Anne Arundel Board Approves Phase 2 School Redistricting Plan

The Anne Arundel County Board of Education has given final approval to a Phase 2 redistricting plan that will move about 750 students to different schools beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.

The plan, known as Revised Board Recommendation 3 (Revised BR 3), was adopted at the Board’s November 19, 2025, meeting, following public briefings and hearings earlier in the month.

According to Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS), Phase 2 focuses on attendance boundaries in the following clusters:

• Annapolis
• Arundel
• Broadneck
• Crofton
• Severna Park
• South River
• Southern

Local reporting indicates that the plan will rezone 19 schools in total, including 13 elementary schools, three middle schools, and three high schools. The changes are projected to reduce the number of overcrowded schools in the district from seven to one.

AACPS describes Phase 2 as part of a multiyear, countywide redistricting effort that began in early 2025 and is designed to address both overutilization and underutilization of school buildings while taking into account long range enrollment projections.

Board Vote

The final map was approved on a 5-3 vote.

Board members voting in favor:

• Gloria Dent, District 1
• Brayden Morgan, student member
• Dawn Pulliam, District 7
• Robert Silkworth, District 2
• Joanna Bache Tobin, District 6

Board members voting against:

• Sarah McDermott, District 4
• Erica McFarland, District 3
• Dana Schallheim, District 5

During the meeting, the Board spent roughly two hours discussing potential changes to the map before taking a final vote. Several amendments were introduced and debated but did not pass, leaving Revised BR 3 unchanged from the version created on November 5, 2025.

Summary of Student Moves

AACPS’ Phase 2 plan and local reporting outline how approximately 750 students will shift among 19 schools beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.

Elementary school changes

The plan adjusts boundaries for multiple elementary schools in different parts of the county. Examples include:

• Belvedere Elementary will reassign 88 students so they attend Arnold Elementary.
• Davidsonville Elementary will reassign 27 students so they attend Central Elementary.
• Tracey’s Elementary will reassign 57 students so they attend Deale Elementary.
• Piney Orchard Elementary will reassign 1 student so that student attends Oak Hill Elementary.
• Four Seasons Elementary will reassign 35 students so they attend Piney Orchard Elementary.
• Odenton Elementary will reassign 72 students so they attend Seven Oaks Elementary.
• Folger McKinsey Elementary will reassign 54 students so they attend Severna Park Elementary.
• Lothian Elementary will reassign 3 students so they attend Tracey’s Elementary.

In addition to these examples, the full redistricting document on the AACPS site shows additional elementary moves within the affected clusters.

Middle school changes

Two middle schools will see shifts in their enrollment patterns:

• Crofton Middle School will move 103 students to Arundel Middle School.
• Arundel Middle School will move 47 students to MacArthur Middle School.

High school changes

Two high schools will also exchange students under the approved map:

• Crofton High School will move 184 students to Arundel High School.
• Arundel High School will move 60 students to Crofton High School.

Across all of these changes, AACPS states that the goal is to better balance enrollment across schools within the affected clusters while taking into account building capacity and long term projections.

Nantucket Elementary Split and Other Key Map Details

One of the specific boundary decisions in Phase 2 is a split articulation affecting Nantucket Elementary School. Under the approved plan:

• Most students in the Nantucket Elementary attendance area will continue in the Crofton cluster for middle and high school.
• A smaller portion of students in that zone will instead attend Arundel Middle School and Arundel High School.

This split was a major topic of testimony during public hearings. According to meeting accounts, some Board members and community speakers focused on student continuity, mental health, and travel routes, while others highlighted countywide enrollment balance and future capital projects in the Arundel cluster.

The plan also includes a move of 27 students living in the Riva area from Davidsonville Elementary to Central Elementary. That change was the subject of a proposed amendment that did not pass, so the reassignment remains part of the final map, as reflected in the elementary numbers above.

Legacy Option for Rising Seniors

The approved plan includes a legacy provision that mirrors the approach used during Phase 1 of the redistricting process. According to AACPS:

• Only students who will be entering 12th grade in the 2026-2027 school year may choose to remain at their currently assigned high school instead of moving under the new boundaries.
• A legacy transfer portal for these rising seniors will open in December 2025 and close in January 2026.
• Families who select the legacy option will be responsible for their own transportation to and from school.
• Students enrolled in magnet programs will remain in their current program placements and will continue to be eligible for transportation.

Several Board members proposed expanding legacy eligibility to include additional grades, but those proposed changes did not receive enough votes and were not adopted.

When the Changes Take Effect

Key timing details from AACPS are as follows:

• Phase 2 redistricting goes into effect starting with the 2026-2027 school year.
• The process that led to the Phase 2 plan began in February 2025 and included workshops, public briefings, and multiple public hearings.
• The Board narrowed six options down to Revised BR 3 on November 5, 2025, then took final action on November 19, 2025.

AACPS has indicated that its student supports division will draw on lessons from Phase 1 to help students and families transition to new schools, including attention to extracurricular opportunities and school based supports.

How to Check Your Zoned School and Redistricting Impact

Families can use AACPS tools to see both their current zoned schools and how their address is affected by the Phase 2 redistricting plan.

Locate your zoned school

AACPS provides an address lookup and transportation eligibility tool. You can access it through the AACPS Boundary/Feeder page:

AACPS Boundary/Feeder page (Locate Your School)

From that page, use the "Locate Your School" link to enter your home address and view your zoned elementary, middle, and high schools, along with transportation eligibility.

Review the official Phase 2 redistricting map

AACPS also hosts a Phase 2 redistricting page with an interactive Boundary Explorer where you can search by address and see how school assignments change under the approved plan:

AACPS Redistricting Process Phase 2

The Boundary Explorer on this page allows users to search their address and view school boundaries and assignments under Phase 2.

Where to Find Official Documents and More Detail

For anyone who wants to see the complete technical detail behind the plan, AACPS has posted:

• The full Revised BR 3 report, including a chart of student movement by school.
• A comprehensive Phase 2 redistricting report, presentation slides, and videos of Board workshops, briefings, and public hearings.

All of these materials are linked from the Phase 2 redistricting page on the AACPS website: https://www.aacps.org/page/redistricting-process-phase-2