School Board Approves High School Redistricting Plan, Rejects Indian Bridge Road Shift To Great Mills

LEONARDTOWN, Md. — The St. Mary’s County Board of Education approved a series of high school boundary changes March 18, finalizing a redistricting plan that will shift some students from Leonardtown High School to Chopticon and Great Mills high schools beginning in the 2026–27 school year.

The board approved, 4 to 1, redistricting portions of the Hollywood area and nearby Maryland Route 235 and Route 245 corridors from Leonardtown High School to Chopticon High School, one of the largest changes included in the plan.

The approved area includes northbound Route 235 from Mervell Dean Road and Airport View Road to Sotterley Road, the north side of Route 245 from Route 235 to and including Barnsby Lane, and the Route 235 corridor from South Sandgates Road to Route 245, including McIntosh Road from Clover Hill Road to Burnt Mill Road.

Board members also approved, 5 to 0, a smaller boundary adjustment which will move students from Leonardtown High School to Great Mills High School, affecting eastbound Maryland Route 4 from Route 235 to and including Oak Drive, as well as Old Pine Court and nearby roads. A boundary adjustment mostly related to previous road access changes in that area.

The board rejected, 5 to 0, a proposed reassignment of students from the Indian Bridge Road area to Great Mills High School, removing that portion from the final plan.

The board approved, 5 to 0, a plan that includes a grandfathering provision. Under that phase-in approach, current ninth-, 10th- and 11th-grade students in the 2025-26 school year will be allowed to remain at their current high schools, while current eighth-grade students will begin attending their newly assigned schools in 2026-27.

Implementation of the redistricting will be phased in over multiple years as younger students progress through the system.

Transportation Plan Approved

The board also approved, 5 to 0, a transportation plan to support affected students during the transition.

Under the approved option, the school system will provide dedicated buses to transport both redistricted students and grandfathered students to their respective schools.

School officials estimated the cost at about $130,000 per bus annually, with a minimum of two buses anticipated.

Officials said grandfathered students would need to opt into that transportation plan, and that participation in transportation for grandfathered students is expected to decline by about 60 students per year as the phase-in continues and as students graduate.

Elementary, Middle Schools Unchanged

No changes were approved for elementary or middle school boundaries as part of this plan. School system officials previously indicated those levels will continue to be monitored, with potential changes revisited in the future if enrollment trends warrant.

Notifications Expected By April 30

School system staff will now finalize implementation details and notify affected families of boundary changes by April 30.

The redistricting effort is part of a broader facility utilization study aimed at balancing enrollment across the county’s three high schools and addressing overcrowding at Leonardtown High School.

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