Option H is permanent and the old Wootton HS campus will be closed for good?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep it’s overtly racist. Some even use scare quotes for the word “bussing.” Do people in our well-educated cluster really not know the history of post-Brown v Board? TL/DR: the racists didn’t want their kids bussed for integration. They didn’t want their white kids going to school with black kids. They wanted to remain segregated. School boundaries in the decades that followed were purposefully drawn so as NOT to only include geographically close neighborhoods. The whole point of integration was to intentionally create school boundaries that fostered diversity by including dissimilar and incongruous neighborhoods. And here we are in 2026 with the walkers saying Wootton should not only not expand to include more students at the new Crown, but also that some feeders should be removed from the cluster as too far away. This is all for their selfish goals - not what is best for our kids.

If you are so passionate about this why aren’t you pushing for This to happen at Whitman, which is way less diverse than Wootton. Or do you only care about it happening at Wootton and nowhere else? Why do you think that is?

I’m confused - can you be direct? I think it’s pretty clear they care about Wootton because they are probably in that cluster. What are you insinuating is the reason they don’t care about anywhere else?

Because pp gave a whole history of segregation lesson focusing on Wootton being the biggest problem with this. Yet, There are other schools within the cluster that are far less diverse. Not sure how that wasn’t clear or direct.

The issue about Crown is that they don’t want other students entering the school that they perceive as less. They use high scores as a reason but that’s not it or they would remove all the low preforming students at the school.

DP. If this is truly a move of Wootton, then no students not zoned for Wootton as the boundaries are today should attend Crown. But that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is moving the boundaries at the same time, essentially closing Wootton as it is today.

MCPS took years to perform a series of Wootton boundary studies, received significant community input, held numerous hearings over time, etc. Again, that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is trying to ramp through Option H, despite significant opposition. One has to ask - what’s the hurry?

The hurry seems to be that MCPS wants to move the Wootton students into Crown by the time it opens in the fall of 2027. That way, Crown is filled with high performing students (i.e., transplant, not organic growth) and MCPS avoids the embarrassment in using yet another brand new school building as a holding school.

MCPS had to build a school or lose the Crown land, but one has to wonder why the Crown developers offered such a valuable piece of property for free. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to determine that both MCPS and those developers were eyeing Wootton for transplant. Why else was Wootton removed from the CIP multiple times over the past several years?

MCPS can change boundaries and build new schools, but it cannot use Wootton kids as mere trading cards to cover up its incompetence and possible corruption.

This post is another level of crazy...

Nope it's very on point.

I have been on cluster committees for Wootton for years. This is exactly what has happened and going to happen.

MCPS has failed as usual.

Crown should not be Wootton nor should it be a holding school for Damascus that is stupid

You think that 20 years ago they secretly expected decreasing enrollment, maintaining a conspiracy for two decades, across several sets of county, city, and MCPS leaders, to hijack the Wootton site?

Crazy, obviously.

Nice strawman you built there. Sounds like you need to visit the Wizard of Oz before posting again.

Wootton was on the CIP multiple times in the past 20 years. It was removed from the CIP every time. Is it a coincidence that the timeframes match the Crown land grant? Are you saying no one within MCPS or the BOE ever discussed moving Wootton to the new Crown High School during that time? Is it also a coincidence that Wootton was removed from the CIP in November, and then Option H magically appeared in December? December is often when governments release future plans in the hope that citizens are so busy with the holidays to notice until its too late.

This is right on the money.
On November 20, the removed Wootton from the CIP.
Days later, on November 24, Taylor had behind the scenes conversations with elected officials, saying there’s a proposal on the table so don’t worry about Wootton’s removal.

Then in December, right after Thanksgiving break, option H was announced.

I find it very very hard to believe Taylor dreamed up and drafted options E-H within 4 days.

The more realistic timeline is A-D was off the table (due to Churchill lawsuits). At some point, Taylor dreamed up E-H. He then removes Wootton from CIP. To make it look like the new options came out as a reaction to CIP—not as the reason for CIP removal—he announces the new options publicly in December.

Ultimately lawsuits via discovery will show whether or not option H came before and was the reason for CIP removal. If it is, MCPS is completely screwed and the neither decision will stand. They’ll have to start the boundary study all over again.

I don’t care if you are a Wootton hater or supporter—no matter who you are, you should be concerned about a corrupt non-transparent BOE and superintendent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep it’s overtly racist. Some even use scare quotes for the word “bussing.” Do people in our well-educated cluster really not know the history of post-Brown v Board? TL/DR: the racists didn’t want their kids bussed for integration. They didn’t want their white kids going to school with black kids. They wanted to remain segregated. School boundaries in the decades that followed were purposefully drawn so as NOT to only include geographically close neighborhoods. The whole point of integration was to intentionally create school boundaries that fostered diversity by including dissimilar and incongruous neighborhoods. And here we are in 2026 with the walkers saying Wootton should not only not expand to include more students at the new Crown, but also that some feeders should be removed from the cluster as too far away. This is all for their selfish goals - not what is best for our kids.

