By Adam Pagnucco.
MCPS is getting ready to commence a round of elementary and middle school closings and consolidations. The district has previously announced an engagement calendar and commented further on an upcoming school board meeting, about which it said, “The Oct. 8 Board of Education meeting will not approve closure criteria, establish weights for those criteria, identify schools for closure or make any closure decisions.” Now MCPS has further elaborated on how it will proceed in coming months. Its email to the community is reprinted below.
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Upcoming Closure & Consolidation Engagement Meetings: What to Expect
MCPS Community,
Over the last two weeks, we have shared the reason, schedule and the process MCPS will follow as it considers elementary and middle school closures and consolidations. This week, we’re taking the next step: a closer look at the conversations we want to have with our community and what you can expect when you attend an engagement session.
At the center of this work is a goal that goes beyond buildings: ensuring an excellent student and staff experience. Enrollment is declining for the first time in more than 40 years; growth is uneven across the county, and resources are limited. This work is about taking a thoughtful look at how our schools are organized, where students are located and how our buildings and resources are being used so schools have the people, programs and spaces needed to support students and staff.
Two Rounds, Two Different Conversations (see the full schedule here)
Round One: Fall Engagement — October
The first round is about building a shared understanding of the challenge and the experience we want for students and staff. We want participants to explore three fundamental questions:
- Why are we doing this work? Understand the changing enrollment landscape, the choices MCPS faces and the challenges we are trying to address.
- What should every student and staff member have access to? Talk about the people, programs, services and spaces that should be available in our schools to support a strong student and staff experience.
- How will the process work? How and when will decisions ultimately be made?
Round Two: Winter Engagement — December
The second round will build directly on what we hear this fall and move the conversation toward how potential closure and consolidation decisions should be evaluated.
- Criteria Development. See how community feedback from the fall is being considered alongside requirements in state law, Board policy and MCPS regulation.
- Help determine how the criteria should be applied. Discuss how different factors should inform the decision-making process — not simply what should be considered, but how.
- Collect additional feedback. What refinements should be considered for the approach?
That progression is important: October is about understanding the challenge and defining what we want our schools to provide; December is about using that foundation to help shape how potential decisions are evaluated.
What to Expect
Each in-person session will give participants multiple ways to learn, ask questions and share feedback, including:
- A brief opening presentation will explain the work ahead and what participants need to know.
- Multiple information stations focused on key topics and criteria.
- Content experts will be available to answer questions and discuss the information in greater detail.
- Multilingual staff will be available to help participants access the same information and opportunities to engage.
- Participants will be able to ask questions, offer feedback and help inform the work ahead.
To learn more, be sure to watch the Oct. 8 Board of Education meeting, when staff will provide a detailed update on the closures and consolidations study, the process and the upcoming community engagement.