Initial boundary options for Woodward study area are up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://moderatelymoco.com/mcps-50-school-redistricting-how-boundary-changes-could-impact-families-opinion/

Great article here about the history of the four factors as well as some information on how lengthy bus rides to school contribute to absenteeism.

Thank you for this very helpful link! I was unaware of the 2019 MCPS Countywide Boundary Analysis and that’s very helpful background for those of us who haven’t been following this for years and years.

I find this fascinating: “More than 70% of respondents stated that minimizing boundary changes, ensuring students attend the school closest to home, cohort stability and maximizing walkers were extremely important. Only 10% responded that school diversity was extremely important.”

So there was clearly a large, broad consensus on what variables matter to the community when doing this boundary study, yet some of these variables, such as cohort stability, aren’t even a priority. How is that? How did MCPS arrive at these final 4 priorities, which do not fully reflect the priorities of our community?

Demographic characteristics of student population
Geography
Stability of school assignments over time
Facility utilization

This whole process seems rather ridiculous. They ask for feedback from
the community and then ignore what people say they want as their priorities. They then establish their own priorities (still not clear on how this happened) that do not reflect the values of the community. And now we’re expected to weigh in (and probably get ignored) on some really poor options, most of which are in direct contradiction to the previously stated community priorities? How many millions of taxpayer dollars are funding this insanity?

It is a long, rather dramatic story. I’m sure you could find a lot of old posts related to how those factors were decided by the Board.

Here’s what I remember - this goes back years. Lots of drama over a few words added to the Demographics factor by the then-SMOB that would have put diversity first (for you to define diversity, as the prior consultants said), but a judge eventually ruled that it was optional (I think) and the four factors are supposedly equally important. Prior consultants developed a very expensive tool that let us look at how the district could have boundaries redrawn (and held some awful meetings with consultants, parents and students very upset). Not clear whether anyone is using that expensive tool or that was some sort of exercise in who knows what.

Then … COVID. Followed by …

Lots of talk over the years about how they will keep boundaries contiguous but then we see these islands of cross-county busing pop up, especially in Clarksburg redistricting (which seemed to get pretty nasty). Lots of talk about maintaining walk zones, but we have option 3 that ignores those. Lots of talk about utilizing space efficiently, but again we have option 3 that leaves schools overcrowded.

I think most in the county were in agreement back then that everyone wanted to have neighborhood schools, except for a vocal minority of progressives, some of whom were on the board and others were very strong advocates. I’m not sure how strongly people feel today. I think they learned that the kids themselves don’t want long bus rides either, they want good community schools with equal opportunities and resources. Of course other things are different today too, new superintendent, board members, and other officials too.

But my recollection may not be the best. Surely others remember. It’s good to go back and learn from what was gathered in 2019 so it wasn’t all a waste of time and energy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please.. you just don’t want black and brown students at your Lily white school. MCPS is all about diversity so get over it. #3 is most likeky their top choice.

BCC is not s lilly white school, it has a high degree of diversity. We don’t want our kids to bd bussed to the opposite end of the counth in order to satisfy your racial engineering games.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What will happen to property values of those in WJ rezoned to Woodward?

I think these are largely baked in at this point. Everyone who has bought in the last ten years has known that WJ was overcrowded, Woodward was opening to relieve that overcrowding, that the two schools are very close to each other, and anything in the general area would be fair game to go to the new school instead of the old overcrowded one. And if you bought more than ten years ago I’m not listening to your complaints about property values.
- agent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids were in public schools until Covid and the never ending MCPS shutdown. We saw the writing on the wall and left for private but with major regret not sending my oldest to BCC which still weighs heavy.

To see this happening is horrible and so disheartening. These kids deserve neighborhood schools with strong communities where they can get to and from activities and home easily. Putting a wealthier kid in a poorer school and vice versa isn’t going to change outcomes for the poor kids because it starts at home.

This is just a way for MCPS to better hide the exploding number of FARMs students at the underperforming schools without giving them what they really need in serious substantial support. It’s insulting and unfair to those kids.

The wealthy kids won’t mingle with the FARMs kids and vice versa no matter what and it will cause students to self segregate in the schools. I saw this first hand at Rosemary Hills where kids played with other kids only inside their own neighborhoods. Even little kids gravitate onlt to people they identity with. Middle school and high school it’s even worse. Social engineering is not going to work.

Meanwhile, Most anyone with means will pull their kid for private rather than send their kid cross county. This is a disaster and I am grateful my kids werent caught up in this. Montgomery county will see serious flight to other counties and a major loss in tax revenue and school support as the wealthy flee to private and to live elsewhere. What a mess they are creating. So sorry for all of you affected.

