Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has released four updated boundary proposals for high schools, impacting attendance zones for the new Charles W. Woodward High in Rockville. These revised options, presented after community feedback, aim to establish attendance areas for Woodward and the upcoming Crown High, both set to open for the 2027-2028 school year.
The new proposals maintain current attendance zones for Walt Whitman and Bethesda-Chevy Chase high schools. However, other schools like Walter Johnson High in Bethesda and Northwood High School in Silver Spring would see shifts. The goal is to address space needs and prepare for new facilities.
Key Takeaways
- MCPS released four revised boundary options for high schools.
- Walt Whitman and Bethesda-Chevy Chase high school zones remain unchanged.
- Walter Johnson and Northwood High School zones would shift.
- New proposals consider student diversity, proximity, stability, and facility use.
- Woodward High and Crown High are scheduled to open for the 2027-2028 school year.
Understanding the New Boundary Proposals
The latest boundary options offer more consistent attendance zones compared to some initial proposals from June. Earlier options had created small, isolated attendance areas for some schools, designed to balance student populations more equitably.
While the new options avoid these 'island' zones, they indicate a potential increase in the percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price meals (FARMS) at some Silver Spring high schools. These schools already serve a higher number of such students. FARMS eligibility is a key indicator of poverty levels within the student body.
Important Fact
All four new boundary options would keep the percentage of FARMS students and Emergent Multilingual (EM) students consistent at Bethesda-Chevy Chase (B-CC) and Walt Whitman High Schools. These two schools are located in more affluent areas of the county.
The boundary studies are necessary due to several major capital projects. These projects include the reopening of Woodward High at 11211 Old Georgetown Road in Rockville and the construction of Crown High at 9410 Fields Road in Gaithersburg. Additionally, an expansion of Damascus High at 25921 Ridge Road is also underway. All three projects are slated for completion by the 2027-2028 academic year.
According to MCPS staff, "The boundary study is required because of the expected completion of the three capital projects for the 2027-2028 school year."
Woodward High is currently under construction. Northwood High School is temporarily occupying the Woodward site while its new facility is being built. The boundary studies will establish attendance areas for the new schools and help manage student capacity across the entire district. This process also affects 14 middle schools and determines feeder patterns for elementary school students.
Background Information
The Montgomery County School Board must approve new boundaries by March 2026. This timeline ensures the new zones are in place for the start of the 2027-2028 school year. Community input has been a crucial part of refining these proposals.
Community Engagement and Impacted Schools
MCPS presented the updated options to the public on Monday and Tuesday through online and in-person sessions. These presentations incorporated feedback gathered from the community regarding the initial proposals.
Residents can review the new options, including detailed maps and data, on the MCPS boundary option website. An interactive map feature allows users to enter their home addresses to see how each proposed option would affect their specific location.
The current presentations specifically focused on the proposed attendance zone for Woodward High. This new school will impact several existing high schools:
- Bethesda: Bethesda-Chevy Chase (B-CC), Walter Johnson, Walt Whitman
- Silver Spring: Montgomery Blair, John F. Kennedy, Wheaton
- Kensington: Albert Einstein
- Other: Northwood
Detailed Look at the Refined High School Options
The initial options released in June focused on one of the school board's priorities for the boundary study. These priorities included student population diversity, proximity to schools, stability of school assignments, and facility utilization (student capacity). Some of the earlier proposals created 'island' attendance zones to address disparities in EM student and FARMS student populations. The revised options do not include these island zones.
However, the new options still consider the school board's priorities. MCPS staff provided data during the presentations on how each option would influence factors like school capacity and student demographics.
In all new options, the Woodward attendance area centers around North Bethesda and Rockville, with minor variations between each proposal. Every option suggests that some students from Tilden Middle School in Rockville would attend Woodward.
Option A: Key Changes
Under Option A, the Woodward attendance area would encompass parts of Garrett Park and areas near Viers Mill Elementary School in Silver Spring. Other shifts include:
- Kennedy High's attendance zone would extend south past Glenmont and include parts of Kemp Mill.
- Northwood's attendance zone would also include Forest Glen.
- Some students from Parkland Middle School in Rockville would feed into Woodward.
Data accompanying Option A shows a decrease in FARMS students at Walter Johnson and Northwood. Conversely, FARMS numbers would increase at Einstein, Kennedy, and Wheaton High. The percentages at B-CC, Whitman, and Montgomery Blair High would remain stable.
FARMS Student Percentages (Current Attendance Area Data)
- Einstein: Nearly 38%
- Wheaton: About 59%
- Kennedy: Approximately 50%
- Walter Johnson: Nearly 18%
- Northwood: Nearly 44%
Emergent multilingual student numbers would decrease at Walter Johnson, Kennedy, and Northwood. They would increase at Blair, Einstein, and Wheaton. Woodward High under Option A would have approximately 27% FARMS students and about 15% emergent multilingual learners.
Option B: Key Changes
Option B proposes a smaller portion of Garrett Park within Woodward's attendance area compared to Option A. Additional changes include:
- Kennedy's attendance zone would shift into parts of Kemp Mill.
- More of the Four Corners area would fall within Blair's attendance zone.
- Northwood's attendance area would include some of Forest Glen and areas between downtown Silver Spring and Takoma Park, currently part of Blair's zone.
Under Option B, FARMS student numbers would decrease at Blair, Kennedy, Walter Johnson, and Northwood, while increasing at Einstein and Wheaton High. Emergent multilingual learners would decrease at Walter Johnson, Kennedy, and Northwood, and increase at Blair, Einstein, and Wheaton High. Woodward's FARMS percentage would be around 28%, with about 15% emergent multilingual students.
Option C: Key Changes
Option C includes some of Garrett Park in Woodward's attendance area, but specifically excludes the area around the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro station. Other notable changes are:
- Northwood's attendance zone would extend past Forest Glen (currently Einstein's zone) but end before South Kensington and North Chevy Chase.
- Kennedy would again extend to include Kemp Mill.
- Einstein's attendance zone would incorporate part of the area near Sligo Creek Park.
FARMS student numbers would decrease at Walter Johnson, Kennedy, and Northwood, and increase at Einstein, Blair, and Wheaton High. Emergent multilingual students would decrease at Walter Johnson, Kennedy, and Northwood, and increase at Blair, Einstein, and Wheaton High. Woodward would have a FARMS percentage of roughly 27% and about 15% emergent multilingual students.
Option D: Key Changes
Option D differs by not including Garrett Park or the area near Viers Mill Elementary in the Woodward attendance zone. These areas would instead be part of the Walter Johnson attendance zone. Further changes involve:
- Inclusion of an area around Wheaton Woods Elementary in Rockville.
- Wheaton High's boundaries extending further toward Glenmont, which is currently within Kennedy's boundaries.
Under Option D, FARMS student numbers would decrease at Kennedy, Wheaton, and Northwood, and increase at Einstein, Blair, and Walter Johnson. Emergent multilingual learners would decrease at Kennedy and Northwood, and increase at Walter Johnson, Blair, Einstein, and Wheaton High. Woodward's FARMS percentage would be approximately 32%, with about 15% emergent multilingual students.
These boundary adjustments are designed to manage student populations and facility usage as Montgomery County Public Schools prepares for the opening of new and expanded high school facilities in the coming years.
