By Peyton Stinnett
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
A 10-year plan was released Wednesday by Baltimore County Public School officials who stressed the need for high school construction and other architectural improvements in area elementary and middle schools.
The plan was presented by CannonDesign, a national architecture and planning company with offices in Baltimore. Officials said the plan is to be rolled out in phases. The first phases will be to improve and start construction on high schools, officials said.
High schools that are in poor conditions and have a higher need for renovations will be the first schools to be under construction, officials said. After that, schools that have a lower need for attention will be the last ones to be renovated.
Officials said the new plans should help with the rise in student enrollment, as well as improve resources for the students.
“Every student in Baltimore County, regardless of their zip code, deserves access to a safe, modern school facility that meets the needs of their community,” said County Executive Johnny Olszewski. “With aging infrastructure and a growing population, we have significant needs at the high school level.”
Once all of the high schools are finished, the second phase will be to start improvements on elementary and middle schools and centers, officials said.
“We view the development of this plan as an important step forward on the path toward ensuring that all of our school buildings offer the type of physical environment most conducive for teaching and learning,” said Superintendent Darryl L. Williams.
CannonDesign consultants said about $1.2 billion would be needed to complete the first phase. Currently, county officials said $140 million is in the coffers each year. If the funding continues, officials estimate it will take 27 years to complete phase one.
However, there is a bill that was vetoed by Gov. Larry Hogan that would have allowed the county to get more money for the construction and possibly reduce the completion time to 15 years.
Olszewski said he is urging the General Assembly to override the governor’s veto so school construction can begin.