Anonymous
Post 03/25/2026 11:10     Subject: My gut feeling on 3/26 BOE vote
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The irony is that BOE is actually MUCH more torn and concerned about the Woodward study than the Crown one. That one has real issues with community engagement and equity--this one only has louder voices. How do I know? You'll see on Thursday.


I blame MCPS and their consulting firm for how their surveys. In addition to low participation in the DCC, nobody collected data about what ES you’re zoned for. Someone could also lie or be confused. For example, I live in the DCC and can’t remember which cluster I registered for in the survey. My kid doesn’t go to their home school, but still within the DCC.

Also, whose voices are we trying to cater to? Families that will have to deal with the transition in boundaries/programs in secondary schools in 2027-2032? Families of rising kindergarteners still on the fend about their home school versus an immersion school? Tax payers that can’t afford tax hikes? The families that will be in MCPS in 10 years?

These boundaries will likely stay in place for decades. I don’t think individuals with current students should be the ONLY voice we hear. Taylor has done his due diligence with balancing enrollment. SOMEBODY has to leave Wheaton because it’s so crowded. Whether you move schools to Woodward or Rockville, it will be unexpected.

In hindsight, it would have been nice for Taylor to meet with every elementary PTA in each of his recommended changes but his schedule doesn’t match working parents and many PTA presidents are MCPS employees who fear retaliation/conflict of interest.

At this point, the BOE and MCPS should focus their effort and time on HOW this transition will happen. Lots of logistics that seem like they could go wrong. How can we make it smoother and less expensive? What’s the plan for communities that have chosen to segregate from each other who will now be together?


These are wise words. I endorse all of this.


It is extremely hard to get the general parent population to pay attention to anything until it is close and real - ie, the Superintendent’s actual recommendation.

The majority of the A-G proposals had Wheaton Woods staying at Wheaton, but 2 of them had WW moving to Woodward. On the one hand it’s reasonable even for people who are paying attention to think that a 2/7 scenario is not likely to be the chosen option. But it was clearly on the table.

People have a lot going on and if something seems far away or their focus is on more immediate concerns, it’s hard to get that feedback early in the process. This was a LONG process for people who were involved and paying attention the whole time. But there are also a lot of people who are not going to pay attention until the very end no matter how long you make the process.

By the time the Super got down to one recommended option, he and MCPS had a lot invested in that one option. And at least some BOE members were very involved in the development of that option, at least for Woodward.


The biggest complaint is that Option H seemed to come out of the blue. Looking backwards, the chronology of events would indicate that MCPS considered (and was planning for) moving Wootton to Crown in mid-2024 - it just didn’t tell anyone that was a possibility until December 2025.

There were apparently emails sent to MCPS staff to prepare for a move to Crown - before Option H was released. Even if this was a contingency, and not a pre-determined outcome for Option H, it still demonstrates MCPS knew it was a possibility.


Honestly, even if your conspiracy theory is totally correct that MCPS discussed moving Wootton to Crown before the boundary study or before option H, so what? How is that relevant to anything? It's almost as if people think that MCPS was not allowed to do its job on a daily basis and had to remain silent about anything related to boundaries except for public meetings and in public docs?! Do people really believe this? Do they think that MCPS doing their jobs to consider how to handle enrollment projections and renovation demands is unlawful? Because they didn't talk to Wootton first? Or consider their corrupted survey results as votes? I mean....this is bonkers stuff. People really need to learn the fundamentals of government. MCPS has a deliberative process disclosure exemption like every other government body for a reason - because the government is supposed to be able to do its job discussing various scenarios free from the chilling effects of having every discussion disclosed. All of this "predetermined" talk is ludicrous - do you think BOE members would be responsible if they had zero idea how they are going to vote until the minute the vote comes up? Are they not allowed to form opinions based on gathering information and having discussions?
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2026 10:59     Subject: My gut feeling on 3/26 BOE vote
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Wootton PTSA has publicly committed to planning for the transition to the new building if the BOE votes for this option. I hope the few rogue parents will listen to the wise Wootton leadership and stand down for the benefit of the community.


How is that going to work with an active legal situation? Are they inextricably linked?


There isn't an active legal situation. They don't have a case.


