CALL FOR ACTION: Please sign this petition to let MCPS, the Board of Education and County Council know that the Damascus High School rebuild can no longer be delayed. OUR HORNETS NEED A NEW HIVE - NOW!

MCPS Superintendent Dr. Taylor has recommended DHS for a replacement school to be completed by 2031. This is excellent news, but we have been here before. For years, our community has patiently waited and advocated for a new Damascus High School. We’ve been told “just a few more years” again and again, but the goalpost keeps moving. IT'S TIME TO GET LOUD! This isn’t just about the look of the building – it’s about the basics: safety, health, and giving our kids the same opportunities as other students in the county.

Damascus High School was built in 1950. Right now, Damascus High School is more than 75 years old. As expected from any building of this age, there are leaking pipes, outdated Fire Safety Systems that frequently malfunction causing false alarms and unnecessary evacuations, narrow stairwells and low ceilings, and just this year, the county officially documented mold inside the school’s walls and classrooms. And this is not even an all-inclusive list of all the issues our Hornets are dealing with year in and year out. No student should be distracted by these issues in school and no family should have to worry about sending their child into an environment that could hurt their health, day in and day out.

Every year of delay means another class of students walks through those doors facing risks that simply shouldn’t exist in 2025!

NOW is the time for Damascus High School to be rebuilt. Not only do our students deserve a new building, but Damascus High School is projected to have a significant enrollment increase after the new rezoning takes effect for the 2027–2028 school year. Damascus High School could see an increase of up to 700 students, raising enrollment to 2,500 students.

The rebuild must be prioritized before the school boundaries are expanded. WE MUST REBUILD NOW!

FOR OUR CLARKSBURG FAMILIES & NEIGHBORS, the Montgomery County Boundary Study and Recommendation to replace and expand Damascus High School, which includes rezoning certain Clarksburg cluster areas to Damascus High School, offers several key benefits for Clarksburg residents who may attend Damascus High School, or stay attending Clarksburg High School.

Capacity Relief and Overcrowding Solutions
• The expansion and rebuild of Damascus High School will alleviate severe overcrowding at Clarksburg High School, a major ongoing issue.
• The proposed attendance boundaries are designed so that both Clarksburg and Damascus remain within optimal utilization rates (typically 80–100% capacity), preventing both schools from being significantly over- or under-enrolled.
• This shift creates more manageable class sizes and improves overall instructional quality and student experience.
 
Access to Modernized Facilities
• Students rezoned from Clarksburg to Damascus will attend a newly rebuilt high school, benefiting from improved facilities, technology, and learning environments that meet current educational standards.
• Modern buildings provide safer, healthier spaces and can include upgraded athletic, arts, and extracurricular amenities.
 
Enhanced Educational Opportunities
• Rebuilding and expanding Damascus High School helps create more equitable access to resources and a broader peer community for Clarksburg students.
• A rebuilt Damascus High can introduce new or expanded academic, arts, and career-oriented programs, providing Clarksburg-area students with new educational options unavailable in overcrowded schools.
• Investments in school infrastructure often coincide with increased attention to course variety, extracurriculars, and support services, benefiting rezoned students.
 
By supporting the Damascus rebuild, Clarksburg families can help solve overcrowding, improve educational environments for all, and foster a more equitable, connected school system. These are tangible, long-term benefits for both current and future students.

It’s time for action, not more waiting.  Our students have waited long enough. Let’s finally give Damascus the safe, healthy, and modern high school our kids and community deserve. The time to rebuild is now.

CALL FOR ACTION: Please sign this petition to let MCPS, Board of Education and County Council know that the Damascus High School rebuild can no longer be delayed. OUR HORNETS NEED A NEW HIVE - NOW!