RM versus Wooton

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of RM who also was a coach to multiple kids at Wootton, I personally think Wootton is the better school. RM parents will cry foul and I don't care.

RM is JW and IB kids. JW is a terrible middle school and once you get into RM, the IB kids keep to themselves. So many discipline issues at RM. Vaping, drugs, overdoses, fights, sex, sexual assaults, and now guns on campus 2 incidents 10 days apart.

Wootton has Frost and part of Cabin John. No IB but so many high course offerings as the school is competitively smart. The administration is good and the its a very involved school. the negatives is it is pretty high pressure like the IB program and the school isn't as new and nice as RM. And parking is the worst.

But when the kids on the team talk, Wootton kids jaws drop when they hear what typical RM days are like and it's gotten worse every year. I don't hate the school. I love the diversity and school spirit, but it isn't a school to be that proud of. Without IB it is basically Rockville High School.

I actually have a kid at RM and I would agree with this assessment. If you have a kid that will not get caught up in the high pressure environment at Wootton, it might be better.

The bathrooms on the 3rd floor at RM are simply closed off because of too many security issues. And clearly there are safety issues as highlighted over the past several weeks. The principal is doing a good job and trying to engage parents, but there so many things that are out of her control.

We have family friends at Rockville HS and I agree with the assessment that RM without the IB is basically the same as Rockville when you look at the stats/demographics.

That's complete BS. Look at the stats between JWMS which is the only feeder to RM and Earle B Wood MS which is the only feeder to Rockville HS. Very different.

FWIW both clusters -- RM and Wootton -- will be going through boundary changes due to Crown HS being built. MCPS is going to push for more diversity at Wootton, and then you'll see it look more like RM than Churchill, and the test scores and incidences to go with it.

All the areas looking to be redistricted from RM or Wootton to Crown are nice areas. All the areas on the other side or near 355 will stay at RM. Wootton will only lose the Rio apartments/Washingtonian to Crown. RM will lose all of King Farm (RM portions) and the entire Crown will now go to Gaithersburg. It will honestly make RM worse and Wootton better. The main goal of Crown is to clean up Gaithersburg High School. Bussing kids far to other schools for diversity hasn’t worked and there is already a major shortage on bus drivers and buses as is. Wootton has a hugh walking population.

That has not stopped MCPS from moving a walkable neighborhood to another cluster. Just ask the long time residents who still live in Horizon Hill.

Which was what, 30 years ago?

so? You think they wouldn't do that today to achieve equity?

I think they wouldn't rezone current walkers to become bus riders. They have made a point of this during every boundary study that's happened since the policy revision.

Don't count on that. My kids are zoned for an ES/MS that requires a bus ride. Despite the fact that we live walking distance to another school.

I know, the same is true all over, but that is because of old boundary lines, not new ones. The boundary lines drawn in the last 5ish years have focused on keeping kids who are already in walk zones staying in walk zones. The reassigned students have been bus riders who remain bus riders, but to a different school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of RM who also was a coach to multiple kids at Wootton, I personally think Wootton is the better school. RM parents will cry foul and I don't care.

RM is JW and IB kids. JW is a terrible middle school and once you get into RM, the IB kids keep to themselves. So many discipline issues at RM. Vaping, drugs, overdoses, fights, sex, sexual assaults, and now guns on campus 2 incidents 10 days apart.

Wootton has Frost and part of Cabin John. No IB but so many high course offerings as the school is competitively smart. The administration is good and the its a very involved school. the negatives is it is pretty high pressure like the IB program and the school isn't as new and nice as RM. And parking is the worst.

But when the kids on the team talk, Wootton kids jaws drop when they hear what typical RM days are like and it's gotten worse every year. I don't hate the school. I love the diversity and school spirit, but it isn't a school to be that proud of. Without IB it is basically Rockville High School.

I actually have a kid at RM and I would agree with this assessment. If you have a kid that will not get caught up in the high pressure environment at Wootton, it might be better.

The bathrooms on the 3rd floor at RM are simply closed off because of too many security issues. And clearly there are safety issues as highlighted over the past several weeks. The principal is doing a good job and trying to engage parents, but there so many things that are out of her control.

We have family friends at Rockville HS and I agree with the assessment that RM without the IB is basically the same as Rockville when you look at the stats/demographics.

That's complete BS. Look at the stats between JWMS which is the only feeder to RM and Earle B Wood MS which is the only feeder to Rockville HS. Very different.

