Facilities & Enrollment Advisory Committee (FEAC)

To involve the public in the resolution of facilities and enrollment issues, the Washington County Board of Education has created a standing Board advisory committee, known as the Facilities and Enrollment Committee. This committee shall be comprised of representative parents, businesspersons, and community leaders who are interested in studying facilities and enrollment issues.

FEAC Objectives

Review enrollment data and facilities usage information to make recommendations on the most efficient and educationally effective use of school facilities.
Review enrollment projections, county population data, and facilities capacity information to determine areas of potential overcrowding in the county school system.
Develop a proposal to implement the required changes to the attendance areas in accordance with the guidelines established in Board of Education regulation JCA-R.
Pursuant to Board Policy JCA - Establishment of School Attendance Areas, the Board may issue a charge to the Committee from time to time, to provide advice to the Board in accordance with the charge issued to the Committee.

Membership Specifications

The members of the Facilities and Enrollment Committee shall be appointed by the Board. Membership on the Facilities and Enrollment Committee shall be limited to no more than 20 members of the community including two citizen resident adults from each of the attendance districts. Appointments shall consider geographical residency and community involvement.

TERMS OF OFFICE: Appointment to the committee and terms of office shall be in accordance with Board Policy BDF - Advisory Committees to the Boards of Education.

Operations Specifications

Minutes of each committee meeting shall be kept and forwarded promptly by the staff liaison to the Board of Education and the Superintendent.

The committee will report to the Board as requested.
The report to the Board shall focus on the following criteria of review, if appropriate:
- findings on areas of potential overcrowding
- recommendations on school facilities usage
- recommendations on any attendance area adjustments

Committee Charge adopted: September 7, 1999. Amended: February 4, 2003.
Revised: November 21, 2006. Board of Education of Washington County.

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CHARGE FROM THE BOARD OF EDUCATION

"Downsville Pike" Elementary Redistricting

On June 20, 2023, the Washington County Board of Education (WCBOE) voted to close Fountain Rock Elementary School and Hickory Elementary School, upon the opening of a new “Downsville Pike” Elementary School. On March 18, 2025, the WCBOE charged the Facilities and Enrollment Advisory Committee (FEAC) to conduct a review of specific current school attendance zones and recommend changes to such zones based upon current enrollment projections through the 2027-2028 school year that will best utilize available space. The WCBOE charged FEAC, in its advisory capacity, to:

Develop an attendance zone for the anticipated opening of the new “Downsville Pike” Elementary School. The school is scheduled to be open for the 2027-2028 school year.
Study and recommend changes, if any, to elementary attendance zones to alleviate projected enrollment pressures at district facilities.

In response to this Charge, the FEAC has begun a process to create attendance zone realignment “recommendations” for the WCBOE to consider. These “recommendations,” once completed, will be presented to the WCBOE at a future Board meeting.

The planned FEAC meetings to discuss potential recommendations were held on May 14, May 28, June 11, June 25, and July 9, 2025. The FEAC is going to provide a preliminary report to the Board of Education at the September 2, 2025 public Work Session, and will share final recommendations at a public Business Meeting in early 2026.

All FEAC meeting Agendas, and Meeting Minutes from prior meetings (including documents/presentations) will be updated to this page.

All FEAC meetings are open to the public to listen to/observe. All public comments are to be sent to Feac@wcps.k12.md.us