MoCo Parents push back on proposed school boundaries

Parents are asking Montgomery County Public Schools to go back to the drawing board after they say a reimagined boundary plan fell short.

Many school buildings across the county are over capacity. The district is opening three new high schools in 2027 to address overcrowding, which means the county needs a new school-boundary map.

The school system unveiled multiple proposals for new attendance zones earlier this month, revised from those originally proposed in June. Parents say the new boundaries backstep promises to diversify schools.

“These proposals are no longer driven by data or MCPS’s stated priorities. They are being driven by politics,” Victoria Hougham, a parent of a middle school student, said at a Board of Education meeting Oct. 16. “Equity cannot be achieved through words alone. It requires courageous action–a willingness to correct patterns of exclusion, not reinforce them.”

The board must adopt new boundaries by March 2026 for changes to be implemented by the 2027-2028 school year, when the new schools are slated to open. Board of Education member Karla Silvestre said at the October meeting the boundary changes are an important decision and she wants more community engagement before any choices are finalized.

Under the new proposal, schools in the richest parts of the county, like Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, would keep their current boundaries. But schools in less-affluent areas would have new designations.

Hougham said the board is favoring the rich by pushing “disruption and instability” on families that don’t even live close to the new schools.

Darren Vieira, a parent of a first grader, said at the October board meeting the original proposals would have made schools’ student bodies more racially and economically balanced. But, he said the current maps appear to strategically concentrate low-income and minority students into a few schools.

Students at Woodlin Elementary in Silver Spring could face a particularly convoluted path. Under all four of the new proposals, Woodlin will start feeding into Silver Spring International Middle School, but that won’t happen right away.

During the transition, students will go from Woodlin to Sligo Middle School. Then, they will be phased into Silver Spring International.

That building is set to close in 2031, pushing some students back to Sligo and others to Eastern Middle School.

“That’s bonkers,” said Chris Rutledge, whose children graduated from Montgomery County Public Schools a few years ago. “You’re jerking families around.”

Rutledge said the idea for the boundary change is good, but the execution is poor.

At the October board meeting, Woodlin parent Mikey Franklin echoed that sentiment.

He said several initial proposals would have ensured integrated education and more diversity for students. But those proposals didn’t stand the test of time because the affluent areas of the county weren’t happy.

“Those wealthiest in our county mobilized to hoard their resources and to demand that their schools remain enclaves of privilege. And it appears as though you, board members, are backing down in the face of their pressure,” Franklin said.

Franklin told the board his family has seen firsthand the importance of diversity. His kids have benefited deeply by knowing not every child is as privileged as they are, he said.

He also said diversity doesn’t just enhance academic learning, but the development of empathy and creativity.

“Making an affirmative decision to desegregate and diversify our wealthiest schools will be hard. The backlash may yet be fierce. Be strong, and of good courage, and do it anyway,” he urged the board.

Grace Rivera-Oven, a member of the board of education, thanked parents at the board meeting for advocating diversity and equity across the county.

“We need to ensure that every child has access to the programs we offer in this county. I just want to say thank you for the care that you show our children,” Rivera-Oven said.

The board will host engagement sessions for the boundary study throughout the rest of October and November. The next session is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 30 at John F. Kennedy High School.

More information on upcoming sessions can be found on the district’s website.

Montgomery County Public Schools did not answer questions about the boundary study.