MCPS suggests postponing Crown High School opening for use as holding school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After spending all this money on the boundary study for the Damascus expansion, that part of it had better at least go forward if crown does not in fact open. We had better not see a total loss of funds from this time consuming and extremely costly study

+1000. We already asked to have Damascus removed since it got removed from the CIP last year and now Taylor is talking about a brand new school that won’t open until 2031. The current 6th graders will be seniors by then.

It was also supposed to help relieve overcrowding at Clarksburg which has at least 14 portables.

+1 The superintendent owes the community answers about portions of the boundary study affecting Damascus. If he was going to make sweeping statements about using Crown as a holding school he should have clarified what was to happen to the boundary study for the rest of us upcounty. It’s unacceptable especially after all the emotional turmoil of delaying the construction of DHS 2 years ago

Was that construction delay one of Monifa McKnight's contribution to the community?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:RM has 10 portables in the parking lots right now. RM was promised an expansion until Crown was approved

10?
WJ has 19 portables…

And WJ will have a new school to reduce that overcrowding.

In the current boundary study options and if Crown turns into a holding scholl, RM will get no overcrowding relief. That is why I brought it up.

WJ is 1000 students over capacity, snd Woodward was supposed to be open by now to relieve the overcrowding. Instead, the Woodward building became a holding school for Northwood.
It’s the same situation for both new school buildings.

[Anonymous]

Woodward won’t be opening either ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WTF was all this boundary study for then?

I have this same question. How many thousands of dollars did this study cost? And will the option they decide ever be implemented?

And how much is it costing to build Crown? This is ridiculous

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WTF was all this boundary study for then?

I have this same question. How many thousands of dollars did this study cost? And will the option they decide ever be implemented?

And how much is it costing to build Crown? This is ridiculous

It’s ridiculous to build crown. But it’s even more ridiculous to cause so much disruption in communities just for the sake of filling it up, especially when it is not needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Woodward won’t be opening either ?

Woodward is still opening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wootton’s location is terrible, too close to other schools especially with Crown built too close to it, but also the land it’s on is awkward and Frost doesn’t have room to expand, it’s also ancient. Frost could be expanded a bit when replaced which would help make the terrible situation of middle schools in Potomac/Rockville being awkward sized for 3 high schools.

That might be one way of looking at it.

But remember Wootton was there first being built in 1970. So was there first and any schools built after it should have accounted for current school locations.

Quince Orchard came later in 1988. Northwest 1998.

Other than it's old and rundown, where it hasn't had a major renovation since built, there really was no issues with Wootton in terms of location and capacity. Wootton got drawn into the conversations when they were looking to move Wayside into it and also moving some of the areas assigned to Wootton over to Crown.

The major issue is that Crown shouldn't have been built where it was and there was no need for it.

Also, there's a stream that goes between Wootton and Frost. So Frost wouldn't be able to expand to any of the land that Wootton is on either way.

Yeah, I’m not getting why the location of Wootton is problematic. It’s quite convenient for many people. And having it close to Frost is nice - there’s some ability to share facilities, have joint events, etc. I think it helps create a sense of community.

I also agree that the bigger issue is that there isn’t really the need for Crown at the moment. Using it as a holding school seems like the ideal solution.

Previous poster here who said the Wootton location is terrible. Yes of course it was there a long time ago, and a good location relative to its neighborhoods but I meant more terrible now that crown was built in a bad location (too close to too many schools). So now with Wootton, Crown, RM, QO, and Churchill all within a similar area relatively speaking in relation to Wootton, (~3.3, ~2.7, ~5, ~4 miles respectively from Wootton), and given the fact that it’s so old, seems like it’s a bad location to build a brand new school with a brand new school just ~3 miles away that can accommodate all of Wootton and bring in some overcrowding from QO, Gaithersburg or RM.

I agree Crown should have not been built, they built it for the sake of not losing the land but it was a rushed shortsighted decision, though of course enrollment was very diff when approved.

Also I believe I read somewhere that the site area for Wootton and Frost isn’t ideal for both schools or that it’s too small or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wootton’s location is terrible, too close to other schools especially with Crown built too close to it, but also the land it’s on is awkward and Frost doesn’t have room to expand, it’s also ancient. Frost could be expanded a bit when replaced which would help make the terrible situation of middle schools in Potomac/Rockville being awkward sized for 3 high schools.

That might be one way of looking at it.

But remember Wootton was there first being built in 1970. So was there first and any schools built after it should have accounted for current school locations.

Quince Orchard came later in 1988. Northwest 1998.