FWIW both clusters -- RM and Wootton -- will be going through boundary changes due to Crown HS being built. MCPS is going to push for more diversity at Wootton, and then you'll see it look more like RM than Churchill, and the test scores and incidences to go with it.

All the areas looking to be redistricted from RM or Wootton to Crown are nice areas. All the areas on the other side or near 355 will stay at RM. Wootton will only lose the Rio apartments/Washingtonian to Crown. RM will lose all of King Farm (RM portions) and the entire Crown will now go to Gaithersburg. It will honestly make RM worse and Wootton better. The main goal of Crown is to clean up Gaithersburg High School. Bussing kids far to other schools for diversity hasn’t worked and there is already a major shortage on bus drivers and buses as is. Wootton has a hugh walking population.

That has not stopped MCPS from moving a walkable neighborhood to another cluster. Just ask the long time residents who still live in Horizon Hill.

Which was what, 30 years ago?

so? You think they wouldn't do that today to achieve equity?

I think they wouldn't rezone current walkers to become bus riders. They have made a point of this during every boundary study that's happened since the policy revision.

Don't count on that. My kids are zoned for an ES/MS that requires a bus ride. Despite the fact that we live walking distance to another school.

I know, the same is true all over, but that is because of old boundary lines, not new ones. The boundary lines drawn in the last 5ish years have focused on keeping kids who are already in walk zones staying in walk zones. The reassigned students have been bus riders who remain bus riders, but to a different school.

Or, in some instances, bus riders who become walkers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

Well said. You want thugs or nerds OP?

Yes, all those kids of doctors, lawyers, IT professionals at RM.. such thugs.

We are talking about non IB kids. Stay focused.

LOL There are about 120 IB kids, mostly from out of boundaries. Not all kids of those people are in IB. You know zero about RM or RMIB. Clearly.

Lol indeed. My two kids spent 8 years at RM. I know plenty

then you didn't know any parents who were those professionals. I do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

Well said. You want thugs or nerds OP?

Nerds without personalities..

see how that works?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

FWIW, Open Lunch might not continue at RM. There is a huge focus on safety due to the recent drug/gang incidents. And there have been issues of students behaving badly at local restaurants at lunch.

I wouldn’t count on open lunch continuing forever, but I could be wrong.

and you know this how?

RM cafeteria can't handle the number of kids. That's why they have open lunch. Even with it, right now, the line for the cafeteria is so long that it takes almost the entire lunch period to get through that line.

Badly behaving kids will be badly behaved whether it's 11am or 3pm.

They might not have a choice for liability reasons. Badly behaving teenagers are getting banned from certain establishments.

What schools are doing in lieu of open lunch is letting kids eat anywhere in the school building, not just in the cafeteria during lunch.

You clearly aren't an RM parent.

The kids already eat outside the cafeteria - classrooms, hallways, outside.

Badly behaved teens getting banned someplace is not limited to RM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two students at RM currently. Very different kids, neither IB. We live within walking distance of the school in a wonderful neighborhood. Both my kids do very well academically and have found wonderful friends both in and outside of IB at the school. I do not worry for one moment about my kids vaping, doing drugs, getting into gangs etc. Yes, they know it is there. Yes, they know about the third floor bathroom. But they stay away from all that and concentrate on the values we gave them. They have made friends in their sports, afterschool activities and PE. Some teachers are amazing, some less so but that is highschool anywhere. The BS about it being two schools is ridiculous. I love that my kids have friends from different backgrounds. And they love it as well. Pick the neighborhood that makes sense. Use the extra money and less commute time for more important things. The rest will work itself out.

I'm glad to hear that! Truly. But, can you see that it might not always work out that way for every kid? Plenty of kids don't have the same privilege as your kids and are more likely to get involved with drugs/gangs. For kids like this, the school environment can make a big difference.

That's a parenting issue, as well. You don't think private school kids who come from wealthy families do drugs and have sex?

The vast majority of students at RM are not troublemakers. Neither of my kids have ever felt unsafe there, and they are on the small side.

My kids are too busy with activities and getting good grades to get into trouble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

FWIW, Open Lunch might not continue at RM. There is a huge focus on safety due to the recent drug/gang incidents. And there have been issues of students behaving badly at local restaurants at lunch.

I wouldn’t count on open lunch continuing forever, but I could be wrong.

and you know this how?

RM cafeteria can't handle the number of kids. That's why they have open lunch. Even with it, right now, the line for the cafeteria is so long that it takes almost the entire lunch period to get through that line.

