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:FFS, get ready folks, tomorrow's testimony includes Wootton flexing their money muscles and overtly trying to intimidate (threaten?) the BOE with lawsuits because they may not get their way.

This gem of a parent starts with, "I’m the one sending legal notices....You’re probably tired of hearing from me. I’m definitely tired of writing them" So, just a thought: no one asked you to do that so maybe take a break?

She then says, "My role is not to advise—you have counsel for that—but to caution that we are watching closely. Here’s just a few of the many legal issues we are tracking."

First of all, yea, pretty sure that's intimidation at it's finest. But also, she acknowledges they have counsel who is advising them and unless she thinks they are literal idiots, said counsel is not allowing them to do something illegal.

Or, maybe in typical Wootton fashion, she's just the smartest of them all?

Is she even a lawyer? I'm too lazy to google but I do hope she shows up in a Judge's robe tomorrow for her testimony.

Let them sue.

Be careful what you wish for. Didn’t MCPS get spanked by the Supreme Court last year? I’m quite sure that MCPS’ lawyers are going to be very careful about doing anything that even comes close to the legal line.

Also, wouldn’t a.lawsuit attract even more unwanted media attention? Closing a top school under questionable circumstances isn’t.a good look.

Get a grip. The proposal is to move a school from a crumbling old building that you all have complained about for years to a brand new building. That’s positive coverage.

Except the new school is 2 cities over. Totally normal. It’s not moving down the street.

2 cities over? GTFO. Y'alls don't even think North Potomac is a real city (this is not the point) and these "cities" all come together within one mile of each other in different places, they are not lined up consecutively.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of this is brought to you by the geniuses who lost $40 million of state money for renovations due to submission error….

But surely these same people are always competent and would never do anything illegal or try to manipulate the system to cover their incompetency right?


Source:
https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2024/10/error-causes-montgomery-co-to-lose-40-million-for-school-improvements
https://wjla.com/news/local/maryland-montgomery-county-public-schools-mcps-superintendent-reveals-loss-393-million-dollars-state-aid-submission-error-dr-thomas-taylor-capital-budget-fiscal-year-2026-council-education-culture-committee-capital-improvement-program-projects
https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/10/24/mcps-39-3-million-shortfall

First time seeing this. WOW, no wonder we “don’t” have money. Mcps lost 40 million because they can’t fill out forms right? I always knew they were incompetent but…this is a new low.

For the folks who keep saying MCPS has attorneys and surely would not be doing anything that is illegal…
1) they already have been ruled to do many illegal things (see court cases)
2) their ineptitude is….just wow
3) you should know where there are lawsuits like the last SCOTUS case, they hired out third party lawyers. Google those lawyers. Their hourly fee is usually somewhere north of $2,000 per hour. But yea Mcps “doesn’t” have money. Poor poor incompetent fools

Maybe MCPS could have resolved the case long before spending millions of dollars to fight, only to lose at the Supreme Court? Maybe that money could have been spent to remediate Wootton?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FFS, get ready folks, tomorrow's testimony includes Wootton flexing their money muscles and overtly trying to intimidate (threaten?) the BOE with lawsuits because they may not get their way.

This gem of a parent starts with, "I’m the one sending legal notices....You’re probably tired of hearing from me. I’m definitely tired of writing them" So, just a thought: no one asked you to do that so maybe take a break?

She then says, "My role is not to advise—you have counsel for that—but to caution that we are watching closely. Here’s just a few of the many legal issues we are tracking."

First of all, yea, pretty sure that's intimidation at it's finest. But also, she acknowledges they have counsel who is advising them and unless she thinks they are literal idiots, said counsel is not allowing them to do something illegal.

Or, maybe in typical Wootton fashion, she's just the smartest of them all?

Is she even a lawyer? I'm too lazy to google but I do hope she shows up in a Judge's robe tomorrow for her testimony.

Let them sue.

Be careful what you wish for. Didn’t MCPS get spanked by the Supreme Court last year? I’m quite sure that MCPS’ lawyers are going to be very careful about doing anything that even comes close to the legal line.

