Friday, May 31, 2024

Vacant Chevy Chase school broken into for third time this year


The vacant former Rollingwood Elementary School at 3200 Woodbine Street in Chevy Chase continues to be a magnet for burglars. It was broken into for the third time this year on May 25 at 8:44 PM. Previous illegal entries into the Montgomery County Public Schools-owned building that drew a police response occurred on February 18 and February 25. The empty school was leased by Rochambeau French International School until 2022, and has been vacant since. 


Neighbors have continued to express concerns about typical exploits by local teenagers in the school building, including vandalism and drug use. However, the alleged February 18 burglar who stole property from the building was a 37-year-old man from Owings Mills. He is still facing felony 2nd-degree burglary charges, with his next Montgomery County Circuit Court hearing scheduled for June 7.


It's intriguing that, given the supposed fiscal woes of multi-billion-dollar-budget MCPS, they can mysteriously afford to pay $49,153 a month rent for their new offices, rather than stay in - or move to - a vacant building they already own. Chevy Chase is a much glitzier address than Rockville, for a school board with an avowed taste for the high life on the taxpayer's dime. Perhaps the venerable Rollingwood ES just wasn't spiffy enough for them.

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