1. Upcoming Operating Budget Forums on Oct.19, Oct. 25 and Nov. 14 : MCPS is hosting a series of forums to learn more about the process for the 2024–2025 operating budget. Join us for a discussion with MCPS leadership and an opportunity to engage in breakout sessions. Events will be held on the following dates:
- TONIGHT, Thursday, Oct. 19, 6:30–8 p.m., virtual forum. Click here to attend. This event will be livestreamed on the MCPS homepage. RSVP.
- Wednesday, Oct. 25, 6:30–8 p.m., Damascus High School, 25921 Ridge Road in Damascus. RSVP.
- Tuesday, Nov. 14, time to be determined, Walter Johnson High School, 6400 Rock Spring Drive in Bethesda.RSVP.
2. Applications for High School Regional/Countywide Special Programs: Grade 8 students can apply to Regional/Countywide Special Programs using the high school common application found in ParentVUE. Additionally, students in Grades 9-11 may apply for career readiness programs. Information sessions will be available for students and families, and all dates can be found on the special programs webpage.
Applications are due by Friday, Nov. 3. Programs-At-A-Glance, eligibility, frequently asked questions and October open house dates are available on this website. NEW this year: The Leadership Academy for Social Justice (LASJ) at Walt Whitman High School is open to all rising 9th graders. Watch the video.
3. Board Seeks Public Comments on Policy IJA: The Board of Education is seeking comments on proposed amendments to Policy IJA, School Counseling Programs and Services. Draft amendments to Policy IJA have been available for comment since April 26, 2023, and the comment period will close on Nov. 6, 2023. A description of the changes, draft changes and public comment forms are available on the Policies for Public Comment webpage. Language translations are available.
4. District Events and Opportunities
On Saturday, Oct. 21:
- The STEAM Festival will be held from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at Wheaton High School, 12401 Dalewood Drive in Silver Spring.
- The Girls’ Summit will be held from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at Clarksburg High School, 22500 Wims Road in Clarksburg. RSVP
- Col. Zadok Magruder High School is hosting theMarching Band Showcase at 1 p.m., 5939 Muncaster Mill Road in Rockville. PLEASE NOTE: In case of inclement weather, a message will be posted on the MCPS website by 9:30 a.m. if the event is canceled.
Mental Health Awareness Week Oct. 30–Nov. 4
From 6–8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at Richard Montgomery High School, former professional football player turned mental health expert and advocate, Dr. Jay Barnett, will speak to students about the importance of mental health, breaking down stigma and seeking help. Students who attend can earn SSL Hours. Read more about Mental Health Awareness Week events.
Out-of-School Time, Earn SSL Hours
Calling high school students: Join Us Nov. 1 for Environmental Volunteer Day at Gaithersburg High School, 101 Education Blvd. in Gaithersburg.
County Student Contests, Earn SSL Hours
- A chance to win $1,000: Speak Up, Save a Life PSA Contest
- Know a Student Interested in Public Policy? Enter the Councilmember for a Day Contest
5. Bright Spots this Week
October is National Principals Month. Thank you to all principals for all they do for students, staff, teachers, and school communities.
Congratulations to Mrs. Barbara Escobar, principal at Neelsville Middle School. Escobar recently received the Hispanic Educator of the Year at the Hispanic Leadership Awards Gala.
The Latina Legacy Conference brought together more than 300 scholars to learn about opportunities and resources to succeed in their academic and personal lives.
Families, MCPS alumni and community members came together to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Outdoor Environmental Education Programs. These programs provide hands-on science instruction to all MCPS students.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) and Montgomery County Police responded to a collision involving a school bus and a pedestrian on Thursday, October 19 in Silver Spring.
According to police, “At approximately 3:54 p.m., MCP officers responded to the area of East West Hwy and Grubb Rd. for the report of a collision. The preliminary investigation has revealed that a school bus struck an adult male pedestrian who was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. A child inside the school bus sustained minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital.” We will provide an update if additional information becomes available.
MoCo High School Sports Scores for Oct 18, 2023 (powered by www.mocoai.com):
Field Hockey Varsity
| Richard Montgomery High School (Home) | 7 |
| Northwood High School (Away) | 0 |
| Blair High School (Home) | 0 |
| Churchill High School (Away) | 6 |
| Poolesville High School (Home) | 4 |
| Seneca Valley High School (Away) | 0 |
Soccer Boys Varsity
| Clarksburg High School (Home) | 2 |
| Kennedy High School (Away) | 3 |
| Northwood High School (Home) | 1 |
| Northwest High School (Away) | 0 |
| Churchill High School (Home) | 3 |
| Wootton High School (Away) | 0 |
Soccer Girls Varsity
| Clarksburg High School (Home) | 11 |
| Kennedy High School (Away) | 0 |
| Northwood High School (Home) | 0 |
| Northwest High School (Away) | 4 |
Volleyball Girls JV
| Sherwood High School (Home) | 2 |
| Damascus High School (Away) | 0 |
Volleyball Girls Varsity
| Sherwood High School (Home) | 3 |
| Damascus High School (Away) | 0 |
Let us know in the comments for any missing scores.