Also, wouldn’t a.lawsuit attract even more unwanted media attention? Closing a top school under questionable circumstances isn’t.a good look.

Get a grip. The proposal is to move a school from a crumbling old building that you all have complained about for years to a brand new building. That’s positive coverage.

Except the new school is 2 cities over. Totally normal. It’s not moving down the street.

2 cities over? GTFO. Y'alls don't even think North Potomac is a real city (this is not the point) and these "cities" all come together within one mile of each other in different places, they are not lined up consecutively.

That’s not the point and you know it. This is a closure and boundary change. Don’t obfuscate the facts m, nor the real impact on Wootton AND Gaithersburg families. MCPS screwed up here. The least it can do is not make things far worse than they already have. Heck, the affected high school kids could do a better job….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of this is brought to you by the geniuses who lost $40 million of state money for renovations due to submission error….

But surely these same people are always competent and would never do anything illegal or try to manipulate the system to cover their incompetency right?


Source:
https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2024/10/error-causes-montgomery-co-to-lose-40-million-for-school-improvements
https://wjla.com/news/local/maryland-montgomery-county-public-schools-mcps-superintendent-reveals-loss-393-million-dollars-state-aid-submission-error-dr-thomas-taylor-capital-budget-fiscal-year-2026-council-education-culture-committee-capital-improvement-program-projects
https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/10/24/mcps-39-3-million-shortfall

First time seeing this. WOW, no wonder we “don’t” have money. Mcps lost 40 million because they can’t fill out forms right? I always knew they were incompetent but…this is a new low.

For the folks who keep saying MCPS has attorneys and surely would not be doing anything that is illegal…
1) they already have been ruled to do many illegal things (see court cases)
2) their ineptitude is….just wow
3) you should know where there are lawsuits like the last SCOTUS case, they hired out third party lawyers. Google those lawyers. Their hourly fee is usually somewhere north of $2,000 per hour. But yea Mcps “doesn’t” have money. Poor poor incompetent fools

Maybe MCPS could have resolved the case long before spending millions of dollars to fight, only to lose at the Supreme Court? Maybe that money could have been spent to remediate Wootton?

That would be too rationale of a decision. The more logical a decision is the more likely MCPS will do the opposite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the main point needs to be that we DO NOT HAVE THE STUDENTS to justify two schools. We never did!

Crown was a gift so had to be built. IT only makes sense to use it and change the usage of Wootton until the time comes that the enrollment justifies another high school.

No, it did not have to be built. I love how everyone thinks they know facts when they don’t. Go look up the deed. It says it can also be used as a public park. If a school truly isn’t needed, why waste millions build it. It could’ve been a great park for community use.

Exactly. This is a stupid mistake that MCPS traps itself in. MCPS could have returned this gift back to Gaithersburg city without any cost.

No, the City of Gaithersburg wanted a new high school. Just like they made MCPS pay for an artificial turf field at their new elementary school and then took over the field for their own use. The City of Gaithersburg wants bling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of this is brought to you by the geniuses who lost $40 million of state money for renovations due to submission error….

But surely these same people are always competent and would never do anything illegal or try to manipulate the system to cover their incompetency right?


Source:
https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2024/10/error-causes-montgomery-co-to-lose-40-million-for-school-improvements
https://wjla.com/news/local/maryland-montgomery-county-public-schools-mcps-superintendent-reveals-loss-393-million-dollars-state-aid-submission-error-dr-thomas-taylor-capital-budget-fiscal-year-2026-council-education-culture-committee-capital-improvement-program-projects
https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/10/24/mcps-39-3-million-shortfall

First time seeing this. WOW, no wonder we “don’t” have money. Mcps lost 40 million because they can’t fill out forms right? I always knew they were incompetent but…this is a new low.

