When you look around our school, you may have noticed that the number of kids in the halls has decreased, and you aren’t wrong. In the past couple of years, our school has been declining in enrollment from 1,911 students in the 2022-2023 school year to 1,875 students in the 2023-2024 school year (1.88% decline), for a variety of reasons.
A high school is made up of the programs it offers, class sizes and the environment it provides. And while there is difficulty transferring between schools, it is quite possible that students make the effort to leave or don’t even come to begin with because they know their needs won’t be met in their high school.
Programs like AOIT (Academy of Information Technology), Humanities and Arts, and Dual Enrollment allow students to explore their interests. MCPS offers programs and classes at other high schools that this school doesn’t have. Eighth graders may choose to apply to programs at other schools. “At least for the magnet programs [at other schools], they had interesting classes that I knew Wootton didn’t offer,” freshman Sabreen Thukral, who applied to magnet programs but chose not to go, and this reporter’s sister, said. “I just think the interesting classes, which was my main reason for applying to magnet programs, were more dominant than any of the stuff at Wootton.”
Schools like Poolesville, Richard Montgomery (RM), Blair, Wheaton and Watkins Mill all offer programs that may entice students to apply rather than stay at this school. Poolesville, whose enrollment has increased by 1.76%, has magnet programs in three different subjects, offering students a more in-depth learning experience for their passions, offering classes other schools in the county don’t, like organic chemistry or quantum physics.
Blair, whose enrollment has increased by roughly 1.7%, offers a magnet program for science and math (one of the three Poolesville offers). RM and Watkins Mill both offer International Baccalaureate programs, which prepare students for college classes and give them an IB diploma. While it does not have magnet programs, Wheaton offers academies in four subjects and has seen one of the largest increases in enrollment in the county, a 5.7% increase.
One drawback to these programs is that students are stuck taking classes that fit their program rather than any classes that interest them. Freshman Siddy Bhasin, who began his freshman year at Poolesville in their Global Ecology program, transferred back to this school. “I love that Wootton has many components that fit my needs, like the better athletics, better band, and it was my home school so I could take whichever classes I wanted,” Bhasin said.
Another factor that may sway a student’s decision to stay at a school is class sizes. In recent years, switching classes, teachers or periods has become increasingly difficult. While a lot of that has to do with policy changes regarding class changes, another part of that is the lack of space in classes.
Throughout the county, the average class size for English and other classes is 23.6 students. Our average class size is around four students higher for English and three for other classes, according to data on the MCPS website. And while that increase may not seem huge, it can make a difference for students who have trouble learning in larger classes. A majority of the schools in the county with class sizes larger than the average have seen a decline in enrollment between the 2023-2024 and 2022-2023 school year.
Another big part of school is the environment. This school is known for its high academic standards, and, while teachers may say that grades aren’t important, students follow the academic standards that they do ( i.e. getting all A’s and taking difficult classes). While that is not a bad thing, because it pushes students to work hard, it can be overwhelming for new students, especially with the big change from middle to high school.
Another possible factor is the split between middle schools. Cabin John Middle School splits between this school and Churchill, and students may be separated from their friends, having to face high school without their closest peers. Going through high school without close friends isn’t worth it, and students may choose to transfer.
This downward trend in population isn’t specific to this school. Other schools in the area, like Churchill and Quince Orchard, have also seen a decline in enrollment, even with factors that vary in comparison to this school, which leaves the reason for this population decline unclear.
All data referenced can be found on Montgomery County’s school profiles website: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/school-profiles/
