Anonymous
Post 02/26/2026 18:24     Subject: Option B Alternate - Adding extra ES to WJ?
Why not? If the demand is there. How about statistics? Economics? Finance? Some niche.
Anonymous
Post 02/26/2026 18:18     Subject: Option B Alternate - Adding extra ES to WJ?
Anonymous wrote:If this turns into “how can we be more like Wheaton?” in a few years, look to the magnet program. Woodward could start that process now. STEM magnet.


The stem magnet is at Wheaton and I doubt MCPS will move that.
Anonymous
Post 02/26/2026 18:16     Subject: Option B Alternate - Adding extra ES to WJ?
If this turns into “how can we be more like Wheaton?” in a few years, look to the magnet program. Woodward could start that process now. STEM magnet.
Anonymous
Post 02/26/2026 18:07     Subject: Option B Alternate - Adding extra ES to WJ?
Anonymous wrote:The irony, of course, is that Wheaton may very well end up being a better (higher ranked) high school than Woodward with the coveted Engineering program.


This is not ironic at all. It is great if Wheaton is a great school. This should not be zero sum.
Anonymous
Post 02/26/2026 16:48     Subject: Option B Alternate - Adding extra ES to WJ?
Anonymous wrote: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!



Why do we need to “balance the FARMS rate”? Do we “balance the Whites” or “balance the Asians”?

Anonymous
Post 02/26/2026 16:40     Subject: Option B Alternate - Adding extra ES to WJ?
The irony, of course, is that Wheaton may very well end up being a better (higher ranked) high school than Woodward with the coveted Engineering program.
Anonymous
Post 02/26/2026 16:32     Subject: Option B Alternate - Adding extra ES to WJ?
Since there is a split of opinion among VM, perhaps split articulation between WJ and Woodward and send all of Garrett Park to Woodward.
Anonymous
Post 02/26/2026 09:17     Subject: Option B Alternate - Adding extra ES to WJ?
She absolutely can and should testify as a VM parent. My family is zoned for VMES but our kids are older so by your logic I can’t testify as a “VM family”. That’s ridiculous. Many of my VM neighbors do not agree with the current VMES PTA stance but we are not current VMES families. That does not make our opinions any less valid. Our older kids are affected in the much nearer future than those Fams with m young kids at VMES.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 22:07     Subject: Option B Alternate - Adding extra ES to WJ?
Anonymous wrote:One of the video testimonies was a woman who began by saying she was the parent of a student at Viers Mill Elementary. And she is not. So there's that.


I know that woman. She is a neighbor of mine whose children go to my daycare. Her child will be at viers mill in 6 months for Kindergarten. So there’s also that.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 20:59     Subject: Option B Alternate - Adding extra ES to WJ?
One of the video testimonies was a woman who began by saying she was the parent of a student at Viers Mill Elementary. And she is not. So there's that.
Anonymous
Post 02/24/2026 22:43     Subject: Option B Alternate - Adding extra ES to WJ?
Former northwood parent here - I may not be remembering correctly from one of the move meetings, but I think they are going to buy all new furniture for Woodward after Northwood moves back to the new building. Because cooties.

I don't know if Northwood will get new furniture in their new building, or if they need to move the northwood@woodward furniture back.

Anonymous
Post 02/24/2026 21:54     Subject: Option B Alternate - Adding extra ES to WJ?
Anonymous wrote:I think the soon-to-be-Woodward parents are about three seconds away from begging for Northwood cooties to be sandblasted out of their school before they take possession of it.


HAHA...that definitely came across from the Orange shirt crowd
Anonymous
Post 02/24/2026 21:00     Subject: Option B Alternate - Adding extra ES to WJ?
I think the soon-to-be-Woodward parents are about three seconds away from begging for Northwood cooties to be sandblasted out of their school before they take possession of it.
Anonymous
Post 02/24/2026 20:29     Subject: Option B Alternate - Adding extra ES to WJ?
Rita Montoya pointed out the Farmland hypocrisy at the end. That Farmland just hates the poor kids who are on FARMS!
Anonymous
Post 02/24/2026 19:58     Subject: Option B Alternate - Adding extra ES to WJ?
TLDR: Superintendent's Recommendation will pass.