HdG Middle, High School Project Moves Ahead

The Harford County Board of Education approved a nearly 200-page document Monday outlining plans for the proposed combination Havre de Grace middle school and high school.

The plan contains detailed educational specifications for the new schools, with elements ranging from the number of classrooms and types of lighting to security measures needed.

Although the document came before the board at its July 21 meeting, there wasn’t a quorum because of questions over the content and the fact that several board members were absent.

The vote at Monday’s meeting was 6-1.

The dissenting vote at the Aug. 4 meeting came from school board member Robert Frisch, who raised concerns that were also voiced at the previous meeting about the number of students projected to attend the new schools. The educational specifications call for a combined total of 1,300 students with final buildout to accommodate 1,600 students.

Currently, Havre de Grace High School has 775 students, according to Harford County Public Schools. The middle school has 584 students.

Frisch said he had attended meetings about adequate public facilities, and he said: “Those projections weren’t mentioned there.” Adequate public facilities measures are used so local governments may plan resources, such as school capacity, needed to sustain new development.

Presenters at the Board of Education’s July 21 meeting attributed the increase in capacity they projected for Havre de Grace to the proposed Information Technology Computer Science Magnet Program. The program would be offered in Havre de Grace High School and include 150 students, according to the educational specifications.

Now that the specifications have passed, the next step for the project is the schematic design, which will show what the buildings may look like.

The proposed schematic designs will be on display at the Havre de Grace High School auditorium from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 13. They will include the general building layout and site plan, according to Harford County Public Schools.

The Harford County Board of Education will vote on the designs at its Aug. 18 meeting.

According to the proposed schedule for the project, construction would begin in 2018 and conclude in 2019. Until then, students would remain in their respective buildings.