Boettcher added that she also has a brother who has autism and who has a tough time making friends. Jan 9, 2019 “Students: Countywide Boundary Study Could ‘Change the Course of History’” Caitlynn Peetz, Bethesda Beat. ROCKVILLE – The Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education approved boundary changes on Nov. 26 to address concerns with projected overcrowding at Clarksburg and Northwest high schools, with high school and middle school reassignments beginning in September 2020. website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. All rights reserved. That analysis is in its first phase, and a public hearing on that topic is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 18. Copyright © 2021 by WTOP. “If you’re going to take a kid and put them on a bus from Boyds or Cabin Branch, and send them to Neelsville or Seneca Valley, the information that you have is not accurate,” Fraser-Hidalgo said. The hearing this week did not address the districtwide analysis of school boundaries currently underway by consultants hired by the school board. To research your local school assignment, you may: use the School Assignment Tool, or; call 240-314-4700 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, Monday–Friday, or; email John_n_salamon@mcpsmd.org Take a look at those plans under consideration here. MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Rockville, Maryland February 1, 2019 Below are frequently asked questions regarding the Clarksburg, Northwest, and Seneca Valley High Schools Boundary Study process. Special to The Sentinel. The population was 600,000. Inside board headquarters, members voted 7-1 to approve Superintendent Jack Smith’s recommendation for school district boundary changes for Clarksburg, Northwest and Seneca Valley High Schools. School boundary questions touch off debates about race, ... 2019 at 10:32 p.m. UTC. On January 8, 2019, the Board of Education (Board) adopted a resolution asking the Superintendent to utilize external consultants to conduct an in-depth review and analysis of how existing school and cluster boundaries support or impede the effective use of school facilities in Montgomery County Public Schools. High schools in the mid-county region will continue to be over capacity through the six-year planning period. — The Superintendent of Montgomery County, Maryland schools will present a plan to school board members Tuesday night that will significantly alter the boundaries of school … Those changes are set to take effect next fall. Therefore, the Board of Education's requested FY 2019-2024 CIP included funding for a new high school in the mid-county region located on the Crown site in the City of Gaithersburg. Here’s what we know, according to the county and media reports: The school district has become huge. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. Another protester deeply disappointed with the board’s decision was Bill Matarazzo, of Clarksburg, a parent of two school children who will be bused longer distances under the boundary change. The Howard County Council jumped into the fray in August, passing a resolution Oct. 7 to support efforts to “lawfully integrate” schools through the boundary process. Despite significant shifts in population and demographics, Howard and Montgomery have not made comprehensive changes to their school boundaries for decades. Parents and children, many from Clarksburg, Maryland, turned out in strong numbers to protest changes to school district boundaries Tuesday night outside the Montgomery County Board of Education. Parents Raise Concerns at MCPS Boundary Study Meeting. As the county’s education unions enter the bargaining season in fall 2019, they are likely to speak to boundary change directly or indirectly. Each school in Montgomery County serves students residing in a specific area. School boundary changes in Montgomery County are undergirded by policy that ensures that geography does not trump other factors in setting school districts, including diversifying student populations. The second round of options under consideration includes the one favored by Superintendent Jack Smith, known as Option 11a. Unfortunately, inaccurate information has been shared in our community about the purpose of the analysis. School boundary changes in Montgomery County are undergirded by policy that ensures that geography does not trump other factors in setting school districts, including diversifying student populations. According to Smith, Montgomery County has seen an additional 10,000 students in his three and a half-year tenure leading the school system, and there is no indication those numbers will slow down. School Boundaries. Former Student Member of the Board (SMOB) Ananya Tadikonda introduced the boundary issue to the Board of Education (BoE). The move was proposed as a solution to the disparity in socioeconomic status between various schools and clusters. It comes as enrollment at … The percentages shown in the “change row” of the recommendation for the race/ethnic composition data used the 2018-2019 enrollment instead of the 2019-2020 preliminary September 30th enrollment. I understand that, but at what cost and at whose expense?”. MCPS boundary analysis meeting leaves parents concerned - Rockville, MD - The school system is holding multiple meetings over the next two months to inform parents of the boundary … The Montgomery County Board of Education approved new boundary lines Tuesday night that will shift between 1,000 to 1,200 students from Clarksburg High School to Seneca Valley High School … The last time Montgomery County undertook systemwide redistricting was in the mid-1980s, when it closed more than 60 schools because of low enrollment. website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. March 26, 2019 “How Students In Montgomery County Are Leading The Push For School Redistricting” Margaret Barthel, WAMU. The number of students qualifying for free and reduced meals at Clarksburg is 27%, and at Seneca Valley, it’s 39%. All Rights Reserved. ... with some in Montgomery County urging changes that would make schools … The next big change came in the late 1980s when the school system closed a number of schools, but since then boundaries have only changed when new schools were opened. Elected officials in the county have been skittish on the subject. “Every single student that stands with me tonight has friends that they are going to lose. The aim of the MCPS school boundary study is to examine how well their existing school boundary process Under the plan, some students currently assigned to Clarksburg High School would be reassigned to Seneca Valley. Montgomery County Public Schools, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850 Call 301-309-6277 | Spanish Hotline: 301-230-3073 E-mail: ASKMCPS@mcpsmd.org Like the District , Montgomery County Public Schools hasn't done a county-wide boundary study in decades, due to resistance from parents who don't want their kids' school to change. Montgomery County school officials recently announced they would study school boundary lines, paying special attention to the capacity of … ... with some in Montgomery County urging changes that would make schools … “Over the last couple of days, I’ve been deeply troubled by the tone of emails that have come to the board … It is absolutely uncalled for, unbelievable; and in 20 years on the board, I have not seen this low level of behavior, and it does not speak well for our community,” O’Neill said. We need our kids at home; we need to nurture them; we need to help them with their homework … We want MCPS to hear all of our voices, people from every cluster, and make sure that all of our opinions are equitable in their decisions,” Matarazzo said. Despite protests, the Montgomery County Board of Education has voted 7-1 to approve Upcounty school boundary changes. The Montgomery County School Board sided with the superintendent on how to restructure school boundaries in upper Montgomery County. By Ana Mulero. ROCKVILLE –Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) staff amended its timeline for the boundary review analysis, days before it was scheduled to recommend a consultant to the Board of Education. Kate Ryan | @KateRyanWTOP. Even these limited changes have led to pitched battles over who will go to which school. School officials have repeatedly said they’re years away from actually making any changes, and asked the consultants to not give any specific recommendations for boundary changes. Related News Public to get first look at Montgomery County boundary study To research your local school assignment, you may: use the School Assignment Tool, or; call 240-314-4700 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, Monday–Friday, or; email John_n_salamon@mcpsmd.org She said if the preferred plan goes through, her brother would be separated from his best friend “and he would be alone.”. Parent Parvati Das testified on behalf of William Gibbs Elementary School’s parent-teacher association. By Alessia Grunberger , Patch Staff Nov 27, 2019 4:32 p m ET Recommendations on boundary changes will not be included. Enrollment Information → School Boundaries. Schuyler Boettcher, a fourth grader at Germantown Elementary School, explained her opposition to the plan favored by the superintendent. schools and students in the Upcounty area for career readiness programs. 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