For the folks who keep saying MCPS has attorneys and surely would not be doing anything that is illegal…
1) they already have been ruled to do many illegal things (see court cases)
2) their ineptitude is….just wow
3) you should know where there are lawsuits like the last SCOTUS case, they hired out third party lawyers. Google those lawyers. Their hourly fee is usually somewhere north of $2,000 per hour. But yea Mcps “doesn’t” have money. Poor poor incompetent fools

That was Essie McGuire. Again.

Taylor hired her immediately to be his Chief of Staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the main point needs to be that we DO NOT HAVE THE STUDENTS to justify two schools. We never did!

Crown was a gift so had to be built. IT only makes sense to use it and change the usage of Wootton until the time comes that the enrollment justifies another high school.

No, it did not have to be built. I love how everyone thinks they know facts when they don’t. Go look up the deed. It says it can also be used as a public park. If a school truly isn’t needed, why waste millions build it. It could’ve been a great park for community use.

Exactly. This is a stupid mistake that MCPS traps itself in. MCPS could have returned this gift back to Gaithersburg city without any cost.

No, the City of Gaithersburg wanted a new high school. Just like they made MCPS pay for an artificial turf field at their new elementary school and then took over the field for their own use. The City of Gaithersburg wants bling.

Wonderful. Give it to Gaithersburg. Leave Rockville and Potomac alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the main point needs to be that we DO NOT HAVE THE STUDENTS to justify two schools. We never did!

Crown was a gift so had to be built. IT only makes sense to use it and change the usage of Wootton until the time comes that the enrollment justifies another high school.

No, it did not have to be built. I love how everyone thinks they know facts when they don’t. Go look up the deed. It says it can also be used as a public park. If a school truly isn’t needed, why waste millions build it. It could’ve been a great park for community use.

dp.. *at the time* there was a need for the two schools, but with declining enrollment and huge budget cuts, *now* it's not necessary.

MCPS has been accused of not pivoting fast enough (makes sense as it is a large school district), but now, they are trying to, and they are still being criticized for it.

Either way, MCPS is damned if they do, and damned if they don't. So, they should just choose the option that makes the most financial sense, and that is *now* H.

MCPS projection for enrollment has been consistently above actual numbers since year 2018, and this discrepancy continues to rise until 2025 when they finally decide to fix it. If they could realize and acknowledge the wrong projection back in 2020 when everyone is trapped in home, they could have avoided this bad decision.

If that's the case, then any type of projection for boundary changes would be useless. But, it's usually better to over estimate than under estimate.

How was MCPS to know that some of parents would continue to keep their children out of MCPS after covid?

If anyone can make such accurate projections at the time, they'd be better off playing the stock market than working for MCPS. They'd certainly make more money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the main point needs to be that we DO NOT HAVE THE STUDENTS to justify two schools. We never did!

Crown was a gift so had to be built. IT only makes sense to use it and change the usage of Wootton until the time comes that the enrollment justifies another high school.

No, it did not have to be built. I love how everyone thinks they know facts when they don’t. Go look up the deed. It says it can also be used as a public park. If a school truly isn’t needed, why waste millions build it. It could’ve been a great park for community use.

dp.. *at the time* there was a need for the two schools, but with declining enrollment and huge budget cuts, *now* it's not necessary.

MCPS has been accused of not pivoting fast enough (makes sense as it is a large school district), but now, they are trying to, and they are still being criticized for it.

Either way, MCPS is damned if they do, and damned if they don't. So, they should just choose the option that makes the most financial sense, and that is *now* H.

MCPS projection for enrollment has been consistently above actual numbers since year 2018, and this discrepancy continues to rise until 2025 when they finally decide to fix it. If they could realize and acknowledge the wrong projection back in 2020 when everyone is trapped in home, they could have avoided this bad decision.

If that's the case, then any type of projection for boundary changes would be useless. But, it's usually better to over estimate than under estimate.

How was MCPS to know that some of parents would continue to keep their children out of MCPS after covid?

If anyone can make such accurate projections at the time, they'd be better off playing the stock market than working for MCPS. They'd certainly make more money.

Business leaders knew their pre covid projections were no longer accurate. Why didn’t MCPS? It could have hired a consultant to figure this out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the main point needs to be that we DO NOT HAVE THE STUDENTS to justify two schools. We never did!

