A huge area of concern for families within our Walter Johnson school cluster is the increase in residential development in the area and its future impact on our schools– this includes Rock Spring, Grosvenor Heights, Toll Brothers WMAL radio tower site, Pike and Rose, and White Flint, in addition to the redevelopment trend of older homes in our area... Take for example Ashburton elementary school which has grown from 650 students in 2007 to over 900 this year representing a 57% increase. The schools are bursting at the seams, with portables being added to handle the volume, and school additions in the works for many of the schools including a possible addition at Walter Johnson to bring its capacity closer to 3200.
To learn more about the WJ Overcrowding Issue, please view the following documents:
-A presentation (overview on the WJ overcrowding issue) created by by Howie Phillips, one of the WJ Cluster Coordinators: Click Here
-Interim Superintendents report on enrollment increases within our cluster and a recommendation for a Walter Johnson Cluster Round Table Discussion Group: Click Here
And please come and show your support for WJ Cluster overcrowding at an upcoming meetings:
The Meeting will be on November 9 at the Carver Educational Services Center, 800 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, starting at 7:00pm. Our cluster will be testifying before the Board of Education and Acting Superintendent Larry Bowers. We need to fill the room. You do not have to testify, you just have to show up! We will have signs for you to hold to show your support for the WJ Cluster, but it is important that the folks in charge know that we in the community want the current renovations in our cluster to stay on track (and not be delayed). This includes letting them know that we want them to act on opening Woodward High School back up ASAP, as well as our need for two more elementary and one middle school in our cluster, etc.