A public information meeting on base area options for Downcounty Consortium high schools will be held Wednesday, April 2, 7:30-9:30 p.m., at Montgomery Blair High School.

MCPS planning staff has been working with a community advisory committee to develop high school base area options for the Downcounty Consortium, which includes Montgomery Blair, Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy, Northwood, and Wheaton high schools. Students living in the Downcounty Consortium area will be able to choose which of the five high schools they wish to attend, based on different programs offered at each high school.

Base areas are geographic areas where students are guaranteed they may attend the high school serving the base area, if it is their first choice. Using committee criteria, 10 base area options have been developed by MCPS staff. In addition, a “no base area” option also is under consideration by the advisory committee.

The schedule for base area decisions is as follows:

§ May 14, 2003: Superintendent’s recommendation released
§ May 27: Board of Education work session
§ June 10: Board of Education public hearing
§ June 23: Board of Education action

The choice process will begin implementation in October 2003, when eighth grade students will make choices on the high school they wish to attend for ninth grade beginning in September 2004.

Information on the base area development process and the 10 base area options is posted at the link below