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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This racist behavior reminds me of the Town Hall meetings for Clarksburg/Seneca Valley HS.

And this is exactly why boundaries should be reviewed every 5-10 years.

Are there really places that consistently change school boundaries every 5-10 years? I’m honestly asking. Where I grew up (not in moco) the schools I went to when I was in school are still the schools I would go to today.

Howard County went through a couple within a short time span and sounds like they will continue to reevaluate boundaries every couple of years.

The last major was started around 2019:
https://www.hcpss.org/school-planning/boundary-review/

and had a goal of balancing out FARMS rate to around the 20-30 percent mark across multiple schools.

Then they just did another recently:
https://www.hcpss.org/school-planning/boundary-review-for-26-27/

Which was supposed to help with relieving overcrowding and looks like they were potentially going to mix up the areas with Centennial High, which is kind of like a W school. I'm not really familiar with the areas there but it looks like in the end they didn't change any areas that were originally assigned to Centennial High:
https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/hcpssmd/Board.nsf/files/DNSJG94D1519/$file/12%2004%202025%20Redistricting%20Approval.pdf

So there are other school districts that do regular boundary studies and changes. And I'd be kind of careful of assuming anything is set for the long term, unless maybe you're in the heart of one of the "untouchable" areas, like the ones that have had no changes proposed in any of the rounds of proposals.

Which by the way, I'm starting to see the value in living in those "untouchable" areas. Originally I refused to live in them and look in those areas. But kind of see how things lean in their favor and the benefits of living there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Option H may work and could be a strong long-term solution, but it also comes with significant uncertainties. It risks leaving an empty building behind, as we have seen elsewhere, and it would remove a neighborhood high school from the heart of Rockville. Many families are also confused by the idea that funding exists to use Wootton as a holding school, yet not to fully modernize it. That said, Option H does have real advantages and should be considered carefully as part of an honest, transparent discussion. This discussion casts families as either “stealing” Crown or acting as though they are “too good” for Crown. BOTH characterizations are harmful and untrue. What needs to stop is the name-calling and the assumption of bad motives when parents are advocating for their children. Years of fiscal and planning decisions by MCPS and the Board of Education put us in this position. Parents are trying to navigate the consequences, not undermine solutions. Assumptions and name-calling don’t move us forward.

Don't forget the County Council. They have, with relative consistency, underfunded the BOE CIP ask for decades. Until Taylor this year, the MCPS reaction for over a decade, then, had been to ask for less than they needed (Taylor still asked for less, but at least he laid out what would be required), cumulatively by a very, very long shot. And still the Council underfunded even those asks.

And Montgomery Planning, too. A focus on housing is important, but their penchant for doing so to the exclusion of other considerations, like ensuring acreage for requisite public facilities (e.g., schools, parks, etc.) in backfill areas, has been to the detriment of our county community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Option H may work and could be a strong long-term solution, but it also comes with significant uncertainties. It risks leaving an empty building behind, as we have seen elsewhere, and it would remove a neighborhood high school from the heart of Rockville. Many families are also confused by the idea that funding exists to use Wootton as a holding school, yet not to fully modernize it. That said, Option H does have real advantages and should be considered carefully as part of an honest, transparent discussion. This discussion casts families as either “stealing” Crown or acting as though they are “too good” for Crown. BOTH characterizations are harmful and untrue. What needs to stop is the name-calling and the assumption of bad motives when parents are advocating for their children. Years of fiscal and planning decisions by MCPS and the Board of Education put us in this position. Parents are trying to navigate the consequences, not undermine solutions. Assumptions and name-calling don’t move us forward.

What people are irritated about is that Wooten is not unique in needing repairs or a new school. They are not the only school who has been on the CIP, removed and is still waiting. You’re being presented the chance to get a new building but complaining about where it is located. Read the room. Be adults. No one is getting everything they want. So either you want a new building or you don’t. And if you choose no, understand that no one wants to hear ya’ll complaining about how unsafe Wooten is.

Of course Wootton parents want a new building - but they want it where the current one is located for numerous reasons that have been discussed on this board. MCPS screwed them out of a full renovation, so naturally they're pissed off at the idea of having to move out. MCPS could remediate Wootton over the summer to address the most pressing issues. Wootton parents would likely take that and would be willing wait another 10 years for a full renovation, than completely abandon a school that has served its surrounding neighborhoods for 55 years.

I think MCPS needs to read the room and be adults. Unfortunately, they never have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in the 20878 area and the amount of people posting on nextdoor about save Wootton, you would think the sky is falling.

