Understanding the Consolidation & Closure Study
MCPS is conducting a countywide evaluation of elementary and middle schools to determine school closures and consolidations in 2026-27.
It will be followed by a boundary change study in 2027-28. This process affects every community in Montgomery County and is expected to be implemented in school year 2029-30.
The study includes:
- Development of countywide criteria
- Analysis of enrollment trends
- Review of facility conditions
- Consideration of walkability and transportation
- Engagement with families under Board Policy ABA on Community Engagement
What SOSSS is Advocating For
- Transparent criteria
- Accurate, publicly available data
- Modernized factors that reflect long‑term enrollment trends, demographic equity impacts, transportation and walkability, core facility capacity, financial consequences, and community effects
- Decisions that strengthen—not weaken—communities
- A student-centered approach that enhances educational opportunities and their well-being
- Meaningful community engagement, including a community engagement plan published before the beginning of the engagement process that meets the following standards:
- Define the purpose and scope of engagement, including which decisions, criteria, assumptions, and methodologies are still open to influence.
- Confirm that criteria, factors, and weighting are subject to community input and explain how feedback will shape the final framework.
- Provide mechanisms for substantive input beyond Q&A, including written comments, online submissions, and opportunities for families unable to attend sessions.
- Document and track all feedback through a transparent engagement log that categorizes themes, concerns, and repeated issues.
- Show how community input influenced the study, including changes to assumptions, criteria, methodology, or analysis.
- Establish a process for addressing conflicting information, including how families can submit data, identify errors, and receive substantive responses.
- Publish a full engagement timeline, showing when criteria, data, methodology, and preliminary findings will be released and when families can respond.
- Provide a second round of engagement on preliminary findings, before recommendations are finalized.
- Ensure the Board receives a complete summary of engagement, including themes, disagreements, data submitted, MCPS responses, and changes made.
Our Request to MCPS
- Publish the criteria and factors
- Publish the weighting of the factors
- Publish the enrollment projection methodology
- Modernize the factors using national best practices
- Ensure community engagement is meaningful and transparent
- Protect children and neighborhoods from unnecessary disruption and long‑term harm
