Perry Hall High School, 1991 to Today

I attended the graduation ceremony for Perry Hall High School’s class of 2011 on Friday.  Ironically, it was 20 years to the day that I, myself, graduated from Perry Hall on June 3, 1991.

Perry Hall was much different back then. Honeygo Boulevard had just been extended to Ebenezer Road, creating the shortcut to White Marsh Mall. On Belair Road, we still had Sherlock’s Pub where the diner now stands and the Little Shoppe of Dough was on Joppa Road across from the elementary school. While growth had transformed the area near Seven Courts Drive, northeastern Perry Hall was untouched. I can remember our cross-country team practicing by running the route from the high school to Forge Road—and passing vast farms and fields where rows of houses now stand.

Perry Hall High School was a place of exceptional pride. Our marching bands in the 1980s and early 1990s were among the best in the state and so were the sports teams. Many of the teachers and administrators had actually opened the school. The commanding figure was Principal James R. Bowerman, who retired in 1989 and passed away just recently.

Today, Perry Hall High School is much different—but it is still among the best schools in Baltimore County. As Patch reported, the class of 2011 earned $7.5 million in scholarships and grants this year. Graduates will attend some of the finest schools in the country, or they will go to professional schools or right into the workforce. Visiting the school, I have been amazed by the infusion of technology into every aspect of learning.

The school’s Wind Ensemble just earned top honors, and this has been a year of achievement for Perry Hall’s sports teams.

Perry Hall High School is much larger today, by about 400 students (the size of an entire graduating class in 1991). But what has impressed me is how Principal George Roberts has tried to unite the school by emphasizing pride, tradition and history.

In the 1990s, many alumni were appalled when the school’s coat-of-arms was unceremoniously removed from the lobby and relocated to a dumpster somewhere. As soon as he took office, Principal George Roberts started revitalizing an appreciation for the history of the school.  The school’s concerts and commencement exercises reflect class.

I was the first Perry Hall High School graduate elected to the County Council, although certainly not the last. And while I represent communities with excellent high schools, such as the Blue Ribbon-designated Towson High School, Perry Hall occupies a special place in my heart.

To the graduates and their families—congratulations and best wishes in your future endeavors. We are all very proud of you and of Perry Hall High School. Go, Gators!