If you are so passionate about this why aren’t you pushing for This to happen at Whitman, which is way less diverse than Wootton. Or do you only care about it happening at Wootton and nowhere else? Why do you think that is?

I’m confused - can you be direct? I think it’s pretty clear they care about Wootton because they are probably in that cluster. What are you insinuating is the reason they don’t care about anywhere else?

Because pp gave a whole history of segregation lesson focusing on Wootton being the biggest problem with this. Yet, There are other schools within the cluster that are far less diverse. Not sure how that wasn’t clear or direct.

The issue about Crown is that they don’t want other students entering the school that they perceive as less. They use high scores as a reason but that’s not it or they would remove all the low preforming students at the school.

DP. If this is truly a move of Wootton, then no students not zoned for Wootton as the boundaries are today should attend Crown. But that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is moving the boundaries at the same time, essentially closing Wootton as it is today.

Changing boundaries happens somewhat regularly. It isn't considered closing a school. Would it somehow be better to move the school and then change the boundaries a year or two later?

MCPS took years to perform a series of Wootton boundary studies, received significant community input, held numerous hearings over time, etc. Again, that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is trying to ramp through Option H, despite significant opposition. One has to ask - what’s the hurry?

The hurry is that a new building is about to open, and how that building is used has long-term implications for the district. There isn't a good way to create more time for a decision unless we want to have an empty building for a year.

Yes, it sucks that it is coming up at the last minute. It probably should have come up before. But the reality is that we've seen several shifts in the last 1-2 years that support this option. Decreasing enrollment and falling development permits and projections. Greater budget problems with little apparent public support for increased funding. Regional instability due to federal leadership.

The hurry seems to be that MCPS wants to move the Wootton students into Crown by the time it opens in the fall of 2027. That way, Crown is filled with high performing students (i.e., transplant, not organic growth) and MCPS avoids the embarrassment in using yet another brand new school building as a holding school.

How are holding schools "embarrassments"? They're sometimes the only way to accommodate students through construction projects.

MCPS had to build a school or lose the Crown land, but one has to wonder why the Crown developers offered such a valuable piece of property for free. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to determine that both MCPS and those developers were eyeing Wootton for transplant. Why else was Wootton removed from the CIP multiple times over the past several years?

You can't be serious... Were you paying attention at all when the Crown development was proposed?

MCPS can change boundaries and build new schools, but it cannot use Wootton kids as mere trading cards to cover up its incompetence and possible corruption.

That's not what's happening. But some Wootton parents think that they somehow deserve special treatment compared to all the other students and taxpayers in the county.

Shout out to this poster for not only the amazing spot on arguments or points made but for also knowing how to break out the post like that

You took the words right out of my mouth!

Signed,
the Cold Spring, Cabin John, Wootton parent that comes in and out of this conversation that is very much FOR Option H

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The most important question to answer is whether the best, currently available data indicates that we need another high school in that part of the county. If not, then repurposing is obviously going to be more appropriate than opening a school we don't need.

Well the whole reason the school was built was because of increasing enrollment projection. Now it’s down. Then it will go up again. There is so much new development around the area. So they are going to close a school just to have to open it again? And then what will happen to all the kids they already “relocated”? It’s so ridiculous.

That is actually exactly what they will do and what makes the most sense. See Northwood, Woodward etc. Crown is new and had to be built....Wootton is old and needs a rebuild but not now because we don't need it. Shut it down till we need it just like Northwood and Woodward. Not rocket science guys

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep it’s overtly racist. Some even use scare quotes for the word “bussing.” Do people in our well-educated cluster really not know the history of post-Brown v Board? TL/DR: the racists didn’t want their kids bussed for integration. They didn’t want their white kids going to school with black kids. They wanted to remain segregated. School boundaries in the decades that followed were purposefully drawn so as NOT to only include geographically close neighborhoods. The whole point of integration was to intentionally create school boundaries that fostered diversity by including dissimilar and incongruous neighborhoods. And here we are in 2026 with the walkers saying Wootton should not only not expand to include more students at the new Crown, but also that some feeders should be removed from the cluster as too far away. This is all for their selfish goals - not what is best for our kids.

If you are so passionate about this why aren’t you pushing for This to happen at Whitman, which is way less diverse than Wootton. Or do you only care about it happening at Wootton and nowhere else? Why do you think that is?

I’m confused - can you be direct? I think it’s pretty clear they care about Wootton because they are probably in that cluster. What are you insinuating is the reason they don’t care about anywhere else?

Because pp gave a whole history of segregation lesson focusing on Wootton being the biggest problem with this. Yet, There are other schools within the cluster that are far less diverse. Not sure how that wasn’t clear or direct.

The issue about Crown is that they don’t want other students entering the school that they perceive as less. They use high scores as a reason but that’s not it or they would remove all the low preforming students at the school.

DP. If this is truly a move of Wootton, then no students not zoned for Wootton as the boundaries are today should attend Crown. But that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is moving the boundaries at the same time, essentially closing Wootton as it is today.