Crown was a gift so had to be built. IT only makes sense to use it and change the usage of Wootton until the time comes that the enrollment justifies another high school.

No, it did not have to be built. I love how everyone thinks they know facts when they don’t. Go look up the deed. It says it can also be used as a public park. If a school truly isn’t needed, why waste millions build it. It could’ve been a great park for community use.

Exactly. This is a stupid mistake that MCPS traps itself in. MCPS could have returned this gift back to Gaithersburg city without any cost.

No, the City of Gaithersburg wanted a new high school. Just like they made MCPS pay for an artificial turf field at their new elementary school and then took over the field for their own use. The City of Gaithersburg wants bling.

Wonderful. Give it to Gaithersburg. Leave Rockville and Potomac alone.

Bingo. But that might leave Crown under enrolled and MCPS would be embarrassed. Also, MCPS wants an instant academic reputation for Crown to justify spending $400M on a new school and to satisfy the developers who poured billions into developing Crown, so it just transplants kids from a top performing school 3+ miles away. “Mission Accomplished” moment and Taylor looks good after being spanked by the Supreme Court last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the main point needs to be that we DO NOT HAVE THE STUDENTS to justify two schools. We never did!

Crown was a gift so had to be built. IT only makes sense to use it and change the usage of Wootton until the time comes that the enrollment justifies another high school.

No, it did not have to be built. I love how everyone thinks they know facts when they don’t. Go look up the deed. It says it can also be used as a public park. If a school truly isn’t needed, why waste millions build it. It could’ve been a great park for community use.

dp.. *at the time* there was a need for the two schools, but with declining enrollment and huge budget cuts, *now* it's not necessary.

MCPS has been accused of not pivoting fast enough (makes sense as it is a large school district), but now, they are trying to, and they are still being criticized for it.

Either way, MCPS is damned if they do, and damned if they don't. So, they should just choose the option that makes the most financial sense, and that is *now* H.

[phone]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of this is brought to you by the geniuses who lost $40 million of state money for renovations due to submission error….

But surely these same people are always competent and would never do anything illegal or try to manipulate the system to cover their incompetency right?


Source:
https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2024/10/error-causes-montgomery-co-to-lose-40-million-for-school-improvements
https://wjla.com/news/local/maryland-montgomery-county-public-schools-mcps-superintendent-reveals-loss-393-million-dollars-state-aid-submission-error-dr-thomas-taylor-capital-budget-fiscal-year-2026-council-education-culture-committee-capital-improvement-program-projects
https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/10/24/mcps-39-3-million-shortfall

First time seeing this. WOW, no wonder we “don’t” have money. Mcps lost 40 million because they can’t fill out forms right? I always knew they were incompetent but…this is a new low.

For the folks who keep saying MCPS has attorneys and surely would not be doing anything that is illegal…
1) they already have been ruled to do many illegal things (see court cases)
2) their ineptitude is….just wow
3) you should know where there are lawsuits like the last SCOTUS case, they hired out third party lawyers. Google those lawyers. Their hourly fee is usually somewhere north of $2,000 per hour. But yea Mcps “doesn’t” have money. Poor poor incompetent fools

That was Essie McGuire. Again.

Taylor hired her immediately to be his Chief of Staff.

To add upon, she is also involved in the electrical school bus scandal as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the main point needs to be that we DO NOT HAVE THE STUDENTS to justify two schools. We never did!

Crown was a gift so had to be built. IT only makes sense to use it and change the usage of Wootton until the time comes that the enrollment justifies another high school.

If it was a gift, why did it have to be built? Gift can be returned for better use. It should have been used as a holding school instead of continuing to burden Wootton with a poor decision.

Do you understand what Wootton residents are being asked to sacrifice? First, their school was closed and students were relocated with a boundary change. Then, within the next decade, the school is overcrowded and the community is split again and forced to move once more due to another boundary change. Why should the same group of residents endure repeated disruption just to cover up MCPS’s mistake?