The Moderately Moco guy is also there trying to push out option H. I guess he lives in that area.

No one gives a damn about Dufief.

And today's post showed a picture with a room full of Asians and whites at Wootton's townhall. You know who is against option H.

One woman said it right - to quote her: "We know what this is truly about. If you do not want your kids to mingle with the "lower class" residents of upper Montgomery County just say so. If it is that bad. There are many private schools in your area or even better homeschooling. Just saying.."

What a bunch of noisemakers - first they want a new building and sign a petition and then when MCPS addresses it they start another petition.

I was there in person and didn’t hear any racist comment like this. The discussion was focused on Wootton renovation. It’s far too easy for someone with a conflict of interest or a personal grudge to fabricate a racist remark and make Wootton look bad.”

What lower class upper Mo Co residents? the ones that bought $1 million houses in Criwn? There wre no comments like that, that person was lying. Also how’s Crown upper MoCo?

There are a lot of Asian haters

True, but I'm an Asian parent in another cluster, and IMO, Wootton at Crown makes perfect sense given the financial constraints and declining enrollment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to the meeting- it was full of Fallsmead and local residents that don't even have kids in school and said during the breakout sessions they were worried about their property values. I totally understand no one wants a hole in the ground where Wootton was should the school move. But I also think some of the other schools who like (or at least are neutral) about option H are getting drowned out.

LOL This is Horizon Hill back in the 80s all over again, from the argument around property values to changing from being a walker to a bus rider. And guess what.. it turned out fine.

It’s fine as long as it’s somebody else losing the money. These people swallowed the loss and nobody cared.

+ It certainly wasn't fine for the affected people!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to the meeting- it was full of Fallsmead and local residents that don't even have kids in school and said during the breakout sessions they were worried about their property values. I totally understand no one wants a hole in the ground where Wootton was should the school move. But I also think some of the other schools who like (or at least are neutral) about option H are getting drowned out.

LOL This is Horizon Hill back in the 80s all over again, from the argument around property values to changing from being a walker to a bus rider. And guess what.. it turned out fine.

It’s fine as long as it’s somebody else losing the money. These people swallowed the loss and nobody cared.

MCPS is not in the real estate business, nor should it care about your property values.
Sorry.

Why shouldn’t they care? the property value goes down and so do the taxes.

Speaking of which, MoCo revenue is already down by a lot, and projected to decrease. So, it makes zero financial sense to have a brand new school a few miles away and fix Wootton, all while projected enrollment is expected to decrease.

Spoken from a true county perspective. Most people in Rockville are paying taxes to have amenities like schools close by. I think it's fine to force Potomac to go to Crown as they are likely fine with rolling around all day long anyway but picking up people from Rockville to go a whole town over. I think we can make room for them in RM and RHS. The ones that are already in Rockville proper.

What are you even talking about? You do know Potomac pays taxes as well yes? What an idiot.

For some reason, Rockville people think they are the only one's paying taxes to support their infrastructure. If that's the case, please don't leave the borders of Rockville and use resources from other parts of the county. They are off limits to you (not)!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in the 20878 area and the amount of people posting on nextdoor about save Wootton, you would think the sky is falling.

The Moderately Moco guy is also there trying to push out option H. I guess he lives in that area.

No one gives a damn about Dufief.

And today's post showed a picture with a room full of Asians and whites at Wootton's townhall. You know who is against option H.

One woman said it right - to quote her: "We know what this is truly about. If you do not want your kids to mingle with the "lower class" residents of upper Montgomery County just say so. If it is that bad. There are many private schools in your area or even better homeschooling. Just saying.."

What a bunch of noisemakers - first they want a new building and sign a petition and then when MCPS addresses it they start another petition.

I was there in person and didn’t hear any racist comment like this. The discussion was focused on Wootton renovation. It’s far too easy for someone with a conflict of interest or a personal grudge to fabricate a racist remark and make Wootton look bad.”

What lower class upper Mo Co residents? the ones that bought $1 million houses in Criwn? There wre no comments like that, that person was lying. Also how’s Crown upper MoCo?

There are a lot of Asian haters

True, but I'm an Asian parent in another cluster, and IMO, Wootton at Crown makes perfect sense given the financial constraints and declining enrollment.

You think it makes perfect sense because you aren’t being harmed by it. You said yourself that you are in a different cluster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in the 20878 area and the amount of people posting on nextdoor about save Wootton, you would think the sky is falling.

The Moderately Moco guy is also there trying to push out option H. I guess he lives in that area.

No one gives a damn about Dufief.

