Dulaney High School students may soon have a new school. Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz says overcrowding and aging buildings helped make his decision.
RELATED: Kamenetz pledges room in budget for new Dulaney High building
If all goes as planned, students won’t be using the existing building in the future. Parents hope a new, 21st-century setting will offer students and the community more.
“When we spend money on education, it’s an investment, not an expense,” parent, and PTA member, Yara Sheikh told ABC2.
Parents of Dulaney High School students and the community it stands in have wanted a new school for years.
“The message of smart renovations and replacement schools say, you as a child, and you as a teacher are valued,” said Sheikh.
In a letter written by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz to interim Baltimore County School Superintendent, Verletta White, he says it’s his intention to include in the upcoming budget, funding for a replacement building for Dulaney High.
“Once you build a school in a community where there’s a good renovation or there’s a new school facility, you’re building the community,” parent, Jennifer Tarr, said.
And that community has been vocal for years about the current building, passionately pleading with the board for fixes to the school’s issues.
“Lack of sufficient space, again infrastructure, projected overcrowding,” listed Sheikh.
Members of the PTA and parents say Kamenetz’s decision wasn't politically driven, rather, it speaks to the needs of his constituents.
“I think the county executive has recognized that Dulaney High School needs to be replaced for 21st-century learning and for seats,” Sheikh said.
The county executive said he made the decision because of over-crowding and aging buildings. In his letter to White, he said data suggests more than 1000 additional high school seats are needed in the central corridor. The new Dulaney High School would accommodate 2,300.
In a statement sent to ABC2, White said she received the letter about the replacement. She says the next steps include “discussions with our Board of Education and facilities staff to determine plans and timelines moving forward.”
