I am very pleased to announce that air conditioning is planned for four additional schools in northeastern Baltimore County: Carney, Halstead, Joppa View, Pleasant Plains, and Villa Cresta Elementary Schools. Plans call for design work in 2015, and construction in 2016.
Funding still needs to be approved as part of the upcoming budget process, but the inclusion of these schools on the priority list is an important step forward.
I want to thank my colleagues, Councilmembers Cathy Bevins and Todd Huff, for advocating for several of these schools. I also want to acknowledge County Executive Kamenetz and Superintendent Dance for their support, as well as state legislators such as Senator Kathy Klausmeier and Delegate John Cluster.
We have come a long way in four years. When I took office, 11 of the 25 elementary schools that primarily serve the Fifth District lacked air conditioning. While progress was made in the Towson area, Councilwoman Bevins and I argued that the school system’s priority list was grossly unfair to the Eastside. As an example, Joppa View Elementary School was built in 1990 and should presumably be cheaper to air condition, but it ranked dead last on the priority list. I am happy the school system listened to our concerns.
With this announcement, only three schools that primarily serve the Fifth District will need air conditioning, and every middle and high school will be air conditioned. We will keep working until every student receives the instructional climate he or she deserves.