Students at Northwood High School walked out of class Wednesday afternoon in protest after learning they will not have an auditorium or playing fields for two or three years.
Northwood students will be held at the new Woodward High School — which is not yet finished — from this August to August 2027 during Northwood’s construction. According to protest organizers, Woodward currently lacks facilities like an auditorium.
In a letter to the Northwood High School community, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Chief Operating Officer Brian Hull acknowledged, “Moving to a temporary facility that is not yet finished and does not have an auditorium until planned completion in 2027 has understandably caused significant concern.” Hull stated MCPS will explore ways to bring enough capital funding to allow for an auditorium at Woodward as early as 2026.
“We have one of the largest music, theater and dance programs in Montgomery County, so this is going to be a huge setback not to have an auditorium,” said Ally Heitmann, Student Government President at Northwood High School, adding the auditorium is also used for testing. She said students will protest again Thursday afternoon outside the school board building.
