Councilman: Despite Progress on Air Conditioning, Work Needed on Schools

After two days of early dismissal in Baltimore County Public Schools this week due to the heat, Councilman David Marks penned a letter to the editor on the issue of schools. It is published in its entirety here.

Since I served as President of the Perry Hall Improvement Association, one of my priorities has been to improve schools and add classroom space in northeastern Baltimore County. I am the parent of two children in the public school system. While we have excellent and award-winning schools, there is still much work to be done.

First, air conditioning. When I took office in 2010, 13 schools in the Fifth District were not yet scheduled for air conditioning. We have steadily whittled down the number of schools on this list. For example, Carney and Joppa View Elementary Schools are in the design process right now, with air conditioning set to be installed in 2016. The Superintendent has recommended Oakleigh Elementary School for air conditioning in 2017. That leaves Chapel Hill and Kingsville Elementary Schools. I have met with the PTA leaders at both schools to organize support and press the Board of Education for help.

Second, school modernization. Baltimore County has some of the oldest schools in the state, largely because many facilities were built during the suburban wave of development after the Second World War. Some of the projects the county has funded are not glamorous, but they are critically important: roof replacement, parking lot repairs, and boiler renovations.

But by far, the most critically long-term goal must be to address school overcrowding. This is a complex challenge. Development certainly plays a role, which is why I acted in 2012 to downzone more than 260 acres of land in northeastern Baltimore County. That blocked new homes from being built in undeveloped areas such as along the Honeygo Boulevard corridor. But there are also demographic changes as younger residents move into older neighborhoods, such as the communities around Harford Hills Elementary School.

Overcrowding is most severe at the elementary school level, which is why the county budget includes funding for a new school to serve kindergarteners through fifth grade. But it is essential that we reserve land now for a new middle and high school. This summer, I sponsored a resolution that urged the school system to make this a priority.

I urge you to visit, like, and share our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/NewNortheastSchools, and stay informed about these issues.

—Councilman David Marks

Graph shows the number of schools not programmed for air conditioning.