AACPS staff brief Board on revised Phase 2 redistricting plan (BR3) that affects under 1% of students

Bill Heizer, chief operating officer for Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS), and Kyle Roof, executive director of facilities, presented a public briefing on the district’s Revised Board Recommendation 3 (BR3) for Phase 2 redistricting, describing targeted boundary adjustments that staff say will affect a small share of students.

Heizer said BR3 increases overall distance traveled by about 400 miles and “impacts approximately less than 1% of the Phase 2 students.” He framed BR3 as the single amended plan the Board advanced after its Nov. 5, 2025, meeting and outlined the briefing’s focus: an overview, notable boundary changes, and next steps.

Roof detailed elementary-cluster adjustments across several areas. In Area A, boundaries are modified for 4 Seasons, Piney Orchard, Odenton and 7 Oaks elementaries; several northern portions of Piney Orchard remain in place while parts of 4 Seasons and segments of Odenton are reassigned. Roof noted three specific addresses on North Patuxent Road (442, 444 and 448) move from Piney Orchard to Odenton. In Area B, portions of Davidsonville Elementary are reassigned to Central Elementary while the Central–Edgewater boundary remains unchanged; several neighborhoods (including Gingerville, Poplar Point and Will Eleanor) will not be rezoned to the Annapolis cluster. Area C adjusts boundaries between Belvedere and Arnold elementaries and between Severna Park and Folger McKenzie elementaries. Areas D and E largely maintain existing boundaries for Deal, Shady Oaks, Hillsmere, Georgetown East and Eastport elementaries.

Using 2024–25 enrollment data, staff reported utilization changes by school group: seven schools would be under 70% utilization; 25 schools would be between 70% and 90%; 20 between 90% and 100%; one between 100% and 110%; and none above 110% under BR3. Movement-chart examples Roof cited include Piney Orchard with a net gain of 34 students (to 89% utilization), 7 Oaks gaining 72 students from Odenton (to 83%), Odenton decreasing by 72 (to 90%), and 4 Seasons moving 35 students to Piney Orchard (to 97%).

At the middle-school level Roof described a split‑articulation for Nantucket Elementary: students north of the Nantucket building who access Rydell Road would move to Arundel Middle School after fifth grade. Staff projected 103 students moving between Arundel and Crofton middle schools and 47 between Arundel and MacArthur, producing estimated utilizations of 99% at Arundel, 93% at Crofton and 62% at MacArthur using 2024–25 enrollments.

Roof said high‑school boundaries would follow the middle‑school articulations in affected areas. He reported Crofton High School’s utilization would fall from about 107% to 97% under BR3; Mead and Arundel high schools would be below 100% following implementation. Roof reiterated that the Apex Arts magnet and Annapolis High School’s IB program would remain at Annapolis High and that magnet transportation would continue to be provided.

Heizer also noted two School Rated Capacity (SRC) adjustments approved by the IAC: Crofton High School received approval on 11/06/2025 with an increase of about 54 seats (presentation reported the updated SRC figure) and Davidsonville Elementary’s SRC was adjusted on 11/07/2025 to 694. He said those SRC changes align the schools to the district’s 2024–25 student counts.

On transportation, Heizer said the district’s analysis found no significant difference in the number of walkers or estimated bus riders under BR3 compared with current boundaries and concluded there is no increased need for bus service within the study area. He outlined the legacy provision for students entering 12th grade in SY 26–27: those students may remain at their current high school if they register through a legacy student transfer portal and provide their own transportation. Using grade‑level breakdowns from affected schools, staff estimated approximately 24% of the affected high‑school cohort are twelfth graders and an estimated 58 students would not be subject to rezoning in SY 26–27. Heizer said full implementation would occur at the start of SY 27–28 and, if all legacy‑eligible students remain, Crofton High School could reach about 100% in SY 26–27; after full implementation the affected high schools would be below 100% utilization.

Staff listed the next steps and timeline: two public hearings (Nov. 13 and Nov. 17), Board adoption scheduled for Nov. 19 with the plan effective in August 2026, the legacy portal opening in December and closing in January to permit staffing and projection work, and bus‑route development between February and July. He directed listeners to acpsredistricting.org for an updated interactive map and supporting documents.

The briefing concluded with Heizer thanking viewers.