SHS_Warrior

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County Fights Homelessness
Among Political Tension
by Matthew Leighton-Jones ‘25
On December 3, The Montgomery County Council unanimously
voted to add roughly $3.6 million to the funds for
homelessness services. This is intended to alleviate issues that
came with homelessness service funds that were cut in May.
The county has been using motels as shelters because of major
increases in the homeless population. Nearly half of the total
will be going to short term housing and a resolution program.
The extra funding comes at a time when the issue of homelessness
has become more prevalent across the country. The
Supreme Court ruled last year that cities have the right to arrest
and fine homeless people who are camping outside on public
property. It’s common to see tents on the sidewalk on the West
Coast, but the cities couldn’t legally tear down the encampments
and arrest those living in them.
President Donald Trump has stated his plan to help combat
homelessness as a shift from trying to house to sending them to
mental or drug treatment institutions to address mental illness
and/or drug addiction. Trump has made it clear that he focusing
on the dangers he says homeless people present to city residents
and visitors. Trump’s policy closely resembles that of Republican
president Richard Nixon in the 1970s.
MCPS Conducts Boundary Study
by Cliff Vacin ‘25
With the start of the construction of Crown High School,
the reopening of Woodward High School, and the expansion
of Damascus High School, MCPS initiated a boundary study
to examine how students in neighborhoods and areas will be
assigned to school clusters. New boundaries will take effect
in 2027 and are expected to affect several MCPS schools. All
schools will be opened in Fall 2027.
Other schools may be affected, such as future Sherwood
students living near the high schools in the further parts of
Brookeville and Olney, as MCPS stated that a domino impact
will occur. The Board of Education prioritizes 4 topics--diversity,
proximity, stability, and fiscal responsibility–in setting
school boundaries. However, there already has been some controversy
about the lack of transparency in selecting the company
FLO Analytics to lead the study.
Crown High School has been in the works since 2021; at
about 31.7 acres in size, its student capacity will be 2,219. The
expansion of Damascus was due to an overpopulation at nearby
schools, most notably Clarksburg. Woodward High School
closed in 1987, with students from its area going to Walter
Johnson. The building was demolished, and MCPS started rebuilding
Woodward High School.
MCPS Issues Guidance Letter
Regarding Immigration
by Jack Engelhardt ‘25
The Department of Homeland Security under the Trump
Administration is planning on putting an end to a policy that
restricted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers’
ability to detain or arrest suspected undocumented people
near or at places of sensitivity which include schools, places of
worship, and hospitals. Concerns have been raised around the
country about what that means for undocumented children and
adolescents attending public schools.
MCPS is among school districts nationwide that have taken
efforts to provide a welcoming community regardless of immigration
status. MCPS recently posted a ‘Student and Family
Immigration Supports’ document on its website providing
guidance into what happens if ICE officers come to a school,
the handling of immigration information, and how families can
create an emergency plan. MCPS also included a ‘Rights card’
provided by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center that goes
over constitutional rights and the answers to give ICE officers.
MCPS also issued an ‘Immigration Response Protocol’
document giving step by step guidance for school staff to follow
if ICE officers were to ever enter a school. The underlying
principles MCPS wishes all staff to keep in mind are the wellbeing
of students, compliance with the law, and clear communication.
To support MCPS’s main goal of inclusion for students
no matter their immigration status, they have included a DO’s
and DON’Ts page instructing teachers and administrations how
to interact both with students at their school and with law or
immigration enforcement officers.
The Warrior • News
February 20, 2025
Sherwood Risks Losing Agriculture Program
by Fiona Lipczenko ‘25
Since 2021, Sherwood has
been the only MCPS high school
besides Northwood to offer the
Curriculum for Agricultural Science
Education (CASE) program.
Due to recent county budget cuts,
the program is in jeopardy at
Sherwood.
After the Board of Education
removed CASE from next year’s
proposed budget, it was eliminated
from Sherwood’s 2025-2026
course offering. “I have been told
that enrollment is not high enough
to keep the program,” said CASE
teacher Glenn Miller. “However,
we have grown over 300 percent
in the past year and if MCPS believes
as I do that this is important
learning, the system will invest in
helping the program grow even
more.”
Current enrollment is low
because CASE does not count towards
a graduation requirement,
so students struggle to fit it into
their schedules. Additionally,
transportation is not provided
for out-of-cluster families. The
Board of Education has opted to
cut the program rather than increase
its accessibility.
