This month, local officials broke ground on the new elementary school at Rossville
Boulevard and Gum Spring Road, which should alleviate overcrowding in southern Perry Hall, White Marsh, and Fullerton. That same week, the school system confirmed that two additional projects will soon be advertised for construction—the new, 1,410-seat northeastern middle school on King Avenue and the 130-seat addition at Pine Grove Middle School.
This is real progress, but more needs to be done.
For much of the past decade, Baltimore County and the school system focused on air conditioning our campuses and building or renovating elementary and middle schools. The three school projects I just mentioned are among the last of the Schools for our Future program.
It was always assumed the next phase of school construction would focus on high schools. The Board of Education recommended new buildings at Lansdowne, Dulaney, and Towson High Schools, but significant funding only advanced for Lansdowne.
Now, after years of advocacy, the Board of Education is considering a long-term school construction that not only jettisons Dulaney and Towson High Schools, but fails to advance a new northeastern high school. The state legislators and our Board of Education representative, Julie Henn, are supportive of all three schools, but you can contact the entire Board at boe@bcps.org. Please urge the Board to prioritize Dulaney, Towson, and a new northeastern high school in the Multi-Year Improvement Plan for All Schools.