New MCPS Annual School Test to take Effect on July 1, 2019
On May 23rd, the County Council adopted the FY 2020 capital budget and amendments to the FY19-24 Capital Improvements Program (CIP). Consequently, any funding in connection with the Annual School Test, a primary tool of the County’s Subdivision Staging Policy (SSP) that evaluates school utilization levels based on enrollment projections, has been finalized.
The Planning Board is expected to certify the FY20 School Test on June 20th, which will take effect on July 1, 2019. Based on projected capacity totals, the Montgomery Blair, Albert Einstein, and Walter Johnson HS clusters will enter a residential development moratorium. Thus, beginning July 1st, development applications proposing residential projects within those areas will generally be unable to obtain subdivision approval. Despite having inadequate utilization levels, Clarksburg, Richard Montgomery, Northwest, Northwood, and Quince Orchard will remain open conditionally due to planned projects in other clusters, and/or future school reassignments.
A moratorium typically lasts at least one year. There are some very narrow exceptions, but other solutions are currently being considered.