You wish Essie


Is the person who thinks "Essie" is commenting here the same person who thinks relocating Wootton is a "closure" and that proposing the relocation was somehow out of scope? Lol. The scope of the Crown boundary study always included Crown and Wootton. The boundary study scope from inception through its conclusion always was about how to fill Crown (and mods to other in scope boundaries including Wootton). The modification of the scope last Fall was to consider whether to instead use Crown as a holding school, which they obviously ultimately decided not to do. How could the decision to fill Crown as a permanent school per their original scope be a legal violation in any way?
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2026 10:14     Subject: My gut feeling on 3/26 BOE vote
Anonymous wrote:It makes sense to do these boundary studies with an eye towards the next one and the overall system goals for efficiency and utilization. The prior Superintendent (or really I think it was Jack Smith but maybe it was McKnight) decided to leave the ES boundaries out of the scope of these boundary studies. But because they left them out, MCPS is forced to plan for that study without saying any decisions have been made. Same with the closures. They don’t want the future closures to require changing HS boundaries right after changing them in these studies. So of course they are planning for them, but there are barriers to transparency because it’s not supposed to be part of this process. It’s a cluster, but one Taylor mostly inherited because of the limitations on the scope of Crown and Woodward (which was already decided when he came in) and the inability to delay Woodward and Crown openings and the fact that he didn’t get to do the longer term planning.


I disagree with this conclusion that “MCPS can do anything it wants,” as that would be counter to MCPS policy in FAA, and approved scope of the boundary study. Whatever Taylor/MCPS “inherited,” they still must meet their own policies. One can still approve the students that feed to the high schools on Thursday, while “delaying” implementation at the MS/ES level. This would be implementing the current boundary studies limited to its one purpose (balancing high schools, populating Crown, Woodward), as opposed to overstepping and “imbalancing” multiple MIDDLE schools with no explanation or feedback or community engagement. They don’t even have the criteria for MS/ES consolidation, and it’s unknown which may be consolidated, any of which great domino effects for other MS and ES. There is also little to gain by rushing the approval of MS/ES on Thursday as Taylor recommended the MS/ES boundary begin and end in 2026-2027.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2026 09:45     Subject: My gut feeling on 3/26 BOE vote
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Oakland Terrace ES also has an immersion program. In the first options it had its middle school changed in some of them. The PTA advocated against that change so the immersion pathway would remain intact. None of the subsequent options changed the middle school articulation. This has been an insane process. Propose options that hurt certain schools, they fight back if they have the time/resources to spend going through the options (which was considerable) and then they propose options that harm other schools. A process designed to harm the least resourced schools.


Maybe not designed for that purpose but it certainly has that effect.

It is 2026. If you don't design a process in a way that centers racial equity, it will be inequitable. Whether or not someone consciously thought to themselves "let's harm poor schools" is irrelevant. They intentionally chose not to concern themselves with equity.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2026 09:41     Subject: My gut feeling on 3/26 BOE vote
It makes sense to do these boundary studies with an eye towards the next one and the overall system goals for efficiency and utilization. The prior Superintendent (or really I think it was Jack Smith but maybe it was McKnight) decided to leave the ES boundaries out of the scope of these boundary studies. But because they left them out, MCPS is forced to plan for that study without saying any decisions have been made. Same with the closures. They don’t want the future closures to require changing HS boundaries right after changing them in these studies. So of course they are planning for them, but there are barriers to transparency because it’s not supposed to be part of this process. It’s a cluster, but one Taylor mostly inherited because of the limitations on the scope of Crown and Woodward (which was already decided when he came in) and the inability to delay Woodward and Crown openings and the fact that he didn’t get to do the longer term planning.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2026 07:03     Subject: My gut feeling on 3/26 BOE vote
Exactly. Taylor/MCPS is sneaking in “imbalanced” Middle schools in both boundary studies, while “balancing” High schools. Odessa Shannon also has much lower utilization than ever proposed ; as does SSIMS (Silver Spring International).

In the 3/12 Work session, slide 59 says MCPS has yet to develop what criteria even is for consolidating a school. https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DS4PEU644E2C/$file/Supt%20Rec%20Secondary%20Prog%20Analysis%20Boundary%20Studies%20260312%20PPT%20REV.pdf

Why not just delay middle school and elementary articulations if they haven’t even decided what the criteria is for Middle School consolidations, and it’s supposed to be in the next (MS/ES) boundary study? Why put these in without engagement from 4 or more MS? Won’t many utilizations at MS level change if they are also possibly consolidating some ES?
Anonymous
Post 03/24/2026 21:06     Subject: My gut feeling on 3/26 BOE vote
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If the BOE votes yes, it’s a vote to hurt Brown Stations ES https://moderatelymoco.com/brown-station-community-raises-segregation-concerns-over-mcps-boundary-proposal/


They really didn’t focus on how these last minute changes harmed Brown as well as Wheaton Woods. They weren’t giving us real proposals during the process just soliciting feedback, then showing their true hand at the end. I don’t think that is the way it should work.


This is a plan to close Ridgeview or Lakelands MS.

If you look at the Superintendent’s recommendation, it creates a situation in which all of the MSs are in the desired capacity range except Ridgeview and Lakelands which are both around 50% capacity. The projections for the 2029-30 school year of enrollment of Ridgeview + Lakelands = almost exactly 100% capacity at the Lakelands Park building.

