300 Feet From Northwood, Three Miles From Kennedy: Kemp Mill Residents Question MCPS Boundary Decision

By Allison Marcus. Pictures by Allison Marcus

On March 26, 2026, the Montgomery County Board of Education voted to reassign Kemp Mill Elementary School from Northwood High School to John F. Kennedy High School beginning with the 2027-2028 school year. This was no surprise to those who followed the boundary study process because all seven options of that process reassigned Kemp Mill ES to Kennedy HS.

The Kemp Mill ES boundary covers a relatively large geographic area, and some homes, which are about three miles from Kemp Mill ES, are closer to Kennedy HS than to Northwood HS. However, almost the entire Kemp Mill neighborhood itself is within a safe walking distance on safe, 2-lane local roads, wooded paths, and trails from Northwood HS and none of these homes are within a safe walking distance to Kennedy HS.

Kemp Mill Houses Closest to Northwood

However, houses in the Kemp Mill ES zone are the closest residences by foot to Northwood HS, and this walk is along a 250-foot pedestrian path. Some of these houses are less than a football field away from Northwood HS, and they have endured excessive noise and vibrations throughout the duration of the Northwood HS construction. They’ll also bear the brunt of the loudspeakers during Northwood HS football games. But, they’ll be redistricted to Kennedy HS, three miles and six lanes of Randolph Road away.

In meetings with parents, representatives from Montgomery County Public Schools have stated that they want to keep all children from an elementary school together when matriculating to middle school and an entire middle school together when matriculating to high school. However, the Board of Education voted to approve boundaries that will cause certain elementary schools to matriculate to multiple middle schools and certain middle schools to matriculate to multiple high schools. For example, under the adopted plan, Parkland Middle School students matriculate to either Wheaton High School or Charles W. Woodward High School, depending on where they live. Arcola Elementary School students will matriculate to either Sligo Middle School or Newport Mill Middle School and then Northwood HS or Albert Einstein High School, respectively. And, with regard to the Thomas S. Wootton High School relocation, the Board of Education took great care to ensure homes that were within walking distance of the new building would be redistricted to Wootton HS. Thus, it would make the most sense and be the most equitable to allow students who live in the Kemp Mill neighborhood to continue matriculating to Northwood HS instead of changing to Kennedy HS.

Redistricting Move Goes Against Thrive 2050

Additionally, redistricting the Kemp Mill neighborhood to Kennedy HS goes against Montgomery County’s Thrive Montgomery 2050 plan to bring road fatalities and severe injuries to zero by 2050. Making students travel unnecessary miles everyday across major multi-lane roadways is a way to guarantee Thrive Montgomery 2050 will not become a reality.

In short, the no parking sign in the picture is about 300 feet from the new Northwood HS building, but it will be located in the Kennedy HS district unless the Board of Education approves an amendment to keep the Kemp Mill neighborhood at Northwood HS. If MCPS and the Montgomery County Police Department are so concerned about Northwood HS students parking on Northwood Terrace in the Kemp Mill neighborhood, then Northwood Terrace and all of Kemp Mill should remain at Northwood HS.

Citations

Current (25-26) Kemp Mill ES boundary map with Northwood HS & Kennedy HS shown: https://gis.mcpsmd.org/ServiceAreaMaps/KempMillES.pdf

Northwood HS & Woodward HS Boundary Change Approval: https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DSFTGX775BAD/$file/Apprv%20Rec%20Reopen%20Charles%20W%20Woodward%20Expansion%20Northwood.pdf

MCPS Educational Facilities Planning, especially section G.2.b.: https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/FAA.pdf

Thrive Montgomery 2050 Actions List of Resources (see T-6): https://montgomeryplanning.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Actions-document-final-for-April-8th.pdf

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