Woodward Boundary Study discussion at next BoE meeting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are in Kensington and Silver Creek is walkable for us but we are zoned to NB. That switch wofee uld make sense.

If they add middle school reassignments, the boundary study will be even huger.

It is naive to think that they can adjust high school boundaries with no trickle-down, even to the ES level. I am thinking about the housing on Tuckerman/Edson right in the backyard of the new Woodward that feeds to Garrett Park or KP. It does not make a lot of sense to not redistrict those KP kids to Woodward, which, if they keep the current matriculation model, also would involve a switch from NB to Tilden.

High school boundary changes do not necessarily include middle school boundary changes, let alone elementary school boundary changes. People should expect, until there is evidence to the contrary, that their elementary school boundaries will remain the same - although they may end up assigned to different middle schools or high schools from currently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sweet Jesus.

-current DCC parent

This. Wake me in 5 years when the civil war is over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are in Kensington and Silver Creek is walkable for us but we are zoned to NB. That switch wofee uld make sense.

If they add middle school reassignments, the boundary study will be even huger.

It is naive to think that they can adjust high school boundaries with no trickle-down, even to the ES level. I am thinking about the housing on Tuckerman/Edson right in the backyard of the new Woodward that feeds to Garrett Park or KP. It does not make a lot of sense to not redistrict those KP kids to Woodward, which, if they keep the current matriculation model, also would involve a switch from NB to Tilden.

High school boundary changes do not necessarily include middle school boundary changes, let alone elementary school boundary changes. People should expect, until there is evidence to the contrary, that their elementary school boundaries will remain the same - although they may end up assigned to different middle schools or high schools from currently.

I've been here a long time, and I'm more skeptical about that. Split articulations are messy and will compound any public pushback. And presumably it makes sense to think about capacity issues at the ES and MS levels as any changes are made to HS boundaries. And all of this impacts bus routes and other logistics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are in Kensington and Silver Creek is walkable for us but we are zoned to NB. That switch wofee uld make sense.

If they add middle school reassignments, the boundary study will be even huger.

It is naive to think that they can adjust high school boundaries with no trickle-down, even to the ES level. I am thinking about the housing on Tuckerman/Edson right in the backyard of the new Woodward that feeds to Garrett Park or KP. It does not make a lot of sense to not redistrict those KP kids to Woodward, which, if they keep the current matriculation model, also would involve a switch from NB to Tilden.

High school boundary changes do not necessarily include middle school boundary changes, let alone elementary school boundary changes. People should expect, until there is evidence to the contrary, that their elementary school boundaries will remain the same - although they may end up assigned to different middle schools or high schools from currently.

I've been here a long time, and I'm more skeptical about that. Split articulations are messy and will compound any public pushback. And presumably it makes sense to think about capacity issues at the ES and MS levels as any changes are made to HS boundaries. And all of this impacts bus routes and other logistics.

True, but on the other hand, everything else is also messy and will also compound any public pushback.

Also, imagine the size of the boundary study if it involves the boundaries for seven high schools AND all of their associated middle schools AND all of their associated elementary school. MCPS will have to hire a consultant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are in Kensington and Silver Creek is walkable for us but we are zoned to NB. That switch wofee uld make sense.

If they add middle school reassignments, the boundary study will be even huger.

It is naive to think that they can adjust high school boundaries with no trickle-down, even to the ES level. I am thinking about the housing on Tuckerman/Edson right in the backyard of the new Woodward that feeds to Garrett Park or KP. It does not make a lot of sense to not redistrict those KP kids to Woodward, which, if they keep the current matriculation model, also would involve a switch from NB to Tilden.

High school boundary changes do not necessarily include middle school boundary changes, let alone elementary school boundary changes. People should expect, until there is evidence to the contrary, that their elementary school boundaries will remain the same - although they may end up assigned to different middle schools or high schools from currently.

We'll find out tonight if McKnight's recommended scope includes the middle schools as well. If it does, that doesn't necessarily mean any MS boundaries will change, just that there will be options drawn up and considered during the study.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about moving Flora Singer elementary kids to Northwood? The geography makes sense and it’s a relatively affluent part of Einstein’s boundary. Opens up some space at Einstein for the western part of Kensington to join the eastern part there, and then BCC could pull some of the southern portion of Walter Johnson. And Bel Pre elementary (that I believe currently feeds to Einstein) could go to Woodward along with schools from further west in the county.

Bel Pre feeds to Kennedy and is nowhere near Woodward.

Closest DCC schools to Woodward are Viers Mill, Sargent Shriver, Wheaton Woods, Rock View, and Oakland Terrace. Rock View is almost all walkable to Einstein, so it won't be rezoned.

Pp here, oops. Well how about the same plan I outlined above but move one of the northernmost elementary schools that feed to Einstein? Just curious whether something like this might make sense - I have a Flora Singer kid and am agnostic about whether we switch high schools or not.

Highland is Einstein's northernmost feeder, and I could see them rezoning it to Wheaton if they rezone some further west Wheaton feeders to Woodward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not surprised to see Whitman and BCC here. It makes sense.

Not doing that will be illogical.

Sure, but then we’ll have Whitman parents screaming about “bussing,” as we did in the Before Times. They paid a premium to live away from the Poors, and don’t you forget it.

Just rearrange the boundaries which allows efficient use of resource and also create as much diversity as possible in all schools. Whitman boundary can't be change too much due to where it's located unless solution is long distance bussing. I don't think long distance bussing should be an option, but boundary of Whitman should be adjusted along other schools.

