CLARKSBURG, Md. — Traffic was at a standstill most of the day near Rocky Hill Middle School in Clarksburg while parents waited hours to pick up equipment to participate in virtual learning when the school year starts next week.
Montgomery County Public Schools starts all-virtual learning on August 31, and notified parents several weeks ago that they could pick up a laptop or learning materials over two weeks from Aug. 17 to Aug. 28. The laptop distribution was only available for students who do not have access to a computer or laptop at home.
MCPS said each school would set pickup times for parents to grab a laptop for their child depending on the last name and grade.
According to Rocky Hill Middle school's website, their curbside laptop distribution services were scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The school is also one of 74 free meal distribution sites within MCPS. The Summer Meal Service Program was expected to end on Wednesday and resume on Aug. 31.
A person directing traffic at the school told us that some parents were in line for free food and others were in line for laptops.
Traffic to get to the school was blocking nearby roads and neighborhood access around the school.
By 11 a.m., traffic had been backed up for more than three hours.
Derek Turner, spokesman for MCPS, says the long line and traffic jam for Chromebooks at Rocky Hill appears to be an anomaly. He says he hadn't heard of any other similar incidents since they started distributing Chromebooks to MCPS families.
MCPS said they will work with local and state leaders in November to reassess the decision to go all-virtual and make recommendations for possible in-person instruction beginning in the second semester if health conditions allow.