Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is scheduled to begin the Schematic Design Phase for an approved capital project at Damascus High School. Prior to beginning the design process and community engagements, a kick-off meeting for community members and all stakeholders is scheduled on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at 6:30 pm to share the project information. The in-person meeting will be held in the Cafeteria/All-Purpose room. Doors open at 6:00 pm, presentation begins at 6:30 pm. It is unclear if the meeting will discuss any boundary changes between Damascus and nearby schools like Clarksburg High School.
A major capital project was approved to address various building systems and programmatic needs for Damascus High School, located at 25921 Ridge Road. The Board of Education, in the requested FY 2021–2026 CIP, included expenditures in FY 2022 to continue the planning and design of this major capital project with a completion date of August 2025, but the County Council delayed the expenditures by one year. An FY 2023 appropriation was approved to begin the design of this Major Capital project. An FY 2024 appropriation is recommended for construction funds. This project is scheduled to be completed August 2026. Once completed in 2026, school capacity is expected to increase from 1,543 (where it’s at currently) to 2,250.
Participants will include representatives of the school, PTA, neighbors, government agencies, the design architects, and staff for MCPS Division of Design and Construction.