MCPS Weighs Potential School Closures in Chevy Chase and Kensington

Montgomery County Public Schools is weighing potential school closures and consolidations as declining enrollment threatens to leave several facilities underutilized by the early 2030s.

The district's student population could drop by 7,500 students between 2025 and 2031, according to school board documents. While some areas of the county continue to grow, other neighborhoods are seeing a contraction that may necessitate a complete restructuring of how elementary and middle schools are utilized. This process is still in its earliest stages, and no specific list of target schools has been finalized.

“There is no pre-list that has been developed,” Andrea Swiatocha, the acting chief operations officer, told the school board during a Thursday afternoon meeting, according to bethesdamagazine.com.

Underutilized facilities in Chevy Chase and Kensington

Data analyzed by Montgomery Perspective suggests that the Chevy Chase and Kensington areas contain some of the most significant capacity gaps in the district. By the 2032-33 school year, Somerset Elementary School is projected to be only 51% full, while North Chevy Chase Elementary School is expected to reach just 53% utilization. To the north, Kensington-Parkwood Elementary School is projected at 64% capacity.

Montgomery County Public Schools considers closures and mergers — DC News Now

The physical state of these buildings adds another layer of complexity to the decision-making process. While Kensington-Parkwood maintains a facility condition index score that ranks it 30th out of 135 elementary schools, the other two face more aging infrastructure. Somerset ranks 74th, and North Chevy Chase sits at 63rd in the district’s condition rankings.

The relationship between local schools also presents a logistical hurdle for any potential consolidation. North Chevy Chase serves as a destination for students coming from Rosemary Hills Elementary School, a feeder school that enrolls pre-K through second grade. Because Rosemary Hills is projected to have a 78% utilization rate and Chevy Chase Elementary is projected at 87%, neither school is considered underutilized, even though Rosemary Hills faces significant maintenance needs.

According to Montgomery Perspective, Rosemary Hills requires more than $4 million in capital investment over the next five years to address issues with its roof, HVAC, electrical, and fire alarm systems. Its facility condition index score of 0.684896 ranks it 129th out of 135 elementary schools.

Elementary School	Projected 2032-33 Enrollment	Projected 2032-33 Capacity	Projected Utilization
Somerset ES	564	290	51%
North Chevy Chase ES	408	218	53%
Kensington-Parkwood ES	840	537	64%
Bethesda ES	—	—	106%

The tension between boundaries and closures

A primary question for planners is whether the district should close schools or simply redraw the lines that define them. For instance, Bethesda Elementary School, which sits adjacent to Somerset, is projected to reach a 106% utilization rate by the 2032-33 school year. notes that adjusting Somerset’s boundaries to relieve the crowding at Bethesda might prevent the need for an expensive building addition in the future.

However, any movement in these neighborhoods will likely face intense opposition. The area includes several influential municipal governments that historically fight to protect local school identities. Beyond the administrative logistics, there is a fear that if the district fails to manage underutilization effectively, families may migrate toward private school options, further exacerbating the enrollment decline.

The district must also follow strict legal and policy requirements. State law mandates that MCPS consider various factors before making changes, including student relocation, transportation, racial composition, and the impact on the community within the geographic attendance area.

“MCPS should publicly explain the criteria, data, assumptions, methodology, and weighing before those elements are finalized and used to evaluate schools. And the framework must look beyond enrollment and building utilization,” said Yetnayet Demissie, a parent representing a group advocating against the closure of SSIMS, according to bethesdamagazine.com.

The timeline for these decisions is long and involves multiple phases of public engagement. Following an initial round of sessions held in late 2026, the district is expected to present the superintendent’s recommendation on February 4, 2027. Public hearings will then run through April, with a final decision on which schools will close expected on April 15, 2027. Any approved changes to boundaries or closures would be implemented during the 2029-2030 school year.

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