Starting in February, Anne Arundel County Public Schools will begin the next phase of rearranging the boundaries that determine which schools children attend.

That two-phase process, known as redistricting, affects more than 85,000 students and 126 schools. Enrollment in public schools is steadily increasing,

The first phase dealt with the northern half of the county. Approximately 6,400 students were “rezoned” and two new schools — Severn Run High and Two Rivers Elementary — were opened. The new map took effect in August and rerouted seniors were allowed to choose whether they finished at their original school or not.

Of the schools in the first phase, 15 now operate at between 90% and 100% of capacity; no schools have reached 100% capacity or greater. Without the redistricting plan, the northern part of the county would have had 27 schools reaching state-rated capacity within the next 10 years.

“It is my expectation that the systemic approach and precedent we set in phase one will be carried forward into phase two, and that once again, everyone, no matter whether they agree with a final decision or not, will feel as if they had an opportunity to have a voice,” said Superintendent Mark Bedell during his budget address to the Board of Education Dec. 18.

An online tool, used to explore the existing boundaries, will be released in February, followed by the superintendent’s recommendation to the board in July. The board will select an option in August, review public comment, and hold the final vote in November. According to the plan, there will be new maps when school starts in 2026.

Schools in Annapolis, Arundel, Broadneck, Crofton, Severna Park, South River and Southern High clusters will be part of this phase of redistricting.

Countywide, enrollment is projected to grow, and the district must adjust accordingly. Construction projects to expand capacity are rarely an option because the school district must demonstrate to the state that all redistricting options have been exhausted before funding can be secured to renovate or rebuild a school.

Crofton High School was opened in 2020 and is already over capacity, as are nearby Crofton Middle and Crofton Woods Elementary. The current Severna Park High School was built in 2017. No schools in the Severna Park cluster are above capacity. Broadneck High School was built in 1982 to alleviate overcrowding at Severna Park. It’s at 90.4% capacity, but some schools in the cluster are above capacity, including Belvedere Elementary.

Annapolis High is at 97.5% capacity. One of the first public high schools in the state, its current building opened in 1979. The Arundel High School building was finished in 1949 and is below capacity, but multiple schools within the cluster are above capacity, including Arundel Middle, Four Seasons Elementary and Odenton Elementary.

Enrollment numbers are not the only factor considered during redistricting. Rerouting students from schools they’ve long expected to attend is a disruption.

“There is no more emotional undertaking than one in which a student is asked to change schools,” said Bedell.

Even if a school exceeds capacity, other high schools may not make geographic sense. For example, the Annapolis High cluster is largely isolated from the rest of the county by water. Additionally, residents may object to dividing the student population because it divides the overall community

“I hope that the school system will look at the benefits of having a high school that serves that small urban community, and rather than redistrict and splinter parts of our community into other schools, look at what resources or alternative options can be used to keep our community together,” said Jessica Pachler, a mother of four whose children have attended school in the Annapolis cluster for the past 13 years.

The conversation around redistricting often overlaps with discussions of race. Throughout Maryland’s history, wealthy residents have influenced district lines to their liking, resulting in de facto segregation.

Keanuu Smith-Brown is a fourth-grade teacher at Rolling Knolls Elementary, a community school in the Annapolis cluster, who is running for a seat on the City Council. Born and raised in Annapolis, Smith-Brown said community schools are a game changer for many of his students. As redistricting moves forward, Smith-Brown said there is a need to recognize underserved students.

“Historically, the county has been very fond of segregationist practices, and these families who can speak up and attend meetings say, ‘I don’t want my child going there.’ Why is that? Well, that means you’re recognizing the lack of support, resources and wraparound services that could help that school,” said Smith-Brown.

The two-year redistricting process launches in February. Residents can review their school’s capacity numbers and the district’s facilities plan on the redistrict page of the district’s website, which will be updated throughout phase two.

Have a news tip? Contact Bridget Byrne at bbyrne@baltsun.com, 443-690-7205 and x.com/brdgtbyrn.