Other than it's old and rundown, where it hasn't had a major renovation since built, there really was no issues with Wootton in terms of location and capacity. Wootton got drawn into the conversations when they were looking to move Wayside into it and also moving some of the areas assigned to Wootton over to Crown.

The major issue is that Crown shouldn't have been built where it was and there was no need for it.

Also, there's a stream that goes between Wootton and Frost. So Frost wouldn't be able to expand to any of the land that Wootton is on either way.

Yeah, I’m not getting why the location of Wootton is problematic. It’s quite convenient for many people. And having it close to Frost is nice - there’s some ability to share facilities, have joint events, etc. I think it helps create a sense of community.

I also agree that the bigger issue is that there isn’t really the need for Crown at the moment. Using it as a holding school seems like the ideal solution.

Previous poster here who said the Wootton location is terrible. Yes of course it was there a long time ago, and a good location relative to its neighborhoods but I meant more terrible now that crown was built in a bad location (too close to too many schools). So now with Wootton, Crown, RM, QO, and Churchill all within a similar area relatively speaking in relation to Wootton, (~3.3, ~2.7, ~5, ~4 miles respectively from Wootton), and given the fact that it’s so old, seems like it’s a bad location to build a brand new school with a brand new school just ~3 miles away that can accommodate all of Wootton and bring in some overcrowding from QO, Gaithersburg or RM.

I agree Crown should have not been built, they built it for the sake of not losing the land but it was a rushed shortsighted decision, though of course enrollment was very diff when approved.

Also I believe I read somewhere that the site area for Wootton and Frost isn’t ideal for both schools or that it’s too small or something.

The idea to do away with Wootton reminds me of the idea to do away with the countywide magnets - taking something that is doing well, that people actually like, and ending it (for the sake of something new that seemingly nobody wants).

I understand that it’s an old building that needs some work, but I think a renovation makes a lot more sense than just giving it up. And there is a good deal of new construction near Crown. Seems like if they use Crown as a holding school, then by the time it’s ready to open as its own school, there would likely be sufficient numbers to fill it from nearby areas without eliminating any surrounding high schools.

[Anonymous]

Didn’t Taylor just say that mcps enrollment is declining? At the same time we’re opening two new high schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. Now if they could add in also not rebuilding an aging high school and using Crown instead once it has been used as a holding school to rebuild one less than originally planned aging high schools. We do not need another high school to pay to operate during declining enrollment and it makes sense to not renovate a decrepit current high school when there is an available new school. MCPS needs to be consolidating schools and closing the most underutilized/in disrepair not expanding. The more old schools in need of massive repair that can be closed with students attending underutilized in better repair nearby schools, the better for the fiscal future of MCPS.

Well just move Wootton there, no need to renovate Wootton then

Wootton could become the holding school.

[Anonymous]

So RM just stays over crowded? Or will losing the IB Magnet be enough of a reduction?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t Taylor just say that mcps enrollment is declining? At the same time we’re opening two new high schools?

So proposing crown as a holding school is a more rational decision.

The land of Crown is a gift from Gaithersburg city to MCPS. If they don’t build a school there by 2027, it will be taken back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. Now if they could add in also not rebuilding an aging high school and using Crown instead once it has been used as a holding school to rebuild one less than originally planned aging high schools. We do not need another high school to pay to operate during declining enrollment and it makes sense to not renovate a decrepit current high school when there is an available new school. MCPS needs to be consolidating schools and closing the most underutilized/in disrepair not expanding. The more old schools in need of massive repair that can be closed with students attending underutilized in better repair nearby schools, the better for the fiscal future of MCPS.

Well just move Wootton there, no need to renovate Wootton then

Wootton could become the holding school.

Less likely because it’s less central. Crown is probably more accessible to other locations … but worth a consideration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. Now if they could add in also not rebuilding an aging high school and using Crown instead once it has been used as a holding school to rebuild one less than originally planned aging high schools. We do not need another high school to pay to operate during declining enrollment and it makes sense to not renovate a decrepit current high school when there is an available new school. MCPS needs to be consolidating schools and closing the most underutilized/in disrepair not expanding. The more old schools in need of massive repair that can be closed with students attending underutilized in better repair nearby schools, the better for the fiscal future of MCPS.

Well just move Wootton there, no need to renovate Wootton then

Wootton could become the holding school.

Wootton needs to stay its own school. It’s a great location compared to Crown. Wootton is surrounded by neighborhoods while Crown is in a much more commercial, congested area. Moving to Crown would be a nightmare for Wootton kids in terms of ease of commute.

[Anonymous]

They should use Crown as a holding school while others undergo renovations. Then if enrollment is still declining even after the new neighborhoods come in, use this school for all the special Ed programs since it is a central location