The Montgomery County Planning Board has certified the Fiscal Year 2027 Annual School Test, identifying several Montgomery County Public Schools projected to exceed capacity during the 2030-31 school year and assigning their service areas to Utilization Premium Payment (UPP) tiers beginning July 1, 2026.
The Annual School Test, required under the county’s 2024-2028 Growth and Infrastructure Policy (GIP), evaluates projected enrollment at every MCPS school four years into the future. Schools expected to exceed utilization thresholds are placed into one of three UPP tiers. Residential development proposed within those school service areas may be required to pay additional fees beyond the standard school impact tax to help offset the costs associated with overcrowding.
For FY2027, the following schools were placed into UPP tiers:
Tier 1 (Moderate Overutilization)
- James Hubert Blake High School
- Winston Churchill High School
- Francis Scott Key Middle School
- Cashell Elementary School
Tier 2 (Intermediate Overutilization)
- Burning Tree Elementary School
- Cabin Branch Elementary School
Tier 3 (Highest Overutilization)
-
Mill Creek Towne Elementary School
The Planning Department said the FY2027 results will be applied using the new middle and high school service areas approved by the Montgomery County Board of Education in March 2026.
The Planning Board also accepted the countywide portion of the FY2027 School Utilization Report, which provides a broader look at enrollment trends and school capacity across Montgomery County.
According to the report, MCPS is projected to have more than 4,900 surplus high school seats by the end of the six-year Capital Improvements Program in the 2031-32 school year, representing about 9% of countywide high school capacity. Middle schools are projected to have more than 7,100 surplus seats, or 18% of capacity, while elementary schools are expected to have more than 13,300 surplus seats, or 17% of capacity.
The countywide report also includes a snapshot of 2025 housing trends, including residential development, home sales and housing units by school service area. Individual school utilization reports will be released later than usual this year due to delays in MCPS enrollment projections following the Board of Education’s recent boundary changes.
