By Adam Pagnucco.
In Part One, I laid out a framework for determining which elementary schools might be targeted for closure. That framework included projected capacity utilization in the 2032-33 school year, projected capacity utilization in nearby schools and facility condition as measured by MCPS’s facility condition index. Using these factors, any consultant should be capable of identifying groups of schools that could be candidates for closures and consolidations. This post identifies one such group in Rockville.
College Gardens ES and Candlewood ES, both in Rockville, are projected to be two of the most underutilized elementary schools in MCPS. By the 2032-33 school year, College Gardens is projected to be 51% full and Candlewood is projected to be 53% full. Additionally, College Gardens’s facility condition index is ranked 73rd of 135 elementary schools. It needs more than $1 million in improvements in the next 1-2 years and another $2.6 million in the three years following. Candlewood is in much better condition than College Gardens, ranking 17th as it was last modernized in 2015.
Here’s another wrinkle. Mill Creek Towne ES, which lies to the north of Candlewood, is projected to have a 146% capacity utilization in 2032-33. A few other schools near College Gardens, like Rosemont ES (94% capacity utilization), Maryvale ES (90%) and Beall ES (87%), are projected to be near capacity. Instead of closing College Gardens or Candlewood, MCPS could choose to change school boundaries to allow these schools to absorb students from other, more heavily utilized schools. That would certainly be a more cost efficient solution for Mill Creek Towne than an addition.
In any event, this is a rare case in which two elementary schools of less than 60% projected capacity are right next to each other. Descriptive stats and service area maps appear below.
College Gardens ES, Rockville
Enrollment, 2032-33: 369
Capacity, 2032-33: 722
Utilization: 2032-33: 51%
Last year renovated/modernized: 2008
Facility Condition Index: 0.529428 (73rd of 135 elementary schools)
College Gardens’s service area map.
Candlewood ES, Rockville
Enrollment, 2032-33: 291
Capacity, 2032-33: 546
Utilization: 2032-33: 53%
Last year renovated/modernized: 2015
Facility Condition Index: 0.341052 (17th of 135 elementary schools)
Candlewood’s service area map.
Next: Chevy Chase and Kensington.