Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Redistricting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
St. Mary's County Board approves phased high‑school redistricting, adopts dedicated‑bus plan for grandfathered students
Summary
The board on March 18 approved a phased redistricting plan that moves portions of Leonardtown High School’s attendance area to Chopticon and Great Mills, grandfathered current 9th–11th graders, and authorized a dedicated‑bus transportation option estimated at $130,000 per bus annually (minimum two buses).
The St. Mary's County Board of Education on March 18 approved a phased redistricting plan for several neighborhoods served by Leonardtown High School and adopted a transportation plan to serve students affected by the change.
The short‑term proposal (version 1.1A) begins in the 2026–2027 school year and phases in redistricting by cohort: current eighth‑grade students would be assigned to their new schools the first year, followed by subsequent grades until full implementation in year four. The board voted to move specific sections along Maryland Route 235/Three Notch Road and adjacent roads from Leonardtown High School to Chopticon High School and to shift a separate, smaller area along eastbound Maryland Route 4 (including Oak Drive/Old Pine Court) to Great Mills High School. The board also removed Indian Bridge and Elizabeth Hills from prior consideration.
Board members approved grandfathering so that current ninth‑, 10th‑ and 11th‑grade students may remain at their current high schools while rising freshmen (current eighth graders) will begin attending the newly assigned schools in 2026–27. Staff described a four‑year phasing approach that would add one lower grade each year until the map is fully implemented.
On transportation, the board chose option B (dedicated buses) for the grandfathered/redistricted students. The motion accompanying the plan estimated an annual cost of $130,000 per bus and anticipated a minimum of two buses to meet needs (roughly $260,000 per year in a worst‑case estimate). Staff explained earlier in the presentation that a single shuttle option (option A) had been budgeted at about $130,000 per year for three years, while option C would provide no district transportation and place responsibility on families. Staff and board members discussed operational impacts including earlier pickup and staggered drop‑off times, supervision at receiving schools for early arrivals, parking constraints at Leonardtown High School, and an opt‑in process for grandfathered students. Participation in the bus program was projected to decline by about 60 students per year through the grandfathering period.
Votes on the package: the motion to adopt recommendation one (the Leonardtown→Chopticon mapping as read into the record) passed 4–1. The board moved to reject recommendation two (the Indian Bridge area mapping to Great Mills) and that motion carried, so recommendation two was not adopted. Recommendation three (the small eastbound Maryland 4 area to Great Mills) was approved. Recommendation four (grandfathering and phasing beginning 2026–27) and recommendation five (transportation option B) were both approved.
Staff said the board had taken public comment and letters into account during the year‑long process and that notification letters to affected students and families will be mailed with an April 30 deadline for required notices. The board emphasized that elementary and middle school boundaries will not change at this time and that enrollment will be monitored; if declines continue, redistricting could be revisited after two years.
The board’s actions will lead transportation staff to finalize routes and bus‑contract decisions over the spring and summer; bus contracts and routes are brought back to the board for approval before the start of each school year.
