Thomas S. Wootton High School

Thomas S. Wootton High School
Location
2100 Wootton Parkway

Rockville
,
Montgomery
,
Maryland
20850-3037

United States

39°04′36″N 77°11′02″W / 39.07661°N 77.18376°W / 39.07661; -77.18376
Information
TypePublic secondary
Established1970 (1970)
School district
Montgomery County Public Schools
NCES District ID
2400480[1]
Educational authority
Maryland Department of Education
School code
MD-15-150234
CEEB code210909
NCES School ID
240048000934[2]
Principal
Joseph Bostic
Faculty111.80 (on an FTE basis)[2]
Grades9–12
GenderCoeducational
Enrollment1,911[2] (2022-2023)
 • Grade 9468
 • Grade 10477
 • Grade 11432
 • Grade 12534
Student to teacher ratio
17.38:1[2]
Campus type
Small city[2]
ColorsRed, white and blue
   
NicknamePatriots
RivalWinston Churchill High School
USNWR ranking
195[3]
NewspaperCommon Sense[4]
YearbookFife & Drum[5]
Feeder schools
Cabin John Middle School Robert Frost Middle School
Websitemontgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/woottonhs/

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 cappella group and marching band.

Academics

In 2019, Newsweek ranked Wootton's STEM program #160 in a nationwide survey of US high schools.[6] In 2022, U.S. News & World Report ranked Wootton #167 nationally amongst high school.[3] As of 2025, Wootton ranks 191st nationally, 3rd in Maryland, and 2nd in Montgomery County Public Schools.[7]

Wootton students average a score of 1288 on the SAT, with 634 on verbal and 654 on math.[8]

History

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.[9]

In 2015, school principal Michael Doran was found dead, due to natural causes[10] in his Bethesda, Maryland, apartment.[11] A memorial service was held at Wootton two days later.[12] In 2017, a bridge near the high school and its auditorium was named in Doran's honor.[13]

Controversies and 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.[14]

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.[15]

On April 17, 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.[16]

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.[17]

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 as of 2018.[18] However, Montgomery County Public School Student Member of the Board candidates of 2023 are promising to fix this.[19]

On February 9, 2026, a student was shot. The school was subsequently put in lockdown.[20]

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:[21]

  • 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,[22] which has an expected completion date of August 2027.[21]. In March 2026, the Montgomery County Board of Education voted to relocate Thomas S. Wootton High School from its original Rockville location to the brand-new Crown High School building located at the Downtown Crown development near the Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg, due to the infrastructure and maintenance issues at the old Wootton building alongside the lack of $300 million cost for a full rebuild and the dedication. The new building at the Downtown Crown development was originally planned to be Crown High School as the new MCPS school serving to students living in the local Gaithersburg/Crown community. Instead, it will become the new home for Thomas S. Wootton High School serving to students from both Wootton and Crown communities. The move will start in the 2027-2028 school year with 9th and 10th graders, and be fully implemented by the 2029-2030 school year. Wootton's identity including their mascot(Patriots) and colors(Red, White and Blue) will be transferred to the new building. The original Wootton High School building in Rockville will be renovated and used as a holding school for students, teachers and staff from other MCPS schools to attend while their school buildings are under renovations and constructions. The plan, known as Modified Option H was heavily contested by parents and Rockville officials who wanted to keep Thomas S. Wootton High School at its original Rockville location on Wootton Parkway to receive a full renovations and having Crown High School as the new 27th MCPS school served to the Crown neighborhood. The community cited disruptions to neighborhood commutes and infrastructure concerns, and the Save Wootton groups have even filed legal appeals with the Maryland State Board of Education attempting to stop the move. .[23]

Demographics

Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity 2022–2023[2]
WhiteAsianBlackHispanicTwo or More RacesAmerican Indian/Alaska Native
711732224157804
WhiteAsianBlackHispanicTwo or More RacesAmerican Indian/Alaska NativeWhiteAsianBlackHispanicTwo or More RacesAmerican Indian/Alaska NativeRacial demographics of Thomas S. Wootton Hig...
View source data.

