UPDATE: Board of Education Schedules Hearing on the Interim Superintendent’s Recommendation to Reassign a Portion of the Village from Somerset to
Westbrook Elementary School

Hearing to be held on November 8;
Registration Deadline to Testify: November 1 at Noon

Updates Regarding Board of Education Meetings and November 8 Public Hearing
On October 25, the Board of Education (BOE) received an initial presentation on the Interim Superintendent’s recommendation to reassign a portion of Chevy Chase Village (west of Cedar Parkway between Oliver Street (to the north) and Western Avenue (to the south)) from Somerset to Westbrook Elementary.  The BOE will have further discussion during its meeting this afternoon (10/26) beginning around 4:30.  The BOE will then hold a work session on the recommendation on Thursday, October 28 at 9:00 a.m., which will be streamed live. 
 
The BOE will hold a PUBLIC HEARING on the proposed recommendation on Monday, November 8, beginning at 6:00 p.m.  The deadline to sign-up to testify is noon on Monday, November 1. 
 
Written testimony/comments may be sent to the Board of Education at boe@mcpsmd.org or by emailing each member at the individual email addresses listed below:
 
Brenda_Wolff@mcpsmd.org
Karla_Silvestre@mcpsmd.org 
Judy_Docca@mcpsmd.org 
Shebra_L_Evans@mcpsmd.org
Lynne_Harris@mcpsmd.org
Rebecca_K_Smondrowski@mcpsmd.org
Hana_OLooney@mcpsmd.org
 
Background
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) had determined that Somerset Elementary School is over capacity and the school system is conducting a boundary study process in an effort to relieve the capacity pressure by reassigning students to Westbrook Elementary, located west of River Road and south of Little Falls Parkway.  In November 2020, the Board of Education authorized expanding the study to include Bethesda Elementary School, which is also operating over capacity. 
 
Nine options were originally presented, including two that would have reassigned households within Chevy Chase Village.  On October 15, 2021, the Interim Superintendent issued her report and is recommending that the Board of Education approve Option 1, which would reassign a portion of Chevy Chase Village to Westbrook Elementary. This includes homes west of Cedar Parkway between Oliver Street (to the north) and Western Avenue (to the south).  Only homes located west of Cedar Parkway along West Lenox, Grafton, and Hesketh Streets would remain assigned to Somerset Elementary School under Option 1.  
 
If approved, the reassignment will not be fully implemented until the 2023–2024 school year. In the 2022–2023 school year, only prekindergarten through Grade 4 students would be reassigned. Full implementation would occur in the 2023–2024 school year with prekindergarten through Grade 5 students.
 
The Superintendent’s Recommendation can be viewed online at https://gis.mcpsmd.org/boundarystudypdfs/BSW_SupplementB.pdf.  The Somerset Elementary School PTA is opposed to moving forward with any of the proposed options at this time, citing that the data is based on “flawed, pre-pandemic numbers”.
 
The Superintendent’s recommendation will now go to the Board of Education for consideration and approval. The Board is tentatively scheduled to consider information starting with its meeting on November 2, with a decision expected during the Board’s meeting on November 18.  
 
Anyone interested in this matter is encouraged to visit the boundary study page for more information. 

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