Board of Education: What did everyone expect? I told you.

The Montgomery County Board of Education voted 7-1 on March 26, 2026, to approve a controversial plan to permanently relocate Thomas S. Wootton High School students from its current Rockville campus to the upcoming Crown High School site in Gaithersburg.  This decision, known as Option H, was part of a broader boundary study and a shift toward a regional high school programming model set to take effect for the 2027-2028 school year. 

Key details of the decision include:

Legal Challenges: The advocacy group Community and Education Policy Alliance has retained legal counsel to challenge the implementation, citing procedural deficiencies and potential legal violations.

The Vote: Board member Julie Yang was the sole dissenter; the remaining seven members voted to move forward with the plan. 

The Rationale: MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor stated the district cannot afford to both open Crown High as a new school and renovate the aging Wootton facility, which would cost roughly $300 million. 

Community Reaction: The vote followed intense public opposition, with parents and students protesting the closure of the well-performing school and the potential for long bus rides. 

Legacy Cohort: Students currently in high school and those entering eighth grade in the 2025-2026 school year are designated as a “legacy cohort” and will continue their current programs until graduation.