The new public elementary school being built in the northwest area of Baltimore County is on track to open next fall for the 2015-2016 academic year. The school, so far unnamed, is being built for 700 students in grades pre-K through fifth.
"It's going to be an amazing new school and a terrific learning environment," Maralee Clark, principal of the new northwest school and former principal for the last 10 years of Woodholme Elementary School, said before a meeting on the new school began Wednesday, Oct. 29.
The new Baltimore County Public Schools' facility is at 9455 Lyons Mill Road, west of Owings Mills Boulevard, on a site known as the Ballard Property, a former Colonial-era farm. The school is a $31 million project, split between county and state funding.
The school is intended to relieve overcrowding in northwest area schools, especially New Town and Woodholme elementaries. New Town opened in 2001 and Woodholme in 2005. Both were built to relieve overcrowding in area schools at the time.
Other factors being considered are minimizing the transition from one school to another for the students, walkability, student diversity and future residential developments.
The new school is being built to current capacity. Even so, Clark said "it is bracketed by two new townhouse developments."
A series of meetings open to the public to determine the school's boundaries have been held in Owings Mills and Randallstown with the final meeting to be held in December..
The boundary committee comprises representatives from 11 different schools. "Each school is represented by a teacher, a student, a parent and a community member," said Kortney Griffin, a teacher at New Town Elementary.
New Town Elementary Principal Beth Strauss said, "Each school is involved in the process of identifying potential new northwest school boundaries."
The boundary committee has come up with 10 options. The options involve different scenarios for students from Church Lane, Deer Park, Hernwood, New Town, Owings Mills, Randallstown, Winand and Woodholme elementary schools.
Planners want to assure that Deer Park has enough students to fill the school. Schools to the north of the new northwest school, including Timbergrove, also have overcrowding issues but are not being considered among the options.
A Baltimore County Public Schools design shows a two-story building that is intended as a model for future schools and building sites. The grades are arranged in "neighborhoods." There are common areas, a central, multi-functional library-media center and outdoor classroom spaces. A ballpark is in the rear of the building.
Clark says that except for pre-K students, all students will get laptops/tablets.
The building is aiming for LEED Silver certification, with geothermal heating and cooling, solar power and, possibly, a green roof.
A public forum on the boundary scenarios will be held on Wed., Nov. 19 from 7 to 8 p.m. at New Town High School, 4931 New Town Blvd., Owings Mills.
After the public forum, the boundary committee will incorporate public comment into the decision-making process. It will select an option to present to the Board of Education in Feb. 3, 2015, with a decision by the school board expected on March 3.
Clark does not expect opposition to whichever option is chosen. "The parents are thrilled. They've been waiting awhile for this," she said.
However, not everyone agrees. Hundreds of students are involved and, said Marsha White, the community member from New Town, "When you speak about assigning boundaries, parents get upset."
A boundary committee meeting open to the public will be held Wed., Dec. 10 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Deer Park Middle Magnet School, 9830 Winands Road, Randallstown. Citizens may observe this meeting, but the committee will not take input from the public.