Anonymous wrote:This is the only published FARMS rate on the school profile pages. But the exact figure doesn't matter here. Even if the current FARMS rate is 60% at these two schools, that is still high and it doesn't make sense to centralize poverty in one school when the goal is to achieve a more socio-economically balanced district.

The recommendation has Woodward at 35.7% and Walter Johnson at 15.3%.

It is a more balanced region under his proposal. You ignore the affects on Kennedy and Wheaton.

Anonymous wrote:I got a message through our ES PTA that some folks are unhappy with Option B and proposing adding another ES to WJ. What ES? And is there a link to this proposal?

He added Wheaton Woods to Woodward. Seems justified. Plenty of room at Woodward under Option B at 73%. They can absorb the Wheaton Woods kids and also help alleviate Wheaton high issues.

A+ recommendation

Anonymous wrote:I hope so. I am disgusted by Taylor's proposal and by everyone that supports that racist BS

What’s racist is being opposed to black and brown kids and starting a change.org petition to draw in more white kids when it will barely change the FARMS data. Just be clear: you’re upset about the potential affects on your Tilden Woods house but want to use catch words like parity and equity because you’re too afraid to say it

Wheaton Woods family here. I’m ashamed of you people who don’t want my kids going to school at Woodward. Sorry we don’t make as much money, but Wheaton was over crowded. Grateful for Superintendent leadership here

And we should use misleading statistics to make our point!

I hope so. I am disgusted by Taylor's proposal and by everyone that supports that racist BS

This makes sense. Would love to see this option.

This is the only published FARMS rate on the school profile pages. But the exact figure doesn't matter here. Even if the current FARMS rate is 60% at these two schools, that is still high and it doesn't make sense to centralize poverty in one school when the goal is to achieve a more socio-economically balanced district.

The recommendation has Woodward at 35.7% and Walter Johnson at 15.3%.

You’re looking at the “maximum FARMs now or in the past” statistic. Wow. Current farms is much less.

The FARMS rates shown above are directly from the 2024/2025 school profile reports found here:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/school-profiles/

But to be more precise, the ever FARMS rate for Wheaton Woods is 94.3% and Viers Mills is >95%.

^ Note these FARMs rates are exaggerated, but why not if it makes your point.

*the recommendation puts Garrett Park at WJ (splitting off from Tilden)

The superintendent's recommendation for Woodward/WJ was odd and not in alignment with the board's clearly stated goals.

The WJ cluster is currently made up of Tilden MS (Farmland ES, Luxmanor ES and Garrett Park ES) and North Bethesda MS (Ashburton ES, Wyngate ES and Kensington Parkwood ES). He recommends adding two more elementary schools - Wheaton Woods and Viers Mill. Both of these schools have substantially higher poverty with 95% FARMS rates. Rather than put one at each high school to better balance the FARMS rate, the recommendation puts Garrett Park (splitting off from Tilden) and puts both WW and VM at Woodward. Small "islands" of GP and KP also go to Woodward. All of this means that Woodward is close to 40% FARMS and WJ is 13%. WJ would also be at 77% utilitzation and Woodward at 91% - also odd because of all the multi-family development going up in the new Woodward cluster. WJ might have some development but not nearly as much. So in addition to Woodward having much higher poverty than WJ it is also likely to be overcrowded almost immediately.

It is completely contrary to what the BOE has been trying to achieve and goes directly against their Policy FAA. Was there a data error? It is politically motivated? Do powerful people live in the Towns of Kensington and Garrett Park? Lots of people are struggling to make sense of this one!

They went with modified B, which created a bigger disparity between WJ and Woodward than Option B did. I imagine this is to go back to option B or something closer to it.

I got a message through our ES PTA that some folks are unhappy with Option B and proposing adding another ES to WJ. What ES? And is there a link to this proposal?