MoCo School Boundary Fight: Board Of Ed Seeking Legal Advice

ROCKVILLE, MD — The Montgomery County Board of Education is meeting Monday to prepare for potential legal battles over school district boundary changes.

According to a notice published on MCPS' website, the board will convene "from 9:30 a.m. to approximately 4:30 p.m. in order to discuss" ... "legal advice regarding potential litigation related to the examination and analysis of school boundary data."

The closed-door meeting comes after students and parents held a protest outside the school district's administration building and heckled county leaders at a community meeting.

These boundary changes — recommended by Superintendent Jack Smith — will affect three Upcounty schools: Clarksburg, Northwest, and Seneca Valley high schools.

As the largest public school system in the state, Montgomery County has seen a rapid increase in enrollment in recent years. Proponents hope these boundary shifts will alleviate overcrowding in some schools.

"Adopting a boundary change is the hardest vote that board members make because people are very passionate about where they choose to live, where they want their children to attend. The mama bear comes out in everybody in that process," Patricia O'Neill, vice president of the school board, said shortly before members voted 7-1 to approve boundary line changes in November.

Others, however, worry that these changes will mean longer bus rides, lower home values, and wider achievement gaps.

Those who oppose the study have told MCPS officials that they will seek an injunction from a judge, which would bring the boundary analysis to a screeching halt, according to Bethesda Beat.

"We have gotten emails from people saying they're going to file a lawsuit or injunction, so the board will meet to discuss potential arguments people would make and how we respond to that," Derek Turner, an MCPS spokesman, told the news outlet on Saturday.

It is unclear what the board will discuss specifically.