Wootton High School held what could be its final Back to School Night at the Rockville campus this fall.

The Sept. 12 event came less than six months after the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Board of Education voted 7-1 on March 26 to move Wootton's staff and students to the new Crown High School building in Gaithersburg. Bethesda Magazine reported that the attendance zone and programming changes take effect in the 2027-2028 school year, making this the last year at the Wootton Parkway campus under the current plan.

The move is not settled. A parent coalition, Community and Education Policy Alliance Inc. (CEPA), filed an appeal challenging the board's decision. Bethesda Magazine reported Sept. 3 that evidentiary hearings are scheduled for Dec. 8, 9 and 10.

Against that backdrop, the evening still drew families eager to meet teachers and tour classrooms. The school's student newspaper Common Sense reported that the Patriot Ambassadors program stationed students at 20 to 25 spots across the building, with three to four ambassadors at each one guiding parents from class to class.

Ariella Chi, ambassador-in-chief of the program, said the setup helped parents navigate the school. "Having 20-25 stations with at least three to four ambassadors at each one around the school enabled a very effective system in which parents were able to move around the building correctly …" Chi said.

Chris Lee, a first-year teacher at Wootton who teaches SAM (Student Achievement Mentoring), BC calculus and engineering, called the parent attendance rate "very refreshing." Lee said the school is significantly different from where he previously taught but that he had no complaints. Parent Anna Kopit said students were helpful and teachers were ready for the year.

MyMCMedia reported that MCPS describes the relocation as a strategic move to a state-of-the-art facility addressing safety, infrastructure and long-term fiscal concerns. The district has said it is not closing Wootton but relocating it. The current building would likely become a holding school for campuses under renovation.

The CEPA evidentiary hearings begin Dec. 8 at the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings.