We, the undersigned parents, guardians, students, and community members, urge MCPS and the Board of Education to ensure that Farmland Elementary School remains within the Tilden Middle School, and Walter Johnson or Woodward High School cluster.

What We Ask:
We respectfully call on MCPS, the Board of Education, and the County Council to:

1. Keep all six WJ elementary schools (Ashburton, Wyngate, Kensington Parkwood, Garrett Park, Luxmanor and Farmland) in the Walter Johnson or Woodward High School boundaries–as promised in 2016 and reiterated at the June 24, 2025 MCPS BOE meeting. 
2. Reject Option 3 and any future options that send Farmland Elementary, Tilden Middle School, and other students across the county to distant schools that compromise student health, safety, and access. Tilden Middle School (1.1 miles) and Woodward High School (1.8 miles) are both walkable + accessible from Farmland, and consistent with MCPS values. Walter Johnson High School follows close behind at 3.1 miles. See extensive justification here. 
3. Mirror Woodward High School local programming to that of Walter Johnson High School, including academic (e.g. the APEX program), extracurriculars, and athletics.
4. Minimize and/or eliminate split articulation, which fractures community support for students and families. Students and families should be able to build and sustain long-term, meaningful relationships throughout their K-12 journey. 
5. Provide transparency and data with regards to traffic impact, programming parity, and capacity planning prior to releasing the next round of boundary maps in September. Specifically: 
   1. MCPS to recalculate predicted utilization rates based on new and future approved housing developments, ensuring thatWoodward HS is not over capacity on its first day of opening.  
   2. MCPS to provide detail on the impact of all future local, regional, and county level programming at all middle and high schools prior to September, and the effect on utilization percentages.
   3. MCPS to conduct a transportation analysis, including cost, and clearly communicate its findings. Long commutes for middle and high school students are detrimental to mental + physical health, burdensome for families, will add more strain on already clogged roads and main arteries, and are unnecessary with schools in closer proximity and a MCPS budget that is not fully funded.  

In Conclusion:

Farmland students belong in the Woodward or Walter Johnson clusters where they currently live and learn. We have one of the largest and most diverse elementary schools in the county with over 850 students and 40+ languages spoken.

Let’s prioritize what’s best for all students: proximity, wellness, stability, and strong school communities.