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BACKGROUND AND IMPACT OF THE MCPS DISTRICTWIDE BOUNDARY ANALYSIS

AND INTENT TO IMPLEMENT SCHOOL BUSING PROGRAMS BASED ON


DEMOGRAPHICS

If you live in Montgomery County, this document is important to read and understand.

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) are redistricting. The Board of Education (BOE) is
currently performing a comprehensive school boundary analysis across the entire county. The BOE
claims this analysis is meant to address issues with underutilization and enrollment. However, the BOE
has not been transparent about its intent to prioritize school assignments based on race and income, rather
than geographic proximity to a neighborhood school. Evidence of this intent includes recent policies
adopted by the BOE, the firm selected to perform the boundary study, testimony provided by former BOE
members, and other factors.

What does this mean for you? Your current assigned schools could easily change, and the shortest
distance from your home to a school is no longer the key consideration. Boundary changes could
drastically impact your neighborhood, your schedule, your childrens’ schedules, resources at schools,
commuting time to schools farther away from your home, safety, environmental concerns, traffic, and a
host of other important factors.

This type of redistricting already occurred last month in Clarksburg/Germantown, despite significant
protest from the community. It appears that MCPS and the BOE hope to make these changes across the
county, similar to the way Howard County recently enacted sweeping boundary changes. (In Howard
County, according to The Washington Post, “Some students who live less than a mile from a school were
shifted to schools miles away… and some walkers were made into bus riders.”) The counties seem to be
using a similar playbook.

This document is intended to provide an overview of what has transpired so far, and why so many people
are understandably deeply troubled about how MCPS and the BOE are handling this boundary analysis.

BACKGROUND

The BOE has historically used four factors to determine school boundaries:

a) Geography
b) Demographic characteristics of student population
c) Stability of school assignments over time
d) Facility utilization.

• On September 24, 2018, the BOE adopted Policy FAA, which requires all boundary decisions to
give special weight to student demographics. Demographics are defined as:

“Demographic data showing the impact of various options include the following: racial/ethnic
composition of the student population, the socioeconomic composition of the student
population, the level of English language learners, and other reliable demographic indicators
and participation in specific educational programs.”

• Comment from that BOE meeting: Board member Jill Ortman-Fouse said parents told her they
purchased their house because they wanted their children to attend that neighborhood’s school.
Ortman-Fouse called this thinking “institutional racism.”

• Comment from that BOE meeting: When discussing diversity in schools, board member Dr.
Judith Docca said that students have been moved around for years and that it’s time that kids in
“W” school clusters (Wootton, Whitman, Winston Churchill, and Walter Johnson) get moved.

• Comment from that meeting: At 1:04:00, a board member said that the last time they went door-
to-door to talk to people from the focus communities (the less diverse communities), the feedback
from everyone was they don’t want any change.

In August 2019, WXY Consulting was awarded an estimated $473,800 contract to conduct a boundary
study for MCPS.

• The Proposal explicitly states that WXY will deliver to MCPS three redrawn Cluster Boundary
options based on weighted criteria that align to Policy FAA (with predominant weight given to
demographics), utilizing their “School Rezoning Model” and their “Algorithmic School Rezoning
Tool.” (WXY Proposal – Section 3.3, page 28 - TASK 3.3 CLUSTER SCENARIO
ALTERNATIVES.)

• According to the Proposal Work Plan, WXY is working on that task during December 2019/
January 2020. (WXY Proposal – Section 3.3, Page 37 - 3.2 SCHEDULE OF SERVICES –
“Cluster Alternatives” milestone.)

• The Proposal Work Plan delivers three cluster boundary plan options with Key Performance
Indicator (KPI) results. These three cluster boundary plan options are produced by WXY via an
“Algorithmic School Rezoning Tool” utilizing Monte Carlo simulations to test and produce the
boundary plan options against the KPIs. (WXY Proposal - Section 3.3.) A Monte Carlo
simulation uses random inputs.