Changing boundaries happens somewhat regularly. It isn't considered closing a school. Would it somehow be better to move the school and then change the boundaries a year or two later?

MCPS took years to perform a series of Wootton boundary studies, received significant community input, held numerous hearings over time, etc. Again, that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is trying to ramp through Option H, despite significant opposition. One has to ask - what’s the hurry?

The hurry is that a new building is about to open, and how that building is used has long-term implications for the district. There isn't a good way to create more time for a decision unless we want to have an empty building for a year.

Yes, it sucks that it is coming up at the last minute. It probably should have come up before. But the reality is that we've seen several shifts in the last 1-2 years that support this option. Decreasing enrollment and falling development permits and projections. Greater budget problems with little apparent public support for increased funding. Regional instability due to federal leadership.

The hurry seems to be that MCPS wants to move the Wootton students into Crown by the time it opens in the fall of 2027. That way, Crown is filled with high performing students (i.e., transplant, not organic growth) and MCPS avoids the embarrassment in using yet another brand new school building as a holding school.

How are holding schools "embarrassments"? They're sometimes the only way to accommodate students through construction projects.

MCPS had to build a school or lose the Crown land, but one has to wonder why the Crown developers offered such a valuable piece of property for free. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to determine that both MCPS and those developers were eyeing Wootton for transplant. Why else was Wootton removed from the CIP multiple times over the past several years?

You can't be serious... Were you paying attention at all when the Crown development was proposed?

MCPS can change boundaries and build new schools, but it cannot use Wootton kids as mere trading cards to cover up its incompetence and possible corruption.

That's not what's happening. But some Wootton parents think that they somehow deserve special treatment compared to all the other students and taxpayers in the county.

Shout out to this poster for not only the amazing spot on arguments or points made but for also knowing how to break out the post like that

You took the words right out of my mouth!

Signed,
the Cold Spring, Cabin John, Wootton parent that comes in and out of this conversation that is very much FOR Option H

This must be a troll pretending to be a cold spring parent. Cold spring probably has the strongest opposition to option H as they’re the farthest to crown and could be squeezed out to RM because of modified option H. I’ve met many cold spring parents and none supports option H

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just curious, would the Wootton community be happier if they named the Crown building Wootton? Or are people more upset about having to drive or be bussed further away? Would the community rather stay in a dilapidated building? All genuine questions that seem to be getting deflected.

I don't care what they call it I am just excited that my kid might get a new building!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep it’s overtly racist. Some even use scare quotes for the word “bussing.” Do people in our well-educated cluster really not know the history of post-Brown v Board? TL/DR: the racists didn’t want their kids bussed for integration. They didn’t want their white kids going to school with black kids. They wanted to remain segregated. School boundaries in the decades that followed were purposefully drawn so as NOT to only include geographically close neighborhoods. The whole point of integration was to intentionally create school boundaries that fostered diversity by including dissimilar and incongruous neighborhoods. And here we are in 2026 with the walkers saying Wootton should not only not expand to include more students at the new Crown, but also that some feeders should be removed from the cluster as too far away. This is all for their selfish goals - not what is best for our kids.

If you are so passionate about this why aren’t you pushing for This to happen at Whitman, which is way less diverse than Wootton. Or do you only care about it happening at Wootton and nowhere else? Why do you think that is?

I’m confused - can you be direct? I think it’s pretty clear they care about Wootton because they are probably in that cluster. What are you insinuating is the reason they don’t care about anywhere else?

Because pp gave a whole history of segregation lesson focusing on Wootton being the biggest problem with this. Yet, There are other schools within the cluster that are far less diverse. Not sure how that wasn’t clear or direct.

The issue about Crown is that they don’t want other students entering the school that they perceive as less. They use high scores as a reason but that’s not it or they would remove all the low preforming students at the school.

DP. If this is truly a move of Wootton, then no students not zoned for Wootton as the boundaries are today should attend Crown. But that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is moving the boundaries at the same time, essentially closing Wootton as it is today.

Changing boundaries happens somewhat regularly. It isn't considered closing a school. Would it somehow be better to move the school and then change the boundaries a year or two later?

MCPS took years to perform a series of Wootton boundary studies, received significant community input, held numerous hearings over time, etc. Again, that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is trying to ramp through Option H, despite significant opposition. One has to ask - what’s the hurry?

The hurry is that a new building is about to open, and how that building is used has long-term implications for the district. There isn't a good way to create more time for a decision unless we want to have an empty building for a year.

Yes, it sucks that it is coming up at the last minute. It probably should have come up before. But the reality is that we've seen several shifts in the last 1-2 years that support this option. Decreasing enrollment and falling development permits and projections. Greater budget problems with little apparent public support for increased funding. Regional instability due to federal leadership.

The hurry seems to be that MCPS wants to move the Wootton students into Crown by the time it opens in the fall of 2027. That way, Crown is filled with high performing students (i.e., transplant, not organic growth) and MCPS avoids the embarrassment in using yet another brand new school building as a holding school.

How are holding schools "embarrassments"? They're sometimes the only way to accommodate students through construction projects.