CASE is a four-year program
that introduces students
to agricultural research and lays
the foundation for related career
paths. Classes are held in the
greenhouse behind Sherwood’s
main building. “In CASE, students
learn critical skills in agriculture,
science, technology, and
problem solving. In some cases,
more than any other class,” said
Miller.
Students in CASE explore a
variety of engaging learning experiences
to develop their understanding
of agriculture, including
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
field trips, labs studying erosion
effects, and practice working
MCPS Enhances Equity with Add-On to Budget
by Laurika Pich ‘27
In December, MCPS Superintendent
Thomas Taylor proposed
a fiscal year 2026 operating
budget of $3.61 billion, a nearly
9-percent increase from the previous
year. The spending plan aims
to stabilize the school system and
focuses more attention on the
needs for student learning and
school support that will provide
long-term improvements.
Within the budget, Taylor
has introduced an add-on to the
funding formula for school materials
to enhance equity. The $5.75
million program would help to
support certain populations of
students to have a better experience
and environment for their
education by adding to the funding
for school materials.
“In many cases, some students
come to school without the
materials and supplies that they
need to be successful. I would
like to correct that by providing
funds that would offset that
need,” said Taylor. The additional
funding aims to ensure that
all students equitably have the
necessities needed for their academics
by helping bridge the
with plants in the greenhouse.
“The hands-on aspect of CASE
is so important and we do more
labs than any other class at Sherwood,”
said Miller. “That experiential
learning is so fun for students.”
Many community members
believe CASE is a vital program.
“We are focused on the natural
resources that we all want to sustain,”
said Miller. According to
the CASE website, agricultural
learning is essential for nationwide
economic growth, as well as
students’ personal growth and development
of critical skills. Agricultural
education is especially
important in the context of farmer
shortages, Maryland importing
food, and the push for environmental
sustainability.
CASE is also an opportunity
for out-of-cluster students
to experience Sherwood. Many
such students were alarmed when
CASE’s removal was announced.
“It makes me sad because CASE
is the only reason why I’m able
to make it to Sherwood High
School,” said freshman Maddy
Carretero. “I’m sure many other
students like me from different
schools would want to experience
need for specific students who are
Emergent Multilingual Learners
(EML), those qualified for Free
and Reduced Meals (FARMS),
and especially those identified as
special education.
Taylor also takes into consideration
that school characteristics
are different, that some school
communities do not provide as
many resources as other schools
because of economic disparities
among school communities.
Taylor is advocating that MCPS
acknowledge inequities in the
amount of funding directed to
schools.
“Currently, funds are distributed
to schools based on a set
amount. Like $105 per student,
regardless of any other factors.”
said Taylor. “I am proposing that
Cliff Vacin ‘25
Glen Miller teaches in the greenhouse, which hosts the CASE program.
the CASE program, but when
CASE goes down for Sherwood,
other students won’t experience
how the CASE program can inspire
others,” Fortunately, Sherwood
administration ensured
that CASE students from other
clusters are permitted to stay for
the remainder of their four years.
However, Carretero added that he
has a younger sister who wants to
go to Sherwood High School, but
now will not be able to do that if
CASE is eliminated.
This is not the first time
Sherwood has been in danger of
losing one of its unique programs
and community members are
voicing their dissent. Students,
parents, and staff alike have been
spreading the message to save
CASE. “Everyone should write
to the Board of Education and
central office administrators, and
emphasize the important learning
that this program brings to
Sherwood,” said Miller. “CASE
is more than just a program—it’s
an opportunity for students to explore
their passions, gain practical
skills, and prepare for bright
futures. Let’s come together to
ensure it remains a part of our
legacy for years to come.”
Google Images
Superintendent Thomas Taylor addresses the 2026 Operating Budget.
we change that to take into consideration
things like disabilities,
English proficiency, and FARMS
rate by adding more money to the
school account based on those
factors.” The proposed funding
formula also considers other factors
in determining allocations to
schools such as tutoring resources,
school supplies, prom tickets,
and more.
Under the equity add on,
Sherwood would gain an allocation
of $31,778. Springbrook,
which has a similar number of
students to Sherwood, would receive
$77,257. Whitman in highly
affluent Bethesda would receive
an add-on of $19,655 even
though it has nearly 1,000 more
students than both Sherwood and
Springbrook.