Parents like you are the problem. We were at a high farms school and the majority of kids came to our parties. We just had to make it more inline with their family style vs typical. Meaning lots of food, entire family invited, dual language invitations,

Well I love that for you. I’m stating the obvious as it happened on the playground and in the classroom because I volunteered three times a week teaching primarily FARMs and ESOL kids how to read. I never mentioned parties. Glad you found a way to make your smug self feel superior. It doesn’t change the facts that social engineering doesn’t work, strong communities begin at home and in neighborhood cohesion and wealthy flight will happen and fast as parents rush to protect their own kids.

[Anonymous]

What does everyone think of option 1?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What will happen to property values of those in WJ rezoned to Woodward?

I think these are largely baked in at this point. Everyone who has bought in the last ten years has known that WJ was overcrowded, Woodward was opening to relieve that overcrowding, that the two schools are very close to each other, and anything in the general area would be fair game to go to the new school instead of the old overcrowded one. And if you bought more than ten years ago I’m not listening to your complaints about property values.
- agent

Unless they are reasoned to Kennedy and Wheaton under option 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids were in public schools until Covid and the never ending MCPS shutdown. We saw the writing on the wall and left for private but with major regret not sending my oldest to BCC which still weighs heavy.

To see this happening is horrible and so disheartening. These kids deserve neighborhood schools with strong communities where they can get to and from activities and home easily. Putting a wealthier kid in a poorer school and vice versa isn’t going to change outcomes for the poor kids because it starts at home.

This is just a way for MCPS to better hide the exploding number of FARMs students at the underperforming schools without giving them what they really need in serious substantial support. It’s insulting and unfair to those kids.

The wealthy kids won’t mingle with the FARMs kids and vice versa no matter what and it will cause students to self segregate in the schools. I saw this first hand at Rosemary Hills where kids played with other kids only inside their own neighborhoods. Even little kids gravitate onlt to people they identity with. Middle school and high school it’s even worse. Social engineering is not going to work.

Meanwhile, Most anyone with means will pull their kid for private rather than send their kid cross county. This is a disaster and I am grateful my kids werent caught up in this. Montgomery county will see serious flight to other counties and a major loss in tax revenue and school support as the wealthy flee to private and to live elsewhere. What a mess they are creating. So sorry for all of you affected.

Parents like you are the problem. We were at a high farms school and the majority of kids came to our parties. We just had to make it more inline with their family style vs typical. Meaning lots of food, entire family invited, dual language invitations,

Well I love that for you. I’m stating the obvious as it happened on the playground and in the classroom because I volunteered three times a week teaching primarily FARMs and ESOL kids how to read. I never mentioned parties. Glad you found a way to make your smug self feel superior. It doesn’t change the facts that social engineering doesn’t work, strong communities begin at home and in neighborhood cohesion and wealthy flight will happen and fast as parents rush to protect their own kids.

What did you do to engage and encourage the kids to play together? That is the point. The farms families know how you feel and aren’t included so yes they keep away. It can work but you have to have willing participants. We are still at high farms schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What will happen to property values of those in WJ rezoned to Woodward?

I think these are largely baked in at this point. Everyone who has bought in the last ten years has known that WJ was overcrowded, Woodward was opening to relieve that overcrowding, that the two schools are very close to each other, and anything in the general area would be fair game to go to the new school instead of the old overcrowded one. And if you bought more than ten years ago I’m not listening to your complaints about property values.
- agent

Unless they are reasoned to Kennedy and Wheaton under option 3.

*redistricted

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What will happen to property values of those in WJ rezoned to Woodward?

I think these are largely baked in at this point. Everyone who has bought in the last ten years has known that WJ was overcrowded, Woodward was opening to relieve that overcrowding, that the two schools are very close to each other, and anything in the general area would be fair game to go to the new school instead of the old overcrowded one. And if you bought more than ten years ago I’m not listening to your complaints about property values.
- agent

Unless they are reasoned to Kennedy and Wheaton under option 3.

They probably put it in there are the throw out for attention. We don’t have enough busses or drivers to make it work. Wheaton is fine, Kennedy is be concerned. Personally I don’t care about property values as we don’t plan to sell so the lower the better for taxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What will happen to property values of those in WJ rezoned to Woodward?

I think these are largely baked in at this point. Everyone who has bought in the last ten years has known that WJ was overcrowded, Woodward was opening to relieve that overcrowding, that the two schools are very close to each other, and anything in the general area would be fair game to go to the new school instead of the old overcrowded one. And if you bought more than ten years ago I’m not listening to your complaints about property values.
- agent

Unless they are reasoned to Kennedy and Wheaton under option 3.

They probably put it in there are the throw out for attention. We don’t have enough busses or drivers to make it work. Wheaton is fine, Kennedy is be concerned. Personally I don’t care about property values as we don’t plan to sell so the lower the better for taxes.

Also, remember the people they hired probably never lived in the area and have no clue. Miles wise and distance with traffic are very different

[Anonymous]

Really the only way to solve overcrowding at Blair is to move the magnets to Kennedy. I think that would work it’s magic at Kennedy just as it did for so many years at Blair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What will happen to property values of those in WJ rezoned to Woodward?

