Wootton High ‘Option H’ Plan Challenged as Appeal Filed With State Board

A newly filed appeal is challenging Montgomery County Public Schools’ recent decision involving the future of Thomas S. Wootton High School. The filing, submitted to the Maryland State Board of Education, raises concerns about the data, legal process, and procedures used in approving the plan.

Below is the full press release from the Community and Education Policy Alliance outlining the details of the appeal and its claims.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 28, 2026

Litigation Filed Against MCPS Over “Modified Option H,” Citing Faulty Data, Legal Violations, and Procedural Failures

Rockville, MD — The Community and Education Policy Alliance, Inc. (CEPA) has filed a formal administrative appeal with the Maryland State Board of Education, challenging the Montgomery County Board of Education’s March 26, 2026 decision to “relocate” Thomas S. Wootton High School to the Crown Farm site.

The filing challenges the decision as a legally flawed process that relies on inaccurate data and fails to follow required legal procedures affecting hundreds of families. The appeal was filed on April 27, 2026, and is now pending before the State Board.

“This decision reshapes an entire school community while bypassing the legal safeguards that exist to protect students and families,” said Elisa Sukhobok, Vice President of CEPA. “Decisions of this magnitude must follow the law, rely on accurate data, and be made transparently—none of which occurred here.”

The appeal argues that the decision is arbitrary, unreasonable, and illegal, and identifies five core problems:

• Faulty Data: The Board reversed years of planning based on enrollment projections that do not reflect post-pandemic recovery or documented housing growth in the Wootton cluster.
• Closure Rules Ignored: The “relocation” triggers State closure requirements that were not followed.
• State Funding Concerns: Crown High School was funded for a specific State-approved purpose that is now being changed without proper approval.
• Improper Vote Structure: The Board combined multiple distinct decisions into a single vote rather than considering them separately.
• Process Failures: The approved plan was never properly vetted or authorized within the boundary study process.

The filing highlights a core issue with the Board’s justification, stating that “the data does not support claims of declining enrollment requiring the shuttering of Wootton High.” Instead, it points to reliance on “a snapshot of anomalous data skewed by the COVID-19 pandemic” that does not reflect long-term trends.

It also challenges the legal logic behind the decision, stating that “there is no authority that maintaining a name, mascot, or colors makes a new school identical to a prior one.” The filing warns of the broader implications of this approach: “a local board could ‘relocate’ a school all the way across the county, change boundaries, reassign most of the student body, and substantially transfer staff—yet still claim that no closure occurred.” Prior State Board decisions have treated moving students and staff to a different facility in another city as a school closure that must follow established rules.

The filing further raises concerns about the use of Crown High School, stating that “the County Board failed to obtain required approval before changing the intended use of Crown High, in violation of State law.”

The filing also challenges the structure of the Board’s decision, stating that “this unusual and unnecessary grouping violated the ‘one subject’ requirement of Article III, § 29 of the Maryland Constitution,” which is intended to prevent unrelated actions from being forced into a single vote.

Finally, the appeal underscores that “at no time did the County Board approve the development of options to ‘relocate’ Wootton High or any other school.”

The filing concludes that the decision “was predicated on faulty data, circumvented legal protections, and was tainted by violations of State law and MCPS procedure.”

“This appeal is a critical step to hold MCPS accountable and ensure a transparent process, reliable data, and meaningful community engagement in decisions that will shape Montgomery County families for years to come,” said Claire Matta, CEPA Board Member.

The appeal is supported by sworn affidavits from over 300 households across the Wootton cluster—each corresponding to a unique address and submitted by parents of current and future Wootton students directly affected by the decision. These households represent a substantial and engaged segment of the affected community.

This level of participation reflects the broad impact of the decision and underscores the importance of lawful, transparent decision-making. The outcome of this appeal could set a precedent for how school systems across Maryland handle major boundary changes, school relocations, and the use of State-funded facilities.

CEPA is asking the State Board to require MCPS to reconsider the decision using accurate data, follow required procedures, and comply fully with applicable law.

CEPA represents a broad coalition of Montgomery County families, including hundreds directly affected by this decision, advocating for transparent, lawful, and data-driven decision-making in public education.

Full Filing Here:

2026-04-27-CEPA-Appeal-FINAL-signed

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