Proposal to close SSIMS in 2031

[Anonymous]

Anyone watching the Board hearing on this today? https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/meetings/live/ Takeaways?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That Sligo class with the boundary study and everything else is going to be so chaotic with many moves. Why can't we plan better for fewer disruptions of our kids!

Can't do that retroactively

[Anonymous]

So being close to public transit is a problem in MCPS eyes… got it.

DCPS kids would roll so hard with this. The majority take public transit to get to school. MCPS just coddles kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So being close to public transit is a problem in MCPS eyes… got it.

DCPS kids would roll so hard with this. The majority take public transit to get to school. MCPS just coddles kids.

Most kids don’t take public transit. Stop making stuff up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So being close to public transit is a problem in MCPS eyes… got it.

DCPS kids would roll so hard with this. The majority take public transit to get to school. MCPS just coddles kids.

Most kids don’t take public transit. Stop making stuff up.

I teach at a DCPS middle school and half of my students take the train.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS could've gutted and renovated the historic part of SSIMS years ago, not unlike the thorough renovation of the old B-CC HS. It's a shame because SSIMS is in a walkable neighborhood convenient to transit and close to downtown Silver Spring. A holding facility makes no sense.

Taylor thinks its proximity to the purple line makes it unsuitable for walkers. I guess that’s not an issue for a holding facility.

Where did he say that?

He mentioned the purple line being right outside the schools on the call yesterday, and said the at wasn’t good. I’m not sure if he commented on it’s relevance for a holding facility.

According to the Bethesda Today article, he cited two pedestrian incidents during a meeting with the SSIMS community. But honestly I don't see how these are relevant. One involved a teenager being hit by an SUV near Einstein and the other was the recent incident in Rockville involving the 11-year old girl being hit by a school bus.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/10/13/mcps-recommend-closure-silver-spring-international-middle/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS could've gutted and renovated the historic part of SSIMS years ago, not unlike the thorough renovation of the old B-CC HS. It's a shame because SSIMS is in a walkable neighborhood convenient to transit and close to downtown Silver Spring. A holding facility makes no sense.

Taylor thinks its proximity to the purple line makes it unsuitable for walkers. I guess that’s not an issue for a holding facility.

Where did he say that?

He mentioned the purple line being right outside the schools on the call yesterday, and said the at wasn’t good. I’m not sure if he commented on it’s relevance for a holding facility.

According to the Bethesda Today article, he cited two pedestrian incidents during a meeting with the SSIMS community. But honestly I don't see how these are relevant. One involved a teenager being hit by an SUV near Einstein and the other was the recent incident in Rockville involving the 11-year old girl being hit by a school bus.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/10/13/mcps-recommend-closure-silver-spring-international-middle/

And honestly turning the site into a holding school means many more buses going to and fro through an already congested area.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So being close to public transit is a problem in MCPS eyes… got it.

DCPS kids would roll so hard with this. The majority take public transit to get to school. MCPS just coddles kids.

Also, the close-in SS families affected by this are some of the most pro-public transit in the county…. So many families in this area have less than one car per adult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So being close to public transit is a problem in MCPS eyes… got it.

DCPS kids would roll so hard with this. The majority take public transit to get to school. MCPS just coddles kids.

Most kids don’t take public transit. Stop making stuff up.

I teach at a DCPS middle school and half of my students take the train.

Not sure why folks are dragging DCPS into this.....MOCO is a huge, mostly suburban county and the zoning and public transit options aren't close to being the same.

That being said, anyone who lives downcounty knows that plenty of MS and HS kids in MOCO take Metrobus and Ride on to school. It's a better option for many kids when the public bus routes are more direct than the school buses.

[Anonymous]

Interesting that MCPS wants to put more kids into Eastern and Sligo. Meanwhile, the Planning Dept wants to upzone the University Blvd corridor, which Sligo and Eastern serve. These schools will be overcrowded in a very short amount of time.

[Anonymous]

Here’s the other thing, though: the site plan that is currently out there for Eastern adds 8,000 SF. The RFP wanted them to get up to a capacity for 1,097 students, with the potential for additional expansion to get up to 1200. Eastern’s enrollment is currently 1015 (3 over capacity). SSIMS is I think close to 1,200. It feels like the math is not mathing here. Even the third story option that was in the original materials but not the feasibility study feels like it wouldn’t work for that volume of kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So being close to public transit is a problem in MCPS eyes… got it.

DCPS kids would roll so hard with this. The majority take public transit to get to school. MCPS just coddles kids.

Most kids don’t take public transit. Stop making stuff up.

I teach at a DCPS middle school and half of my students take the train.

Not sure why folks are dragging DCPS into this.....MOCO is a huge, mostly suburban county and the zoning and public transit options aren't close to being the same.

That being said, anyone who lives downcounty knows that plenty of MS and HS kids in MOCO take Metrobus and Ride on to school. It's a better option for many kids when the public bus routes are more direct than the school buses.

Read the room. He’s closing it BECAUSE of public transit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s the other thing, though: the site plan that is currently out there for Eastern adds 8,000 SF. The RFP wanted them to get up to a capacity for 1,097 students, with the potential for additional expansion to get up to 1200. Eastern’s enrollment is currently 1015 (3 over capacity). SSIMS is I think close to 1,200. It feels like the math is not mathing here. Even the third story option that was in the original materials but not the feasibility study feels like it wouldn’t work for that volume of kids.

The proposal is for a 1500 capacity at Eastern and 1200 at Sligo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So being close to public transit is a problem in MCPS eyes… got it.

DCPS kids would roll so hard with this. The majority take public transit to get to school. MCPS just coddles kids.

Most kids don’t take public transit. Stop making stuff up.

I teach at a DCPS middle school and half of my students take the train.

Not sure why folks are dragging DCPS into this.....MOCO is a huge, mostly suburban county and the zoning and public transit options aren't close to being the same.

That being said, anyone who lives downcounty knows that plenty of MS and HS kids in MOCO take Metrobus and Ride on to school. It's a better option for many kids when the public bus routes are more direct than the school buses.

Read the room. He’s closing it BECAUSE of public transit.

No. He's closing it because the building is too old and in bad shape.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So being close to public transit is a problem in MCPS eyes… got it.

DCPS kids would roll so hard with this. The majority take public transit to get to school. MCPS just coddles kids.

Most kids don’t take public transit. Stop making stuff up.

Says someone who lives in Gaithersburg or also, not reality. Majority of DCPS kids take Metro.. either you’re delusional in your suburban bs (likely) or you’re just stupid (also likely)