Rockville, MD – On March 26, 2026, the Montgomery County Board of Education approved new high school and middle school boundaries and a new approach to regional secondary programs across the school district. The adopted recommendations aim to address shifting enrollment trends and inconsistent building utilization, while expanding educational opportunities for students across the district. These changes will take effect in the Fall semester of the 2027-2028 school year.
The Board approved three interdependent recommendations as a single, unified plan:
- The reopening of Charles W. Woodward High School and the expansion of Northwood High School.
- The relocation of Thomas S. Wootton High School to the Crown Farm site and the expansion of Damascus High School.
- The establishment of a regional approach to secondary programs across MCPS.
These actions are interconnected and designed to work together to better align where students live, where they attend school, and to increase opportunities for students to access programs closer to their home schools throughout the county.
The approved boundary recommendations address outdated school assignment patterns; maximize use of MCPS facility assets; and will allow the school system to better achieve infrastructure improvements with efficiency and within constrained fiscal resources. These recommendations were informed with months of extensive community engagement and feedback in all areas of the school district.
The new regional approach to secondary programs organizes MCPS into six operational and instructional regions with 4-5 high school clusters in each. Under this model, each region will offer comparable access to high-interest programs aligned to student demand and workforce needs. The development of the six regions was a collaborative effort between academic and operational teams. Region boundaries were informed by transportation patterns, student demographics and current program enrollment. Regions will enable the school system to operate more efficiently, while leveling up the access and quality of programming closer to where students live.
Understanding that these decisions impact thousands of students and that there is no ideal or perfect boundary map, MCPS prioritized a transparent process that included numerous in-person and virtual sessions, multilingual outreach and a digital platform featuring interactive maps and data tables. The efforts resulted in thousands of survey responses and meeting participants from every corner of the county. This feedback was a critical factor in shaping the superintendent’s recommendations, ultimately leading to the Board’s approval.
Now that the recommendations have been adopted by the Board, MCPS will begin implementation. The changes in boundaries and programs will begin to take effect for students in the 2027-2028 school year. The next phase of planning for this implementation will include:
- Direct communications with families about what the changes mean for their students’ school assignments;
- Deeper curriculum development of the regional program offerings, including working directly with schools and teachers in their areas of expertise;
- Engagement with elementary and middle school families in all regions about the program opportunities that will be available, as well as timelines and process for student choices;
- Hiring school leadership for the re-opened Woodward High School, continued construction of the new Thomas S. Wootton High School at the Crown Farm location, and planning for the move of Wootton High School to its new facility.
The timeline for changing school assignment for students in 8th, 11th and 12th grades, as well as students assigned through the Northeast Consortium or Downcounty Consortium prior to the 2027–2028 school year, or those enrolled in a centrally managed regional or countywide program through the existing admissions process, may differ from the overall implementation timelines. Families will receive more specific information on these transition exceptions, and they are outlined in the resolutions as well.
To learn more about the Superintendent’s recommendation here and the adopted resolutions below. A recording of the Board meeting where the resolutions were adopted can be watched here.
Read the Resolutions
