As it figures out which high schools to rebuild and whether redistricting should happen, officials with Baltimore County Public Schools are conducting focus groups and have scheduled three public information sessions.
BCPS hired Sage Policy Group to conduct a high school capacity study to help guide its plans. When the school board approved the contract for the study, the timeline said the preliminary recommendations would be released in May 2018. But officials say that date has been moved back.
Projections that BCPS released earlier this year showed large increase in the student population of Towson High School.
The “Students Count” report from BCPS says that Towson High is projected to have 2,022 students in the year 2026; that’s 306 more students than last year’s projections showed for the same year, and would put Towson at 159 percent capacity given its current building.
Towson has a state-rated capacity of 1,260 students and the current enrollment is about 1,550. The county has plans to rebuild and expand Towson High, and BCPS documents show a new Towson High with a capacity of 1,860. And some parents in the community say even that would be too large, given that the high school sits on the smallest plot of land of any high school in the county.
But according to the latest projections, even an 1,800-seat school would be nearly 200 seats short of what is needed at Towson High unless redistricting occurs.
Below in information from BCPS regarding the high school capacity study and opportunities for public input:
Purpose
To study all BCPS high schools and identify potential options and strategies for providing enough seats for growing enrollment. The options and strategies will be presented to the Board of Education. A complete timeline is available.
Background
BCPS hired Sage Policy Group, Inc. for the high school capacity study. High school overcrowding is expected to peak in the next decade.
This study is supported by the Board of Education of Baltimore County, Baltimore County Government, and Maryland legislators from Baltimore County.
We Need Your Input
Beginning in summer 2018, your input will help us develop a set of options and strategies for providing enough seats for growing enrollment throughout the system. Feel free to share the High School Capacity Study flyer.
Focus Groups, June 2018
Community members will discuss priorities, options, and strategies for providing enough high school seats for growing enrollment. Feedback will be used to develop a set of options and strategies.
Presentation – forthcoming
Summary of feedback received – forthcoming
Public Information Sessions, July and September 2018
You are invited to provide feedback on the potential options and strategies. There will be a brief presentation, and the community will be able to view and discuss options and strategies with staff, and complete the online survey.
Round 1
• July 9, 2018, Catonsville High School Cafeteria, 7 – 8 p.m.
• July 12, 2018, George Washington Carver High School Auditorium, 7 – 8 p.m.
• July 17, 2018, Dundalk High School Cafeteria, 7 – 8 p.m.
Presentation – forthcoming
Options and strategies – forthcoming
Summary of feedback received – forthcoming
Round 2
• September dates and locations will be announced.
Presentation – forthcoming
Options and strategies – forthcoming
Summary of feedback received – forthcoming
Online Survey, July 9 – 22, and September 2018
You are invited to provide feedback on the potential options and strategies. The results of the online survey will be made available to the public. The survey will be available from July 9 – 22, and then in September (dates will be announced). The survey will be translated into 6 languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Email comments for the high school capacity study may be submitted to highschoolstudy@bcps.org. All email comments received are public record, and will be logged and posted to the website including your name but not your email address. Please avoid including personal information (e.g. phone numbers, student names, etc.).
Why is BCPS always reactive instead of proactive in planning? We knew back in 2008 that a large wave of students was coming through the pipeline due to the Rodgers Forge ES overcrowding issue which led to building West Towson ES. Although there is a slight ‘melt’ with children leaving to attend private schools, these days I see fewer parents exercising that option which means more kids in the public schools that can’t handle the excess numbers. If BCPS really wanted our input, they would hold all the meetings in Towson, since many people are on vacation over the summer and will have to travel somewhere else to attend.
The meetings concern all county high schools, not just Towson HS, which is why they are held at three different locations around the county. Unfortunately schools have a limited amount of tax dollars to work with and that they have to look at needs all over the county and not just in Towson. Also keep in mind that 2008 is when the great recession started and tax revenue declined. Realistically beyond constructing a larger building and redistricting some kids out of the THS zone, there’s not a lot to be done unless there’s some site available for a new HS that’s being overlooked.