By Adam Pagnucco.
Taking a position on one of the biggest MCPS battles in the county right now, Superintendent Thomas Taylor has recommended moving Wootton High School out of its current building in Rockville and into a new school to be constructed at Gaithersburg’s Crown site. This is sure to infuriate activists (one of whom is Rockville City Council Member Adam Van Grack) who are fighting to keep Wootton in Rockville and obtain funding to renovate its existing building.
The recommendation is contained in a document discussed in today’s school board meeting titled “Secondary Program Analysis and Boundary Studies: Optimizing Facilities and Expanding Regional Program Opportunities.” These two slides directly address Wootton and Crown.
These boundary maps for high schools and middle schools result from the Wootton relocation.
Taylor included a non-recommended alternative that would open Crown as a stand-alone high school, but he opposes it on grounds of fiscal impact, capacity and the absence of a holding school alternative.
Taylor cannot implement this recommendation by himself. The school board must adopt it and the county council must fund it through the capital budget.
Let’s remember that this is an election year with the county executive and council seats on the ballot along with four school board seats.
Game on, folks!