Where are the crowded schools? (Maps)

Note: This is a work in progress; the maps are not finalized. I’m posting what I have so far so that the public has access to it while the boundary analysis scope of work is being considered by the Board of Education. For more information on what this is all about, visit the MCPS website or one of the articles listed below.

• “Schools To Conduct Countywide Boundary Study” Caitlynn Peetz, Bethesda Beat. Jan 9, 2019
• “Students: Countywide Boundary Study Could ‘Change the Course of History’” Caitlynn Peetz, Bethesda Beat. March 26, 2019
• “How Students In Montgomery County Are Leading The Push For School Redistricting” Margaret Barthel, WAMU. April 2, 2019
• “Racial Equity Concerns Surface at Public Forum on School Redistricting”
  Caitlynn Peetz, Bethesda Beat. April 5, 2019
• “Students Blast ‘Racist, Segregationist’ Comments At Public Meeting”
  Caitlynn Peetz, Bethesda Beat. April 9, 2019
• “MCPS Superintendent: ‘We Need To Talk About Students Respectfully’” Caitlynn Peetz, Bethesda Beat. April 9, 2019
• “Community Members Divided Over Montgomery School Boundary Analysis” Deirdre Byrne, MyMCMedia. April 11, 2019.
• “Montgomery County is finally talking about its segregated schools. But can we fix them?” Dan Reed, Greater Greater Washington. April 24, 2019
• “MoCo For Change takes on MCPS segregation” Chistropher Appiah, The Blueprint. April 25, 2019

Click on the images below to open an interactive map. Middle and high schools will be posted soon.

Map Descriptions

• Each circle represents a school. The size of the solid circle represents the enrollment (number of students), while the size of the ring represents the current capacity (not including portables and planned expansions). Circle > ring = overcrowded. Circle < ring = not crowded.
• Each school boundary area is represented by a polygon. There are several layers that can be turned on to color-code the areas based on utilization (number of available seats) and demographic data such as race, ESOL, FARMS, etc.
• To turn a layer on/off, click on “Content” or “Layers” and check/uncheck.
• Click on a boundary for details about each school.
• There are a few “paired” elementary schools (i.e., a K-2 school that feeds into a 3-5 school). Clicking on the school icon will show data about the school. Clicking on the boundary area will show enrollment/capacity/utilization data for the overall boundary (both schools).

Data Sources

• Demographic data (incl. Race, ESOL, FARMS, SPED) based on most recent available data (2017-2018 school year). Source: Schools at a Glance, SAAG 2018 Demographics.xlsx. Demographic data reported as < 5% assumed to be 3%.
• Enrollment, capacity, utilization, and portables data based on 2018-2019 school year. Source: UtilizEnroll18-19SY.pdf, obtained from public information request.
• Shapefiles provided by MCPS Division of Capital Planning.

Acknowledgements

• This map would not have been made possible without the encouragement of former Board of Education member Jill Ortman-Fouse and MCCPTA VP of Advocacy Laura Stewart. Thank you Jill for being an outspoken champion for equity and accountability. Thank you Laura for tenaciously working so hard over the past year to ensure that our local schools are safe and well-funded.
• Thank you to my MCPS teacher spouse, who sparked my interest in education policy several years ago and continues to encourage me (and everyone else she meets) to learn more about the world every day.
• If you have suggestions for ways to improve this map, please contact Sebastian Smoot at growingeastcounty@gmail.com (keep in mind: I’m happy to add more data to the map but someone would have to provide me with the data).