Anne Arundel County Board of Education previews four phase‑2 redistricting plans ahead of public hearings

Bill Heizer, chief operating officer of Anne Arundel County Public Schools, briefed the Board of Education on four Phase 2 redistricting recommendations and the next steps for public hearings and adoption. He summarized differences among superintendent recommendations (SR 1 and SR 2) and board recommendations (BR 1 and BR 2), described how each would change elementary, middle and high school boundaries, and reviewed legacy‑student provisions, magnet program impacts and transportation effects.

Why this matters: the plans would reassign pockets of students across the county, change several feeder patterns, shift magnet programming and alter bus needs; staff estimates changes in building utilizations and projected numbers of legacy students that could affect school crowding and transportation planning.

Heizer said the Board voted on Sept. 17, 2025, to advance four recommendations for public hearings and that staff would present the recommendations at two public hearings (Oct. 13 and Oct. 27) with a planned adoption of a redistricting plan on Nov. 19. “This is a briefing on phase 2 redistricting, summarizing the 4 recommendations that the Board of Education move forward for public hearings,” Heizer said.

Comparing the four recommendations: SR 1 and SR 2 (the superintendent’s options) and BR 1 and BR 2 (board‑amended options) show similar overall distributions of estimated utilization. Staff reported that, under SR 1 and SR 2, eight schools would be projected under 70% utilization, about 22 schools in the 70–90% band, 21–22 in the 90–100% band, one at 100–110% and zero over 110% (SR 1 and SR 2). BR 1 and BR 2 produced largely similar distributions but with one school projected over 110% in the BR options. Heizer noted that with no boundary changes, seven schools would remain over 100% of state‑rated capacity and one over 110%.

Feeder and boundary changes: the superintendent options introduce a limited number of feeder‑pattern changes; SR 1 introduces two feeder pattern changes including a split articulation and SR 2 introduces one split articulation. In both SR 1 and SR 2, parts of the Nantucket Elementary attendance area would be reassigned to Arundel Middle School and Arundel High School; parts of the Mills Parole Elementary attendance zone would be rezoned from Annapolis High School to South River High School under SR 1. BR 1 and BR 2 reduce some of the superintendent proposals: BR 2, for example, introduced no feeder‑pattern changes or split articulations.

Elementary and middle school movements: Heizer walked through neighborhood‑level adjustments across clusters, including Arundel/Crofton/Mead; Odenton/Manor View/7 Oaks; Davidsonville/Central/Edgewater; Severna Park/Broadneck; and southern cluster moves involving Tracy’s, Deal and Shadyside elementaries. He cited specific student‑movement counts used to calculate new utilizations (for example: 84 students from 2 Rivers to Piney Orchard, a net 44‑student gain at Piney Orchard for about 91% utilization in the superintendent scenario; 63 students gained at 7 Oaks from Odenton; 35 students moved from 4 Seasons to Piney Orchard). At the middle level, staff proposed a split articulation for part of the Nantucket area to reduce crowding at Crofton Middle School and other limited middle‑school boundary adjustments in several areas.

High school impacts and magnet programs: SR 1 and SR 2 follow the middle‑school articulations in most areas; SR 1 would move about 393 students from the Mills Parole Elementary boundary from Annapolis High School to South River High School, reducing Annapolis High’s utilization (reported example: from 100% to about 81% under SR 1). SR 2 and BR 2 also propose a magnet change: the Apex magnet program would move from Annapolis High School to Severn Run High School, which staff estimated would reduce Annapolis High enrollment by about 243 students and lower utilization below 100% (estimated to about 88–90% depending on the option). Crofton High School remains the most overutilized building in some board options; staff noted Crofton could drop below 100% if the Interagency Committee accepts a newly substituted state rated capacity (SRC), but that outcome is contingent on IAC action.

Legacy students and transportation: SR 1 and SR 2 include a legacy provision allowing students entering 12th grade in school year 2627 to remain at their assigned high school if they register through a legacy transfer portal and provide their own transportation; BR 1 and BR 2 extend that option to students entering 11th and 12th grade, with the eleventh‑grade registrants required to remain through graduation. Heizer said, “Students electing to remain at their current high school will be required to enter a legacy student transfer portal. Transportation will not be provided for legacy students opting to remain at their current school.” His presentation included staff estimates of eligible legacy‑student counts (for example, an estimated 165 legacy‑eligible students in SR 1 and 233 in BR 1, and lower numbers in the SR 2/BR 2 scenarios) and timing for phased implementation in options that expand legacy eligibility.

Transportation effects were limited overall, Heizer said, but SR 2 and BR 2 would increase bus ridership by about 250 riders compared with current routes because of the Apex program move; staff estimated that SR 2 would require three additional bus units within the study area for the Annapolis cluster.

Timeline and next steps: staff said the superintendent recommendations were posted July 24, 2025, with an online comment period through Sept. 5 and a redistricting workshop on Aug. 18. The board advanced the four recommendations on Sept. 17. Public hearings are scheduled for Oct. 13 and Oct. 27, and the board is scheduled to adopt a plan on Nov. 19 with an implementation date of August 2026. Heizer said the legacy portal would open in December and close in January to allow staffing and projections; new bus routes would be developed between February and July prior to the plan taking effect in August 2026.

Where to find more information: Heizer pointed attendees to the AACPS website for interactive maps, supporting documents and session videos. “More information could be found at the websites listed on the screen,” he said.

Ending: The briefing concluded after staff questions and the timeline review; the board will hold two public hearings before final adoption.