Monday May 16 Meeting Offers Bethesda Residents Opportunity to Weigh in

on Elementary School Zoning Changes

New Boundary Study Presents 5 Options Affecting Bethesda ES, Chevy Chase ES, North
Chevy Chase ES and Rosemary Hills ES

On Monday, May 16 at 7:30pm, a Public Information Session at Rosemary Hills

Elementary School offers residents their last opportunity to provide feedback to
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) regarding proposed changes to
elementary school zoning, and have this feedback included in a formal study
reviewed by the school Superintendent. The proposed changes affect children
currently zoned to attend elementary school at Bethesda ES, Chevy Chase ES, North
Chevy Chase ES and Rosemary Hills ES.

In March 2011, MCPS kicked off a boundary study for these Bethesda-area
elementary schools to help alleviate over-crowding and to facilitate decisions about
constructing school additions. MCPS has also been tasked with putting an end to
articulation patterns established 30 years ago, but which now result in busing
children to schools miles from their neighborhoods on increasingly congested roads.

The MCPS Superintendent will make a recommendation to the Board of Education

(BOE) in mid October 2011, and the BOE will take action on boundaries and
additions after a public hearing in late November. While there will be one more
opportunity to provide public comments, the May 16 meeting offers the last
opportunity for residents of Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Silver Spring to formally
contribute feedback to the boundary study, through an evaluation sheet provided at
the meeting and included in the formal report for the Superintendent.

Five Options up for Discussion

The following five options for Montgomery County Elementary School articulation
have been presented in the boundary study. Incoming superintendant Dr. Joshua P.
Starr (beginning July 1, 2011) will review the boundary study and accompanying
public feedback from the May 16 meeting, and recommend one of these five options
to the Maryland Board of Education:

Option 1: Neighborhoods form School Communities

- All of East Bethesda goes to BE K-5.
- Paddington Square Apartments (8800 Lanier Dr Silver Spring) and Navy Medical
area (no students currently) to RHPS K-2, NCC 3-5 (6).

This option allows most children to attend the elementary school in their own
neighborhood, and does not segregate communities by busing children to schools
further away.
Option 2: East Bethesda Divided
- East Bethesda Chestnut Street and south goes to BE K-5.
- East Bethesda South Chelsea Lane and north (Glenbrook Village).
- Paddington Square Apartments (8800 Lanier Dr Silver Spring), and Navy Medical
area (no students currently) to RHPS K-2, NCC 3-5 (6).

This option divides East Bethesda in half, sending students on the south half to
nearby Bethesda Elementary, and their neighbors (only one block south) to
Rosemary Hills in Silver Spring.

Option 3: East Bethesda and Silver Spring Cross-Bussing

- All of East Bethesda and Navy Medical area (no students currently) go to RHPS K-
2, NCC 3-5(6).
- Paddington Square Apartments (8800 Lanier Dr Silver Spring) to BE K-5.
- The portion of Summit Hills Apartments at 1703 and 1705 East West Highway
Silver Spring to BE K-5.
- The portion of Summit Hills Apartments at 8508 and 8510 16th St.Silver Spring to
BE K-5.

Option 3 buses all of the children in East Bethesda several miles to Rosemary Hills in
Silver Spring instead of allowing them to attend nearby Bethesda Elementary, and at
the same time buses students the same distance from Silver Spring to attend BE.

Option 4: East Bethesda and Silver Spring Expanded Cross-Bussing

- All of East Bethesda and Navy Medical area (no students currently) go to RHPS K-
2, NCC 3-5(6).
- Paddington Square Apartments (8800 Lanier Dr Silver Spring) to CC 3-5(6).
- The portion of Summit Hills Apartments at 1703 and 1705 East West Highway
Silver Spring to BE K-5.
- The portion of Summit Hills Apartments at 8508 and 8510 16th St. Silver Spring to
BE K-5.
- The Barrington Apartments with addresses at 1900 - 1970 Rosemary Hills Dr and
1901 - 1929 East West Hwy Silver Spring to BE K-5.

Option 4 starts with the bussing of Option 3, but buses even more children from
Silver Spring to Bethesda Elementary.

Option 5: Summit Hills Apartments to CC instead of NCC

- All of East Bethesda goes to BE K-5.
- Paddington Square Apartments and Navy Medical area (no students currently) to
RHPS K-2, NCC 3-5 (6).
- The portion of Summit Hills Apartments at 1703 and 1705, East West Highway to
CC 3-5 (6).
Option 5 is very like Option 1 in that most children attend the elementary school in
their own neighborhood. The exceptions in Option 5 are the residents of Summit
Hills Apartments in Silver Spring. Instead of attending North Chevy Chase
Elementary School 3-6, these children attend Chevy Chase ES instead. Children in
neighboring homes are not affected by this articulation.

Complete details about the boundary study process and the proposed options are at
the Montgomery County Schools website:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/planning/CommunityInfo_B
oundary2.shtml

Public Information Meeting Date, Time, Location

Boundary Review for Bethesda, Chevy Chase, North Chevy Chase & Rosemary Hills
Elementary Schools
May 16, 2011, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Rosemary Hills Elementary School, All Purpose Room
2111 Porter Street, Silver Spring, MD