Will Political Candidates Deliver Crofton High School?

Supporters of a Crofton high school should take note of recent statements by political candidates, all of whom say Anne Arundel County needs more high schools.

Crofton students attend either attend South River High School in Edgewater or Arundel High School in Gambrills.

At the county level, Democratic candidate for county executive George Johnson says a 13th high school is needed in the county – although he didn’t specify Crofton in an interview with the Capital-Gazette newspaper.

His opponent, Republican Steve Schuh, told the newspaper if elected in November he would double the number of high schools in the county from 12 to 24.

Build Crofton High School, an advocacy group pushing for construction of a school in the community, recently noted on its Facbook page: “Support for a Crofton high school is growing, and reaching the highest levels in Maryland politics. Candidate Larry Hogan personally told BCHS he supports a Crofton high school but added, ‘we just need to find a way to pay for it.’ Lt. Governor Anthony Brown again publicly stated he supports a 13th high school.”

Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, facing Republican Hogan in the governor’s race, told the Capital-Gazette Monday he would support a 13th high school in Anne Arundel County, although he didn’t specify Crofton as the site. The new school would be part of Brown’s promise to increase school construction spending statewide by about $60 million a year to $400 million.

Crofton high school supporters have argued that building a school in the community will ease crowding at South River and Arundel. On the group’s Facebook page they say the school system “owns 154 acres on the Crofton Middle School/Cardinal Field/Crofton Park site. Land that was purchased over 30 years ago for a high school and two middle schools. We have the middle school, but are still waiting on the high school.”