When pressed on Cluster Boundary Deliverables, MCPS and WXY have both stated, “WXY won’t make
any recommendations.” But WXY’s proposal states plainly that it will deliver three Cluster Boundary
Plan options. Failure to deliver recommendations would constitute fraud, and our belief is that
“recommendations” and “options” are synonymous. Claiming that WXY “won’t make any
recommendations” when they will offer three options for boundary changes is sleight-of-hand phrasing
akin to saying a waiter doesn’t “feed” customers – but he/she does deliver the food.

On Nov. 26, 2019, the BOE put the FAA Policy into practice and redrew school boundaries in Clarksburg
and Germantown.

• The Superintendent of Schools overruled a plan offered by the BOE on the grounds that it did not
go far enough to address issues of diversity.

• The new boundaries in Clarksburg and Germantown lengthen student bus commutes. According
to multiple routes on Google Maps, the average commute time on school days between
Clarksburg and Germantown city centers is approximately 18 minutes. Accounting for five
minutes for each stop, the new boundaries increase student commuting time by an additional 46
minutes.

On December 2, 2019, the Montgomery County Council met to discuss MC 20-20: Montgomery County
Residential Property Advertisements and Sales. While not final, this bill seeks to remove school names
from property listings and to prohibit real estate agents from discussing schools as part of the process of
buying a home.

• During testimony, Del. David Moon (a real estate agent) referenced the “School Boundary
Discussion” with regard to protections for buyers. He stated the discussion has led to concerns
over the loss of value to property with changes to school districts.

• During testimony in support of the bill, real estate agent Dan Reed stated, “We need to let buyers
know the school doesn’t come with the house. Which people have not caught onto that.”

There is a clear awareness that parents buy houses with a school in mind. The testimony of those in
support of the bill indicates an obvious desire for that to change and a belief that this expectation creates
poverty zones within the county.

On December 4, 2019, several school PTAs sent similarly worded emails to thousands of MCPS parents
about the boundary study. The emails claim the boundary study “will not make recommendations on
potential boundary revisions.” This claim directly contradicts both WXY’s proposal and language on the
MCPS website stating that the primary focus area of the boundary analysis will be equity with a focus on
demographics and socio-economic equity. The terminology the BOE is using to disseminate information
through PTAs does not seem to align with the messaging used by MCPS to publicly and privately discuss
the boundary analysis.

CURRENT STATUS

The BOE is not being honest about the boundary study or its intended use. PTAs from multiple schools
have been sharing with parents the BOE’s phrasing that the boundary study is focused on
“underutilization,” despite language in the WXY contract to the contrary. As parents, we trust PTA
members to share accurate, honest information that’s relevant to the lives of our children and the
community. But it appears that the BOE has not been direct and transparent with PTAs.

The BOE has locked itself into a course of action through policy language. This is confirmed in the plain
language of the work statement. It’s clear they are prepared to act accordingly, based on their actions and
those of MCPS Superintendent Jack Smith in Clarksburg and Germantown.

What’s unclear is why they’re doing this.

To explore this question, on November 4, 2019, concerned parents organized a Facebook group to discuss
redistricting. As of December 8, 2019, this group has grown to more than 4,200 members and serves as a
hub for consolidating information, networking, and sharing experiences about participation in workshops
related to redistricting.

A key document located by group members was a presentation on another boundary study performed by
WXY in 2018. A slide titled “Community Process” described a “holistic community-driven plan” that
included a goal of developing “a base of engaged residents ready to advocate collectively for changes in
education policy.” Part of WXY’s engagement model, in this case, included building activist groups to
convince the public of the merits of its plan as part of the deliverables.