MCPS had to build a school or lose the Crown land, but one has to wonder why the Crown developers offered such a valuable piece of property for free. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to determine that both MCPS and those developers were eyeing Wootton for transplant. Why else was Wootton removed from the CIP multiple times over the past several years?

You can't be serious... Were you paying attention at all when the Crown development was proposed?

MCPS can change boundaries and build new schools, but it cannot use Wootton kids as mere trading cards to cover up its incompetence and possible corruption.

That's not what's happening. But some Wootton parents think that they somehow deserve special treatment compared to all the other students and taxpayers in the county.

Shout out to this poster for not only the amazing spot on arguments or points made but for also knowing how to break out the post like that

You took the words right out of my mouth!

Signed,
the Cold Spring, Cabin John, Wootton parent that comes in and out of this conversation that is very much FOR Option H

This must be a troll pretending to be a cold spring parent. Cold spring probably has the strongest opposition to option H as they’re the farthest to crown and could be squeezed out to RM because of modified option H. I’ve met many cold spring parents and none supports option H

You haven't meant me ask about me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The most important question to answer is whether the best, currently available data indicates that we need another high school in that part of the county. If not, then repurposing is obviously going to be more appropriate than opening a school we don't need.

Well the whole reason the school was built was because of increasing enrollment projection. Now it’s down. Then it will go up again. There is so much new development around the area. So they are going to close a school just to have to open it again? And then what will happen to all the kids they already “relocated”? It’s so ridiculous.

That is actually exactly what they will do and what makes the most sense. See Northwood, Woodward etc. Crown is new and had to be built....Wootton is old and needs a rebuild but not now because we don't need it. Shut it down till we need it just like Northwood and Woodward. Not rocket science guys

Just out of curiosity, where did the Woodward kids go when it closed? Did some of them go to WJ and Churchill?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep it’s overtly racist. Some even use scare quotes for the word “bussing.” Do people in our well-educated cluster really not know the history of post-Brown v Board? TL/DR: the racists didn’t want their kids bussed for integration. They didn’t want their white kids going to school with black kids. They wanted to remain segregated. School boundaries in the decades that followed were purposefully drawn so as NOT to only include geographically close neighborhoods. The whole point of integration was to intentionally create school boundaries that fostered diversity by including dissimilar and incongruous neighborhoods. And here we are in 2026 with the walkers saying Wootton should not only not expand to include more students at the new Crown, but also that some feeders should be removed from the cluster as too far away. This is all for their selfish goals - not what is best for our kids.

If you are so passionate about this why aren’t you pushing for This to happen at Whitman, which is way less diverse than Wootton. Or do you only care about it happening at Wootton and nowhere else? Why do you think that is?

I’m confused - can you be direct? I think it’s pretty clear they care about Wootton because they are probably in that cluster. What are you insinuating is the reason they don’t care about anywhere else?

Because pp gave a whole history of segregation lesson focusing on Wootton being the biggest problem with this. Yet, There are other schools within the cluster that are far less diverse. Not sure how that wasn’t clear or direct.

The issue about Crown is that they don’t want other students entering the school that they perceive as less. They use high scores as a reason but that’s not it or they would remove all the low preforming students at the school.

DP. If this is truly a move of Wootton, then no students not zoned for Wootton as the boundaries are today should attend Crown. But that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is moving the boundaries at the same time, essentially closing Wootton as it is today.

Changing boundaries happens somewhat regularly. It isn't considered closing a school. Would it somehow be better to move the school and then change the boundaries a year or two later?

MCPS took years to perform a series of Wootton boundary studies, received significant community input, held numerous hearings over time, etc. Again, that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is trying to ramp through Option H, despite significant opposition. One has to ask - what’s the hurry?

The hurry is that a new building is about to open, and how that building is used has long-term implications for the district. There isn't a good way to create more time for a decision unless we want to have an empty building for a year.

Yes, it sucks that it is coming up at the last minute. It probably should have come up before. But the reality is that we've seen several shifts in the last 1-2 years that support this option. Decreasing enrollment and falling development permits and projections. Greater budget problems with little apparent public support for increased funding. Regional instability due to federal leadership.

The hurry seems to be that MCPS wants to move the Wootton students into Crown by the time it opens in the fall of 2027. That way, Crown is filled with high performing students (i.e., transplant, not organic growth) and MCPS avoids the embarrassment in using yet another brand new school building as a holding school.

How are holding schools "embarrassments"? They're sometimes the only way to accommodate students through construction projects.

MCPS had to build a school or lose the Crown land, but one has to wonder why the Crown developers offered such a valuable piece of property for free. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to determine that both MCPS and those developers were eyeing Wootton for transplant. Why else was Wootton removed from the CIP multiple times over the past several years?

You can't be serious... Were you paying attention at all when the Crown development was proposed?

MCPS can change boundaries and build new schools, but it cannot use Wootton kids as mere trading cards to cover up its incompetence and possible corruption.

That's not what's happening. But some Wootton parents think that they somehow deserve special treatment compared to all the other students and taxpayers in the county.

