Baltimore County Public Schools are redrawing attendance boundary lines once again. It’s a regular occurrence and often involves multiple schools to ease overcrowding.

That’s the case with this next batch of changes, but the school system also wants bus routes to be considered when lines are drawn.

The decision to potentially change where kids go to school lies with the community. The school system has called on volunteers for redistricting committees who recommend to the school board what the new boundaries should be.

Here’s what to know about the process.

Northwest region

In the Northwest portion of the county, which includes parts of Windsor Mill, Pikesville and Owings Mills, nine elementary schools will get new attendance zones:

• Church Lane
• Deer Park
• Hernwood
• Lyons Mill
• New Town
• Randallstown
• Scotts Branch
• Winand
• Woodholme

Campfield Early Learning Center, a Title I school focusing on young learners with a significant population of students with disabilities, is slated to close next August. This redistricting process, referred to as a boundary study, will redistribute the students who attended the learning center to elementary schools near their homes.

The study is also needed to make way for the new Deer Park and Scotts Branch elementary schools. Scotts Branch is being replaced with a more modern building as part of the county executive’s plan to eliminate school trailers. Deer Park is being replaced by a net-zero building, which uses renewable energy to reduce its environmental impact, that should have more space for students.

This is the second boundary study in a year. The first happened last year with the school board approving it in February 2024. Those new boundary lines are now in effect.

The second Northwest study started last week, with the next committee meeting set for Sept. 25 at Milford Mill Academy. The 41-person committee consists of 10 principals representing each school, including Campfield; 10 teachers; 20 parents; and the Area Educational Advisory Council chair. The public is welcome to attend, but only the committee members, except for the principals, can vote on the maps they pitch.

The committee will meet three more times after that, and there will be a public hearing on Nov. 6, where the public can weigh in on the options.

The school board is slated to vote on the new boundary lines March 11.

Holly Manor

On a smaller scale, a street in Catonsville’s Holly Manor community needs reconfiguring. More specifically, the committee must figure out how to move students on Beaumont Avenue into the same school, according to the school system.

“Several homes are zoned at Hillcrest Elementary School, while the rest of the street and community attend Westchester Elementary School,” a news release from the system stated.

Community members of both schools will be on the committee, which will have only three meetings. The first is Wednesday at Westchester Elementary, the public hearing is April 9, and the board is expected to vote on the new map May 6.

Greenleigh

The third boundary study of the season is for the Greenleigh community in White Marsh. Like Holly Manor, this study involves only two schools: Chase and Vincent Farm elementary schools. The majority of Greenleigh residents are zoned for Vincent Farm Elementary. A small, unbuilt section of the neighborhood falls within Chase Elementary boundaries. According to the district, the committee is tasked with relocating that area within the boundaries of Vincent Farms before students move to the area. Bus routes will also have to be considered.

The first of three committee meetings start Thursday at Vincent Farm Elementary. The public hearing is set for May 7 and the board’s vote is scheduled for May 20.

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.