If you’ve been following the news around Montgomery County Public Schools, you may have heard: big changes are on the horizon. With the anticipated opening of Crown High School, the reopening of Woodward High, and the expansion of Damascus High in the 2027–2028 school year, MCPS is actively reviewing new high school boundary options and understandably, it has many families feeling anxious.
So, what’s going on?
In short, MCPS is working to address overcrowding in 12 of its 25 high schools. The goal is to create around 3,000 new student seats by 2027, which means redrawing school boundaries across multiple communities. Some of the proposals under consideration would shift students to different schools than previously expected, even creating small “islands” of rezoned neighborhoods in some areas.
The key factors guiding the changes include:
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Geography – Keeping students closer to home
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Utilization – Balancing enrollment across schools
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Stability – Minimizing how often students are reassigned
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Demographics – Ensuring equitable and diverse school communities
MCPS is currently in the middle of a two-phase boundary study. Now that Phase 1 is complete, families can view potential changes and share their input. MCPS has rolled out 4 options for both the upper and lower county school redistricting. An interactive address search, survey, and virtual meeting schedule are available to help you understand what’s on the table and how you may be impacted.
You can find all the tools and information here:
Phase 2 of the study will run through the end of 2025, with the final boundaries adopted by March 2026 for implementation in time for the 2027–2028 school year. Between now and then, community input will continue to play an important role.
How You Can Get Involved
MCPS is seeking public feedback on the proposed options and will refine them based on what they hear. Whether you're directly impacted or just want to stay informed, this is your opportunity to learn more, weigh in, and help shape the future of our school communities.
If you have questions or need help navigating the information, feel free to reach out as we’re always happy to connect you with the right resources.