Shout out to this poster for not only the amazing spot on arguments or points made but for also knowing how to break out the post like that

You took the words right out of my mouth!

Signed,
the Cold Spring, Cabin John, Wootton parent that comes in and out of this conversation that is very much FOR Option H

This must be a troll pretending to be a cold spring parent. Cold spring probably has the strongest opposition to option H as they’re the farthest to crown and could be squeezed out to RM because of modified option H. I’ve met many cold spring parents and none supports option H

Indeed. Nobody with those school assignments would be so enthusiastic.

Also, the response was terrible and didn’t refute with much in the way of substance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The most important question to answer is whether the best, currently available data indicates that we need another high school in that part of the county. If not, then repurposing is obviously going to be more appropriate than opening a school we don't need.

Well the whole reason the school was built was because of increasing enrollment projection. Now it’s down. Then it will go up again. There is so much new development around the area. So they are going to close a school just to have to open it again? And then what will happen to all the kids they already “relocated”? It’s so ridiculous.

That is actually exactly what they will do and what makes the most sense. See Northwood, Woodward etc. Crown is new and had to be built....Wootton is old and needs a rebuild but not now because we don't need it. Shut it down till we need it just like Northwood and Woodward. Not rocket science guys

Just out of curiosity, where did the Woodward kids go when it closed? Did some of them go to WJ and Churchill?

I would imagine mostly WJ. I would love to have seen this board back then with all the questions of outrage and why would they build a school so close to the other? Must have been an interesting time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep it’s overtly racist. Some even use scare quotes for the word “bussing.” Do people in our well-educated cluster really not know the history of post-Brown v Board? TL/DR: the racists didn’t want their kids bussed for integration. They didn’t want their white kids going to school with black kids. They wanted to remain segregated. School boundaries in the decades that followed were purposefully drawn so as NOT to only include geographically close neighborhoods. The whole point of integration was to intentionally create school boundaries that fostered diversity by including dissimilar and incongruous neighborhoods. And here we are in 2026 with the walkers saying Wootton should not only not expand to include more students at the new Crown, but also that some feeders should be removed from the cluster as too far away. This is all for their selfish goals - not what is best for our kids.

If you are so passionate about this why aren’t you pushing for This to happen at Whitman, which is way less diverse than Wootton. Or do you only care about it happening at Wootton and nowhere else? Why do you think that is?

I’m confused - can you be direct? I think it’s pretty clear they care about Wootton because they are probably in that cluster. What are you insinuating is the reason they don’t care about anywhere else?

Because pp gave a whole history of segregation lesson focusing on Wootton being the biggest problem with this. Yet, There are other schools within the cluster that are far less diverse. Not sure how that wasn’t clear or direct.

The issue about Crown is that they don’t want other students entering the school that they perceive as less. They use high scores as a reason but that’s not it or they would remove all the low preforming students at the school.

DP. If this is truly a move of Wootton, then no students not zoned for Wootton as the boundaries are today should attend Crown. But that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is moving the boundaries at the same time, essentially closing Wootton as it is today.

Changing boundaries happens somewhat regularly. It isn't considered closing a school. Would it somehow be better to move the school and then change the boundaries a year or two later?

MCPS took years to perform a series of Wootton boundary studies, received significant community input, held numerous hearings over time, etc. Again, that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is trying to ramp through Option H, despite significant opposition. One has to ask - what’s the hurry?

The hurry is that a new building is about to open, and how that building is used has long-term implications for the district. There isn't a good way to create more time for a decision unless we want to have an empty building for a year.

Yes, it sucks that it is coming up at the last minute. It probably should have come up before. But the reality is that we've seen several shifts in the last 1-2 years that support this option. Decreasing enrollment and falling development permits and projections. Greater budget problems with little apparent public support for increased funding. Regional instability due to federal leadership.

The hurry seems to be that MCPS wants to move the Wootton students into Crown by the time it opens in the fall of 2027. That way, Crown is filled with high performing students (i.e., transplant, not organic growth) and MCPS avoids the embarrassment in using yet another brand new school building as a holding school.

How are holding schools "embarrassments"? They're sometimes the only way to accommodate students through construction projects.

MCPS had to build a school or lose the Crown land, but one has to wonder why the Crown developers offered such a valuable piece of property for free. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to determine that both MCPS and those developers were eyeing Wootton for transplant. Why else was Wootton removed from the CIP multiple times over the past several years?

You can't be serious... Were you paying attention at all when the Crown development was proposed?

MCPS can change boundaries and build new schools, but it cannot use Wootton kids as mere trading cards to cover up its incompetence and possible corruption.

That's not what's happening. But some Wootton parents think that they somehow deserve special treatment compared to all the other students and taxpayers in the county.

Shout out to this poster for not only the amazing spot on arguments or points made but for also knowing how to break out the post like that

You took the words right out of my mouth!

Signed,
the Cold Spring, Cabin John, Wootton parent that comes in and out of this conversation that is very much FOR Option H

This must be a troll pretending to be a cold spring parent. Cold spring probably has the strongest opposition to option H as they’re the farthest to crown and could be squeezed out to RM because of modified option H. I’ve met many cold spring parents and none supports option H

Indeed. Nobody with those school assignments would be so enthusiastic.

