School Boundaries

[Anonymous]

Has anybody heard about the BOE getting rid of school boundaries in Montgomery County? Supposedly they are attempting to redistribute student in the county. Students from overcrowded schools with go to schools with lower enrollment. High performing schools will send kids to lower performing schools. Apparently this has been voted on and approved.

[Anonymous]

they voted to take diversity into considering when adjusting boundaries in the future - this does not mean completely redistricting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:they voted to take diversity into considering when adjusting boundaries in the future - this does not mean completely redistricting.

It would be great to move the edges of some boundaries to better utilize schools that are under or overcrowded; however, I don't think this is happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anybody heard about the BOE getting rid of school boundaries in Montgomery County? Supposedly they are attempting to redistribute student in the county. Students from overcrowded schools with go to schools with lower enrollment. High performing schools will send kids to lower performing schools. Apparently this has been voted on and approved.

Now that O'Neil & Docca have been reelected diversity busing will commence shortly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:they voted to take diversity into considering when adjusting boundaries in the future - this does not mean completely redistricting.

It would be great to move the edges of some boundaries to better utilize schools that are under or overcrowded; however, I don't think this is happening.

Diversity has always been a consideration. There are four tenants when considering boundaries, and diversity is just one. However, they are now going to give diversity a bit more weight now. I don't think kids will be bused cross county, but certainly they won't be giving neighboring proximity much importance.

Whatever the decision, it will be made by Nov 27.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/meetings/#calendar

[Anonymous]

But basically the answer, OP, is no, what you have heard is 100% completely wrong. It is a false rumor. It is based on the very tiny kernel of truth that they will now weight diversity as SLIGTLY more important when they are creating boundaries for NEW schools. There is absolutely no countywide change going on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:they voted to take diversity into considering when adjusting boundaries in the future - this does not mean completely redistricting.

It would be great to move the edges of some boundaries to better utilize schools that are under or overcrowded; however, I don't think this is happening.

There are still four factors to be considered:
Demographic characteristics of student population
Geography
Stability of school assignments over time
Facility utilization

Under Demographic Characteristics, the recently revised policy says "Options should especially strive to create a diverse student body in each of the affected schools...."
Under Geography, it says "options should consider, at a minimum, not only schools within a high school cluster but also other adjacent schools."

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/faa.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anybody heard about the BOE getting rid of school boundaries in Montgomery County? Supposedly they are attempting to redistribute student in the county. Students from overcrowded schools with go to schools with lower enrollment. High performing schools will send kids to lower performing schools. Apparently this has been voted on and approved.

Now that O'Neil & Docca have been reelected diversity busing will commence shortly.

[Anonymous]

Are there any schools in MoCo that have space?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there any schools in MoCo that have space?

Yes.

http://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/CIP20_AppendixE.pdf

[Anonymous]

Are there any schools in MoCo that have space?

Yes but they are all further north or east in less desirable areas with lower performing scores. They probably need to move the magnets up there to rebalance things which does seem to work. Blair's magnet and possibly RM's magnet would move to one of the under enrolled and low performing school clusters. This would alleviate the overcrowding at Blair and RM. The overcrowding situation is worst at Blair so I guess that would be the first one to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Are there any schools in MoCo that have space?

Yes but they are all further north or east in less desirable areas with lower performing scores. They probably need to move the magnets up there to rebalance things which does seem to work. Blair's magnet and possibly RM's magnet would move to one of the under enrolled and low performing school clusters. This would alleviate the overcrowding at Blair and RM. The overcrowding situation is worst at Blair so I guess that would be the first one to go.

Not true for elementary schools. Beverly Farms, Cold Spring, Travilah, Wayside, and Westbrook, to name a few, are all well under capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Are there any schools in MoCo that have space?

Yes but they are all further north or east in less desirable areas with lower performing scores. They probably need to move the magnets up there to rebalance things which does seem to work. Blair's magnet and possibly RM's magnet would move to one of the under-enrolled and low performing school clusters. This would alleviate the overcrowding at Blair and RM. The overcrowding situation is worst at Blair so I guess that would be the first one to go.

Nah, they just need to rebalance things around the segregated schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Are there any schools in MoCo that have space?

Yes but they are all further north or east in less desirable areas with lower performing scores. They probably need to move the magnets up there to rebalance things which does seem to work. Blair's magnet and possibly RM's magnet would move to one of the under-enrolled and low performing school clusters. This would alleviate the overcrowding at Blair and RM. The overcrowding situation is worst at Blair so I guess that would be the first one to go.

Nah, they just need to rebalance things around the segregated schools.

Many of the W's are also under capacity seems like the perfect place to start.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Are there any schools in MoCo that have space?


Yes but they are all further north or east in less desirable areas with lower performing scores. They probably need to move the magnets up there to rebalance things which does seem to work. Blair's magnet and possibly RM's magnet would move to one of the under-enrolled and low performing school clusters. This would alleviate the overcrowding at Blair and RM. The overcrowding situation is worst at Blair so I guess that would be the first one to go.

Nah, they just need to rebalance things around the segregated schools.

Many of the W's are also under capacity seems like the perfect place to start.

Except none of the W middle or high schools are under capacity. Too many people move there in the later grades to escape their local low performing MS/HS.. You've got under enrolled ES and overenrolled HS. There are a good number people in the W schools looking at relocating to VA or who have already made the move but they get replaced with people leaving lower performing school clusters so you don't end up freeing up space there.

The only schools with room are Seneca Valley, Kennedy, Springbrook etc that are further out and lower scoring. My money is on the magnets moving first. Its easier than full scale diversity bussing.