Five Student Government Association (SGA) representatives — juniors Manasa Iyer, Zikora Okeke, seniors Jilli Nalibotsky and co-presidents Charlie Rollins and Ryan Shin — were rejected from testifying about the school’s infrastructure issues at the Oct. 28 Board of Education public hearing.
The announcement of the rejection came from an Oct. 27 newsletter by the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), which detailed the denial that the SGA had received in regards to the opportunity to speak at the Montgomery County Board of Education’s Capital Improvements Program (CIP) public hearing. In the newsletter, the PTSA expressed disappointment and urged families and students to attend the hearing in support. “Our Wootton SGA was denied an opportunity to testify. Even if you don’t want to speak, please come and support your school and wear Wootton gear,” the Wootton PTSA said in the newsletter.
This was the first time in at least four years that students were denied the opportunity to testify, despite following guidelines and submitting their applications early. The five members applied on Oct. 14, the same day that registration opened, and were still rejected despite the website stating that “space is limited. Please sign up as early as possible.”
The announcement came as the PTSA and students continued to push for long-awaited renovations to the school’s 54-year-old building. Over the past week, two petitions labeled “Justice For Wootton” and “Prioritize School Renovations” have circulated in the community online, together collecting over 2,250 signatures from students, parents and alumni. Both petitions highlight concerns, including mold, electrical issues, plumbing failures and accessibility barriers, calling on the county to add this school back into the CIP plan for full modernization.
The petitions bring up the county’s 2024 Facility Condition Assessment (FCA), which evaluated every public school in Montgomery County. According to the report, this school received one of the lowest Facility Condition Index (FCI) scores of any secondary school in the county, ranking below nearby schools such as Quince Orchard and Rockville. The report identified 380 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance issues and described the school’s HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems as “poor.”
In a letter addressed to the Board of Education and County Council on Oct. 26, PTSA President Brian Rabin wrote that the cutting of this school from the upcoming CIP plan was “inequitable and neglectful.” Rabin’s letter also urged county leaders to reconsider and prioritize this school for a full renovation or rebuild, emphasizing that “students and staff deserve a safe, modern learning environment.”
Testifying has always been an important way for students to share their experiences directly with county leaders. The aging building has made it difficult for students and staff to work in a comfortable environment, and the opportunity to speak publicly allows students to voice those concerns. “The age of the building makes it hard to make this a productive environment to learn. Testifying gives students a way to share what they’re experiencing day to day, and this year they weren’t even given that opportunity,” co-SGA Sponsor and alumnus Keith Schwartz said.
Students in the SGA were frustrated by the rejection, especially after years of advocating for better conditions through testimonies and letters. “We’ve been testifying for years because Wootton’s condition has been ignored for so long. They know we have a lot to say, and being denied the chance to speak feels like being silenced,” SGA historian junior Gabi Estrada said.
SGA representatives junior Peace Tiam and senior Urielle Ngako are now working with Rollins and Shin to prepare a written testimony in place of the verbal one they would have given. The public hearing will still take place tonight at 6 p.m., and around 30 SGA members, along with members of the PTSA, have vowed to show up in support. The impact of their attendance, however, remains to be seen.
