Prince George’s County officials plan to build a new elementary school in Hyattsville and replace three high schools in the county with more modern facilities.
In addition to the new school in Hyattsville, where officials are projecting booming population growth in the coming years, a funding request made to Maryland school construction officials also would help pay for a new Fairmont Heights High School and Oxon Hill High School, as well as a new Henry G. Ferguson Elementary School in Accokeek.
The construction projects are four of the county’s top priorities in a request for $57.4 million in capital funding for fiscal 2013.
In a recent interview, County Executive Rushern Baker said school construction would be at the forefront of his requests for funding from the General Assembly next month.
“I think we need to go on a massive school and renovation for Prince George’s County, because many of our older elementary and middle schools and high schools are located right in economic development areas that we’re targeting,” Baker said.
With the exception of the new Hyattsville Elementary, each school up for replacement falls inside the Capital Beltway, Baker’s area of focus as he seeks to redevelop older neighborhoods.
Dozens of other major renovation projects would help repair rundown schools, from replacing air conditioning systems and roofs to fire alarms and windows.
“It’s welcome news,” said Briant Coleman, spokesman for Prince George’s County Public Schools. “We’ve got about $2.6 billion in need for school construction. The goal of what the county executive is doing will basically allow us to educate our students in the most up-to-date facilities possible.”
The county is also requesting planning approval for special education inclusion programs at three schools — Clinton Grove Elementary, Stephen Decatur Middle and High Point High — to bring students with disabilities back into their own neighborhoods, instead of being bused to different schools, said Brad Himler, the county’s new deputy chief administrative officer for budget, finance,and administration.
Prince George’s officials requested about $56 million from the state in fiscal 2012, but received $40 million, according to Himler.
