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REPLACEMENT FACILITY

NORTHWOOD HIGH SCHOOL

Northwood High School

919 University Boulevard, West
Silver Spring, Maryland 20901

Northwood High School was originally built in 1956, with additions completed in 1958, 1964, and 1974. The school was closed in 1985, and the building was reopened in 1989 as a holding facility. Due to the increasing student enrollment in the Downcounty Consortium, Northwood High School was reopened in 2004.

As part of the recommended FY 2025–2030 Capital Improvements Program (CIP), the completion date for the Northwood High School project is delayed one year due to an extension of the construction timeline. As a result of Northwood High School remaining at Charles W. Woodward High School, its holding facility, for one additional year, the recommended completion date for the reopening of Charles W. Woodward High School is August 2027. A recommendation to adjust the timeline of the approved boundary study to align with the opening of Charles W. Woodward High School will be presented as part of the Board of Education’s work sessions on the FY 2025-2030 CIP.

 



Community Meetings and Presentations

Cluster:   Downcounty Consortium
Completion Date:   August 2027
Site Size:   29.3 acres
Building Size:   402,787 square feet
Building Levels:    
Parking Spaces:    
Cost:   $123,923,000
Student Capacity:   2,700
Enrollment Projections:   2023-2024: 1,744
2024-2025: 1,791
2025-2026: 1,753
Architect:   Samaha Associates, PC
Contractor:   To be determined
Project Manager:   Rob Badstibner, 240-740-7737

 

Northwood Project Schedule
  • Spring 2019: Design commencement
  • Fall 2023: Northwood students and staff relocate to holding facility
  • Fall 2024: Construction begins at Northwood HS
  • Fall 2027: Northwood students and staff move-in to new facility
Common Questions from the Community
  • How will the holding facility accommodate current program requirements?
  • How will MCPS and public transportation support the needs of students and families?
  • What services will relocate to the holding facility, and what services will relocate to a different facility near Northwood HS (i.e. the Wellness Center, Saturday School)?
  • When will logistics be determined for after-school events? Requested information includes location, transportation, and schedule for athletic games and practices, plays/performances, after-school academics, and school club meetings.
Holding Facility Information
  • Once constructed, the Woodward High School building will serve initially as the holding facility for Northwood High School.
  • The building will be constructed in phases, and the first phase does not include an auditorium or stadium field.
  • The phase 2 work will be constructed while Northwood High School is housed at the school to allow for the reopening of Woodward High School for the start of the 2027-2028 school year.
  • This project is expected to break-ground during the Winter of 2021.
Next Steps
  • Continue community discussions for feedback related to the Northwood High School Replacement Project.
  • Schedule community and staff meetings to review specific holding facility concerns and reviews ways to develop operations plans that will minimize impacts on the school community.
  • Schedule community and staff meetings to review transportation challenges during the two-year holding facility period.
  • Develop a communications plan to engage elementary and middle school families that may be impacted by this project.

Project Objectives

Design Facts

  • Options that range from complete demolition of existing Northwood to concepts that may preserve some existing spaces have been explored.
  • Initial concept development results show complete demolition of the existing building as the preferred and fiscally prudent option.
  • Previous infrastructure investments in utilities and stormwater management will be preserved to the maximum extent practicable.