Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will open the first of 10 community forums on Monday, Oct. 19, giving families their first chance to weigh in on which elementary and middle schools could close or consolidate.

For Potomac-area families, the closest session is an in-person forum at Herbert Hoover Middle School on Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 6 to 7 p.m.

No school has been flagged for closure, acting Chief Operations Officer Andrea Swiatocha told the Board of Education at an Oct. 8 work session, according to Bethesda Magazine. "There is no pre-list that has been developed," Swiatocha said. "We are at the very beginning of this process."

The study covers only elementary and middle schools. High schools are not included.

The timeline

The district laid out a phased schedule, according to Patch and confirmed on the district's study website:

  • Oct. 19 through Nov. 2: Round 1 engagement. Four virtual sessions and six in-person sessions focused on how the study will work and what metrics officials will use. Residents will get a 15-minute presentation before breaking into small-group conversations.
  • November: MCPS analyzes Round 1 feedback.
  • Nov. 30 through Dec. 11: Round 2 engagement. Another four virtual and six in-person sessions, this time focused on how schools should be evaluated.
  • Late December through January 2027: Staff develops recommendations from Round 2 feedback.
  • Feb. 4, 2027: Superintendent Thomas Taylor presents formal closure and consolidation recommendations to the board.
  • February through April 2027: Public hearings on the recommendations. The district's website says one hearing will be held per school recommended for closure.
  • April 15, 2027: The Board of Education votes on final closure and consolidation decisions.

Any approved changes would not take effect until the 2029-2030 school year. A separate countywide boundary study, Phase 2, would follow during the 2027-2028 school year.

Why this is happening

MCPS enrollment is declining for the first time in more than 40 years. Preliminary district figures show about 152,000 students enrolled for the current school year, roughly 3,000 fewer than projected, according to Bethesda Magazine. School board documents show the district expects to lose 7,500 students between 2025 and 2031.

"We also need the opportunity to rebalance. We have schools that still have portable classrooms because they are overcrowded," Swiatocha said in August, when WTOP reported on the launch of the two-phase study.

The district hired FLO Analytics, the same contractor it used for its high school boundary study, under a nearly $2 million contract, according to Patch.

Board members at the Oct. 8 session asked MCPS to add more virtual sessions later in the day and to provide childcare at in-person meetings, according to Patch.

How to participate

The first Round 1 sessions on Monday, Oct. 19, include a virtual session from noon to 1 p.m. and an in-person session at Gaithersburg Middle School from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The full schedule of locations and times is posted at mcpsstudy.org.