Also, the response was terrible and didn’t refute with much in the way of substance.

Maybe I should try and give more substance for you. I can't find my previous posts but like lI said I come and go from this thread.

Option H makes the most fiscal sense. Crown is brand new and Wootton needs to be redone completely. Everything in there is gross. We also do not have the capacity to justify two brand new schools. So the obvious solution is to close one and use the other. Most Cold Spring kids get driven to Wootton. We will drive a bit further....that is all....not understanding the issue. I get it that the Fallsmead families that were walking may be annoyed but even they should understand that these things happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The most important question to answer is whether the best, currently available data indicates that we need another high school in that part of the county. If not, then repurposing is obviously going to be more appropriate than opening a school we don't need.

Well the whole reason the school was built was because of increasing enrollment projection. Now it’s down. Then it will go up again. There is so much new development around the area. So they are going to close a school just to have to open it again? And then what will happen to all the kids they already “relocated”? It’s so ridiculous.

That is actually exactly what they will do and what makes the most sense. See Northwood, Woodward etc. Crown is new and had to be built....Wootton is old and needs a rebuild but not now because we don't need it. Shut it down till we need it just like Northwood and Woodward. Not rocket science guys

Just out of curiosity, where did the Woodward kids go when it closed? Did some of them go to WJ and Churchill?

When Woodward closed, all of its students went to WJ. Each school's enrollment had fallen to about 900 students at the time (1985).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep it’s overtly racist. Some even use scare quotes for the word “bussing.” Do people in our well-educated cluster really not know the history of post-Brown v Board? TL/DR: the racists didn’t want their kids bussed for integration. They didn’t want their white kids going to school with black kids. They wanted to remain segregated. School boundaries in the decades that followed were purposefully drawn so as NOT to only include geographically close neighborhoods. The whole point of integration was to intentionally create school boundaries that fostered diversity by including dissimilar and incongruous neighborhoods. And here we are in 2026 with the walkers saying Wootton should not only not expand to include more students at the new Crown, but also that some feeders should be removed from the cluster as too far away. This is all for their selfish goals - not what is best for our kids.

If you are so passionate about this why aren’t you pushing for This to happen at Whitman, which is way less diverse than Wootton. Or do you only care about it happening at Wootton and nowhere else? Why do you think that is?

I’m confused - can you be direct? I think it’s pretty clear they care about Wootton because they are probably in that cluster. What are you insinuating is the reason they don’t care about anywhere else?

Because pp gave a whole history of segregation lesson focusing on Wootton being the biggest problem with this. Yet, There are other schools within the cluster that are far less diverse. Not sure how that wasn’t clear or direct.

The issue about Crown is that they don’t want other students entering the school that they perceive as less. They use high scores as a reason but that’s not it or they would remove all the low preforming students at the school.

DP. If this is truly a move of Wootton, then no students not zoned for Wootton as the boundaries are today should attend Crown. But that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is moving the boundaries at the same time, essentially closing Wootton as it is today.

Changing boundaries happens somewhat regularly. It isn't considered closing a school. Would it somehow be better to move the school and then change the boundaries a year or two later?

MCPS took years to perform a series of Wootton boundary studies, received significant community input, held numerous hearings over time, etc. Again, that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is trying to ramp through Option H, despite significant opposition. One has to ask - what’s the hurry?

The hurry is that a new building is about to open, and how that building is used has long-term implications for the district. There isn't a good way to create more time for a decision unless we want to have an empty building for a year.

Yes, it sucks that it is coming up at the last minute. It probably should have come up before. But the reality is that we've seen several shifts in the last 1-2 years that support this option. Decreasing enrollment and falling development permits and projections. Greater budget problems with little apparent public support for increased funding. Regional instability due to federal leadership.

The hurry seems to be that MCPS wants to move the Wootton students into Crown by the time it opens in the fall of 2027. That way, Crown is filled with high performing students (i.e., transplant, not organic growth) and MCPS avoids the embarrassment in using yet another brand new school building as a holding school.

How are holding schools "embarrassments"? They're sometimes the only way to accommodate students through construction projects.

MCPS had to build a school or lose the Crown land, but one has to wonder why the Crown developers offered such a valuable piece of property for free. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to determine that both MCPS and those developers were eyeing Wootton for transplant. Why else was Wootton removed from the CIP multiple times over the past several years?

You can't be serious... Were you paying attention at all when the Crown development was proposed?

MCPS can change boundaries and build new schools, but it cannot use Wootton kids as mere trading cards to cover up its incompetence and possible corruption.

That's not what's happening. But some Wootton parents think that they somehow deserve special treatment compared to all the other students and taxpayers in the county.

Shout out to this poster for not only the amazing spot on arguments or points made but for also knowing how to break out the post like that

You took the words right out of my mouth!

