Building a Bigger Elementary School

According to what the public knows* now about the new school to be built on the McKenney Hills site in Silver Spring, the new building will be the 6th largest elementary school in MCPS by square footage and the
9th largest elementary school in State Rated Capacity out of 132 elementary schools countywide. (There are currently 131 elementary schools, McKenney Hills would make 132 elementary schools.)

Remember that the Board of Education no longer sets the size of elementary schools, now the decision as to how big to build school buildings is made solely by the the Superintendent.

MCPS Elementary Schools 
Square Footage 

Stedwick 109,677
Galway 103,170
Piney Branch 99,706
Sligo Creek 98,799
College Gardens 96,986
(McKenney Hills 95,475)


MCPS Elementary Schools
State Rated Capacity (How many seats in classrooms under State guidelines)


Galway 867
South Lake 838
Gaithersburg 827
Watkins Mill 803
Rolling Terrace 770
Broad Acres 748
Stedwick 747
Sargent Shriver 736
(McKenney Hills 734)

*Data from MCPS Facilities Data and State Rated Capacity for School Year 2009-10 for all school except McKenney Hills. McKenney Hills SF is from Forest Conservation Plan and State Rated Capacity is from room count. The document that would give more details on the Educational Specifications for McKenney Hills, the Feasibility Study, has not been made public by MCPS despite repeated requests for the document.