I think these are largely baked in at this point. Everyone who has bought in the last ten years has known that WJ was overcrowded, Woodward was opening to relieve that overcrowding, that the two schools are very close to each other, and anything in the general area would be fair game to go to the new school instead of the old overcrowded one. And if you bought more than ten years ago I’m not listening to your complaints about property values.
- agent

I don’t think that’s right. You’d have to be paying a ton of attention to things to know about that anywhere near 10 years ago. Most people know the zoned school and not a ton more.

Plus, even people aware of Woodward wouldn’t know what being in Woodward would mean, and we still don’t. If Woodward is districted in a way to make it a “good school,” there probably won’t be a big impact. But if the ultimate zoning makes it a meaningful “worse” school than current WJ, it will definitely impact property values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids were in public schools until Covid and the never ending MCPS shutdown. We saw the writing on the wall and left for private but with major regret not sending my oldest to BCC which still weighs heavy.

To see this happening is horrible and so disheartening. These kids deserve neighborhood schools with strong communities where they can get to and from activities and home easily. Putting a wealthier kid in a poorer school and vice versa isn’t going to change outcomes for the poor kids because it starts at home.

This is just a way for MCPS to better hide the exploding number of FARMs students at the underperforming schools without giving them what they really need in serious substantial support. It’s insulting and unfair to those kids.

The wealthy kids won’t mingle with the FARMs kids and vice versa no matter what and it will cause students to self segregate in the schools. I saw this first hand at Rosemary Hills where kids played with other kids only inside their own neighborhoods. Even little kids gravitate onlt to people they identity with. Middle school and high school it’s even worse. Social engineering is not going to work.

Meanwhile, Most anyone with means will pull their kid for private rather than send their kid cross county. This is a disaster and I am grateful my kids werent caught up in this. Montgomery county will see serious flight to other counties and a major loss in tax revenue and school support as the wealthy flee to private and to live elsewhere. What a mess they are creating. So sorry for all of you affected.

Parents like you are the problem. We were at a high farms school and the majority of kids came to our parties. We just had to make it more inline with their family style vs typical. Meaning lots of food, entire family invited, dual language invitations,

Well I love that for you. I’m stating the obvious as it happened on the playground and in the classroom because I volunteered three times a week teaching primarily FARMs and ESOL kids how to read. I never mentioned parties. Glad you found a way to make your smug self feel superior. It doesn’t change the facts that social engineering doesn’t work, strong communities begin at home and in neighborhood cohesion and wealthy flight will happen and fast as parents rush to protect their own kids.

What did you do to engage and encourage the kids to play together? That is the point. The farms families know how you feel and aren’t included so yes they keep away. It can work but you have to have willing participants. We are still at high farms schools.

The FARMs kids also didn’t want to play with the middle class kids. They played with kids who spoke their language and lived in their buildings/neighborhoods which is why bussing doesn’t work. My kids asked ESOL kids to play and there was no interest. You can’t force kids to be friends anymore than you can adults. All of the kids were nice to each other and giggled and laughed together but their close friendships were based on cultural comfort. On both sides, so settle down. I was a simple volunteer trying to help these kids. I’m not going to change innate human behavior by hosting parties in two languages. No one is. Not even you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What will happen to property values of those in WJ rezoned to Woodward?

I think these are largely baked in at this point. Everyone who has bought in the last ten years has known that WJ was overcrowded, Woodward was opening to relieve that overcrowding, that the two schools are very close to each other, and anything in the general area would be fair game to go to the new school instead of the old overcrowded one. And if you bought more than ten years ago I’m not listening to your complaints about property values.
- agent

Unless they are reasoned to Kennedy and Wheaton under option 3.

The question was specifically about those in WJ rezoned to Woodward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What will happen to property values of those in WJ rezoned to Woodward?

I think these are largely baked in at this point. Everyone who has bought in the last ten years has known that WJ was overcrowded, Woodward was opening to relieve that overcrowding, that the two schools are very close to each other, and anything in the general area would be fair game to go to the new school instead of the old overcrowded one. And if you bought more than ten years ago I’m not listening to your complaints about property values.
- agent

I don’t think that’s right. You’d have to be paying a ton of attention to things to know about that anywhere near 10 years ago. Most people know the zoned school and not a ton more.

Plus, even people aware of Woodward wouldn’t know what being in Woodward would mean, and we still don’t. If Woodward is districted in a way to make it a “good school,” there probably won’t be a big impact. But if the ultimate zoning makes it a meaningful “worse” school than current WJ, it will definitely impact property values.

Agreed. No way people have been “baking it in” to their offers that Woodward would be 40+% FARMS - how would anyone know that? WJ is over crowded so they’d assume WJ would spill over.

People who bought 10+ years ago are also allowed to complain about their property values. If your biggest asset tanks in value, you’re allowed to be upset.