It will help Whitman if it gets a bit more socioeconomic diversity.

I don’t disagree with you at all. I just remember the vitriol around this issue from a particular Whitman parent on FB again, pre-covid. It was… not pretty. People get very, very nasty when they perceive any decrease in their property values.

School demographics have been proven time and time again to have very little to no impact on “property values”. Try again with the bs.

LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about moving Flora Singer elementary kids to Northwood? The geography makes sense and it’s a relatively affluent part of Einstein’s boundary. Opens up some space at Einstein for the western part of Kensington to join the eastern part there, and then BCC could pull some of the southern portion of Walter Johnson. And Bel Pre elementary (that I believe currently feeds to Einstein) could go to Woodward along with schools from further west in the county.

Bel Pre feeds to Kennedy and is nowhere near Woodward.

Closest DCC schools to Woodward are Viers Mill, Sargent Shriver, Wheaton Woods, Rock View, and Oakland Terrace. Rock View is almost all walkable to Einstein, so it won't be rezoned.

Wrong. Walkable has nothing to do with MCPS boundaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not surprised to see Whitman and BCC here. It makes sense.

Not doing that will be illogical.

Sure, but then we’ll have Whitman parents screaming about “bussing,” as we did in the Before Times. They paid a premium to live away from the Poors, and don’t you forget it.

Just rearrange the boundaries which allows efficient use of resource and also create as much diversity as possible in all schools. Whitman boundary can't be change too much due to where it's located unless solution is long distance bussing. I don't think long distance bussing should be an option, but boundary of Whitman should be adjusted along other schools.

It will help Whitman if it gets a bit more socioeconomic diversity.

I don’t disagree with you at all. I just remember the vitriol around this issue from a particular Whitman parent on FB again, pre-covid. It was… not pretty. People get very, very nasty when they perceive any decrease in their property values.

A small portion of Whitman may go to either WJ or BCC. It's not going to make too much difference.

More likely that some get added to Whitman, since it’s under capacity.

It's possible to do net addition while adding diversity. They are not exclusive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about moving Flora Singer elementary kids to Northwood? The geography makes sense and it’s a relatively affluent part of Einstein’s boundary. Opens up some space at Einstein for the western part of Kensington to join the eastern part there, and then BCC could pull some of the southern portion of Walter Johnson. And Bel Pre elementary (that I believe currently feeds to Einstein) could go to Woodward along with schools from further west in the county.

Bel Pre feeds to Kennedy and is nowhere near Woodward.

Closest DCC schools to Woodward are Viers Mill, Sargent Shriver, Wheaton Woods, Rock View, and Oakland Terrace. Rock View is almost all walkable to Einstein, so it won't be rezoned.

Wrong. Walkable has nothing to do with MCPS boundaries.

No, you're the one who's just plain wrong about that. Walkable is a factor in boundary studies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about moving Flora Singer elementary kids to Northwood? The geography makes sense and it’s a relatively affluent part of Einstein’s boundary. Opens up some space at Einstein for the western part of Kensington to join the eastern part there, and then BCC could pull some of the southern portion of Walter Johnson. And Bel Pre elementary (that I believe currently feeds to Einstein) could go to Woodward along with schools from further west in the county.

Bel Pre feeds to Kennedy and is nowhere near Woodward.

Closest DCC schools to Woodward are Viers Mill, Sargent Shriver, Wheaton Woods, Rock View, and Oakland Terrace. Rock View is almost all walkable to Einstein, so it won't be rezoned.

Wrong. Walkable has nothing to do with MCPS boundaries.

No, you're the one who's just plain wrong about that. Walkable is a factor in boundary studies.

Walkable in the MCPS-defined walk zone sense. They are not going to rezone a kid who currently walks to school to ride a bus to another school. They will focus on rezoning current bus riders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about moving Flora Singer elementary kids to Northwood? The geography makes sense and it’s a relatively affluent part of Einstein’s boundary. Opens up some space at Einstein for the western part of Kensington to join the eastern part there, and then BCC could pull some of the southern portion of Walter Johnson. And Bel Pre elementary (that I believe currently feeds to Einstein) could go to Woodward along with schools from further west in the county.

Bel Pre feeds to Kennedy and is nowhere near Woodward.

Closest DCC schools to Woodward are Viers Mill, Sargent Shriver, Wheaton Woods, Rock View, and Oakland Terrace. Rock View is almost all walkable to Einstein, so it won't be rezoned.

Wrong. Walkable has nothing to do with MCPS boundaries.

No, you're the one who's just plain wrong about that. Walkable is a factor in boundary studies.

Walkable in the MCPS-defined walk zone sense. They are not going to rezone a kid who currently walks to school to ride a bus to another school. They will focus on rezoning current bus riders.

Correct, so if you live within the walking distance (1 mile to elementary, 1.5 miles to middle, 2.0 miles to high), but you are a bus rider, and it's extremely important to you to not get reassigned, you should focus right now on removing whatever obstacles make you a bus rider instead of a walker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not surprised to see Whitman and BCC here. It makes sense.

Not doing that will be illogical.

Been saying it all along...

[Anonymous]

There are tons of kids that live within 2 miles of a high school but are assigned to a different high school. But yeah it seems unlikely they'd force kids that literally live next door to Einstein to get bussed to Woodward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are tons of kids that live within 2 miles of a high school but are assigned to a different high school. But yeah it seems unlikely they'd force kids that literally live next door to Einstein to get bussed to Woodward.

Kids who literally live next door to Einstein are walkers assigned to Einstein.