Thomas S. Wootton High School

Thomas S. Wootton High School or Wootton High School (WHS) is a public high school in Rockville, Maryland. Its namesake is Thomas S. Wootton, the founder of Montgomery County, Maryland. The school was founded in 1970 and is part of the Montgomery County Public Schools system. Its school colors are red, white, and blue. The mascot is reflected in the names of the football team (Wootton Patriots) and in the theater department (Wootton Patriot Players). It is notable for its award-winning a capella group and marching band.

Academics

In 2019, Newsweek ranked Wootton's STEM program #160 in a nationwide survey of US high schools.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2022, U.S. News & World Report ranked Wootton #167 nationally amongst high school.<ref name="usnwr" /> Template:As of, Wootton ranks 191st nationally, 3rd in Maryland, and 2nd in Montgomery County Public Schools.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Wootton students average a score of 1288 on the SAT, with 634 on verbal and 654 on math.<ref name="Demographics" />

History

File:Bush@Wootton.jpg

President George W. Bush speaks at Wootton.

In November 2001, President George W. Bush visited Wootton and signed the congressional bill officially recognizing "Veterans Awareness Week", which takes place the week before Veteran's Day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2015, school principal Michael Doran was found dead, due to natural causes<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in his Bethesda, Maryland, apartment.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A memorial service was held at Wootton two days later.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2017, a bridge near the high school and its auditorium was named in Doran's honor.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Controversies & Incidents

On October 9, 2020, former football coach Christopher Papadopoulos was sentenced to 18 months in jail with 5 years of probation with his addition to the Maryland sex offender registry. Papadopolous pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a minor and one count of fourth-degree sex offense. These charges stemmed from his sexual assault of several 17-year-old minors in his home in Gaithersburg.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On November 2, 2021, a report of a sexual assault occurring in the school's locker room was received by Montgomery County Police. Members of the school's varsity team were allegedly involved in this incident. Several students and staff members were interviewed in an investigation with officers from the police department's Special Victims Investigation Division. However, the investigation yielded no evidence of an occurrence of a sexual assault.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On April 18, 2024, an 18-year-old student was arrested by the Montgomery County Police Department for shooting threats made against the school. The FBI contacted the MCPD, after which they proceeded to obtain a search warrant to investigate the student's home, where they discovered violent drawings and documents relating to mass violence, including a 129-page long manifesto, containing numerous threats of violence against the student population and staff of Wootton High School.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In December, 2024, Douglas Nelson, the principal of the high school, was placed on administrative leave, due to his failure to properly respond to reports of racism amongst the student body. Dr. Joseph Bostic has taken his place as acting principal.<ref name="nelson-leave">Template:Cite web</ref>

Its infrastructure is aging, a cause of concern for many students and teachers alike. It was found to have lead in its water, but those issues have not been fixed Template:As of.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, Montgomery County Public School Student Member of the Board candidates of 2023 are promising to fix this.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Areas served

Most students attending Wootton live in Rockville, with others residing in Gaithersburg, Potomac, Travilah, and North Potomac.

Wootton feeds from two middle schools and six elementary schools:<ref name=":0">Division of Capital Planning, Montgomery County Public Schools. Superintendent's Recommended FY 2025 Capital Budget and the FY 2025–2030 Capital Improvements Program - Chapter 4: Wooton Cluster. Accessed 7 June 2024</ref>

• Cabin John Middle School
  • Cold Spring ES
  • Stone Mill ES
• Robert Frost Middle School
  • DuFief ES
  • Fallsmead ES
  • Lakewood ES
  • Travilah ES

Future boundary changes

Wootton is one of the schools in the scope for the new Crown High School,<ref>Division of Capital Planning, Montgomery County Public Schools. Board of Education Adopted Boundary Study Scope - to Determine the Service Area for the new Crown and Expansion of Damascus HS - March 19, 2024. Accessed 7 June 2024</ref> which has an expected completion date of August 2027.<ref name=":0" />

Demographics

Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity 2022–2023<ref name="nces" />

White	Asian	Black	Hispanic	Two or More Races	American Indian/Alaska Native
711	732	224	157	80	4

During the 2022–2023 school year, the school's racial composition was 37.3% white, 38.3% Asian, 11.8% Black, and 8.2% Hispanic.<ref name="Demographics">Template:Cite web</ref> Multiracial students made up less than 5% of the student body, as did Native and Pacific Islander American students.<ref name="Demographics" /> The overall size of the student body was 1,911.<ref name="Demographics" />

External links

• Template:Official website