Today, the State’s Attorney’s Office for Montgomery County unveiled a “data dashboard,” a publicly available resource designed to provide the community with access to information about case referrals, outcomes, and performance indicators. The Montgomery County Prosecutorial Dashboard was created by the nonprofit agency, Prosecutorial Performance Indicators. The Office of the State’s Attorney states that they are pleased to be able to provide a clearer view into the work of our office and how the criminal justice system operates in our community. This is the result of a two-year grant funded study commissioned by State’s Attorney John McCarthy. It is the first of its kind in the state of Maryland.
As part of this project, we received the Final Report on Racial Justice in Prosecution in Montgomery County from Brian Johnson, PhD, a professor of Criminology at the University of Maryland in collaboration with Towson University and George Washington University. It is published within the dashboard under the heading “Data Stories.” “Data and transparency lead to greater access to justice. This is a starting place, and we will now be able to monitor trends over time to understand what’s working and where there are opportunities for improvement,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy. A link to the dashboard is now available via the State’s Attorney’s Office website and it will be updated regularly. “We thank State’s Attorney John McCarthy for his leadership and willingness to commit to building a data culture within his office and promoting transparency in prosecution,” said Melba Pearson, Esq., Co-Manager of the PPIs and Director of Prosecution Projects, Florida International University
The Montgomery County dashboard is the result of a collaborative effort between the Prosecutorial Performing Indicators (PPI), the University of Maryland, Bowie State University, Florida International University, Loyola University Chicago, Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative and funding support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies.
Report updates plan implementation progress and development activity in North Bethesda since 2021
The Montgomery County Planning Department at its October 19 meeting on the 2023 Biennial Monitoring Report for the North Bethesda (White Flint) Sector Plan area. The report is a comprehensive update on development, infrastructure, and staging requirements, which ensure that new infrastructure is implemented with new development. The report also provides recommendations on mobility, infrastructure, and public facilities and amenities necessary to further implementation of sector plan recommendations.
This monitoring report is completed and presented to the Planning Board every two years and transmitted to the Montgomery County Council and the County Executive for review. Combined, the 2010 North Bethesda (White Flint) Sector Plan and the 2018 North Bethesda (White Flint 2) Sector Planencompass 430 acres surrounding Rockville Pike/MD 355 in North Bethesda between the former White Flint Mall site to the south and where Randolph Road and Montrose Parkway intersect to the north.
Key North Bethesda Monitoring Accomplishments
Parks: The approved Grand Park development, at the northwest and northeast intersection of Grand Park Avenue and Banneker Street, has dedicated approximately half an acre of open space for a portion of the sector plan’s recommended civic green. Montgomery Parks is in the process of acquiring an adjacent property for the civic green.
Public Schools: The new Woodward High School is anticipated to open by summer 2026. No new development activities have taken place on properties recommended in the sector plan for an elementary school.
Metro Station Name: In September 2022, the White Flint Metrorail Station was renamed the North Bethesda Metrorail Station.
Western Workaround: The roadway realignment of Executive Boulevard, Grand Park Avenue, Old Georgetown Road, and Towne Road was completed in December 2022, creating a new street grid east and west of Rockville Pike/MD 355. Completing the Western Workaround, which creates new streets around the Bethesda North Conference Center, implements a significant sector plan recommendation.
Institute for Health Computing: In November 2022, the County Executive announced the formation of the Institute for Health Computing at North Bethesda. The institute will leverage advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and clinical analytics research to create a premier learning healthcare system. The University of Maryland, Baltimore, the University of Maryland, College Park, the University of Maryland Medical System, and WMATA are included in this partnership.
Pedestrian and Bicyclist Improvements: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) has completed the first phase of pedestrian enhancements at Rockville Pike and Old Georgetown Road, including new sidewalks and landscape buffers. The second phase, which will remove the slip lanes or ‘hot’ rights at this intersection, will be completed in 2024.
A new protected bikeway has been installed along Towne Road between Old Georgetown and Josiah Henson Parkway. In addition, the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) installed buffered bike lanes along Old Georgetown Road between Nicholson Lane and the Capital Beltway (I-495). A protected bikeway is anticipated later this year or in 2024 along Marinelli Road between Rockville Pike and Nebel Street.
2023 Biennial Monitoring Report Recommendations: The following mobility and public facilities projects are recommended to achieve further implementation of the sector plan:
Mobility Infrastructure: Per Phase 1 staging requirements, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) should fund streetscape and bikeways improvements for Marinelli Road and Nicholson Lane, which are within a quarter mile of the North Bethesda Metrorail Station. MCDOT should implement a coordinated bikeway plan for Old Georgetown Road between Towne Road and Nebel Street. The existing Nebel Street protected bikeway should extend to Nicholson Lane to further implement the bikeway network.
Infrastructure: Additional public funding must be provided for the future construction of the north entrance to the North Bethesda Metrorail Station for improved access.
Public Facilities and Amenities: Upon future property acquisition for the civic green, Montgomery Parks should develop a facility plan to implement the civic green.
From the Office of Council President Evan Glass:
“The Montgomery County Anti-Hate Task Force’s Black/African American cohort will present their policy recommendations to the task force at a virtual meeting on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m.
