For the first time in 20 years, all public schools in Harford County are under 110 percent capacity, a feat celebrated Thursday morning by various county officials.
Celebrating the achievement, Harford County Executive David Craig, County Councilman Richard Slutzky, Superintendent Robert Tomback and Board of Education President Leonard Wheeler spoke at a press conference Thursday at the Harford County Government's administrative building.
This school year, Abingdon (105 percent), Hickory (102 percent), Homestead/Wakefield (100 percent) and Youth's Benefit (105 percent) elementary schools are either at or over their capacity. At the middle school level, only Patterson Mill is at 100 percent; all others are below 100 percent capacity. Harford Tech is at 110 percent of its capacity, while Patterson Mill is at 105 percent and Bel Air is at 101 percent of its capacity; all others are below 100 percent.
Despite some school being overcrowded, many are nowhere near their capacities – Edgewood and Fallston High are both at 72 percent, Joppatowne is at 75 and Havre de Grace is at 79 percent. At the middle school level, Magnolia is at 62 percent of its capacity, with Havre de Grace at 69 percent. And in elementary schools, Darlington, Roye-Williams and William Paca/Old Post Road elmentaries are in the 60s as far as percentage of capacity.
Overall, according to date released by the school system Thursday, enrollment in Harford County Public Schools as of Sept. 30, 2011 was 37,835, in a school system with an overall capacity of 44,112 students.
At Thursday's press conference, Craig recalled his time as a student and teacher in Harford County, and the many times he taught or learned in a portable classroom.
"Portable classrooms are not the best thing to have," he said, noting that during the winter they can become especially cold.
When he was sworn in as county executive in 2005, Craig said he made a promise to get rid of the 110 portable that were being used, and has worked with the school system to accomplish that, though portables are still being used at several schools across the county.
"For the first time in 20 years, Harford County can say there are no overcrowded schools," he said, adding that this accomplishment has been "a long time coming."
Craig credited this to committing "a third of a billion dollars" to build new schools and expand existing ones.
He added that school redistricting helped to fill "4,500 empty seats" in classrooms around the county, alleviating overcrowded schools.
"That probably saved us another third of a billion dollars," Craig said.
Slutzky thanked the county executive; Tomback; former school superintendent, the late Jacqueline Haas; school chief of administration Joe Licata; and the board of education for ensuring the students are in "classrooms that are adequate to their needs."
Government officials, including county Councilmen Chad Shrodes and Joe Woods and public schools representatives were there to "celebrate the achievement of a balanced enrollment" across the county, which will give students "quality education in an environment they can thrive in," Tomback said.
Wheeler stated this milestone was because of the leadership and support of the county and the cooperation of the community, and he is "truly appreciative" of that support to the school system.