Construction on athletic fields and an auditorium shell for Charles W. Woodward High School in Rockville is set to begin after the Montgomery County Board of Education approved Thursday a $35.2 million construction contract expansion for phase two of the school’s reopening.
The approved contract change is another step toward completing a project that’s been delayed due to budget shortfalls, supply chain issues, and increases in material costs. In March, the school board voted to delay the construction of auditoriums for both Woodward and the new Crown High School under construction in Gaithersburg, citing budgetary and pandemic-related issues.
The new Woodward building at 11211 Old Georgetown Road is set to accommodate 2,160 students. It will include four stories, an interior courtyard, athletic fields, a track with a stadium and an auditorium. The district decided to rebuild and reopen the school due to overcrowding at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda and Downcounty Consortium high schools.
The project began in August 2021 and will cost the district more than $180 million. Seth Adams, deputy chief of the Department of Facilities Management for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), told the board the $35.2 million contract expansion will complete everything on the school site, excluding the auditorium. In March, he said the auditorium, when completed, will be a “high-dollar space” with new technology, estimated to cost $22.5 million.
Woodward is set to hold students from Northwood High School in Silver Spring in the fall while their own school is being rebuilt. Construction delays at Woodward have stirred up concern and protest from Northwood students and families.
While Woodward is scheduled to serve as Northwood’s holding school until August 2027, the school’s official reopening is scheduled for September 2027.
Board Vice President Lynne Harris explained the contract was another change order to allocate funding to finish plans for the high school.
According to the Woodward reopening web page, phase one of the project has been in the works and includes “all spaces necessary” for high school students to graduate. Phase two includes building a second gym, auditorium and “athletic site amenities.” The second phase will be completed while Northwood students attend Woodward.
Adams, who is leaving MCPS at the end of July, said change orders have been used recently to start on elements of phase two that also were required for Northwood, including tennis courts and exterior improvements. Thursday’s change order expands the school district’s contract with the Hess Construction Co. based in Rockville.
Adams said the approved contract would allow work to start on outdoor athletic fields, a stadium, an auxiliary gym and the auditorium’s shell. The auditorium won’t be usable for Northwood students, but the completed shell will have the exterior, roof and the “envelope,” the barrier separating a building’s interior and exterior, Adams said.
“This is really good news for this project because we were able to, at least in this change order, construct the shell of that auditorium to keep basically the schedule on track,” Adams told the board.
He said the facilities management division would push for completing some athletic amenities so Northwood students can utilize those spaces. While the current field plans include some artificial turf, the district is waiting on reports that analyze the environmental impact of artificial turf to make a determination if those plans will change, Adams said
Community meetings are held monthly over Zoom to get feedback on the Woodward project. The next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday. The full schedule can be found on the Woodward project website.