The Anti-Hate Task Force was formally adopted through a resolution with unanimous support in June. The task force is made up of community and faith leaders working to engage the community and develop recommendations to inform policies that promote safety and combat hate crimes in Montgomery County.
Cohort groups representing the Jewish, Black/African American, LGBTQ+, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Latino/Hispanic and Muslim communities will present their policy recommendations at meetings throughout the fall. Each of the six cohort groups may also hold listening sessions to provide an opportunity for the public to engage and provide input.
The full task force will submit its final report with recommendations for legislation, regulations, policies and procedures related to the Council and other County agencies and present it on Nov. 28.
The virtual meeting will take place on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. and will be conducted virtually via Zoom. Members of the public can register here. The meeting will be available to watch live on YouTube.
Visit the Council webpage for the schedule of upcoming meetings, listening sessions and to watch past meetings.
Members of the media must RSVP by Thursday, Oct. 26 at noon by emailing Bertha Cerzosimo at [email protected].”
An attempted carjacking took place on Wednesday, October 18, at 11:18 pm, on the 7100 block of Holly Avenue in Takoma Park, police say.
According to Takoma Park Police: “5-7 juvenile males approached the victim, who had just gotten out their vehicle. One male, described as a young-looking black male, wearing a red scarf over his face, pointed a handgun at the victim and demanded the victim’s car keys and cell phone. The victim complied and then ran inside to safety and called the police.
The suspects were unable to start the Chevy Bolt and were last seen running down Holly Avenue towards Eastern Avenue.” Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to call the Takoma Park Police Department at 301-270-1100 and refer to case # 230061344. Featured photo courtesy of Google Maps
At a bond hearing this afternoon at District Court in Rockville, Raphael Mayorga, 19, of Frederick, MD, was ordered to be held without bond for allegedly striking Montgomery County Police Officer Patrick Kepp with his vehicle on I-270 in Gaithersburg early Wednesday morning. Officer Kepp remains in critical condition and is said to have lost the use of both of his legs. Mayorga is being charged with attempted first-degree murder.
The incident occurred around 3:48 a.m. on October, 18 after Kepp got out of his vehicle to deploy “stop sticks” near the Watkins Mill Rd exit on northbound I-270 after a citizen was almost run off the road by Mayorga. Mayorga is believed to have been traveling over 100mph when he intentionally struck Kepp with his vehicle. A second officer successfully deployed stop sticks near Clarksburg Rd, eventually bringing the Mayorga’s vehicle to a stop. A second person who was in the vehicle with Mayorga has not been charged and is being treated as a witness.
At a press conference Wednesday, Police Chief Marcus Jones said prior to the incident Mayorga was well known to Montgomery County Police and had a reputation for attempting to provoke officers into high speed chases. According to Maryland Case Search, Mayorga has over 200 previous traffic violations that are currently pending. Kepp previously arrested Mayorga on May 26 for driving 136mph back in May.
According to the United State’s District Attorney’s Office, Montgomery County Police Officer Justin Lee, 25, of Rockville, has been charged in a seven-count indictment that was unsealed today in the District of Columbia with offenses including assaulting a law enforcement officer and obstructing, impeding, or interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder. Lee is accused of “entering and remaining in the U.S. Capitol grounds while the Vice President was and would be temporarily visiting without lawful authority to do so and engaging in disruptive conduct, physical violence, and disorderly conduct while on restricted grounds of the Capitol.” Montgomery County Police released the following statement announcing his supension:
“The Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD) announces the suspension of Officer Justin Lee without pay as a result of his involvement and subsequent indictment in connection with the events of the January 6 insurrection. In July of 2023, MCPD was informed that Officer Justin Lee was the subject of an FBI investigation. Prior to his suspension, Lee had been on administrative leave for his involvement in the shooting death of an armed suspect on July 22. The Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division is currently overseeing the investigation into this incident to ensure a thorough and impartial examination of the facts.
Lee has not been performing the duties of a police officer since the July 22 shooting incident. His suspension without pay is a direct result of his arrest related to the January 6 insurrection. Upon investigation, it was determined that Lee participated in the January 6 insurrection prior to being hired as a Montgomery County Police Officer. His application for employment with the department was submitted in July of 2021, approximately six months after the events of January 6. His date of hire with the MCPD was January 31, 2022.
The Montgomery County Police Department conducts a thorough background investigation as part of its standard hiring process to ensure the suitability of candidates for employment. Lee’s involvement in the January 6 insurrection was not discovered during this process, as he was not identified by the Justice Department in connection with the event.
In light of Lee’s arrest, he has been suspended without pay, and the department is taking steps to terminate his employment. MCPD takes these matters seriously and is dedicated to taking decisive action when necessary. As a result, we are initiating a comprehensive review of our background investigation process to determine whether adjustments need to be made.
The Montgomery County Department of Police remains unwavering in our dedication to upholding the highest standards of professionalism, accountability, and integrity. The actions of one individual do not define the entire department. We will continue to ensure that our officers uphold the values that reflect the best interests of the residents of Montgomery County.”