Signed,
the Cold Spring, Cabin John, Wootton parent that comes in and out of this conversation that is very much FOR Option H

This must be a troll pretending to be a cold spring parent. Cold spring probably has the strongest opposition to option H as they’re the farthest to crown and could be squeezed out to RM because of modified option H. I’ve met many cold spring parents and none supports option H

Indeed. Nobody with those school assignments would be so enthusiastic.

Also, the response was terrible and didn’t refute with much in the way of substance.

Maybe I should try and give more substance for you. I can't find my previous posts but like lI said I come and go from this thread.

Option H makes the most fiscal sense. Crown is brand new and Wootton needs to be redone completely. Everything in there is gross. We also do not have the capacity to justify two brand new schools. So the obvious solution is to close one and use the other. Most Cold Spring kids get driven to Wootton. We will drive a bit further....that is all....not understanding the issue. I get it that the Fallsmead families that were walking may be annoyed but even they should understand that these things happen.

“These things happen” are you joking? This is not normal. it’s not a normal everyday occurrence to close a school and move to a new one. How could you possibly act like it’s a typical thing that happens all the time?

[Anonymous]

Shout out to all the Pro-H Wootton families with the courage to voice their rational opinions and who are putting in a lot of work behind the scenes. We see you, and we believe in you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep it’s overtly racist. Some even use scare quotes for the word “bussing.” Do people in our well-educated cluster really not know the history of post-Brown v Board? TL/DR: the racists didn’t want their kids bussed for integration. They didn’t want their white kids going to school with black kids. They wanted to remain segregated. School boundaries in the decades that followed were purposefully drawn so as NOT to only include geographically close neighborhoods. The whole point of integration was to intentionally create school boundaries that fostered diversity by including dissimilar and incongruous neighborhoods. And here we are in 2026 with the walkers saying Wootton should not only not expand to include more students at the new Crown, but also that some feeders should be removed from the cluster as too far away. This is all for their selfish goals - not what is best for our kids.

If you are so passionate about this why aren’t you pushing for This to happen at Whitman, which is way less diverse than Wootton. Or do you only care about it happening at Wootton and nowhere else? Why do you think that is?

I’m confused - can you be direct? I think it’s pretty clear they care about Wootton because they are probably in that cluster. What are you insinuating is the reason they don’t care about anywhere else?

Because pp gave a whole history of segregation lesson focusing on Wootton being the biggest problem with this. Yet, There are other schools within the cluster that are far less diverse. Not sure how that wasn’t clear or direct.

The issue about Crown is that they don’t want other students entering the school that they perceive as less. They use high scores as a reason but that’s not it or they would remove all the low preforming students at the school.

DP. If this is truly a move of Wootton, then no students not zoned for Wootton as the boundaries are today should attend Crown. But that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is moving the boundaries at the same time, essentially closing Wootton as it is today.

MCPS took years to perform a series of Wootton boundary studies, received significant community input, held numerous hearings over time, etc. Again, that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is trying to ramp through Option H, despite significant opposition. One has to ask - what’s the hurry?

The hurry seems to be that MCPS wants to move the Wootton students into Crown by the time it opens in the fall of 2027. That way, Crown is filled with high performing students (i.e., transplant, not organic growth) and MCPS avoids the embarrassment in using yet another brand new school building as a holding school.

MCPS had to build a school or lose the Crown land, but one has to wonder why the Crown developers offered such a valuable piece of property for free. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to determine that both MCPS and those developers were eyeing Wootton for transplant. Why else was Wootton removed from the CIP multiple times over the past several years?

MCPS can change boundaries and build new schools, but it cannot use Wootton kids as mere trading cards to cover up its incompetence and possible corruption.

This post is another level of crazy...

Nope it's very on point.

I have been on cluster committees for Wootton for years. This is exactly what has happened and going to happen.

MCPS has failed as usual.

Crown should not be Wootton nor should it be a holding school for Damascus that is stupid

You think that 20 years ago they secretly expected decreasing enrollment, maintaining a conspiracy for two decades, across several sets of county, city, and MCPS leaders, to hijack the Wootton site?

Crazy, obviously.

Nice strawman you built there. Sounds like you need to visit the Wizard of Oz before posting again.

Wootton was on the CIP multiple times in the past 20 years. It was removed from the CIP every time. Is it a coincidence that the timeframes match the Crown land grant? Are you saying no one within MCPS or the BOE ever discussed moving Wootton to the new Crown High School during that time? Is it also a coincidence that Wootton was removed from the CIP in November, and then Option H magically appeared in December? December is often when governments release future plans in the hope that citizens are so busy with the holidays to notice until its too late.

This is right on the money.
On November 20, the removed Wootton from the CIP.
Days later, on November 24, Taylor had behind the scenes conversations with elected officials, saying there’s a proposal on the table so don’t worry about Wootton’s removal.

Then in December, right after Thanksgiving break, option H was announced.

I find it very very hard to believe Taylor dreamed up and drafted options E-H within 4 days.

The more realistic timeline is A-D was off the table (due to Churchill lawsuits). At some point, Taylor dreamed up E-H. He then removes Wootton from CIP. To make it look like the new options came out as a reaction to CIP—not as the reason for CIP removal—he announces the new options publicly in December.

