by Isabella Pilot ‘18

Due to massive growth throughout the county, Superintendent Jack Smith recently recommended a 1.8 billion dollar infrastructure plan for the next six years. MCPS has gained nearly 22,000 students over the past years with 3,000 new students last year alone, so the county is responding with proposals for two new high schools, three new elementary schools, and additions at many existing schools.

Crown High School will be built in the Gaithersburg Crowne area near the RIO movie theatre, and Woodward High School will be reopened in Bethesda (it was closed during a period of decline in enrollment). As the county has recently switched over to a new system to find the most cost effective way to go about renovations, the opening dates for these schools are still to be determined. The last time a new high school was opened in MCPS was Clarksburg in 2006.

As far as renovations to existing schools, Kennedy will receive an addition including a turf field, and there will be a comprehensive addition project at Northwood. Each of these projects are aimed towards alleviating overcapacity in the down-county.