Badly behaving kids will be badly behaved whether it's 11am or 3pm.

RM was not built that long ago. Why can’t it handle the crowd?

That area has seen huge growth. The housing prices around there are pretty high for what it is due to the proximity to the metro and its walkability.

There have also been a lot of development within the cluster without thinking about school capacity. This is a whole separation discussion but the massive amount of development in that cluster should tell you that people don't mind living in that area or sending their kids to the schools there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

FWIW, Open Lunch might not continue at RM. There is a huge focus on safety due to the recent drug/gang incidents. And there have been issues of students behaving badly at local restaurants at lunch.

I wouldn’t count on open lunch continuing forever, but I could be wrong.

and you know this how?

RM cafeteria can't handle the number of kids. That's why they have open lunch. Even with it, right now, the line for the cafeteria is so long that it takes almost the entire lunch period to get through that line.

Badly behaving kids will be badly behaved whether it's 11am or 3pm.

RM was not built that long ago. Why can’t it handle the crowd?

That area has seen huge growth. The housing prices around there are pretty high for what it is due to the proximity to the metro and its walkability.

There have also been a lot of development within the cluster without thinking about school capacity. This is a whole separation discussion but the massive amount of development in that cluster should tell you that people don't mind living in that area or sending their kids to the schools there.

It was never big enough for the whole school. It was never intended to be because they had open lunch and few kids ate in it. My kid met up with his group on a certain staircase for 4 years. It think it seats only 300 kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

Well said. You want thugs or nerds OP?

Yes, all those kids of doctors, lawyers, IT professionals at RM.. such thugs.

We are talking about non IB kids. Stay focused.

LOL There are about 120 IB kids, mostly from out of boundaries. Not all kids of those people are in IB. You know zero about RM or RMIB. Clearly.

Lol indeed. My two kids spent 8 years at RM. I know plenty

then you didn't know any parents who were those professionals. I do.

Good lord. I am truly happy for you. I clap you pp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

Well said. You want thugs or nerds OP?

Yes, all those kids of doctors, lawyers, IT professionals at RM.. such thugs.

We are talking about non IB kids. Stay focused.

LOL There are about 120 IB kids, mostly from out of boundaries. Not all kids of those people are in IB. You know zero about RM or RMIB. Clearly.

Lol indeed. My two kids spent 8 years at RM. I know plenty

then you didn't know any parents who were those professionals. I do.

Good lord. I am truly happy for you. I clap you pp.

I'm sad for you that you didn't know that there are/were children of professionals who are/were not in IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two students at RM currently. Very different kids, neither IB. We live within walking distance of the school in a wonderful neighborhood. Both my kids do very well academically and have found wonderful friends both in and outside of IB at the school. I do not worry for one moment about my kids vaping, doing drugs, getting into gangs etc. Yes, they know it is there. Yes, they know about the third floor bathroom. But they stay away from all that and concentrate on the values we gave them. They have made friends in their sports, afterschool activities and PE. Some teachers are amazing, some less so but that is highschool anywhere. The BS about it being two schools is ridiculous. I love that my kids have friends from different backgrounds. And they love it as well. Pick the neighborhood that makes sense. Use the extra money and less commute time for more important things. The rest will work itself out.

I'm glad to hear that! Truly. But, can you see that it might not always work out that way for every kid? Plenty of kids don't have the same privilege as your kids and are more likely to get involved with drugs/gangs. For kids like this, the school environment can make a big difference.

That's a parenting issue, as well. You don't think private school kids who come from wealthy families do drugs and have sex?

The vast majority of students at RM are not troublemakers. Neither of my kids have ever felt unsafe there, and they are on the small side.

My kids are too busy with activities and getting good grades to get into trouble.

Oh, I get it. As long as your kids are getting good grades, all is fine. Glad it’s worked out for you. It’s the ‘other’ kids whose parents have issues who deal with gangs/drugs.

IMO, kids of all races, religions, SES levels can get involved in drugs. Even ‘good’ kids, who get good grades. Kids from good families get involved in drugs. Kids who play sports get involved with drugs.

I’m an RM parent and I hope and pray every day that my kid doesn’t get involved in drugs. They are everywhere at RM. I truly wish the school would crack down on the ubiquitous drug usage. The weed, the vaping, and worse.