Ultimately lawsuits via discovery will show whether or not option H came before and was the reason for CIP removal. If it is, MCPS is completely screwed and the neither decision will stand. They’ll have to start the boundary study all over again.

I don’t care if you are a Wootton hater or supporter—no matter who you are, you should be concerned about a corrupt non-transparent BOE and superintendent.

Are you people reading this? The above is an explosive allegation. If true—this is crazy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep it’s overtly racist. Some even use scare quotes for the word “bussing.” Do people in our well-educated cluster really not know the history of post-Brown v Board? TL/DR: the racists didn’t want their kids bussed for integration. They didn’t want their white kids going to school with black kids. They wanted to remain segregated. School boundaries in the decades that followed were purposefully drawn so as NOT to only include geographically close neighborhoods. The whole point of integration was to intentionally create school boundaries that fostered diversity by including dissimilar and incongruous neighborhoods. And here we are in 2026 with the walkers saying Wootton should not only not expand to include more students at the new Crown, but also that some feeders should be removed from the cluster as too far away. This is all for their selfish goals - not what is best for our kids.

If you are so passionate about this why aren’t you pushing for This to happen at Whitman, which is way less diverse than Wootton. Or do you only care about it happening at Wootton and nowhere else? Why do you think that is?

I’m confused - can you be direct? I think it’s pretty clear they care about Wootton because they are probably in that cluster. What are you insinuating is the reason they don’t care about anywhere else?

Because pp gave a whole history of segregation lesson focusing on Wootton being the biggest problem with this. Yet, There are other schools within the cluster that are far less diverse. Not sure how that wasn’t clear or direct.

The issue about Crown is that they don’t want other students entering the school that they perceive as less. They use high scores as a reason but that’s not it or they would remove all the low preforming students at the school.

DP. If this is truly a move of Wootton, then no students not zoned for Wootton as the boundaries are today should attend Crown. But that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is moving the boundaries at the same time, essentially closing Wootton as it is today.

Changing boundaries happens somewhat regularly. It isn't considered closing a school. Would it somehow be better to move the school and then change the boundaries a year or two later?

MCPS took years to perform a series of Wootton boundary studies, received significant community input, held numerous hearings over time, etc. Again, that isn’t what is happening. MCPS is trying to ramp through Option H, despite significant opposition. One has to ask - what’s the hurry?

The hurry is that a new building is about to open, and how that building is used has long-term implications for the district. There isn't a good way to create more time for a decision unless we want to have an empty building for a year.

Yes, it sucks that it is coming up at the last minute. It probably should have come up before. But the reality is that we've seen several shifts in the last 1-2 years that support this option. Decreasing enrollment and falling development permits and projections. Greater budget problems with little apparent public support for increased funding. Regional instability due to federal leadership.

The hurry seems to be that MCPS wants to move the Wootton students into Crown by the time it opens in the fall of 2027. That way, Crown is filled with high performing students (i.e., transplant, not organic growth) and MCPS avoids the embarrassment in using yet another brand new school building as a holding school.

How are holding schools "embarrassments"? They're sometimes the only way to accommodate students through construction projects.

MCPS had to build a school or lose the Crown land, but one has to wonder why the Crown developers offered such a valuable piece of property for free. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to determine that both MCPS and those developers were eyeing Wootton for transplant. Why else was Wootton removed from the CIP multiple times over the past several years?

You can't be serious... Were you paying attention at all when the Crown development was proposed?

MCPS can change boundaries and build new schools, but it cannot use Wootton kids as mere trading cards to cover up its incompetence and possible corruption.

That's not what's happening. But some Wootton parents think that they somehow deserve special treatment compared to all the other students and taxpayers in the county.

Shout out to this poster for not only the amazing spot on arguments or points made but for also knowing how to break out the post like that

You took the words right out of my mouth!

Signed,
the Cold Spring, Cabin John, Wootton parent that comes in and out of this conversation that is very much FOR Option H

This must be a troll pretending to be a cold spring parent. Cold spring probably has the strongest opposition to option H as they’re the farthest to crown and could be squeezed out to RM because of modified option H. I’ve met many cold spring parents and none supports option H

Indeed. Nobody with those school assignments would be so enthusiastic.

Also, the response was terrible and didn’t refute with much in the way of substance.

Maybe I should try and give more substance for you. I can't find my previous posts but like lI said I come and go from this thread.

Option H makes the most fiscal sense. Crown is brand new and Wootton needs to be redone completely. Everything in there is gross. We also do not have the capacity to justify two brand new schools. So the obvious solution is to close one and use the other. Most Cold Spring kids get driven to Wootton. We will drive a bit further....that is all....not understanding the issue. I get it that the Fallsmead families that were walking may be annoyed but even they should understand that these things happen.

“These things happen” are you joking? This is not normal. it’s not a normal everyday occurrence to close a school and move to a new one. How could you possibly act like it’s a typical thing that happens all the time?

Nobody said every day but it happens....let me say it again....in our county alone Northwood and Woodward are examples