Boundary Review Process Begins with 2019 Feasibility Study Presentation

June 13th, 2019

The 2019 Feasibility Study was presented to the Board of Education on June 13, marking the beginning of a boundary review process that will conclude with the Board’s final decisions on November 21 for implementation in the 2020-2021 school year.

The Feasibility Study is a comprehensive look at the 10-year student enrollment projections for Howard County schools and presents possible options based on data and available capacity for boundary adjustments. The study is generated using the most currently available data, including population growth based on students yielded from sales of existing and projected new housing, and FARMs program participation.

According to this year’s study, continued growth across the county is expected at all levels over the next 10 years. Next year, 37 schools are projected to be outside the 90-110 percent utilization target defined by Board of Education policy, and according to this year’s study, continued growth is expected.

Also at the Board of Education meeting, Cooperative Strategies, LLC, a school planning and demographic firm, presented their findings related to an evaluation conducted of the HCPSS enrollment projection methodology, confirming that the projections used to develop the Feasibility Study are within 99% accuracy countywide.

The 2019 Feasibility Study will inform the boundary review process and serve as a starting point as the Superintendent develops recommendations that he will give to the Board of Education on August 20. Feedback on the Feasibility Study to help inform the Superintendent’s recommendation and/or alternative boundary solutions can be submitted via online form, available through August 1. Community members may also participate in one of four public input sessions scheduled in July. The Board will hold several work sessions and public hearings prior to its decision on November 21.