The recently proposed Crown Boundary Study options have caused significant concerns within the Bells Mill Elementary School community and the Churchill cluster of Potomac, Maryland. The proposals that divide students from Bells Mill Elementary into multiple middle school assignments would create unnecessary transportation and safety challenges, fragment neighborhoods, and disrupt long-standing friendships. These changes undermine the strong sense of community that defines our school and remove the safe, walkable routes many Bells Mill families rely on today.

Our community's top priority is to keep the Churchill cluster intact and safe. One of the primary issues with proposals that split our community is student safety—particularly for those who currently walk to school. Splitting the district increases the distance some children will have to walk or be driven, exposing them to more busy roads and intersections. For Bells Mill specifically, students would have to cross Tuckerman Lane at a crosswalk with no crossing guard, right next to a high school with inexperienced and distracted teenage drivers, or else walk up Tuckerman Lane along a shoulder with no sidewalk to reach the crossing guard. This proposal directly undermines one of our community's most important values: the safety of our children.

Another issue with this proposed change is the impact on traffic congestion. Potomac is a community already challenged by heavy traffic, especially during school opening and dismissal times. Adding more bus routes to accommodate the newly divided zones within the Churchill cluster will only exacerbate these issues. Increased traffic not only leads to longer commute times for everyone involved but also raises the risk of accidents on our roads. With the recent pedestrian and bike fatalities around schools in Montgomery County, adding buses and cars to the roads when many Bells Mill students can walk to Cabin John, creates significant safety concerns.

Additionally, this division fragments our close-knit community, separating lifelong friends and creating an unnecessary divide among our children. Bells Mill's strong community spirit has been forged through shared experiences and interactions within our schools. This new articulation plan threatens that cohesion, causing needless disruption and emotional stress for students suddenly separated from familiar peers.

Maintaining the current Churchill cluster alignment for all families within the Churchill cluster supports student safety, social-emotional well-being, and consistent transitions from elementary through high school. It ensures that students remain connected to their peers and that communities continue to grow together.

We also support Superintendent Dr. Taylor's proposal to use the new Crown High School building as a holding school during the much-needed renovations of Wootton, Magruder, and Damascus High Schools. This solution benefits the larger MCPS community by addressing facility needs, without unnecessary boundary disruptions.

We urge MCPS and the Board of Education to prioritize safety, community continuity, and thoughtful long-term planning that keeps the Churchill cluster strong and united. Let's make sure any boundary decisions reflect our shared priorities: safety, unity, and the well-being of our children. Join us in urging the school district to re-evaluate this decision. Sign this petition to keep the Bells Mill community united and our children safer!

To support the Bells Mill community, we encourage you to:

– Fill out the MCPS Community Survey choosing Options C and D which keep all Bells Mill students at Cabin John. Furthermore, we encourage you to write in the notes/comments field to simply not split the Bells Mill community at all. Sample language can be found here.

– Inform your friends, neighbors, and community members about the latest Boundary Study options

– For more information, please visit our website or email us at StopTheSplitBMES@gmail.com