Why was Magruder left out of the boundary study?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are just finishing building 3 high schools all at the same time (Northwood, Woodward, Crown). That is a major financial drain.

Poolesville and Northwood came to CIP meetings for YEARS with slide shows about how their school was falling apart; students testified, parents testified, PTA testified. They’d been waiting a long time and making their case over and over and over again.

In hindsight, that was a crazy move to do.

I would guess most school systems could probably only reasonably manage the build out of 1-2 high schools at a time.

[Anonymous]

The conditions of schools are unacceptable for both Wootton and Magruder - and others actually. But the limiting factor is money.

Wootton is being offered a solution but doesn't want it. Magruder isn't even being offered Wootton as a holding school right now - it will be a long time. MCPS isn't saying - here Magruder, we are sending you to an equally bad holding school (Wootton) and you get a new school as long as you sit tight there for a bit. They are saying, we are strategically able to not open another HS due to enrollment decline, meet the needs of one community that has been advocating for a new school (Wootton), and eventually meet the needs of more schools and faster. It isn't great and it still isn't enough but it's probably the best option based on where we are. But Magruder should know - they aren't headed to Wootton anytime soon. And this isn't even about who needs it more or not. This is just how it is playing out.

MCPS won't even commit to much of anything with Wootton, other than they addressed the rumor that they are going to sell the property (they aren't), though I'm sure many don't believe it still. So when there are arguments against spending money to fix up Wootton if you are just going to rebuild it - it makes sense but it doesn't. It is all just hypotheticals at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The conditions of schools are unacceptable for both Wootton and Magruder - and others actually. But the limiting factor is money.

Wootton is being offered a solution but doesn't want it. Magruder isn't even being offered Wootton as a holding school right now - it will be a long time. MCPS isn't saying - here Magruder, we are sending you to an equally bad holding school (Wootton) and you get a new school as long as you sit tight there for a bit. They are saying, we are strategically able to not open another HS due to enrollment decline, meet the needs of one community that has been advocating for a new school (Wootton), and eventually meet the needs of more schools and faster. It isn't great and it still isn't enough but it's probably the best option based on where we are. But Magruder should know - they aren't headed to Wootton anytime soon. And this isn't even about who needs it more or not. This is just how it is playing out.

MCPS won't even commit to much of anything with Wootton, other than they addressed the rumor that they are going to sell the property (they aren't), though I'm sure many don't believe it still. So when there are arguments against spending money to fix up Wootton if you are just going to rebuild it - it makes sense but it doesn't. It is all just hypotheticals at this point.

That’s exactly the problem. Everything for Magruder is hypothetical, and we’ve been pushed back and ignored year after year.

If Crown was to be a holding school, Magruder will have a higher chance of seeing something happen, as MCPS wouldn’t want a brand new school just to sit there empty. Crown as a holding school is the fastest option for Magruder. Whereas with the current recommendation, who knows when Wootton will ever be ready as a holding school and who knows when Magruder will ever see renovations. Not to mention Crown is a much more accessible school location wise.

Let Magruder use Crown, then Wootton. Then revisit the boundary study 5 years or so from now. By then, enrollment may be in a completely different place as international students and federal jobs come back, and all the housing developments continue to boom in that area. You don’t have to operate a 27th school if you deem it to be unnecessary then. You can still move Wootton to Crown, in fact, Wootton would already be at Crown if Crown is a holding school. Just make a plan for Magruder

Magruder has been patient.
Magruder has been polite.

The time for all that is over.
Magruder can’t wait any longer.
Magruder is one of the highest FARMS schools in all of the county. Is this why the Board thinks it can ignore us time and time again?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The conditions of schools are unacceptable for both Wootton and Magruder - and others actually. But the limiting factor is money.

Wootton is being offered a solution but doesn't want it. Magruder isn't even being offered Wootton as a holding school right now - it will be a long time. MCPS isn't saying - here Magruder, we are sending you to an equally bad holding school (Wootton) and you get a new school as long as you sit tight there for a bit. They are saying, we are strategically able to not open another HS due to enrollment decline, meet the needs of one community that has been advocating for a new school (Wootton), and eventually meet the needs of more schools and faster. It isn't great and it still isn't enough but it's probably the best option based on where we are. But Magruder should know - they aren't headed to Wootton anytime soon. And this isn't even about who needs it more or not. This is just how it is playing out.

MCPS won't even commit to much of anything with Wootton, other than they addressed the rumor that they are going to sell the property (they aren't), though I'm sure many don't believe it still. So when there are arguments against spending money to fix up Wootton if you are just going to rebuild it - it makes sense but it doesn't. It is all just hypotheticals at this point.

That’s exactly the problem. Everything for Magruder is hypothetical, and we’ve been pushed back and ignored year after year.

If Crown was to be a holding school, Magruder will have a higher chance of seeing something happen, as MCPS wouldn’t want a brand new school just to sit there empty. Crown as a holding school is the fastest option for Magruder. Whereas with the current recommendation, who knows when Wootton will ever be ready as a holding school and who knows when Magruder will ever see renovations. Not to mention Crown is a much more accessible school location wise.

Let Magruder use Crown, then Wootton. Then revisit the boundary study 5 years or so from now. By then, enrollment may be in a completely different place as international students and federal jobs come back, and all the housing developments continue to boom in that area. You don’t have to operate a 27th school if you deem it to be unnecessary then. You can still move Wootton to Crown, in fact, Wootton would already be at Crown if Crown is a holding school. Just make a plan for Magruder

Magruder has been patient.
Magruder has been polite.