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.[8] Multiracial students made up less than 5% of the student body, as did Native and Pacific Islander American students.[8] The overall size of the student body was 1,911.[8]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Montgomery County Public Schools". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Search for Public Schools - Thomas S. Wootton High (240048000934)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Thomas S. Wootton High School". 2024 Best U.S. High Schools. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Common Sense". Issuu.
  5. ↑ "Fife & Drum 1989".
  6. ↑ "The Top 500 STEM High Schools". Newsweek. November 8, 2019. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Thomas S. Wootton High School". U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Thomas S. Wootton High School - #234" (PDF). Montgomery County Public Schools. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  9. ↑ "President George W. Bush announces his Lessons of Liberty initiative at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, MD. The initiative is an opportunity for American students to learn more about our country and its values, as well as the people that have been called upon to defend its freedom. White House photo by Tina Hager". November 1, 2001. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  10. ↑ Kraut, Aaron (August 22, 2015). "Wootton Community Remembers Principal Michael Doran". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  11. ↑ St. George, Donna (August 19, 2015). "Longtime Wootton High School principal found dead in apartment". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  12. ↑ Kraut, Aaron (August 21, 2015). "Wootton Community Remembers Principal Michael Doran". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  13. ↑ Rodgers, Bethany (March 14, 2017). "Rockville Names Bridge for Wootton High Principal Whose Death Devastated School". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Former Wooton High School coach sentenced to 18 months in prison". FOX5 DC. FOX 5 DC Digital Team. July 15, 2022.
  15. ↑ Cremen, Alanea (November 3, 2021). "'Serious incident' reported at Wootton High School locker room involving varsity football players". WUSA9.
  16. ↑ Jillian Smith (April 18, 2024). "Wootton High School student arrested for planning shooting said he wanted to be famous: police". WTTG-TV.
  17. ↑ Cook, Gina; Morris, Walter (December 10, 2024). "Montgomery County principal on leave after racial slur found on Black student's desk". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Lead-contaminated water fountains put students at risk". Common Sense. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Policies". Sami For Smob. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Student shot inside Wootton High School in Rockville, another student in custody". WTOP News. February 9, 2026. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  21. 1 2 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
  22. ↑ 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
  23. ↑ "Board of Ed approves controversial plans to move Wootton High".
  24. 1 2 Rasicot, Julie (March 21, 2022). "Wootton High School alumni reunite on CBS comedy Ghosts". Bethesda Magazine.
  25. ↑ Coll, Steve (June 10, 1990). "Growing Up Suburban". Washington Post Magazine.
  26. ↑ Davis, Daryl (March 28, 2017). "It was my dream to meet Chuck Berry. Then I got to perform with him for 30 years". Washington Post.
  27. ↑ "Trevon Diggs". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  28. ↑ "Wootton High grad Myles Frost wins Tony Award for Michael Jackson role". Bethesda Magazine. June 12, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  29. ↑ Williamson, Chris (August 7, 2017). "Rockville native doing big things in the NFL". WUSA9.
  30. ↑ Mullins, Luke (October 8, 2019). "A Cold E-mail to Mark Cuban Helped Turn FiscalNote Into One of DC's Hottest Startups". Washingtonian.
  31. ↑ Tsironis, Alex (March 15, 2018). "10 Celebrities You Didn't Know Have MoCo Ties". MoCo Show.
  32. ↑ Hendrix, Steve (December 14, 2008). "For Some on Obama Team, Capital Is Close to Home". The Washington Post. pp. C01.
  33. ↑ "Eric G. Luedtke, Maryland State Delegate". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Mathias Nkwenti". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  35. ↑ Staff, M. C. S. (April 1, 2022). "Krystian Ochman (Wootton Class of 2017) is Representing Poland at Eurovision". The MoCo Show.
  36. ↑ Kottlowski, Laura (April 20, 2015). "15 Celebrities Who Grew Up Here". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  37. ↑ Engel, Margaret (May 1, 2015). "Interview: The Broadway Hit Makers from Montgomery". Bethesda Magazine.
  38. ↑ Carman, Tim (August 26, 2014). "Rose's Luxury chef Aaron Silverman masters the art of serious play". The Washington Post.
  39. ↑ Lefrak, Mikaela (February 22, 2018). "Rockville Native Haley Skarupa Wins Olympic Gold With U.S. Women's Ice Hockey Team". WAMU.
  40. ↑ "Doomed From the Start". Washington City Paper. May 6, 2005.
  41. ↑ Amanda Ruggeri (May 25, 2015). "The unlikely sea turtle saviour". BBC.
Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.