With nearly 500 signed up for final Howard redistricting hearing, testimony will be split up into several days

Roughly 110 Howard County residents whose children currently attend Glenelg, Marriotts Ridge, Reservoir or River Hill high schools or their feeder schools will testify before the Board of Education about the ongoing redistricting process Thursday night.

In August, schools Superintendent Michael Martirano presented a proposal to move nearly 7,400 students in a comprehensive redistricting process to combat school overcrowding, address inequities in the distribution of students affected by poverty and establish a road map for high school 13.

Thursday’s hearing is the third in the past 10 days.

An estimated 500 residents have signed up for the third round of hearings. The school system did not have an official account available Wednesday afternoon, as registration closed at 4 p.m.

Each person testifying at any of the hearings receives 3 minutes to speak. Due to the high volume of residents registered for the third group, the school system is breaking up the hearing over three nights.

The remaining two hearings are scheduled for Oct. 7 and 8. All hearings will begin at 6 p.m. at the school board headquarters in Ellicott City.

The school board heard from 82 students and community residents during Tuesday night’s hearing. Families who children attend Atholton, Hammond, Long Reach or Wilde Lake high schools, or any of their feeder schools, had the opportunity to testify.

On Sept. 17, 69 community members with children currently attending Centennial, Howard, Mt. Hebron and Oakland Mills high schools, plus their respective feeder middle and elementary schools, testified.

Nearly 200 county residents protested outside the school board office before both hearings.

Earlier this month, Howard police confirmed a sophomore at River Hill posted a death threat against Martirano concerning redistricting on TikTok, a popular video app.