And today's post showed a picture with a room full of Asians and whites at Wootton's townhall. You know who is against option H.

One woman said it right - to quote her: "We know what this is truly about. If you do not want your kids to mingle with the "lower class" residents of upper Montgomery County just say so. If it is that bad. There are many private schools in your area or even better homeschooling. Just saying.."

What a bunch of noisemakers - first they want a new building and sign a petition and then when MCPS addresses it they start another petition.

I was there in person and didn’t hear any racist comment like this. The discussion was focused on Wootton renovation. It’s far too easy for someone with a conflict of interest or a personal grudge to fabricate a racist remark and make Wootton look bad.”

What lower class upper Mo Co residents? the ones that bought $1 million houses in Criwn? There wre no comments like that, that person was lying. Also how’s Crown upper MoCo?

There are a lot of Asian haters

True, but I'm an Asian parent in another cluster, and IMO, Wootton at Crown makes perfect sense given the financial constraints and declining enrollment.

You think it makes perfect sense because you aren’t being harmed by it. You said yourself that you are in a different cluster.

Well they qualified it by saying they're Asian. So of course their opinions matter and should count... (sarcasm of course)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in the 20878 area and the amount of people posting on nextdoor about save Wootton, you would think the sky is falling.

The Moderately Moco guy is also there trying to push out option H. I guess he lives in that area.

No one gives a damn about Dufief.

And today's post showed a picture with a room full of Asians and whites at Wootton's townhall. You know who is against option H.

One woman said it right - to quote her: "We know what this is truly about. If you do not want your kids to mingle with the "lower class" residents of upper Montgomery County just say so. If it is that bad. There are many private schools in your area or even better homeschooling. Just saying.."

What a bunch of noisemakers - first they want a new building and sign a petition and then when MCPS addresses it they start another petition.

I was there in person and didn’t hear any racist comment like this. The discussion was focused on Wootton renovation. It’s far too easy for someone with a conflict of interest or a personal grudge to fabricate a racist remark and make Wootton look bad.”

What lower class upper Mo Co residents? the ones that bought $1 million houses in Criwn? There wre no comments like that, that person was lying. Also how’s Crown upper MoCo?

There are a lot of Asian haters

True, but I'm an Asian parent in another cluster, and IMO, Wootton at Crown makes perfect sense given the financial constraints and declining enrollment.

You think it makes perfect sense because you aren’t being harmed by it. You said yourself that you are in a different cluster.

Well they qualified it by saying they're Asian. So of course their opinions matter and should count... (sarcasm of course)

And also, to guide the conversation into race baiting for political purposes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wootton parents can’t seem to win. If we support Option H, we’re framed as privileged parents pushing out Gaithersburg. If we question Option H, our facility concerns are mischaracterized as racial motives rather than what they are: concerns about safety and infrastructure. That framing needs to stop.

We are parents advocating for our children’s safety and health. We do not want students learning in a building with failing HVAC systems, chronic plumbing and restroom failures, and aging electrical infrastructure that no longer meets modern safety standards. Wootton has been placed on the Capital Improvements Program twice, only to be removed both times, leaving families with years of documented need but no path forward.

There are pros and cons to every option—whether that means a safe, secure Wootton High School on Wootton Parkway or a permanent move to Crown. Disagreeing on solutions does not make anyone ill-intentioned; it reflects a community grappling with difficult tradeoffs under DECADES of delayed investment and county-wide neglect.

Nothing here provided any information on why option H doesn’t work

+1 Option H and modified H by pulling in Fields Rd is the best solution but these crazy Wootton parents do not want their kids to get on a bus for 3 miles when everywhere else people travel 7 or 8 or more miles. Entitlement at its finest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Option H may work and could be a strong long-term solution, but it also comes with significant uncertainties. It risks leaving an empty building behind, as we have seen elsewhere, and it would remove a neighborhood high school from the heart of Rockville. Many families are also confused by the idea that funding exists to use Wootton as a holding school, yet not to fully modernize it. That said, Option H does have real advantages and should be considered carefully as part of an honest, transparent discussion. This discussion casts families as either “stealing” Crown or acting as though they are “too good” for Crown. BOTH characterizations are harmful and untrue. What needs to stop is the name-calling and the assumption of bad motives when parents are advocating for their children. Years of fiscal and planning decisions by MCPS and the Board of Education put us in this position. Parents are trying to navigate the consequences, not undermine solutions. Assumptions and name-calling don’t move us forward.