The group also examined the proceedings of BOE meetings since the start of 2016. During a meeting on
April 12, 2018, a discussion about equity and diversity illustrates how they have prepared to address
concerns about the practical implementation of their program.
• Comment from the April 12, 2018 BOE meeting: Board member Rebecca Smodrowski expressed
recognition of the impact these initiatives will have on the community:

“You know, we talk about the importance of community schools and we talk about how important
it is, but not just our students but our families to feel connected to their school and to be a part of
it. And when they can’t get there, or if they’re going past a bunch of other schools just to divvy up
demographics and socioeconomics, I think you’re going to find a great disconnect with a lot of
our families on both sides… I just, you know, as I’m listening to communities advocate for the
fact that they want to go to the schools near them and if we’re going to be building in their
neighborhoods, I would hate to think that wouldn’t be as relevant or as important to us as a
board as to every other aspect of what we take into consideration, both building and boundary
study.”

• Comment from the April 12, 2018 BOE meeting: On the other hand, Board member Jeanette
Dixon expressed her position on local schools.

“I don’t think it’s about whether kids are going to have play dates or, you know, it’s going to take
15 more minutes to get to a school. I mean, this is all nonsense. It’s nonsense.” [“Nonsense”
was her blunt characterization of potential concerns that children would not be able to have play
dates as easily, and that students’ bus rides could increase by an additional 15 minutes.]

These comments help answer the question about why the BOE is communicating this way. They are
aware of the social, financial, and economic concerns parents have about busing and are nevertheless
proceeding with a plan that emphasizes diversity above all other factors (including equity).

To carry out the boundary study, the BOE selected a vendor offering social engineering as a service, in a
county that already has a substantial presence of political groups that are politically active and receive
national attention for their activities.

This means an end to local schools. The contempt for parents who question the plan is obvious.

To better understand the Board’s position, members of the group began conducting interviews with
parents throughout Montgomery County about their perspectives on what’s happening. Some common
threads emerged, which might be familiar to just about anyone who has ever bought a home in
Montgomery County.

• We welcome diversity in our schools.

• We care about our children and communities.

• We want to play an active role in the education of our children.

• We bought our homes because of their proximity to schools.

• We don’t want to see children bused without their consent.

From this perspective, the Board’s position represents a radical change to the role schools have played in
our communities. It’s possible to see a pattern; parents want a role in the education of their children and
the Board is adapting a plan to gradually phase it out.
Notably, on November 26, 2019, after the Facebook group grew to over 2,000 members, the Board of
Education released a call for public comments on BOARD POLICY BOA, LEGAL SERVICES.
According to our attorneys, this policy is interesting for the changes it proposes:

• Board Members would be allowed to retain legal counsel without having to report it to the public.

• Board Members would be allowed to engage top-tier law firms for representation without the
need for approval from the Superintendent.

• The Board would be able to settle disputes through arbitration and mediation instead of a court of
law, a change that would provide a substantial advantage to the Board.

In other words, the BOE wants the ability to hire the most expensive law firms in the United States,
without any public oversight, and force any disputes through a process outside the legal system whenever
possible.

CONCLUSION

Regardless of your feelings about diversity, the anti-democratic nature of this process is alarming.

The misinformation being spread by the Board manipulates bonds of trust that extend throughout the
community in order to achieve policy goals. The impact of our public officials conducting such a
campaign should not be taken lightly.

It is abundantly clear that collective action is required in response. Various groups are organizing and
mobilizing to stand up for our children and our neighborhood schools. If you wish to help, please share
the message that Montgomery County children’s neighborhood school assignments are in danger – and
connect with people in your community to spread awareness and engage in dialogue.

• Share this document with friends and neighbors and discuss its contents.

• If you’re a member of a neighborhood mailing list or forum, share this document.

• Join the Facebook group Montgomery County MD Neighbors for Local Schools to learn more
specifics about the issues and to see how you can get involved.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2168433996799135/

• Visit the Board’s website and register your comments on BOARD POLICY BOA, LEGAL
SERVICES. Let the Board know that you object to them retaining counsel in secret, hiring
expensive lawyers, and disenfranchising Montgomery County residents from relief in the courts.
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/policy-for-public-comment.aspx

These issues transcend political party lines. We are stronger together. The larger our network, the better
our chances. Thank you for your consideration.

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