The time for all that is over.
Magruder can’t wait any longer.
Magruder is one of the highest FARMS schools in all of the county. Is this why the Board thinks it can ignore us time and time again?

Magruder isn’t a W school so it’s okay to be screwed over.

All the Ws come out looking great after this boundary study.

Whitman: 🤣 don’t even get me started
WJ: the new Whitman
Winston Churchill: untouched boundaries despite initial options. The only change is added cold spring es, which the Churchill community prefers.
Wootton: perhaps the most controversial but they are still getting a brand new state of the art school that wasn’t even meant for them—some may say they benefited the most. And this new school remains in region 4.

Screw everyone else I guess 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Personally I think this is all BS.
It doesn’t look good for a brand new state of the art building to be a holding school, so mcps moves Wootton there.

Magruder isn’t on the CIP.
There’s no money to renovate Wootton.

Mark my words: Wootton will just sit there for years and years and the building will keep deteriorating.

There’s no firm plan to use Wootton as a holding school (no solid plans to invest the money and Magruder isn’t even on the CIP) because MCPS has no intention of actually converting Wootton into a holding school.

Except they just did exactly that by using brand-new Woodward as a holding school for Northwood while new Northwood is being built.

So clearly if it was ok to do there, why not do the same with Crown?

Taylor said he needs a holding school. If it isn’t Woodward containing in that capacity, then it’s either Wootton or Crown. That means Wootton must be remediated in order to justify moving its kids to Crown.

Also, the current enrollment dip is temporary and school districts operate on 40 year timelines. So it will need both Wootton and Crown in the next 10-15 years. Faced with that fact, it’s kinda stupid to close a top performing high school.

There's a demographic cliff coming. MCPS is looking at closing ES because of the enrollment decline. I don't see enrollment jumping in 10 years.

[Anonymous]

With current political and economical state, I cannot see any big inflows of international or federal job families moving into Montgomery county next 5 to 10 years. It is sad with all those federal budget cuts, grant loss, job loss, propert taxes increase, and we are in war now. If it is due to job and family, I will rather move to fairfax county or else where.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With current political and economical state, I cannot see any big inflows of international or federal job families moving into Montgomery county next 5 to 10 years. It is sad with all those federal budget cuts, grant loss, job loss, propert taxes increase, and we are in war now. If it is due to job and family, I will rather move to fairfax county or else where.

Ok so move Wootton to crown if that’s the case in 2-3 or 5 years. But for now, let’s use crown as a holding school for Magruder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With current political and economical state, I cannot see any big inflows of international or federal job families moving into Montgomery county next 5 to 10 years. It is sad with all those federal budget cuts, grant loss, job loss, propert taxes increase, and we are in war now. If it is due to job and family, I will rather move to fairfax county or else where.

Ok so move Wootton to crown if that’s the case in 2-3 or 5 years. But for now, let’s use crown as a holding school for Magruder.

No one goes to a holding school until the renovation is under way. Magruder would not go until it is in the CIP and basically dirt is being dug up. It's not in the CIP so Magruder cannot go now. It probably won't be in the CIP for years as it didn't make it this cycle (Damascus did) so unless Wootton goes, or it opens as a stand alone school, Crown would sit vacant. That's not going to happen.

[Anonymous]

It makes absolutely no sense not to use Crown as a holding school. It is totally illogical. This smells like corruption.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It makes absolutely no sense not to use Crown as a holding school. It is totally illogical. This smells like corruption.

How would it be corruption?

In earlier presentations, MCPS said that a holding school would allow school renovations be built more quickly and at a lower cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It makes absolutely no sense not to use Crown as a holding school. It is totally illogical. This smells like corruption.

How would it be corruption?

In earlier presentations, MCPS said that a holding school would allow school renovations be built more quickly and at a lower cost.

Because it allows developers to prop up properties being built in the area as being districted to “Wootton” at inflated prices. Wootton doesn’t even want to go there, this option was forced on short notice after a farce boundary study. This is extremely shady.

[Anonymous]

If Magruder were allowed to use the school, both districts would be happy, and there is no net loss of student safety, since Wootton and Magruder are the same age. Developers would be pretty unhappy though. That’s a funny coincidence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If Magruder were allowed to use the school, both districts would be happy, and there is no net loss of student safety, since Wootton and Magruder are the same age. Developers would be pretty unhappy though. That’s a funny coincidence.

And Taylor even proposed using Crown as a holding school. Suddenly in early November he changed his mind. I wonder why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With current political and economical state, I cannot see any big inflows of international or federal job families moving into Montgomery county next 5 to 10 years. It is sad with all those federal budget cuts, grant loss, job loss, propert taxes increase, and we are in war now. If it is due to job and family, I will rather move to fairfax county or else where.

Ok so move Wootton to crown if that’s the case in 2-3 or 5 years. But for now, let’s use crown as a holding school for Magruder.

This is where I would come down, too, if I were king. Magruder uses Crown as holding school for 2 years. Then Wottoon moves to Crown and they use old Wootton as holding school when needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With current political and economical state, I cannot see any big inflows of international or federal job families moving into Montgomery county next 5 to 10 years. It is sad with all those federal budget cuts, grant loss, job loss, propert taxes increase, and we are in war now. If it is due to job and family, I will rather move to fairfax county or else where.

Ok so move Wootton to crown if that’s the case in 2-3 or 5 years. But for now, let’s use crown as a holding school for Magruder.

This is where I would come down, too, if I were king. Magruder uses Crown as holding school for 2 years. Then Wottoon moves to Crown and they use old Wootton as holding school when needed.

Seriously why isn’t this happening? Is this not the most sensible fair option?