Woodward High School Reopening Update; Boundary Study Scope to Create Service Area Approved Earlier This Year

HESS construction has made plenty of progress at the upcoming Woodward High School at 11211 Old Georgetown Rd in Rockville, which will be used as a holding school/facility for current Northwood High School while their new high school building will be built between September 2024 and August 2027. Charles E. Woodward High School originally opened in 1966 and closed in 1987, when the decision to merge with Walter Johnson High School was made. Tilden Middle School moved into the previous building in 1991, where it remained until the new school opened a few years back. Photos of the progress of the new building, per HESS construction, can be seen below. The completed Woodward High School will officially reopen as its own school in September 2027, following a boundary study to determine which students will be attending the school.

On March 28, 2023, the Board of Education approved the boundary study scope to create the service area for the reopening of Charles W. Woodward High School. The scope of the boundary study includes the following high schools: Bethesda Chevy-Chase, Montgomery Blair, Albert Einstein, Walter Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Northwood, Wheaton, and Walt Whitman. The scope also includes the following middle schools: Argyle, Eastern, A. Mario Loieder- man, Newport Mill, North Bethesda, Parkland, Thomas W. Pyle, Odessa Shannon, Silver Creek, Silver Spring International, Sligo, Takoma Park, Tilden, and Westland. No elementary schools are included in the boundary study. The boundary study process (community meetings, option development, feedback) is scheduled to take place between early 2024 and fall 2024. The boundary study report is scheduled to be released in early 2025, and the superintendent’s recommendation is scheduled to be released in winter 2025, followed by Board of Education work sessions, public hearings, and action on the superintendent’s recommendation.

As part of the recommended FY 2025–2030 CIP, the completion date for the Northwood High School project is delayed one-year due to an extension of the construction timeline. As a result of Northwood High School remaining at Charles W. Woodward High School, its holding facility, for one additional year, the recommended completion date for the reopening of Charles W. Woodward High school is August 2027. A recommendation to adjust the timeline of the approved boundary study to align with the opening of Charles W. Woodward High School will be presented as part of the Board of Education’s worksessions on the FY 2025-2030 CIP. Recent updates can be seen below:

• Curb and gutter are now installed in the south parking lot area, circling where the paver will lay asphalt in the coming weeks.

• Sod is now planted in the courtyard.

• Metal panel work continues on the southeastern corner of the building and will push north.

• Bathroom fixtures are onsite and will be going up once doors are installed.

• The gym is now completely clear of materials, awaiting the gym floor manufacturer’s delivery.

• Our drywall contractor continues to finish drywall on the third floor moving down, allowing the painter to follow.

• The painter is pushing through the third floor, going from the top to the bottom of the building, allowing for the installation of our drop ceilings.

• The electrician, plumber, and HVAC specialists continue to work on finishes.

• The kitchen equipment is now installed and awaiting connection, as well as the equipment in the concession stand by the gym.

• The floor contractor has delivered their flooring and will begin install this month.

• The green roof has been planted on half of the roof and will be completely installed by the end of November.