By Caitlyn Freeman
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Teachers, students and Baltimore County school officials commemorated the new Chadwick Elementary School Thursday with a ribbon cutting outside the new building.
According to Principal Kate Miller, the $51.5 million rebuild for the school, which is located at 1918 Winder Road in Windsor Mill, began in 2019 and was completed last year. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the official ribbon cutting was postponed until today.
Charlie Herndon, a BCPS spokesman, said the state provided $15.9 million towards the project and another $31.3 million came from the county.
Miller said the original school was built in 1966 and contained 408 seats. Since then, she said, the Chadwick community has grown to approximately 650 students, resulting in the need to expand. The new 99,616-square-foot school contains an additional 327 seats.
Miller praised the school’s staff and educators in her remarks as well.
“Every single aspect of this building was carefully thought through and planned for our young learners,” Miller said in her speech. “As beautiful as this building is, we are reminded today that the people inside are what make it truly remarkable. Our passionate teachers and our scholars are irreplaceable. The building provides a space for our teachers and staff to create the magic of learning together. It is because of them – because of our teachers, because of our students and our families that we call Chadwick Elementary home.”
Students from Chadwick were also involved in Thursday’s events, with one student from each grade giving a brief speech and others helping to provide tours of the building.
Second grader Levi Charles was one of the four student greeters who helped pass out event programs. He said he is “happy” to have a new school and his favorite part is “getting to meet people.” Levi added that his favorite room in the new building is the cafeteria.
Similarly, fifth grader Aadjot Singh echoed Miller’s sentiments in his speech by calling Chadwick his second home.
“This new school is very special for me [in that] it has made me what I am today,” Aadjot said. “I’ve learned a lot of things from here that will go along with me for the rest of my life.”
In addition, the ceremony included remarks by BCPS Superintendent Darryl Williams, County Executive Johnny Olszewski, House Speaker Adrienne Jones, D-Baltimore, and BCPS board chair Makeda Scott.
During his remarks, Olszewski affirmed the county’s priority to remediate the capital issues within BCPS schools.
“Every kid, every kid deserves a school like [Chadwick],” Olszewski said. “And we are proud to say we’re planning to do that in Baltimore County. In partnership with Dr. Williams and the school board, we have a 15-year plan to make sure that whether it’s new or a significant renovation, we are addressing capacity concerns, condition and we’re doing it equitably so that every kid across our jurisdiction is touched.”