Outrage erupted throughout MCPS as Superintendent Dr. Thomas W. Taylor placed his support behind a directive that would relocate all Thomas S. Wootton High School students to the newly-built Crown High School in Gaithersburg and relegate Wootton to a holding school, leaving parents in anxious waiting as the board now ponders how they will decide on the controversial plan.
Last year, the school board and Dr. Taylor introduced a plan concerning the fate of Wootton students. Called “Option H,” the plan would temporarily move all of Wootton’s students into the new Crown High School. “We could incorporate the majority of the existing Wootton district into the Crown district and effectively use that as a comprehensive high school, and then free up the Wootton High School as a potential holding school,” Dr. Taylor said. A holding school is a school that is intentionally kept vacant for eventual use by students whose schools are undergoing construction or renovation.
MCPS first introduced the boundary studies last April, allowing parents to learn initial information about them. Subsequently, they hosted community meetings and released initial surveys regarding the studies. In May and June, MCPS released initial surveys allowing parents to give their feedback on the choices that MCPS has put into consideration, such as option H. In July and August, MCPS looked at feedback and made changes to some of the potential options. The following month, they released refined surveys soliciting community opinions before releasing the current options given to parents, ranging from A to H. In December, MCPS allowed families to give feedback once again through surveys and continued with their community engagement meetings. On Feb. 5, Dr. Taylor made a statement officially putting his support behind option H, leaving the final decision to a school board vote that will ensue in March.
Many families hailing from Wootton communities reacted strongly to option H, with many parents opposing the decision to move Wootton students to Crown High School. At recent meetings with the MCPS Board of Education, students and parents protested the option, waving signs and giving testimonies against it. In one testimony, Wootton parent Jeremy Press referenced the school’s adaptation of the Dr. Seuss-based musical Seussical to express his support for the school. “Though our HVAC is poor and our plumbing is shoddy, if you come to close Wootton it’s over my dead body,” he said. This sentiment was shared by other Wootton parents, who cheered and clapped at this comment.
Community pushback extends beyond public meetings, with signs linked to petitions popping up all around Wootton communities. Some of these signs, for instance, read “Save Wootton and Crown High School – Say No to Option H” or “Say No to Option H.” These petitions have gathered thousands of signatures from advocating students, parents, and other community members.
Wootton community members voiced their concerns, with students emphasizing the camaraderie they have built over the years. “Wootton is such a tight-knit community… students just want to be heard,” Wootton freshman SGA Vice President Moksh Brahme said.
Moreover, he also strongly believes that breaking up the community will affect friends and families. “My brother may not go to Wootton when he grows up… that sense of separation is not something that the Wootton community should be experiencing,” Brahme said.
Brahme also believes that students that live near Wootton will be greatly affected. “The change will more heavily affect kids that live close by to Wootton. It’ll be harder for them because they will have to find new forms of transportation to get to Crown High School,” he said.
However, the current situation may also have some benefits. “It has brought people’s attention to the issue… it has shown light on the dangerous conditions at Wootton,” PTSA member Priyanka Kambat said. “I have seen some pictures taken by some of the students that were presented in one of the PTA meetings which showed that there is some issue with some ceiling and things like that, which made me feel that some of the things need to be fixed in Wootton, and shedding light on that fact is very important despite the issues it entails.”
Growing concerns from families against option H have drawn attention from local officials, including Rockville Council Member Adam Van Grack. In his letter to county executives, Van Grack calls out Wootton’s dangerous conditions. “Wootton High School needs serious safety improvements,” he said. “Solutions to these problems should not include closing Wootton Campus on Wootton Parkway.”
Brahme emphasized the multitude of factors that make Wootton’s closure such a difficult idea for those in its community. “I would want [MCPS officials] to understand that these decisions aren’t just about numbers and boundaries,” he said. “It’s about communities, friendships, school culture and the student’s sense of belonging, and I feel like everyone deserves a chance to be heard, especially with decisions that affect all the students.”
If you would like to voice your opinion on an issue you feel is relevant to our community, please do so here. Anyone is able and welcome to submit a Letter to the Editor, regardless of journalistic experience or writing skills. Submissions may be published either online or in a print issue.
