The Board of Education approved boundary changes related to the new Clarksburg High School, Northwest Elementary School #7, and Northeast Consortium Elementary School #16 at the November 17 Board meeting. All three new schools are scheduled to open in August 2006.

The approval followed previous submission of boundary recommendations by Superintendent Jerry D. Weast and community input.

The Clarksburg boundaries, effective August 2006, include reassignment of service areas of Clarksburg Elementary School, Clarksburg/Damascus Elementary School #7, and the southern part of Cedar Grove Elementary School from Damascus High School; of Fox Chapel Elementary School from Seneca Valley High School; and of Capt. James Daly Elementary School from Watkins Mill High School. In addition, the entire Fox Chapel Elementary School service area will be reassigned from Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School to Neelsville Middle School effective next August.

The boundary changes will be phased in, starting with grades 9-11 for high school and grades 6-7 for middle school reassignments, in August 2006.

Seneca Valley High School students affected by the boundary change who will be in grade 11 in the 2006-2007 school year can change their school assignment back to their current high school through graduation if they attended the Cambridge program in 10th grade and wish to continue.

Watkins Mill High School 11th graders (in 2006-2007) have the same option if they wish to continue in the school’s International Baccalaureate program rather than move to Clarksburg High School. Such students will receive transportation through grade 11 but must provide their own transportation for grade 12 in 2007-2008.

Next year’s Clarksburg High School 11th graders not covered by the Cambridge or IB provision who are affected by the boundary change may apply for change of school assignment back to their current high school through graduation following the usual change of school assignment process that requires documentation of a unique hardship.

Northwest Elementary School #7 in Germantown is being opened to relieve space deficits at Germantown and Spark M. Matsunaga elementary schools. The new school’s boundaries reflect reassignment of portions of the Clopper Mill, Germantown and Matsunaga elementary schools service areas, to be phased in next August, beginning with grades K-4. In addition, the Fairfield community now under construction has been reassigned from Matsunaga to Clopper Mill, effective immediately. No middle school or high school reassignments result from these elementary school boundary changes.

Boundaries for the new Northeast Consortium Elementary School #16, located at the former Brookview Elementary School site in Silver Spring, include reassignment of some areas east of New Hampshire Avenue from Burnt Mills Elementary School to the new school for grades K-2 and to Cresthaven Elementary School for grades 3-5. Students from the Seaton Square community will be reassigned from Cresthaven to Burnt Mills. Beginning in August 2006, the affected grades K-2 students from both Cresthaven and Burnt Mills will be reassigned to Northeast Consortium Elementary School #16. The reassignment of upper grade students from Burnt Mills will be phased in so that grades 3 and 4 students are reassigned to Cresthaven in August 2006 and grade 5 students in August 2007.