Potomac families in the Churchill and Wootton clusters will get their first nearby chance to weigh in on possible school closures at Herbert Hoover Middle School on Tuesday, Dec. 1, after Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) launches community surveys Monday, Oct. 19.

Acting Chief Operations Officer Andrea Swiatocha outlined the boundary study timeline at the Board of Education's Thursday, Oct. 8, work session, first reported by MyMCMedia. The study covers 177 elementary and middle schools. No closure list exists yet.

The district plans two rounds of community engagement before Superintendent Thomas Taylor delivers his recommendation to the board on Feb. 4, 2027. The board's final decision on closures and consolidation is scheduled for April 15, 2027.

Round 1: Monday, Oct. 19, through Nov. 2

The first round includes six in-person evening sessions at middle schools and four virtual meetings. In-person sessions run 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Gaithersburg Middle School (Oct. 19), Kingsview Middle School (Oct. 20), Rosa Parks Middle School (Oct. 21) and A. Mario Loiederman Middle School (Oct. 22). Julius West Middle School (Oct. 28) and Eastern Middle School (Oct. 29) host the final two.

Virtual sessions are scheduled for Oct. 19 (noon to 1 p.m.), Oct. 23 (noon to 1 p.m.), Oct. 30 (noon to 1 p.m.) and Nov. 2 (6 to 7 p.m.). The October sessions will focus on why changes are needed, the student experience and the decision-making timeline, according to the district's study website.

None of the Round 1 in-person venues are in the Potomac area. The closest is Julius West Middle School in Rockville.

Round 2 brings a session to Potomac

Herbert Hoover Middle School will host a Round 2 in-person session on Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. That is the nearest in-person option for Churchill and Wootton cluster families.

Round 2 runs Nov. 30 through Dec. 11 and includes six in-person and four virtual sessions. The December meetings will share information gathered in October and collect feedback on the criteria that should guide closure decisions, according to Patch's schedule listing.

Enrollment decline drives the study

MCPS enrollment has dropped to just under 153,000 students, down from about 156,000 the previous year, The Banner reported. Elementary schools have been hit hardest. Enrollment at that level fell 8.9% between 2019 and 2025, compared with 5.6% districtwide, according to a July Patch report.

The district hired FLO Analytics, the same contractor used for last year's high school boundary study, under a nearly $2 million contract.

MCPS has said there is no predetermined closure list, according to Moderately MoCo's coverage of the Oct. 8 session. The district described the split between rounds: October is about understanding the challenge, while December will help shape how potential decisions are evaluated.

Parent Yetnayet Demissie pressed for more detail in written testimony to the board at the Oct. 8 work session. "But families need more than a list of factors," Demissie wrote. "We need to know the criteria, the weighting, the assumptions, and the methodology behind the analysis."

Any closures, consolidations or boundary changes the board approves would take effect at the start of the 2029-2030 school year. A second phase covering countywide boundary adjustments is planned for the 2027-2028 school year.

Families can find survey links, session schedules and study materials at MCPSstudy.org.