NW/SV/Clarksburg redistricting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the time frame for changing the boundaries?

I was under the impression that the boundary change is slated for Sept 2019, but now it sounds like the students will not start attending the new SV until Sept 2020.

Thank you!

That's correct. Decision will be made by November 2019, although prior to that there will be many meetings regarding the recommendations and to solicit feedback. SV wont be completed till 2020 so Fall 2020 is when students will start.
Also, what they said in yesterday's meeting was that the reassignments may also cause students in SV cluster to move to either Clarksburg or NW. Or Clarksburg students might end up in NW or Seneca, and NW students might end up at Clarksburg or SV.
So it's not just a matter of pulling Clarksburg and NW students into SV.

[Anonymous]

Just got back from the meeting at Seneca Valley High School. I'm really impressed with the program offerings from all 3 high schools and I think the new SVHS will be a plus for this area of Montgomery County. I can't wait to see what options the planning committee comes up with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've heard they added middle schools as well because Darnestown ES might get moved to QO and goes to lakelands park ms with most of that middle school going to QO. I hope they move honestly I am not a fan of having them at our school - signed NW parent

MCPS should stop bussing Darnestown up to NW. Some of the houses that feed Darnestown are right down the road from QO and its rough to break up friend groups from MS to HS. So many kids from Darnestown peal off to private or try for COSAs that the left over kids go into NW without many friends.

Exactly. We are at LPMS right now and DD is in 7th grade. We are districted for NW but no way in hell is DD going there. We plan to meet with the principal of QO next year to discuss a COSA because that is DD's first choice over private, since that is where almost all her friends will be going. Sad that we already have to plan ahead for this. Few Darnestown kids go to NW any since most are in private or at QO.

What privates do high school kids in Darnestown go to?

The ones in Potomac mainly(Bullis, St. Andrews, Holy Child) and even the ones in DC/Bethesda. The rich part of Darnestown is just north of Potomac off River Road(Signal Tree, Manor Stone) and is far from any part of Germantown. It starts at QO and stretches all the way out to the river.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just got back from the meeting at Seneca Valley High School. I'm really impressed with the program offerings from all 3 high schools and I think the new SVHS will be a plus for this area of Montgomery County. I can't wait to see what options the planning committee comes up with.

What new program offerings are going to be available at Seneca Valley?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just got back from the meeting at Seneca Valley High School. I'm really impressed with the program offerings from all 3 high schools and I think the new SVHS will be a plus for this area of Montgomery County. I can't wait to see what options the planning committee comes up with.

What new program offerings are going to be available at Seneca Valley?

The plan is for career/technology education - like at Edison, only kids won't have to go all the way to Wheaton for it.

[Anonymous]

They've posted a video of one of the meetings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OK1iteuU9uU

[Anonymous]

And here are the slides:

http://gis.mcpsmd.org/boundarystudypdfs/SVHS_PresentationPIM1.pdf

Note these bullet points:

•No elementary school boundaries will change as part of this boundary study.
•Elementary school service areas will be used as the building blocks for possible middle school and high school options.
•Elementary schools assigned to Damascus, Quince Orchard and Watkins Mill clusters will not be part of this boundary study.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just got back from the meeting at Seneca Valley High School. I'm really impressed with the program offerings from all 3 high schools and I think the new SVHS will be a plus for this area of Montgomery County. I can't wait to see what options the planning committee comes up with.

What new program offerings are going to be available at Seneca Valley?

The plan is for career/technology education - like at Edison, only kids won't have to go all the way to Wheaton for it.

oh that's good - as that may be the route DD takes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And here are the slides:

http://gis.mcpsmd.org/boundarystudypdfs/SVHS_PresentationPIM1.pdf

Note these bullet points:

•No elementary school boundaries will change as part of this boundary study.
•Elementary school service areas will be used as the building blocks for possible middle school and high school options.
•Elementary schools assigned to Damascus, Quince Orchard and Watkins Mill clusters will not be part of this boundary study.

Thanks for posting, PP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, since the net flow of students will be from overcrowded Clarksburg and Northwest, the real question is which areas will be funneled into Seneca Valley, currently a much weaker school. As a parent in one of the areas added last minute into the study, I of course worry that it is our area that will get axed into SV.

Education-wise I am indifferent because either the kid will get into Poolesville or we'll move to another area before kid hits HS. It is also possible that SV will get enriching science and IB programs, making it an acceptable choice for strong students. Financially, it will be better for resale if our home stays with the initial assignment. Clearly everyone has the same problem, and someone is going to lose big $$$, especially in the short term while SV tries to change its reputation.

MCPS does not, and should not, use property values (or, more accurately, people's perceived effects on their property values) as a factory in boundary decisions.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

[Anonymous]

They posted a lengthy FAQ:
http://gis.mcpsmd.org/boundarystudypdfs/SVHS_FAQ_Feb1.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, since the net flow of students will be from overcrowded Clarksburg and Northwest, the real question is which areas will be funneled into Seneca Valley, currently a much weaker school. As a parent in one of the areas added last minute into the study, I of course worry that it is our area that will get axed into SV.

Education-wise I am indifferent because either the kid will get into Poolesville or we'll move to another area before kid hits HS. It is also possible that SV will get enriching science and IB programs, making it an acceptable choice for strong students. Financially, it will be better for resale if our home stays with the initial assignment. Clearly everyone has the same problem, and someone is going to lose big $$$, especially in the short term while SV tries to change its reputation.

MCPS does not, and should not, use property values (or, more accurately, people's perceived effects on their property values) as a factory in boundary decisions.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

Question:
Are the significant homeowners cost of home purchases to locate into an area to attend a
particular school being considered?
Pursuant to Policy FAA, Educational Facilities Planning, the four factors to be considered for
the development of the boundary options are: demographic characteristics of student population;
geography, stability of school assignments over time; and, facility utilization. Additional
information on the factors can be found at the following weblink:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/faa.pdf

[Anonymous]

No, MCPS does not care about property values. They care about schools and education.

[Anonymous]

There is a Seneca Valley Cluster meeting scheduled for tomorrow....am I correct in thinking that the proposed boundaries will be discussed at this meeting? Maybe I'm misinterpreting the agenda?

Here is a link: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/boe/meetings/agenda/2019/2.21.19%20Seneca%20Valley%20Cluster%20Mtg.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a Seneca Valley Cluster meeting scheduled for tomorrow....am I correct in thinking that the proposed boundaries will be discussed at this meeting? Maybe I'm misinterpreting the agenda?

Here is a link: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/boe/meetings/agenda/2019/2.21.19%20Seneca%20Valley%20Cluster%20Mtg.pdf

No, the proposed boundaries are not going to be presented till March during these meetings: http://gis.mcpsmd.org/boundarystudypdfs/SVHS_MarchFlyer.pdf