Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Taylor recommended Thursday that the Board of Education adopt new boundary lines that would permanently relocate Thomas S. Wootton High School from its longtime Rockville location to the upcoming Crown High School in Gaithersburg (9410 Fields Rd).
Under the recommendation, Wootton would move into a newly constructed high school building beginning with the 2027-2028 school year. MCPS officials emphasize that this is not a closure of Wootton High School, but rather a relocation of the school into a new facility.
According to the superintendent’s report, the move is intended to address long-standing facility concerns at Wootton’s current site while avoiding the cost of opening a 27th high school. Updated enrollment projections show student capacity needs can be met within the existing number of high schools, allowing the district to redirect resources more efficiently.
The recommendation states that the relocation would also allow MCPS to repurpose the current Wootton building as a holding school. This would enable the school system to accelerate major capital projects, including full renovations and HVAC replacements at other schools, without displacing students during construction.
Taylor also noted that relocating Wootton to Crown Farm would increase the number of students within walking distance of their school and support long-term stability in school assignments. The plan is designed to improve facility utilization across the system while keeping most demographic shifts within single-digit percentage changes.
If approved by the Board of Education, the boundary changes would be phased in over several years. High school changes would begin with ninth and tenth graders in the 2027-2028 school year, with full implementation by the 2029-2030 school year. Middle school changes would follow a similar phased approach starting in 2027-2028.
The recommendation is part of a broader countywide boundary study that includes reassignment proposals across multiple clusters, aimed at balancing enrollment, improving geographic alignment, and reducing overcapacity at several schools. The full presentation regarding the relocation of Wootton High School can be seen here.