You even acknowledge the drug/gang problem at RM in your prior post. You acknowledge that the bathrooms are closed due to security issues. I’m honestly glad you’re fine with it because you know your kids are getting good grades, but I’m concerned about the bigger picture - where the school environment allows this type of behavior without consequence. Can’t be good for any of our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of RM who also was a coach to multiple kids at Wootton, I personally think Wootton is the better school. RM parents will cry foul and I don't care.

RM is JW and IB kids. JW is a terrible middle school and once you get into RM, the IB kids keep to themselves. So many discipline issues at RM. Vaping, drugs, overdoses, fights, sex, sexual assaults, and now guns on campus 2 incidents 10 days apart.

Wootton has Frost and part of Cabin John. No IB but so many high course offerings as the school is competitively smart. The administration is good and the its a very involved school. the negatives is it is pretty high pressure like the IB program and the school isn't as new and nice as RM. And parking is the worst.

But when the kids on the team talk, Wootton kids jaws drop when they hear what typical RM days are like and it's gotten worse every year. I don't hate the school. I love the diversity and school spirit, but it isn't a school to be that proud of. Without IB it is basically Rockville High School.

I actually have a kid at RM and I would agree with this assessment. If you have a kid that will not get caught up in the high pressure environment at Wootton, it might be better.

The bathrooms on the 3rd floor at RM are simply closed off because of too many security issues. And clearly there are safety issues as highlighted over the past several weeks. The principal is doing a good job and trying to engage parents, but there so many things that are out of her control.

We have family friends at Rockville HS and I agree with the assessment that RM without the IB is basically the same as Rockville when you look at the stats/demographics.

That's complete BS. Look at the stats between JWMS which is the only feeder to RM and Earle B Wood MS which is the only feeder to Rockville HS. Very different.

FWIW both clusters -- RM and Wootton -- will be going through boundary changes due to Crown HS being built. MCPS is going to push for more diversity at Wootton, and then you'll see it look more like RM than Churchill, and the test scores and incidences to go with it.

All the areas looking to be redistricted from RM or Wootton to Crown are nice areas. All the areas on the other side or near 355 will stay at RM. Wootton will only lose the Rio apartments/Washingtonian to Crown. RM will lose all of King Farm (RM portions) and the entire Crown will now go to Gaithersburg. It will honestly make RM worse and Wootton better. The main goal of Crown is to clean up Gaithersburg High School. Bussing kids far to other schools for diversity hasn’t worked and there is already a major shortage on bus drivers and buses as is. Wootton has a hugh walking population.

That has not stopped MCPS from moving a walkable neighborhood to another cluster. Just ask the long time residents who still live in Horizon Hill.

Which was what, 30 years ago?

so? You think they wouldn't do that today to achieve equity?

I think they wouldn't rezone current walkers to become bus riders. They have made a point of this during every boundary study that's happened since the policy revision.

Don't count on that. My kids are zoned for an ES/MS that requires a bus ride. Despite the fact that we live walking distance to another school.

The last few rezones, they have not rezoned walkers and the board has made it known they are trying not to do that anymore. One was in my cluster and they purposely added all the walkers to the new ES and kept all the walkers at the other ES to stay put. And since our current middle school can't even bus the kids they have now that are true bus kids (we have had 9 notices this year that there is no bus service for our bus alone, find a road or get an excused absence - they rotate the buses who can't come each day) I don't see how the board can rationalize increasing buses and decreasing walkers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

FWIW, Open Lunch might not continue at RM. There is a huge focus on safety due to the recent drug/gang incidents. And there have been issues of students behaving badly at local restaurants at lunch.

I wouldn’t count on open lunch continuing forever, but I could be wrong.

and you know this how?

RM cafeteria can't handle the number of kids. That's why they have open lunch. Even with it, right now, the line for the cafeteria is so long that it takes almost the entire lunch period to get through that line.

Badly behaving kids will be badly behaved whether it's 11am or 3pm.

RM was not built that long ago. Why can’t it handle the crowd?

That area has seen huge growth. The housing prices around there are pretty high for what it is due to the proximity to the metro and its walkability.

There have also been a lot of development within the cluster without thinking about school capacity. This is a whole separation discussion but the massive amount of development in that cluster should tell you that people don't mind living in that area or sending their kids to the schools there.

