Bullis Expansion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Nope. You have have an approved site plan for years. The worst case scenario is to go out and fundraise for a building that doesn’t get approval. A lot easier to fundraise for a building that is approved and shovel ready. Everyone who gives money l would do so knowing that it has a direct relationship to how soon groundbreaking can begin. Site plan approvals and permitting in MoCo can take forever right now, so it’s smart that they are doing this first.

[Anonymous]

The timing for any school to offer additional lower school capacity simply isn't great. The thing to know about pandemic babies is that there are far fewer of them, as in 500,000 less per year nationwide. (And Maryland and DC were already two of the lowest in terms of fertility rankings before the pandemic began).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

This is NOT true

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

This is NOT true

Nothing here to suggest MoCo isn't growing...

https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-counties/md/montgomery-county-population

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

This is NOT true

Nothing here to suggest MoCo isn't growing...

https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-counties/md/montgomery-county-population

It's a strange argument anyway. Bullis is serving a pretty small population of affluent families. Whether or not there are lots of new townhome developments out in Damascus filled with families making $80k a year are pretty irrelevant to whether this plan makes sense for them.

[Anonymous]

I love how many posters are wildly speculating with no Bullis connection at all.

The head of school has announced to parents that he has applied for the zoning change because he currently has more acceptances than seats for the coming year, so yes, he can definitely fill the expanded spots. Emphasis on growing the lower school and updating the facility is a longer term goal, anticipated to be completed around 2025.

[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.

[phone]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

This is NOT true

Nothing here to suggest MoCo isn't growing...

https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-counties/md/montgomery-county-population

It's a strange argument anyway. Bullis is serving a pretty small population of affluent families. Whether or not there are lots of new townhome developments out in Damascus filled with families making $80k a year are pretty irrelevant to whether this plan makes sense for them.

First off, official census estimates provide that MoCo lost population last year.
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/montgomerycountymaryland#

Second, population growth is a good proxy for economic strength with represents to the targeted enrollment population. Or more simply, if there are no kids there is no one to enroll at school. Fewer school age kids will have downward pressure on enrollment which will then impact revenue.

[Anonymous]

If publics are not as crowded, their appeal goes up. Then you have fewer people seeking out private schools.

[Anonymous]

This article addresses what happened at Bullis the last time they had a campus expansion.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/the-head-of-an-elite-private-school-was-celebrated-as-he-left-but-his-exit-was-messier-than-it-appeared/2020/08/13/13d1c9b4-ba05-11ea-8cf5-9c1b8d7f84c6_story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If publics are not as crowded, their appeal goes up. Then you have fewer people seeking out private schools.

As a graduate of one of the “W” schools, the MoCo publics are not what they used be. My sister was in private and I was in public and the education she received was far superior to mine. So even back then, they were not as good. However a strong, self motivated student will do well anywhere, but there are more unique opportunities at private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If publics are not as crowded, their appeal goes up. Then you have fewer people seeking out private schools.

Not necessarily true. Staffing allotments are based on the number of kids enrolled in a school. Class sizes don’t get smaller. There are just less classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This article addresses what happened at Bullis the last time they had a campus expansion.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/the-head-of-an-elite-private-school-was-celebrated-as-he-left-but-his-exit-was-messier-than-it-appeared/2020/08/13/13d1c9b4-ba05-11ea-8cf5-9c1b8d7f84c6_story.html

It’s remarkable that they still have the same board chair as they did during that fiasco.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This article addresses what happened at Bullis the last time they had a campus expansion.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/the-head-of-an-elite-private-school-was-celebrated-as-he-left-but-his-exit-was-messier-than-it-appeared/2020/08/13/13d1c9b4-ba05-11ea-8cf5-9c1b8d7f84c6_story.html

It’s remarkable that they still have the same board chair as they did during that fiasco.

.
Which, contrary to what some Bullis parents want to believe, is exactly why it's the same school it always has been.

[Anonymous]

With a new HOS, no, it is not. So many Bullis haters here, who have no connection to the school, and just like to stir the pot.

We are a happy Bullis family who left our W public because of the sh*tshow that was Covid. We have no intention of returning to public, as Bullis is so much better in terms of education.

The current lower school students are in a building designed for older students. The new HOS wants a building designed and built for students in the primary grades.