The Howard County Public School System will present redistricting scenarios for the 2026-2027 school year during Thursday’s Board of Education meeting, with several opportunities for public comment.
In February, the board voted to begin the boundary review process for schools in the Columbia and Ellicott City areas that are below 90% or above 110% capacity. Longfellow Elementary School was mistakenly left off the list of schools included in the process, prompting the board to vote again in April to correct the error.
Centennial Lane and Bryant Woods elementary schools, which are projected to be at about 118% and 150% capacity by 2035, respectively, are at the center of the redistricting process as the school system looks to shift students to neighboring schools. The boundary review also includes Running Brook, Swansfield and Clemens Crossing elementary schools. Wilde Lake, Harper’s Choice, and Burleigh Manor middle schools, and Wilde Lake and Centennial high schools are included to adjust feeds from elementary schools.
The scenarios to be presented Thursday represent the “initial stage of scenario testing and refinement,” an HCPSS report stated. The report couldn’t include all possibilities for boundary adjustment, but it includes three options to reduce enrollment at Centennial Lane and Bryant Woods by shifting students to Clemens Crossing, Longfellow, Running Brook, and Swansfield elementary schools. Some students reassigned from Centennial Lane Elementary will be shifted to either Wilde Lake or Harpers Choice middle schools and Wilde Lake High.
More information about the scenarios will be on the school system’s website by next week following the meeting. Community members can attend meetings on July 21, July 30 and Aug. 7 to gather more information, provide feedback and answer questions. A survey will open for individuals to provide more feedback that will be considered when building the superintendent’s recommendation for a redistricting plan.
The superintendent is slated to present a Proposed Attendance Area Adjustment Plan in September, with opportunities for public comment and work sessions with the board held through September and November. The board will decide on a final plan for implementation in the 2026-2027 school year in November.
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