by Elise Yang ‘27

Montgomery County Council Member Evan Glass hosted a virtual meeting open to parents, teachers, and community leaders to discuss the Sherwood cluster’s priorities, specifically relating to the health and well-being of students. Around 10 attendees joined the meeting on February 25, including Sherwood’s PTSA President Claudia Delgado, Cluster Coordinator Henriot St. Gerard, and other parents and community members.

Sherwood has been experiencing a number of health and safety concerns over the past couple of years, including mold infestation, damaged HVAC systems, and sewage leaks. St. Gerard noted in the virtual meeting that Sherwood is in line to receive a new HVAC system in two years; however, there is still a need for the MCPS board to mitigate the health effects until repairs, replacements, and remodeling can be done. Delgado added that MCPS only has been addressing problems with small repairs, which act as ineffective temporary solutions that fail to fix the real problem of mold infestations that recur even after repair.

Glass told the attendees that gun violence is a huge topic of discussion in the county right now, following the shooting that occurred at Wootton in February. Delgado recounted how a letter was sent out to the Sherwood community about a student who had a gun during a school day in late October, but the letter did not explain what exactly had happened, the consequences for the involved students, and steps moving forward.