PPEA FAQ


This page is designed to answer questions about the PPEA process. Submit your question via email to brendadrake@mcps.org.

What are the desired student capacities of the three schools, and how were they developed?

How did you develop the program of spaces to achieve the desired capacities?

How were the sizes of the different types of spaces within the schools determined and are they the right size to do the work of teaching and learning?

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What are the desired student capacities of the three schools, and how were they developed?

Branch was asked to provide a proposal for schools of the following capacities:
AMS - 600 students, with an alternate for 480 students
AHS - 800 students, with an alternate for 600 students
BHS - 1600 students, with an alternate for 1400 students
Our desire is the larger capacity schools.

These requested capacities are based primarily on data points from three documents:
1. The MCPS School Board's Elementary, Middle & High School Space Requirement Standards and Capacity Size Standards adopted February 8, 2000, Specifically the discussion on page 5 of the high school standards, and pages 4 and 5 of the middle school standards.
2. The Montgomery County Public Schools Build-Out Scenario Report dated October 2007 by DeJong, specifically the estimates for AMS and AHS on page 46, and BHS on page 62.
3. The Montgomery County Public Schools Enrollment Projections dated April 5, 2011 by DeJong Healy, specifically the estimates on page 43 and 44.

The other major consideration was the fact that BMS is designed for 1200 students in 3 grade levels, and a corresponding high school would be 1600 in 4 grade levels, both at approximately 400 students per grade level.

Regarding projections, the most recent enrollment projections were prepared this year by Dejong/Healy for the 10 year period 2010 - 2011 through 2020 - 2021.

    • Assuming moderate growth over the 10 years, enrollment projections for the ENTIRE BHS STRAND (K - 12) predicts an increase 300 students. In the same 10 year period BHS projections increase from 1070 in 2010-2011 to 1122 in 2020-2021.
    • Again assuming moderate growth, the ENTIRE AHS STRAND (K - 12) is projected to grow by just under 90 students in the same time period; AHS projections increase from 388 in 2010-11 to 401 in 2020-21.
    • As the projections show, neither school has dramatic growth predicted in the 10 year forecast.
    •  The Montgomery County Public Schools Build-Out Scenario Report dated October 2007 by DeJong predicted growth based on available non developed property and zoning opportunities for build out in 20 year intervals through 2090. It is important to note and consider that these 2007 projections were done prior to the economic downturn in 2008. The 20 year forecast completed in 2007 indicated a potential increase at BHS of 400 students by 2028 and AHS with a potential increase of 230 students by 2028. At the point that either BHS or AHS met the enrollment capacity of the school, the School Board would determine the appropriate method to accommodate future growth -- that could be additional schools, construction additions, portables or some combination. Clearly, the 2007 projections indicate that the size of the proposed schools at AHS, AMS and BHS should accommodate growth for quite a few years.
    • During the last 12 years, the schools built in MCPS were built with capacity for the future (EMHS, New BMS, New CMS , EMES, and most recently New PFE). The schools currently being proposed are also being built with an eye to future growth. In the long term, the MCPS goal is to provide quality programs, quality facility standards and appropriate quality space to accommodate students and staff at AHS, AMS and BHS within the budget which we have available.


How did you develop the program of spaces to achieve the desired capacities?

For the high schools, the program of spaces was developed utilizing the High School Functional Capacity Formula discussed on pages 32 and 33 of the High School section of The MCPS School Board's Elementary, Middle & High School Space Requirement Standards and Capacity Size Standards adopted February 8, 2000. The standards also give guidance on sizing core spaces such as dining areas.

In secondary schools, there is clear intent that a classroom may be used by more than one teacher in a school day. A classroom, if used by only one teacher, would be vacant for 2 or 3 periods in a day. In secondary schools, it is common practice for a room to be used by more than one teacher. We understand and appreciate the desire not to ever share classrooms but it is also an issue of economics. The planning standards of VDOE and even the more generous ones adopted by MCPS do not support leaving large classroom spaces unoccupied by students for up to 20% of the day.

In calculating school capacity, a formula is used to determine the number of teaching stations for a student enrollment capacity. The formula is Capacity = Class Size X Teaching Stations X .85 (utilization/efficiency factor). For BHS the formula equates to 22 (desired class size) X 86 (teaching stations) X .85 = 1608 student capacity. You may apply the same formula to AHS as follows: 22 (desired class size) X 43 (teaching stations) X .85 = 804 student capacity.

For the middle school, the program of spaces was developed using the middle school capacity formula found and discussed on pages 31 and 32 of the middle school section of

The MCPS School Board's Elementary, Middle & High School Space Requirement Standards and Capacity Size Standards adopted February 8, 2000. The middle school capacity formula is different than the high school capacity formula. For middle schools, the school capacity is equal to the number of core subject classrooms - English, math, social studies and science - multiplied by 20 students.

How were the sizes of the different types of spaces within the schools determined and are they the right size to do the work of teaching and learning?

Primarily the program of major spaces and space sizes within the schools were requested by MCPS to be in accordance with:

 1. The MCPS School Board's Elementary, Middle & High School Space Requirement Standards and Capacity Size Standards adopted February 8, 2000.

 2. The Virginia Department of Education's Guidelines for School Facilities in Virginia's Public Schools dated June 2010.


Most Career and Technical Education program spaces in the high schools are not specifically addressed in the guidelines, and were sized based on analysis and collaboration amongst the MCPS Director of Secondary Education, the MCPS Supervisor of CTE Programs, and the MCPS Director of Facilities and Planning. At the space programming level, we believe the sizes of spaces are adequate. We will analyze the adequacy of the sizes of all the spaces in detail during the design development phase and make changes as is determined to be appropriate as layout details evolve.