The Community and Education Policy Alliance (CEPA) announced its appeal challenging the closing of the physical property known as Wootton High School will move forward. That press release follows the first prehearing conference on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
Last December, MCPS announced the school would be moved to Crown High School in Gaithersburg while maintaining the name of Wootton. This decision came in the midst of boundary change announcements prompting school area residents to protest and take their objections to court.
Hearings Scheduled
The Administrative Law Judge dismissed a Motion to Dismiss by MCPS without prejudice. Evidentiary hearings will be held in early December where MCPS, Montgomery County and other relevant witnesses will testify.
Implications Statewide
The Wootton case could have implications for communities across the state. The appeal asks the question: Can a school system remove an established school from the geographic community it has served for generations without applying Maryland’s school-closing program protections simply by calling the action a relocation?
The appeal also spotlights a bigger question about the county’s aging school infrastructure. Wootton High School had been in the budget for major capital improvements for years. But each time those improvements were postponed while the facility fell into further disrepair.
More about CEPA
CEPA states they strongly support teacher compensation and classroom funding. But they point to maintaining school property as a fundamental responsibility of the school system. And when this failure leads to the disruption of communities without consequences, then all Maryland families should be concerned.
According to their description, CEPA is a county-based community organization “advocating for transparent, accountable and equitable public decision-making affecting schools and the communities they serve.”