I am a Wootton parent and this is just so embarassing. It makes th emost sense. Give me Option H and a brand new building! Enough already!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the main point needs to be that we DO NOT HAVE THE STUDENTS to justify two schools. We never did!

Crown was a gift so had to be built. IT only makes sense to use it and change the usage of Wootton until the time comes that the enrollment justifies another high school.

No, it did not have to be built. I love how everyone thinks they know facts when they don’t. Go look up the deed. It says it can also be used as a public park. If a school truly isn’t needed, why waste millions build it. It could’ve been a great park for community use.

dp.. *at the time* there was a need for the two schools, but with declining enrollment and huge budget cuts, *now* it's not necessary.

MCPS has been accused of not pivoting fast enough (makes sense as it is a large school district), but now, they are trying to, and they are still being criticized for it.

Either way, MCPS is damned if they do, and damned if they don't. So, they should just choose the option that makes the most financial sense, and that is *now* H.

1. This could have all been avoided if they had half a brain cell to use more accurate data. Why use pre covid data?
2. H is by no means the most financial sense. H makes Wootton a holding school, which is less accessible than Crown. Estimates show that to repair/make Wootton Parkway to accommodate that many bussed would be 70 million. Not to mention the cost of bussing everyone to Wootton, which is farther away for Damascus and Magruder and every school that needs a holding school for renovations—that’s not my claim, btw that’s literally what analysis published by Mcps shows. Then you got to bus everyone from Wootton out.
3. You also have to renovate Wootton for it to even be a holding school, which means either way—even under H—Wootton has to be renovated. The people who say Mcps doesn’t have money to fix the Wootton and crown simply don’t get it. Under H, money literally will be sent to fix Wootton. This a non unique cost.

Let’s call a spade a spade.
H is not about money.
The option that saves the most amount of money is E or F.
H is politically more attractive.
The county gets to open a brand new school and transplant some of the best students in there and say wow look at us, our new school is immediately top ranked.

this is really so comical. you think this is all one big conspiracy?! Seneca Valley was the largest school in the state when it opened - why didn't they shove a bunch of students from Potomac in there for test scores? What are you talking about?

It will be a holding school or something else like many other former public school buildings. What is the name of that elementary school tucked away in Bethesda on prime real estate that is now used as office space and a field for soccer games on the weekends?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the main point needs to be that we DO NOT HAVE THE STUDENTS to justify two schools. We never did!

Crown was a gift so had to be built. IT only makes sense to use it and change the usage of Wootton until the time comes that the enrollment justifies another high school.

No, it did not have to be built. I love how everyone thinks they know facts when they don’t. Go look up the deed. It says it can also be used as a public park. If a school truly isn’t needed, why waste millions build it. It could’ve been a great park for community use.

dp.. *at the time* there was a need for the two schools, but with declining enrollment and huge budget cuts, *now* it's not necessary.

MCPS has been accused of not pivoting fast enough (makes sense as it is a large school district), but now, they are trying to, and they are still being criticized for it.

Either way, MCPS is damned if they do, and damned if they don't. So, they should just choose the option that makes the most financial sense, and that is *now* H.

MCPS projection for enrollment has been consistently above actual numbers since year 2018, and this discrepancy continues to rise until 2025 when they finally decide to fix it. If they could realize and acknowledge the wrong projection back in 2020 when everyone is trapped in home, they could have avoided this bad decision.

If that's the case, then any type of projection for boundary changes would be useless. But, it's usually better to over estimate than under estimate.

How was MCPS to know that some of parents would continue to keep their children out of MCPS after covid?

If anyone can make such accurate projections at the time, they'd be better off playing the stock market than working for MCPS. They'd certainly make more money.

Business leaders knew their pre covid projections were no longer accurate. Why didn’t MCPS? It could have hired a consultant to figure this out.

MCPS knew it wasn't accurate, but how do you predict how many parents were going to keep their kids out of MCPS after covid restrictions were lifted?

They are never going to be able to predict accurate numbers given external factors. They can only go by projections with the facts that the have now.