Anxious and frustrated parents packed Burleigh Manor Middle School’s library April 24 for an information session about the looming redistricting plans for certain schools in the Columbia and Ellicott City area for the 2026-2027 school year.

“Don’t redistrict us. We love it here,” people from the crowd said as others chimed in.

In one of three spring information sessions Thursday, Howard County Public School System staff offered a brief presentation about the scope and timeline of the redistricting process, while the public lobbed questions at them. The process, still in the early stages, has parents worried as rumors of shifts spread, some said.

“Hopefully we’re worrying for nothing, but I know that this is the same worries that everybody … like someone has to lose, which sucks. Not everybody can be happy, which is heartbreaking, too,” said Beth Gluck, an Ellicott City resident whose daughter will be at Centennial High when redistricting is implemented.

In February, the Howard County Board of Education voted to begin the boundary review process for Bryant Woods, Centennial Lane, Running Brook, Swansfield and Clemens Crossing elementary schools; Wilde Lake, Harper’s Choice, and Burleigh Manor middle schools; and Wilde Lake and Centennial high schools.

Longfellow Elementary School was mistakenly left off the list, so the board voted again in April to correct the error, adding the school to the list. The school system is in the process of hiring a consultant to assist with the boundary review process, which is estimated to cost about $150,000, Tim Rogers, manager of school planning, said.

At the center of the redistricting process is Centennial Lane Elementary School, which is projected to reach 118% capacity utilization by 2034, and Bryant Woods Elementary School, which is expected to reach 148% capacity utilization in the same time period, Rogers said. Neighboring schools, such as Swansfield and Clemens Crossing elementary schools are projected to be below 90% capacity utilization, while Running Brook is expected to reach 96% capacity utilization.

When there is enrollment growth, often it is because of housing developments, Rogers said. The development of the Columbia Town Center has contributed to Bryant Woods’ steady growth, he said.

Apartments are still to be built in Western Columbia with the development of the Merriweather and Crescent districts, Rogers said, while other areas of the county have been fully built out with no new development proposed. The county is also experiencing declining birth rates and aging residents who remain in their homes, he said.

Ellicott City resident Patti Taylor shared frustrations with developers building new homes and working to send children in the area to schools where too many students are being added.

“It would be nice if they could say no to developers and yes to the students for once,” Taylor said.

Taylor wants students to be able to stay in a steady environment with the community and friendships they’ve built following all the instability of virtual school during the COVID-19 pandemic. She’s worried that one of her children will be able to stay at Centennial High as a junior in the 2026-2027 school year and her freshman might be shifted, causing her to miss their games as they play the same sport which has games on the same nights.

The focus of the boundary review is not to redistrict students out of the high school and middle school level, Daniel Lubeley, executive director of capital planning and construction, said during the information session. The middle schools and high schools are included to maintain the number of students fed to the schools from the elementary level.

Under HCPSS policy regarding redistricting, rising seniors are not affected by attendance area adjustments unless an attendance area adjustment review is prompted under a certain section of the policy. The board may also consider rising fifth, eighth and eleventh grade students for exemption, as well as students who have been reassigned in the last five years. Students with one active military parent, an Individualized Education Plan or a Section 504 plan can also be considered for exemption.

While the process is in the early stages, parents raised concerns about their children being moved to different schools and about the potential for decreased property values if their home is no longer in a district with highly rated schools such as four-star Centennial High or five-star Centennial Lane Elementary.

One audience member offered “kudos” to the county for its commitment to education that has led to a strong reputation for HCPSS. However, he noted that not all schools have the same quality of education, causing people to move the area. He asked how the county can address inequality in schools.

The first consideration for many people when moving to the county is finding a home in the district of schools with the best ratings, Michael Goldstein said. But redistricting “breaks all your plans,” he said.

Goldstein moved to Ellicott City three years ago and has a daughter who is in kindergarten at Centennial Lane Elementary.

“I’m afraid of telling her she might have to move. It’s also difficult for me, but like, you know, thinking of how much she might suffer because of this is just awful,” Goldstein said.

Goldstein said he plans to unite with other parents to pressure the board to “not make this wrong decision.”

Many parents raised concerns about the frequency of redistricting in Howard County, with boundary reviews conducted for the 2020-2021 and 2023-2024 school years with the opening of Guilford Park High School. There is potential for another redistricting process soon with the completion of projects that add capacity at Dunloggin and Oakland Mills middle schools, which are expected to be complete in the 2029-2030 timeframe, Rogers said.

For Tolu Fapohunda, whose children might not be as directly affected by the current boundary review as they are districted to attend Northfield Elementary, Dunloggin Middle and Centennial High, he said he is thinking about what might happen in 10 years.

“So that’s my concern,” Fapohunda said. “It’s we went through this process three years ago, you have your projections and estimates, right? Why is this happening again three years down the line?”

As the meeting closed, Lubeley encouraged families to remain engaged throughout the process.

There is another information session April 28 and an online survey open for feedback. A boundary review report is expected in June, with opportunities for feedback through July.

In September, Superintendent Bill Barnes is slated to present a proposed attendance area adjustment plan, and the board of education will hold public hearings and work sessions before a plan is approved in November.

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