Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought there was a new elementary school going in somewhere between BCC and WJ that would probably feed to WJ. BCC and Whitman are pretty maxed out too and could potentially feed some students to WJ.

That’s uncertain now that they completed the boundary study for Bethesda/Somerset/Westbrook.

But the idea was to convert Lycee Rochambeau once they move to their new schools to an ES that feeds both clusters.

They cannot do anything with Whitman right now because everything is pending enrollment growth from Westbard development. Looks like they are holding capacity at Westland for that purpose at MS level but there is no ES capacity so maybe the joint WJ-BCC ES comes back into play.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no way that school is built like those drawings show.

Once they value engineer that project. That’s all someone’s imagination.

Balconies in the auditorium. Haha. Those photos are all from major university and major performing arts venues.

Having seen how mcps builds schools there not getting any of that fancy stuff. The privates don’t even look that nice.

On a facility level, the quality of many MCPS buildings rivals and in many cases bests the most expensive privates in the area. If you don’t believe me, visit Whitman or BCC and then go take a tour of the Sidwell Upper School. You’ll be shocked.

Also, MCPS has paid for a site plan and is in the process of completing design on Phase 2. So yes, once they complete the design what you see is what will go for procurement and will be built so long as the county funds it in the CIP.

In terms of funding, I highly doubt that the county will prioritize Phase 2. But what we do know about MCPS is that once they pay for site plans and designs they will use them if it’s eventually funded. So while I severely doubt Phase 2 will be constructed on the deadline presented, it will probably get constructed eventually even if it takes a decade to get funded.

And yes, it will come with all the design features that you see, because it goes from design to procurement.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any reason why are people assuming that DCC students will be rezoned only to Woodward, and not to WJ as well? They are going to try to reduce disparities in FARMS rates between neighboring schools as well as they reasonably can, right?

The idea is that they are trying to take students out of WJ, not add them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought there was a new elementary school going in somewhere between BCC and WJ that would probably feed to WJ. BCC and Whitman are pretty maxed out too and could potentially feed some students to WJ.

That’s uncertain now that they completed the boundary study for Bethesda/Somerset/Westbrook.

But the idea was to convert Lycee Rochambeau once they move to their new schools to an ES that feeds both clusters.

They cannot do anything with Whitman right now because everything is pending enrollment growth from Westbard development. Looks like they are holding capacity at Westland for that purpose at MS level but there is no ES capacity so maybe the joint WJ-BCC ES comes back into play.

Anonymous wrote:There is no way that school is built like those drawings show.

Once they value engineer that project. That’s all someone’s imagination.

Balconies in the auditorium. Haha. Those photos are all from major university and major performing arts venues.

Having seen how mcps builds schools there not getting any of that fancy stuff. The privates don’t even look that nice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it pretty much assumed that the WJ kids moving will be the kids from Tilden feeder, and maybe some of the KP kids out of NB? Just wondering what is the likely outcome.

I have pretty much zero interest in the performing arts magnet. I feel like it just makes it that much harder for "normal" kids to participate in arts programs--and I feel like the main purpose of arts in public schools is to provide a fun and enriching experience to the widest range of kids. I view arts like I view sports. But I appreciate that my view is not shared by all.

With these "magnets" they provide more teachers and classes for all students.

I think we really need to wait for the 2023 and 2024 enrollment numbers at WJ and Wheaton and Einstein in order to assess whether there would even be room in the Woodward building to add a magnet program there. Remember, they recently had to reduce the overall building capacity down to 2160.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it pretty much assumed that the WJ kids moving will be the kids from Tilden feeder, and maybe some of the KP kids out of NB? Just wondering what is the likely outcome.

I have pretty much zero interest in the performing arts magnet. I feel like it just makes it that much harder for "normal" kids to participate in arts programs--and I feel like the main purpose of arts in public schools is to provide a fun and enriching experience to the widest range of kids. I view arts like I view sports. But I appreciate that my view is not shared by all.

With these "magnets" they provide more teachers and classes for all students.

I think we really need to wait for the 2023 and 2024 enrollment numbers at WJ and Wheaton and Einstein in order to assess whether there would even be room in the Woodward building to add a magnet program there. Remember, they recently had to reduce the overall building capacity down to 2160.

WJ is expected to be about 600 students over capacity and the DCC about 200 over. There'll be a lot of room for a magnet if MCPS wants to do it.

https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/CIP23_Chapter4JohnsonW.pdf
https://gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/CIP23_Chapter4DowncountyConsortium.pdf

Einstein alone is about 300 students over capacity this year, and is estimated to be about 500 over capacity by the time Woodward opens in 2025.

And their goal will be to get all of the overcapacity schools further down to 80-90% if possible, not to leave them at 100% without any room to grow. So they will likely rezone more than the bare minimum number of students.

Right now, the "wisdom" is that they'll take the Tilden feeders and send to Woodward and leave the NB feeders at WJ. But that means neither will have a full HS complement -- WJ will have about 1600 and Woodward about 1300. If they're doing a magnet at Woodward, of say 100 per year (so 400 total) that leaves about 500 seats. But then what about WJ? At 1600, they're about 250 short of 80% capacity.

And that doesn’t address the overcrowding issues at Einstein in particular. I don’t think it’s likely that they will send an entire WJ middle school because WJ doesn’t need to halve it’s student body, and Woodward also needs to accommodate some DCC feeders in addition to this potential magnet.

Anonymous wrote:I thought there was a new elementary school going in somewhere between BCC and WJ that would probably feed to WJ. BCC and Whitman are pretty maxed out too and could potentially feed some students to WJ.

Anonymous wrote:Is there any reason why are people assuming that DCC students will be rezoned only to Woodward, and not to WJ as well? They are going to try to reduce disparities in FARMS rates between neighboring schools as well as they reasonably can, right?

Anonymous wrote:I thought there was a new elementary school going in somewhere between BCC and WJ that would probably feed to WJ. BCC and Whitman are pretty maxed out too and could potentially feed some students to WJ.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why they are ramming through a performing arts space. Who's agenda is this, now that Smith is gone, and besides, it is going to cost a fortune.

Einstein has Visual Arts, Northwood has performing arts, and the community didn't ask for this. We live in one of the catchment area schools that will be relieved of overcrowding once Woodward opens/after Northwood leaves.

I personally am a supporter of the arts, but our community always wanted a traditional HS, not a performing arts magnet!

Actually the community did ask for it. I thought Einstein had the preforming arts? What is the difference between the two programs?

Woodward is not part of the DCC.

Woodward is planned to relieve overcrowding in the DCC. Whether it's part of the DCC or not is to be seen.

This makes no sense when Woodward is not close to downcountry. I wouldn't want my child commuting the far.

It's really not that far from Wheaton and Einstein.

This. Plus, Northwood is actually going to be temporarily housed there while it’s expansion is completed. I would not be surprised if Woodward becomes part of the DCC since it will certainly absorb some existing DCC students when it re-opens, in addition to being a temporary placement for a DCC HS prior to re-opening as Woodward.

Anonymous wrote:Is there any reason why are people assuming that DCC students will be rezoned only to Woodward, and not to WJ as well? They are going to try to reduce disparities in FARMS rates between neighboring schools as well as they reasonably can, right?

Anonymous wrote:Is there any reason why are people assuming that DCC students will be rezoned only to Woodward, and not to WJ as well? They are going to try to reduce disparities in FARMS rates between neighboring schools as well as they reasonably can, right?