Future Of Abandoned School Building On Agenda Of Chevy Chase Meeting

CHEVY CHASE, MD — Residents of Chevy Chase will get a chance to meet with officials from Montgomery County Public Schools, along with local elected officials, on Monday to discuss the future of a school building that served as the home of a French international school for more than 30 years.

The Rollingwood Elementary School site — adjacent to scenic Beach Drive and parks along Rock Creek — has sat vacant for almost a year after the Rochambeau French International School left the Rollingwood campus and moved to Bethesda in November 2022. The French international school moved into the building in 1990 and leased it from MCPS for 32 years.

MCPS facilities management officials are expected to speak at Monday's meeting about a plan for maintaining the school while it sits vacant and offer information on what the school system plans to do with the property.

The in-person community meeting will take place on Monday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. in the Chevy Chase Elementary School multipurpose room at 4015 Rosemary Street in Chevy Chase.

Montgomery County Councilmember Andrew Friedson and Board of Education member Julie Yang are expected to attend the meeting.

Residents have expressed concerns about the state of the property, including the poor condition of the playground. The property also is in need of mowing and removal of debris from summer storms. In addition, damage to the vacant school appears to be the result of people breaking into the building, according to neighbors.

Some residents are worried that MCPS will let the building deteriorate to the point where the school system may decide to demolish it rather than renovating the building.

Since Rochambeau moved out of the building in late 2022, resident have noticed teenagers climbing in and out of broken windows. Neighbors are worried teens are using the vacant building as a gathering place to take drugs and engage in other dangerous activities.

The elementary school opened in 1951 when the Montgomery County Board of Education hired architect Anthony Ferrara, founder of a Bethesda-based firm now called McLeod, Ferrara & Ensign, to design the school.

Rollingwood Elementary School stopped operating as a public school in 1982 when the Montgomery County Board of Education voted to close the school and move its students to Chevy Chase Elementary School.

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