MCPS outlines boundary study and program analysis timetable; Flow Analytics contracted for analysis

Montgomery County Public Schools officials told the Board of Education on March 18 that a boundary study to plan for reopening Charles W. Woodward High School, opening the new Crown High School, and expanding Damascus High School is under way and that a districtwide program analysis will run in parallel.

The program is being executed with Flow Analytics, a consultant contracted on Feb. 6, 2025, and will include data validation, community engagement, impartial scenario development and facilitation. The district indicated the work will follow board policies on educational facilities planning (FAA) and community engagement (ABA).

Officials described a phased timeline and early outreach steps. Staff said they have formed a cross-functional MCPS project team (facilities, transportation, food & nutrition, academics) and a community project team to design inclusive engagement. The district will hold initial virtual and in-person briefings in April and will present initial boundary options to the community in May–June, then collect feedback over the summer; additional rounds of community review are scheduled for fall 2025 prior to a superintendent recommendation and possible board action the following winter.

Why this matters: The two new/expanded high-school projects will shift capacity and feeder patterns across several clusters and could affect transportation, staffing, and program placement. Staff noted the effort will be paired with a program analysis aiming to ensure equitable access to specialized academic programs districtwide.

Details and schedule provided by staff: - Flow Analytics contract executed Feb. 6, 2025; scope includes data validation, developing and facilitating community engagement, impartial analysis of boundary options, and coordination with MCPS staff (presentation at 8139.33–8365.96). - Initial community engagement: two virtual/in-person meetings per study area in April 2025 — Woodward: virtual April 2, in-person April 8; Crown/Damascus: virtual April 7, in-person April 9 at Gaithersburg High School. Recordings and captioning will be available (announcement at 8926.225–8965.23). - Second round: present initial boundary options to the public in late May and early June 2025, collect feedback over summer; refine options and return for further engagement in September 2025. Staff said final analysis and superintendent recommendation would follow with board consideration in late 2025/early 2026 timeline windows described (8455.645–9139.485). - Program analysis: MCPS staff described a parallel review of academic programs across the district to identify program location, capacity, demographics and operational implications; staff said work will start with secondary programs (high school and middle school), then extend to elementary programming to ensure vertical alignment (8461.48–8583.49).

Transportation, equity and communication concerns: Board members and members of the public urged broad outreach across the county, especially in Downcounty and East County clusters, and asked staff to provide clear calendars, plain-language Q&A materials explaining program analysis and boundary options, and multiple access points (in-person, virtual, translations). Staff said transportation teams are part of the cross-functional project team and that work on routing and routing software is ongoing; staff also committed to provide concise schedules and to expand meeting locations if participation is uneven.

What staff committed to return with: a draft community engagement plan for the boundary and program analyses at the April 10 board meeting; an online hub (district page) with meeting dates, recordings, survey links and plain-language Q&A materials; and continued coordination with transportation and facilities teams on operational implications.

Ending: Officials framed the work as a multi-step process intended to solicit sustained feedback from parents, students and community partners and stressed that further meetings and detailed scenarios would be provided before the board advances any final recommendations.