isn’t offered at the new school or you actually don’t have a spot in the chamber singers or quiz bowl team anymore and your club sport doesn’t exist. Not to mention the social aspect.