St. Mary’s schools begin a countywide redistricting process; first community forums set for late September

St. Mary’s County Public Schools officials on Sept. 24 announced the start of a multi-step facility utilization and school boundary (redistricting) process and urged residents to attend community forums this week and respond to forthcoming surveys.

District leaders said CannonDesign has been retained to analyze enrollment, capacity and building-use data, and that community engagement will shape guiding principles before any options are developed. Mr. Watson and Ms. Howe, co-chairs of the effort, said the first community forums — scheduled for Thursday and Friday evenings — are designed as guided, interactive activities led by the contractor, not as public-comment hearings.

Those forums will present preliminary data and use table-based activities to collect feedback, officials said. CannonDesign is working from a dataset provided by the district; officials said the contractor has received “probably 50 to 60 data inquiries” and is still processing information. The district plans to record the opening presentations, post a summary of the breakout activities on the SMCPS website, and publish the PowerPoint used at the sessions.

District officials said community interest has been strong: nearly 200 people signed up for the first forum, requiring an additional session, and the additional session is nearing capacity. A community survey will go live after the first forum and remain open through Oct. 6; a second, more detailed round of community forums and a second survey are scheduled in November, with registration for that round opening Oct. 13. Officials said final options developed from data and public input would be presented to the superintendent and the board in January, with a public hearing and potential board action anticipated in March 2026 if proposals move forward.

Why it matters: the review will feed a 10-year planning horizon. Officials said the process is intended to ensure efficient use of buildings and to respond to community priorities before any proposals are drafted. "No analysis or proposed plans have been developed at this point," one district presenter said. "We are in the beginning phases of this."

What officials described: CannonDesign will examine enrollment trends, building capacities and feeder patterns. Community forums will use 32 tables with about six participants per table for guided activities to surface community priorities such as STEM, fine arts or other program emphases. The district will post forum summaries and data on the SMCPS website under the redistricting/data-and-documents section and maintain an email inbox at redistricting@smcps.org. Officials said they are using multiple channels — school S'mores, press releases, and social media — to share information.

Funding and construction context: district staff told the board that building a new school requires state approval through the Interagency Commission on School Construction and that the state typically funds roughly 58% of construction costs. Presenters explained that, to request planning approval for a new school, the system would need to demonstrate that roughly half of the new school's prospective enrollment is already overcrowded elsewhere; given current projections, staff said there is no demonstrated need for a new school in the next several years unless enrollment changes markedly.

Participation and next steps: officials said the forums will be interactive (participants should bring an electronic device), that portions of sessions will be recorded and posted, and that survey #1 will open after the first community forum and run through Oct. 6. Community forum #2 and its associated sessions are scheduled across three locations in November with multiple time slots; registration for that series opens Oct. 13. The district plans periodic redistricting updates at every board meeting through the process.

Officials emphasized that the process is intended to be “planning with the community, not just for it,” and repeatedly cautioned residents against sharing or relying on rumors. "If somebody says, ‘they're gonna close the school,’ it didn't come from anybody here," a presenter said, urging residents to consult the district website for authoritative updates.

Community impact and timeline: district staff said any board action would be timed to allow families notice in advance (target: notify by April 30 for changes that would take effect the next school year). The board and staff also committed to continuing outreach to underrepresented groups and to post FAQ updates as questions arrive.

Ending: The district encouraged all interested residents to read materials on the SMCPS redistricting webpage, register for forum sessions if they plan to attend, and submit comments via the website or redistricting@smcps.org.