This is Taylor’s plan for finding money for other initiatives, maintenance, etc. Close SSIMS and Ridgeview. Take the old Wootton building out of the running for construction and maintenance dollars.

I don’t know what ESs may be on the chopping block but it sure looks like Ridgeview is - with those kids getting moved to Lakelands Park.
Anonymous
Post 03/24/2026 19:24     Subject: My gut feeling on 3/26 BOE vote
Anonymous wrote:Oakland Terrace ES also has an immersion program. In the first options it had its middle school changed in some of them. The PTA advocated against that change so the immersion pathway would remain intact. None of the subsequent options changed the middle school articulation. This has been an insane process. Propose options that hurt certain schools, they fight back if they have the time/resources to spend going through the options (which was considerable) and then they propose options that harm other schools. A process designed to harm the least resourced schools.


Maybe not designed for that purpose but it certainly has that effect.
Anonymous
Post 03/24/2026 18:41     Subject: My gut feeling on 3/26 BOE vote
Oakland Terrace ES also has an immersion program. In the first options it had its middle school changed in some of them. The PTA advocated against that change so the immersion pathway would remain intact. None of the subsequent options changed the middle school articulation. This has been an insane process. Propose options that hurt certain schools, they fight back if they have the time/resources to spend going through the options (which was considerable) and then they propose options that harm other schools. A process designed to harm the least resourced schools.
Anonymous
Post 03/24/2026 18:20     Subject: My gut feeling on 3/26 BOE vote
Anonymous wrote:Also great letter Brown Stations.


*Station
Anonymous
Post 03/24/2026 18:16     Subject: My gut feeling on 3/26 BOE vote
Also great letter Brown Stations.
Anonymous
Post 03/24/2026 18:15     Subject: My gut feeling on 3/26 BOE vote
Anonymous wrote:If the BOE votes yes, it’s a vote to hurt Brown Stations ES https://moderatelymoco.com/brown-station-community-raises-segregation-concerns-over-mcps-boundary-proposal/


They really didn’t focus on how these last minute changes harmed Brown as well as Wheaton Woods. They weren’t giving us real proposals during the process just soliciting feedback, then showing their true hand at the end. I don’t think that is the way it should work.
Anonymous
Post 03/24/2026 17:48     Subject: My gut feeling on 3/26 BOE vote
Anonymous wrote:If the BOE votes yes, it’s a vote to hurt Brown Stations ES https://moderatelymoco.com/brown-station-community-raises-segregation-concerns-over-mcps-boundary-proposal/


One more reason why Taylor makes my skin crawl. Wtaf
Anonymous
Post 03/24/2026 17:40     Subject: My gut feeling on 3/26 BOE vote
If the BOE votes yes, it’s a vote to hurt Brown Stations ES https://moderatelymoco.com/brown-station-community-raises-segregation-concerns-over-mcps-boundary-proposal/
Anonymous
Post 03/24/2026 17:22     Subject: My gut feeling on 3/26 BOE vote
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:SIAP but can someone please post the latest proposal for redistricting (impacted ESs/MSs/HSs)? My head is dizzy keeping up with these options.


There are currently 2 boundary studies going on. We're at the very last step, the Superintendent has submitted his recommendations, the BOE / Superintendent have held multiple public meetings, and the BOE will be voting this Thursday on whether to approve or not.

Additionally, the Regional Programs was also recommended by the Superintendent, which would dissolve the high school consortiums and set up regional programs.

The easiest way to see how you're affected is to click on the interactive map and punch in your address and it should show you what your current MS / HS is and what it will be under the superintendent's recommendation

Woodward opening:
https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/superintendentrecwoodwardnorth?usp=sharing

High schools affected:
Bethesda Chevy-Chase
Montgomery Blair
Albert Einstein
Walter Johnson
John F. Kennedy
Northwood
Wheaton
Walt Whitman

Crown / Wootton + Damascus expansion:
https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/superintendentreccrowndamascus?usp=sharing

High schools affected:
Winston Churchill
Clarksburg
Damascus
Gaithersburg
Richard Montgomery
Northwest
Poolesville
Quince Orchard
Seneca Valley
Watkins Mill
Thomas S. Wootton

Full presentation: https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DQZPAX63BCF7/$file/Rec%20Secondary%20Prog%20Analysis%20Boundary%20Studies%20260205%20PPT.pdf


Thrilled that my neighborhood is now connected with Poolesville (instead of NWHS).


But what about the recommended middle school??


Kingsview? Fine with me. Just glad it's not Ridgeview.


Kingsview Right around the corner from the new MCPS bus depots. Traffic should be awesome in the morning and afternoon.