In order to address the overutilization at the high school level in the Downcounty Consortium and at Walter Johnson High School, the Board of Education's approved FY 2019-2024 CIP included three capital projects to address the overutilization in these areas. The approved CIP includes an expansion of Northwood High School, the reopening of Charles W. Woodward High School, and an addition at John F. Kennedy High School. The expansion of Northwood High School would increase the capacity to a 2,700 student capacity. The expansion of approximately 1,200 seats will require not only additional classrooms, but also reconfiguration of existing spaces and upgrades to building systems to accommodate the new student population. On March 25, 2019, the Board of Education approved that the Northwood High School project would be constructed with students off-site and that Northwood High School would operate at the Charles W. Woodward High School site as a temporary holding facility during the construction period. Therefore, based on the Board's approval, the Woodward facility would be used as a holding center for two years following initial construction of the new Charles W. Woodward High School facility, starting in August 2023. The addition/facility upgrades for Northwood High School were scheduled to be completed August 2025. At that time, the Woodward High School facility would be reopened as a new high school. An FY 2021 appropriation was approved for construction funds. An FY 2022 appropriation was approved to continue this project. An FY 2022 supplemental appropriation and transfer of funds of $4 million from the current revitalization/expansion project to this project was approved to address construction cost increases. An FY 2023 appropriation was requested for construction cost increases and construction funds to complete this project. While the increase in expenditures were approved, due to fiscal constraints, the County Council, as part of the adopted FY2023-2028 CIP, delayed this project one year. Therefore, Northwood High School will be relocated to the Charles W. Woodward High School site in August 2024, for two years. An FY 2024 appropriation and amendment to the FY 2023-2028 CIP was approved for additional funds due to the impact on construction costs as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the continued effects of Covid-19 pandemic on construction cost increases, the budget for this project is insufficient to complete the construction scope as originally intended. Therefore, to move forward with the construction and remain on schedule, the Board of Education approved, as part of the FY2025-2030 CIP, a Phase III for this project which will include the construction of the auditorium. Funding to construct the auditorium will be considered in the next CIP budget cycle. As part of the Board of Education's Requested FY25-30 CIP, the construction schedule for the Northwood HS capital project is extended one-year, with a completion date of August 2027. Since Woodward HS is the holding facility for Northwood HS, the completion date for the reopening of Woodward HS is now August 2027.

MCPS asserts that this project conforms to the requirement of relevant local plans, as required by the Maryland Economic Growth, Resource Protection and Planning Act.