Where is all this development that is currently going on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two students at RM currently. Very different kids, neither IB. We live within walking distance of the school in a wonderful neighborhood. Both my kids do very well academically and have found wonderful friends both in and outside of IB at the school. I do not worry for one moment about my kids vaping, doing drugs, getting into gangs etc. Yes, they know it is there. Yes, they know about the third floor bathroom. But they stay away from all that and concentrate on the values we gave them. They have made friends in their sports, afterschool activities and PE. Some teachers are amazing, some less so but that is highschool anywhere. The BS about it being two schools is ridiculous. I love that my kids have friends from different backgrounds. And they love it as well. Pick the neighborhood that makes sense. Use the extra money and less commute time for more important things. The rest will work itself out.

I'm glad to hear that! Truly. But, can you see that it might not always work out that way for every kid? Plenty of kids don't have the same privilege as your kids and are more likely to get involved with drugs/gangs. For kids like this, the school environment can make a big difference.

That's a parenting issue, as well. You don't think private school kids who come from wealthy families do drugs and have sex?

The vast majority of students at RM are not troublemakers. Neither of my kids have ever felt unsafe there, and they are on the small side.

My kids are too busy with activities and getting good grades to get into trouble.

Oh, I get it. As long as your kids are getting good grades, all is fine. Glad it’s worked out for you. It’s the ‘other’ kids whose parents have issues who deal with gangs/drugs.

IMO, kids of all races, religions, SES levels can get involved in drugs. Even ‘good’ kids, who get good grades. Kids from good families get involved in drugs. Kids who play sports get involved with drugs.

I’m an RM parent and I hope and pray every day that my kid doesn’t get involved in drugs. They are everywhere at RM. I truly wish the school would crack down on the ubiquitous drug usage. The weed, the vaping, and worse.

You even acknowledge the drug/gang problem at RM in your prior post. You acknowledge that the bathrooms are closed due to security issues. I’m honestly glad you’re fine with it because you know your kids are getting good grades, but I’m concerned about the bigger picture - where the school environment allows this type of behavior without consequence. Can’t be good for any of our kids.

I see that you have reading comprehension issues. Please read the bolded.

I went to a school that was a heck of a lot worse than RM where they had real gangs. Would I love it if RM had zero issues? Of course. But, as you stated, all schools have issues, even W schools. There were two kids at BCC who had to be taken to the hospital because they were passed out drunk/high in the bathroom in the morning.

I'm not saying RM is perfect. My point was that the majority of kids at RM are decent students. Do some fall in with a bad crowd? Sure. Do some kids at Wootton take drugs, drink and have sex? You betcha. It's just not publicized. Even private schools have kids who take drugs and drink. They just happen to be more expensive drugs. You're kidding yourself if you think the richer schools don't have drug issues.

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Anonymous wrote:OP, no one really knows what the boundaries will look like when Crown HS opens. Everything posters have stated is just speculation. But, MCPS is big on equity, and making sure that all clusters are as diverse as possible, even if it means that they draw boundaries that make no sense.

RM is more diverse than Wootton, both SES and race. Along with that diversity, comes problems and issues. But, the diversity also means that your kid has a better chance of finding a group that they fit into. It also means that there are more academic and e.c. activities to choose from. It is located within walking distance to the metro and town center. They have open lunch and kids go out to RTC and surrounding areas for lunch. That also has pros and cons. For example, kids will go to RTC after school to go ice skating there, but because it's so close to an urban area, it impacts the school in terms of safety.

Wootton is more homogeneous, and more competitive. They have <5% FARMs rate. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, so there's not much to do around there. The school is small and run down. The CIP for Wootton to be fixed keeps getting delayed. It's now slated for 2029, but Crown HS will open up by then.

So, really, it also depends on what kind of school atmosphere you want for your kid.

FWIW, Open Lunch might not continue at RM. There is a huge focus on safety due to the recent drug/gang incidents. And there have been issues of students behaving badly at local restaurants at lunch.

I wouldn’t count on open lunch continuing forever, but I could be wrong.

and you know this how?

RM cafeteria can't handle the number of kids. That's why they have open lunch. Even with it, right now, the line for the cafeteria is so long that it takes almost the entire lunch period to get through that line.

Badly behaving kids will be badly behaved whether it's 11am or 3pm.

RM was not built that long ago. Why can’t it handle the crowd?

That area has seen huge growth. The housing prices around there are pretty high for what it is due to the proximity to the metro and its walkability.

There have also been a lot of development within the cluster without thinking about school capacity. This is a whole separation discussion but the massive amount of development in that cluster should tell you that people don't mind living in that area or sending their kids to the schools there.

Where is all this development that is currently going on?

You can go on the Rockville planning department and see it, but there was Twin Oak development, additional development in RTC area, and the Twinbrook development.