When Montgomery County Public Schools classes resume Tuesday, Aug. 25, Potomac families will step into a district reshaped by budget cuts, a new high school structure and the start of a process that could close neighborhood elementary schools.

A lot is changing at once.

Here's what it means for the area, based on reporting from Bethesda Magazine, public records and planning documents.

A boundary study that could close Potomac schools

MCPS launched a new elementary and middle school boundary study this month to decide whether any campuses should shut down for the 2029-30 school year, Bethesda Magazine reported July 17. The district hired FLO Analytics, the same firm that redrew high school boundaries, under a roughly $2 million contract, according to The Banner.

The study arrives as the Montgomery County Planning Board projects more than 13,300 surplus elementary seats countywide by 2031-32, about 17% of total capacity. Elementary enrollment has dropped roughly 9% since 2019, and MCPS expects to lose another 7,500 students districtwide by 2031.

Stone Mill Elementary in North Potomac is already flagged as one of the district's five worst-conditioned elementary buildings under a facility assessment completed in July. Its condition score of approximately 0.697 places it alongside Summit Hall and Beall elementaries at the bottom of the 224-building ranking.

"We found ourselves in an interesting place in MCPS history," Superintendent Thomas Taylor told the board at its July 17 meeting in Rockville, citing declining enrollment. "It is not unprecedented … but it's been an awful long time."

Under the timeline, Taylor will present closure and consolidation recommendations in February or March 2027. Public hearings follow in March and April, with a board vote expected by May 2027.

Churchill and Wootton lose the cluster model

The school board voted 7-1 on March 26 to replace the longstanding cluster system with a six-region programming model. Churchill and Wootton now sit in Region 4 alongside Richard Montgomery and Rockville high schools. Each school will offer one or two specialized programs under five broad themes, with the first admissions process beginning this school year.

MCPS has already started using the regional structure for back-to-school fairs and staffing decisions. The boundary changes and Wootton's planned relocation to Crown High School in Gaithersburg take effect for 2027-28.

A parent coalition, the Community Education and Policy Alliance, is challenging the Wootton move in court. The case was referred in July to the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings.

289 families lose free dual enrollment

A $1.4 million cut to dual enrollment funding means MCPS will now cover college-class costs only for students who meet the state's College and Career Readiness standard. In mid-July, the district sent 289 letters to families whose students may owe hundreds of dollars in tuition and fees at Montgomery College, according to MCPS spokesperson Liliana López. Those 289 students represent about 9% of the roughly 3,150 MCPS students enrolled in dual enrollment classes, WTOP reported.

Full-day phone ban starts Tuesday, Aug. 25

For the first time, high schoolers fall under the district's cell phone ban. Under a regulation updated Monday, July 20, all students are prohibited from using mobile devices from first bell to dismissal, including at lunch and passing periods. A 2025 update had targeted middle schools; the new rule extends the restriction to every grade.

415 positions cut from a $36 million hole

The board voted 7-1 in May to approve the fiscal year 2027 budget after the County Council's $7.9 billion operating budget left MCPS with a $36 million shortfall. The result: about 255 existing positions eliminated and nearly 160 proposed positions unfilled. Among the cuts were social workers, family engagement specialists and pupil personnel workers. The district also eliminated its chief of security position, previously held by former Montgomery County police chief Marcus Jones.

What's next

The boundary study's first public hearings on possible school closures are scheduled for March and April 2027. The Board of Education meets Thursday, Aug. 20 and Aug. 24 for special sessions before the school year begins. Residents can track the boundary study and submit comments through the MCPS website.