Anne Arundel County Public Schools projected to be overcrowded by 2023, but still no plans for a Crofton High School

Overcrowded classrooms are not unusual in Anne Arundel County Public Schools. 5 out of 12 Anne Arundel High Schools are 90% or more crowded, and one 1 Anne Arundel High School is 100% crowded. Both of the high schools that serve the town of Crofton fall into those categories. South River High School has fully reach its capacity, and Arundel High School is expected to reach its capacity soon as well. The problem is expected to be worse by 2023. According to Anne Arundel County Public Schools website’s 2023 enrollment projections, 11 out of 12 Anne Arundel High Schools are projected to be 90% or more full, and 5 high schools are expected to more than 100% full. Both Arundel High and South River High fall into the category of being 100% or more full by 2023. It takes 8-10 years to build a high school, and 2023 is just a short 9 years away. Now is the time for Anne Arundel County Public Schools to start planning for a new high school in Crofton.

Having a high school in Crofton would not only benefit Crofton, it would benefit many other school districts throughout Anne Arundel County as well. Currently, students who live in Crownsville, Millersville, and parts of Gambrills have to travel 20 minutes to Old Mill High School, which is expected to be 98% full by 2023, even though Arundel High School is only 7-10 minutes away. With a Crofton High School, there could be free room at Arundel High School for those students. With free room at Old Mill High School, there could be room for redistricting from the crowded Meade High School. With free room at South River High School, there could be room for redistricting from Annapolis High School, which is expected to be 99% full by 2023. A Crofton High School could be the permenant solution to Anne Arundel’s crowding problems.