By Adam Pagnucco.
District 6 County Council Member Natali Fani-Gonzalez has written her colleagues on the council’s Education and Culture Committee (Chair Will Jawando, Gabe Albornoz and Kristin Mink) with concerns about MCPS’s pending shift to a 6 region model. (I wrote about some of its details earlier today.) Fani-Gonzalez’s district contains all or part of the service areas of these high schools: Rockville, Kennedy, Wheaton, Einstein and Northwood. The latter four are in the Downcounty Consortium (DCC), which would be eliminated in the new region model.
The county council does not control MCPS’s boundary shifts, region proposals or academic program structure. Those issues are under the authority of the school board and/or Superintendent Thomas Taylor. However, since the council determines MCPS’s operating and capital appropriations (within the limits set by state law), it has a bit of leverage to affect MCPS’s decision-making.
Fani-Gonzalez’s letter is reprinted below.
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October 2, 2025
Chair Jawando and Members of the Committee,
As you discuss the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Proposed Regional Programming Model, I am writing to relay significant questions and concerns raised by families, PTSA leaders and educators, particularly from the Downcounty Consortium (DCC) where my Council district is located, regarding the proposed “6 Region High School Program Model.”
As both a Councilmember and an MCPS parent, I have found it surprisingly difficult to find clear, detailed information about this plan online. While MCPS has done a commendable job communicating around the boundary study process, some feel that the same level of transparency and engagement has not been extended to this academic restructuring effort.
I appreciate MCPS’s goal of expanding equitable access to high-quality programs. However, as MCPS considers such a significant reorganization, it is critical to listen closely to the voices of those most directly affected and to address unresolved questions about access, equity, implementation, and outcomes.
Below are the concerns most frequently raised by DCC parents and community members:
- Loss of academic rigor if specialized programs are spread too thin across regions
- Staffing limitations that may prevent consistent, high-level course offerings countywide
- Elimination of ranked-choice in the DCC and NEC, reducing student choice and flexibility
- Lack of clarity on program outcomes, evaluation metrics, and long-term budget impacts
Before moving forward, I urge the Committee to request the following from MCPS:
- Clearly and consistently communicate the 6 Region model plan, goals, and timeline to families and school communities. I attended the DCC webinar on “what the Academic Programs Analysis means” on September 30 at 6 p.m. (received a text message about it at 5:55 p.m.). Yet, right now, if I go to the MCPS website, I am not able to find the powerpoint with the Q&A that was presented in the webinar so I could follow up with questions.
- Preserve true student choice to the extent possible in an equitable manner.
- Provide additional information on the projected budget and staffing implications of the proposed model, as well as how MCPS plans to measure its educational impact over time.
I am hopeful that MCPS will address these concerns, including those related to access, staffing, outcomes, and community engagement, at your October 9 worksession. This meeting presents an ideal opportunity for MCPS to clarify the vision and direction of the proposal.
Thank you for your consideration,
Natali Fani-González
Councilmember, District 6
Chair, Economic Development Committee
CC: Dr. Thomas Taylor, Superintendent, Montgomery County Public Schools
