Who We Are
Save Wootton is a community coalition of parents, students, alumni, neighbors, elected officials, and civic organizations united to keep Wootton High School at its current location on Wootton Parkway.
We are not against the new Crown High School. We support smart planning that serves all students. But the Board’s 7-1 vote to permanently close Wootton was rushed, unstudied, and harmful — not just to Wootton, but to the broader Montgomery County community.
What We Stand For
Transparency
Major decisions deserve adequate study and public input. A 5-week comment period over the holidays is not meaningful engagement. Our community deserves a real voice.
Community
Schools are civic anchors, not just buildings. Wootton serves as a community hub — hosting scouts, elections, religious gatherings, and the Frost-Wootton collaboration that has enriched both schools for decades.
Sound Planning
This corridor is one of Montgomery County’s fastest-growing areas. Removing permanent high school capacity here is inconsistent with sound planning principles and undermines the County’s housing and growth strategy.
Fiscal Responsibility
The proposed closure is an inefficient use of limited public capital — converting Wootton into a holding facility while reducing long-term instructional capacity where it’s needed most.
Equity
Wootton is Montgomery County’s only Asian-plurality high school. Its closure — while every other high school remains intact — raises serious civil rights concerns. The Board voted 7-1 to approve this plan without adequate review or meaningful community engagement.
What Leaders Are Saying
“If the School Board moves forward with the recommendation to close Wootton High School, it will decimate an important area of the City and County. Long dormant, the Rockshire neighborhood is FINALLY slated to feature more homes and businesses. To snatch away the local school rather than renovate seems counter-intuitive and not smart community planning.”
— Sen. Cheryl C. Kagan, Maryland State Senate (District 17)
501(c)(4) Status
The Community and Education Policy Alliance (CEPA), a 501(c)(4) organization, has retained the law firm Silverman Thompson to challenge the Board’s approval of Modified Option H through all available legal avenues.