For Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), 2024 was marked by investigations, resignations and new beginnings. From a superintendent ouster and continued fallout from the handling of a sexual harassment scandal to safety issues and the arrival of a new superintendent, here are the 15 biggest stories involving county public schools this year:
15. Cell-phone restriction pilot program, mandatory IDs among new MCPS safety measures
After safety became a predominant issue in the MCPS community due to several incidents over the last school year, MCPS implemented several new safety measures for this school year. This included a cell phone restriction pilot, mandatory IDs and a student expectation module.
14. MCPS teacher charged in man’s fentanyl death allegedly left school to sell drugs
A MCPS first-grade teacher arrested in August in connection to the March fentanyl-related death of a man in Washington, D.C., allegedly sold him drugs in the months leading to his death and also left her classroom to sell drugs, according to county police. Sarah Katherine Magid, 34, who taught at Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School in Silver Spring, is now facing federal charges.
13. Woodward High project still facing challenges months after Northwood High moved in
In April, Northwood High parents and students shared their frustrations and concerns with plans to move into the new Charles W. Woodward High School in Rockville and students protested the move. Students and staff moved into the building in late summer. Although in many ways the building on Old Georgetown Road is an upgrade from Northwood High’s former home in Silver Spring, unfinished projects at Woodward continue to impact the students’ high school experience.
12. Wootton High principal placed on leave after failure to report racist incident
Thomas S. Wootton High School Principal Douglas Nelson was placed on leave at the beginning of December after an outcry from students and community members over a lack of substantial change when addressing anti-Black racism at the Rockville school. Joseph Bostic, who had been serving as a principal intern at Northwood High School, is now serving as Wootton’s acting principal while Nelson is on leave.
11. MCPS parents petition U.S. Supreme Court to hear LGBTQ+ books ‘opt-out’ case
A group of parents who unsuccessfully sued MCPS for not having a policy to notify families when LGBTQ+ storybooks are used in the classroom and not allowing families to opt out asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take on the case in September.
10. Former Wootton High student indicted by grand jury on threats of mass violence charge
A Montgomery County grand jury indicted Alex Ye, a former Thomas S. Wootton High School student arrested in April for allegedly planning a school shooting, on a charge of threats of mass violence. In a December bench trial in Montgomery County Circuit Court, Ye’s lawyers argued the former student’s manifesto was fiction, and an acquaintance testified that he believed it was a real threat. Judge Jill Cummins is expected to announce a verdict Dec. 30.
MCPS management of an electric bus contract led to “millions of dollars in wasteful spending,” according to an investigation released in July by the county’s Office of the Inspector General. MCPS later recouped $1.5 million in fees from the bus contractor.
8. Retiring police chief Marcus Jones appointed as MCPS security chief
In June, retiring county police Chief Marcus Jones was appointed Tuesday as chief of the Department of Security and Compliance for MCPS. The decision brought praise and criticism from county community members and made some question the role of police in schools. Jones told MoCo360 in August that he’s focusing on creating consistency in safety across schools.
7. County school board president testifies before House committee on MCPS response to antisemitic acts
After numerous antisemitic incidents in recent years, Montgomery County Board of Education President Karla Silvestre, whose one-year term ended in early December, testified in May before a U.S. House education subcommittee about MCPS’s approach to “combatting antisemitism, hate speech and racism.”
6. Does MCPS deserve a passing grade?
A growing number of teachers, parents and education experts say that MCPS—long considered among the best school districts in the nation—no longer deserves a passing grade. They cite overly lenient absentee policies, grade inflation gone awry and below-grade-level curricula.
5. A reckoning: Voters reject school board incumbents
In the Nov. 5 general election, Montgomery County voters rejected school board incumbents and instead chose three newcomers to join the board. The election results highlighted the power and influence of the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), the local teachers union that endorsed the winning candidates, with the election results signifying a reckoning after several years of turmoil in MCPS.
4. MCPS school board approves $3.32 billion budget for 2024-2025 school year
In June, the county school board unanimously approved a $3.32 billion fiscal year 2025 operating budget, which was $30.5 million less than the amount that the school board originally requested from county officials. The spending gap forced the board to make several cuts including eliminating the Montgomery Virtual Academy, the district’s online learning program as well as increasing class sizes.
3. Stafford County, Va., schools chief to be new MCPS superintendent
In June, the school board named Thomas Taylor, the schools chief in Stafford County, Virginia, as the new head of the county’s public school system. Since Taylor took over July 1, the MCPS alum has focused on school safety, attended a number of listening sessions, released several videos and introduced a $3.61 billion operating budget.
A January report from Montgomery County’s inspector general didn’t answer many outstanding questions about how MCPS handled sexual harassment allegations in 2023 against former middle school Principal Joel Beidleman, who has denied the allegations. Following the report, the County Council questioned MCPS leaders and school board officials on investigative reports and systemic issues in the district’s investigative processes for employee complaints
1. McKnight exits as MCPS superintendent following turmoil over Beidleman investigation
Superintendent Monifa McKnight departed MCPS on Feb. 2 in a “mutually agreed separation” following scrutiny over the school system’s handling of the sexual harassment allegations against former principal Joel Beidleman. McKnight received a total of $1.3 million under a separation agreement with the school board. The former superintendent is now working at the University of Maryland’s College of Education. In the turmoil, many administrators and principals with concerns about accountability ended up leaving MCPS.
