Wootton High Looking into Adding Cell Tower at Stadium

School was approached by AT&T, public meeting scheduled

Andrew Metcalf

Cell Tower stock photo via Wikipedia

Thomas S. Wootton High School sent a notice to parents Wednesday informing them that the school is considering adding an AT&T cellphone tower at the school’s stadium.

The notice said AT&T and its contractors approached the school about adding the tower. In response, the school has scheduled a May 20 public meeting at its media center at 7 p.m. to discuss the proposal.

Dana Tofig, spokesperson for Montgomery County Public Schools, said in an email that 11 cellphone towers currently exist at county school properties in Silver Spring, Rockville, Olney, Kensington, Wheaton and Montgomery Village. Many of the towers are used by multiple companies, according to a list of the tower locations provided by the school system.

Tofig said he didn’t know the specifics of the Wootton proposal, but that in general the school gets one-third of the revenue from a tower on a school site, the cluster gets one-third and the district gets one-third. Tofig said the total revenue generated by the towers in the fiscal year that ends on June 30 will be $831,818.

“We have a process we follow for each request,” Tofig wrote in the email. “The providers must approach the school and set up public meetings through the school’s Parent-Teacher Association, as well as inform the neighborhood. The school community votes on whether to support the proposal or not and that recommendation is sent to the superintendent. If a school does not want a cell tower located on their property, it is not placed there.”