What people are irritated about is that Wooten is not unique in needing repairs or a new school. They are not the only school who has been on the CIP, removed and is still waiting. You’re being presented the chance to get a new building but complaining about where it is located. Read the room. Be adults. No one is getting everything they want. So either you want a new building or you don’t. And if you choose no, understand that no one wants to hear ya’ll complaining about how unsafe Wooten is.

+ 1 million

Either take Option H or just stop complaining. If MCPS abandons Option H, the rest of us do not want to hear you whine about how old and moldy your damn school is. Your kids will be in the moldy school because you chose not to let them mix with black and hispanic people, but instead of saying that you make it about distance and all that crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Option H may work and could be a strong long-term solution, but it also comes with significant uncertainties. It risks leaving an empty building behind, as we have seen elsewhere, and it would remove a neighborhood high school from the heart of Rockville. Many families are also confused by the idea that funding exists to use Wootton as a holding school, yet not to fully modernize it. That said, Option H does have real advantages and should be considered carefully as part of an honest, transparent discussion. This discussion casts families as either “stealing” Crown or acting as though they are “too good” for Crown. BOTH characterizations are harmful and untrue. What needs to stop is the name-calling and the assumption of bad motives when parents are advocating for their children. Years of fiscal and planning decisions by MCPS and the Board of Education put us in this position. Parents are trying to navigate the consequences, not undermine solutions. Assumptions and name-calling don’t move us forward.

What people are irritated about is that Wooten is not unique in needing repairs or a new school. They are not the only school who has been on the CIP, removed and is still waiting. You’re being presented the chance to get a new building but complaining about where it is located. Read the room. Be adults. No one is getting everything they want. So either you want a new building or you don’t. And if you choose no, understand that no one wants to hear ya’ll complaining about how unsafe Wooten is.

+ 1 million

Either take Option H or just stop complaining. If MCPS abandons Option H, the rest of us do not want to hear you whine about how old and moldy your damn school is. Your kids will be in the moldy school because you chose not to let them mix with black and hispanic people, but instead of saying that you make it about distance and all that crap.

There is nothing wrong with advocating for a school to be fixed. And parents shouldn’t be “punished” for doing so. I think a lot of us went to high schools that were in pretty terrible shape. The only difference is now there is internet and camera phones where these things didn’t exist when I was in high school-so making horrible conditions known is much much easier. Do I think there would have been such strong advocacy if this was going to be the known outcome? I’m going to say no. Changing the entire dynamic of a school because you want it fixed is not fair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Churchill is 7 miles from Crown, it’s not in the vicinity.
Whitman, Walter Johnson, Wootton, Woodward, BCC, Richard Montgomery are all much closer to Churchill than Crown.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To your question option H gives them a chance so they should be making their voices heard. Options A-D are worse for Dufief.

Options E-G also keep Dufief with Wootton. IMO G is a non starter but I’m 100% on board with E and F right now. H won’t happen and A-D split the cluster.

And that is how it should be - MCPS splitting up clusters to fill Crown. You cannot have all black and Hispanic population alone go to Crown. It needs to be diverse. Every highschool cluster in Crown's vicinity should be broken up

What makes Wootton and Churchill so special? Don't answer that.

Okay I will rephrase that - What makes Wootton so special?

I checked google maps and Wootton is 3.8 miles from Crown and 3.4 miles from Churchill. 0.4 miles is Negligible. Wootton is also the closest to Crown.

Crown:
Wootton - 3.8 miles
Gaithersburg HS - 4.5 miles
QO - 4.4 miles

These three schools should be the ones filling up Crown. Wootton is not that special. Churchill is overcrowded and MCPS cannot send kids from Wootton to Churchill when they can easily send them to Crown which was built to address overcrowding. MCPS is 100% right with offering modified Option H to Wootton to kill 2 birds with one stone - the safety issues due to mold at Wootton as well as over crowding in Gaithersburg and QO.

Wootton parents put up a stink only because they don't want to mix with brown and hispanic and low ses.

______________________________

Coming to Woodward:
Walter Johnson - 1.6 miles
Churchill - 3.2 miles
Wheaton - 3.9 miles
Richard Montgomery - 4.0 miles
Rockville High school - 4.2 miles
Kennedy 5.6 miles

Obviously the rezoning here should happen between Walter Johnson, Churchill, Wheaton, Richard Montgomery and maybe Rockville
_______________________________

Churchill:
Woodward - 3.2 miles
Walter Johnson - 3.3 miles
*Wootton - 3.4 miles
Richard Montgomery - 3.8 miles

Among these only Wootton is close to Crown, so Wootton cannot be part of the Woodward study and belongs in the Crown study and the other three should be part of Woodward study.

