Linganore-Oakdale-Urbana Area Redistricting Study Archive

Linganore-Oakdale-Urbana Redistricting Study Archive

Contact

Facilities Planning Department
(301) 644-5025
LOURedistrict@fcps.org

Redistricting Rooted in Caring and Respect – A Message from the Board

Regardless of the school, “As long as your students hold themselves to the highest standard, it is practically impossible for them not to be successful….”

–  Student Member of the Board, Paige Tolbard (FHS, Class of 2019)

The Board of Education understands a redistricting brings uncertainty and, therefore, stress. However, we have been troubled by some of the comments made at both public meetings and in emails. This process is guided by the Board’s policy, which is based, as are all our policies, on our priorities for students, and rooted in our core belief that all students are entitled equally to respect, opportunity, and excellence at every school in our system.

This means we are committed to providing high quality instruction, and a safe, secure teaching and learning environment at each and every one of our schools. This means that we value each and every student, their families, all of our schools and their communities. This means, that while strengths, challenges, and needs may be different school-to-school and community-to-community, none are more or less valuable, important, or urgent.

As we advance together as Frederick County Residents towards decisions that equitably balance our school system’s priorities, capacity, and needs, we ask that people base their advocacy in what has always made our county special – our care and respect for each other.

Scope of Work

The Linganore-Oakdale-Urbana (LOU) area redistricting study is necessary to establish attendance boundaries and feeder patterns for two new schools that address enrollment growth. They are Sugarloaf Elementary on Stone Barn Drive in Urbana, which is temporarily serving Urbana Elementary students until the Urbana Elementary replacement is complete for the 2020-2021 school year, and a not-yet-named elementary school in the Lake Linganore Hamptons West neighborhood opening for the 2021-2022 school year.

The elementary school attendance areas that are included in the redistricting study are: Centerville, Deer Crossing, Green Valley, Kemptown, Liberty, New Market, Oakdale, Twin Ridge, Urbana and the portion of Spring Ridge attendance area east of the Monocacy River.  The secondary school attendance areas included in the study are: New Market, Oakdale, Urbana and Windsor Knolls middle schools as well as the Governor Thomas Johnson Middle School attendance area east of the Monocacy River, and the Linganore, Oakdale and Urbana high school attendance areas.

FCPS facilities planning staff lead the study and include transportation, fiscal services, curriculum, and communication staff as well as school administration and staff. The redistricting study will be guided by Board of Education Policy 200 and Regulation 100-02.  

With the assistance of consultants, FCPS will collect data and evaluate options. After an initial phase of data collection and discussions with the school communities, staff will develop a series of attendance boundary options to present to the community for review and feedback. Staff will then present options to the Superintendent and prepare the Superintendent’s recommendation. The Superintendent’s recommendation will be presented to the Board of Education (BOE).

Beginning in January 2019, the redistricting study is expected to take 10-12 months. Completion of the study by the end of 2019 will allow time for new bus routes to be created and school administration to adjust staffing in response to new attendance boundaries and enrollment projections. The new attendance boundaries will go into effect with the start of the 2020-2021 school year but may be phased in over several years.

Board of Education Public Hearings

Click here to access videos of the Board of Education Public Hearings.

Community Engagement

Throughout the entire project, FCPS will engage the school communities in meaningful activities that invite the parents, staff and community to fully participate in the redistricting process. There will be many opportunities for the community to provide input at key points throughout the study. In addition, at every stage of the redistricting study, staff will provide detailed information and regular updates via public meetings, a project web page, social media and FindOutFirst email. FCPS is committed to giving the stakeholders a voice in the redistricting process.

Regarding Email: FCPS will send all parents in the above-listed schools, whose email addresses are uploaded to FindOutFirst (FOF), all district-level email messages that FCPS publishes about redistricting. [All parent email addresses the schools have on file in each child’s school-maintained eSchool record are automatically uploaded to FOF and updated nightly. Parents not getting FOF notices should make sure the school has their preferred email address on file in each of their children's eSchool records.]  In addition all staff with work locations uploaded via PeopleSoft to their Employee News accounts indicating a relationship with a school in the redistricting study area will automatically receive the same messages. The only people who need to add the FOF Boundary Changes news group subscription to their FOF accounts to get redistricting notices are community members signing up for FOF on their own and those without school-specified relationships to the schools in the study. Community members may sign up for the FOF email Boundary Changes news group at www.fcps.org/fof. Subscribers without relationships to schools in the study may log in to select the FOF Boundary Changes news group.

See additional information about specific meetings and resources on the Linganore-Oakdale-Urbana Area Redistricting Study Meeting Information page.

Sign language or English language interpreting can be provided by contacting Karen King at least 10 business days in advance of each meeting at 301-644-5025 or at LOURedistrict@fcps.org.

SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION

The Superintendent’s recommendation for the Linganore-Oakdale-Urbana (LOU) Redistricting Study, including an implementation plan, will be presented to the Board of Education at their September 11th public meeting. The recommendation and staff report will be available on Board Docs after September 6th. See below for a link to Board Docs. Maps showing the Superintendent’s recommendation for attendance boundary changes will also be posted in all schools within the study area.  

BOE Public hearings to receive comments on the Superintendent’s recommendations will be held on Tuesday, September 17 (Urbana HS), Thursday, September 19 (Linganore HS) and Tuesday, September 24 (Oakdale HS). All public hearings are 7-9 PM, with sign-up to speak beginning at 6:30 PM. The Board of Education is scheduled to discuss the recommendation and public comments at their September 25th Board meeting. 

Resources

January 9, 2019 Press Release

FCPS Communications Plan
Background Report

2018-19 Elementary School Map
2018-19 Middle School Map
2018-19 High School Map

LOU Redistricting Study FAQ

Links