I'm not familiar with the Woodward study but I hope this is what MCPS is doing.

The fact that they set things up so that they have no options for moving neighborhoods between Churchill and Whitman is all anyone needs to know to see that their scoping of the boundary studies was woefully insufficient. And have you heard about the ridiculous unaddressed overcrowding situation at Blake?

It isn't that some schools belong in one study or another more, it's that all schools should have been involved in a single study from the beginning. Elementaries too, as they are setting themselves up for more failure by first constraining the secondary boundaries to inefficient fixed elementary boundaries (or limiting split articulations, there) and then coming back in a year to do elementary boundaries that will be artificially constrained by the then-fixed but inefficient (due to the prior elementary constraint) secondary boundaries they will have chosen.

The system needs to be doing this overall adjustment about once a decade. That would tend to have more incremental effect. It's been far, far too long, and the large disruptions seen for some communities in the current effort are a result.

I'm not very familiar with Blake or the DCC schools. Please enlighten me on what is happening with Blake.

When I googled, Whitman alone was further away from everything other than Walter Johnson so I didn't think it made sense for MCPS to include Whitman in the Woodward study. But Churchill ad Walter Johnson definitely should be part of any rezoning.

Not very familiar with these schools other than Churchill, Whitman and Walter Johnson being in the richest part of the county with mostly rich kids. Is WJ supposed to be the weakest of these three and Whitman kids wouldn't want to got to WJ?

I agree that they should not be protected because they are rich and if it made sense to pull their feeders to Woodward, it should be done.

This is a chance for MCPS to rezone everyone since there are 2 schools involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Option H may work and could be a strong long-term solution, but it also comes with significant uncertainties. It risks leaving an empty building behind, as we have seen elsewhere, and it would remove a neighborhood high school from the heart of Rockville. Many families are also confused by the idea that funding exists to use Wootton as a holding school, yet not to fully modernize it. That said, Option H does have real advantages and should be considered carefully as part of an honest, transparent discussion. This discussion casts families as either “stealing” Crown or acting as though they are “too good” for Crown. BOTH characterizations are harmful and untrue. What needs to stop is the name-calling and the assumption of bad motives when parents are advocating for their children. Years of fiscal and planning decisions by MCPS and the Board of Education put us in this position. Parents are trying to navigate the consequences, not undermine solutions. Assumptions and name-calling don’t move us forward.

What people are irritated about is that Wooten is not unique in needing repairs or a new school. They are not the only school who has been on the CIP, removed and is still waiting. You’re being presented the chance to get a new building but complaining about where it is located. Read the room. Be adults. No one is getting everything they want. So either you want a new building or you don’t. And if you choose no, understand that no one wants to hear ya’ll complaining about how unsafe Wooten is.

+ 1 million

Either take Option H or just stop complaining. If MCPS abandons Option H, the rest of us do not want to hear you whine about how old and moldy your damn school is. Your kids will be in the moldy school because you chose not to let them mix with black and hispanic people, but instead of saying that you make it about distance and all that crap.

It doesn’t really matter whether you want to hear or not. They deserve safe learning environment and they can’t be treated differently than other schools. Don’t keep the narrative that the only way Wootton can have a safe learning enrichment is to give up on their school. This is not fair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wootton parents can’t seem to win. If we support Option H, we’re framed as privileged parents pushing out Gaithersburg. If we question Option H, our facility concerns are mischaracterized as racial motives rather than what they are: concerns about safety and infrastructure. That framing needs to stop.

We are parents advocating for our children’s safety and health. We do not want students learning in a building with failing HVAC systems, chronic plumbing and restroom failures, and aging electrical infrastructure that no longer meets modern safety standards. Wootton has been placed on the Capital Improvements Program twice, only to be removed both times, leaving families with years of documented need but no path forward.

There are pros and cons to every option—whether that means a safe, secure Wootton High School on Wootton Parkway or a permanent move to Crown. Disagreeing on solutions does not make anyone ill-intentioned; it reflects a community grappling with difficult tradeoffs under DECADES of delayed investment and county-wide neglect.

Nothing here provided any information on why option H doesn’t work

+1 Option H and modified H by pulling in Fields Rd is the best solution but these crazy Wootton parents do not want their kids to get on a bus for 3 miles when everywhere else people travel 7 or 8 or more miles. Entitlement at its finest.

You’re crazy to call others who want to preserve their traditions and legacy to close their school and merge with you. This is oversimplifying everything it involves for closing down a well established school in well established communities. You must be from fields road as modified option H benefits you financially significantly.