Baltimore County board backs new construction over renovation for Lansdowne High
The Baltimore County (Md.) School Board of Education has voted to forgo renovation of Lansdowne High School and redirect funds toward construction of a new school.
The Baltimore Sun reports that the board voted 8 to 3 to request that the renovation money — $60 million in two phases — be put toward a new Lansdowne High School. The vote means the process of seeking a new building, which could cost more than $100 million, will have to begin anew.
“It is now on the capital plan as a replacement project,” Nick Stewart, vice chair of the board, said of the $60 million. “That’s an important step within the public process.”
In seeking a new building at Lansdowne, the board backed away from a proposed $39.2 million contract for the first phase of renovation work.
“We believe the money that’s been allocated for Lansdowne represents a great commitment," Stewart says, "however, we want to repurpose those dollars for the purpose of a replacement. This is a signal and a sign of what our desires are.”
Pete Dixit, executive director of facilities management for Baltimore County Public Schools, says a new Lansdowne will require a feasibility study and will be treated as a new project.
During the board meeting, some members wondered if moving forward with renovations would be better for students because a new school could take a decade to study, design and construct.
“My question is reality,” says board member David Uhlfelder. “If we vote down the renovation and this takes a 10-year project, what is the community going to say to us? I’d rather amortize $3 million a year … and at least have the kids in a degree of comfort. We’ve had professionals tell us that this will resolve our problems.”
The Lansdowne community had been told that accepting renovations over a replacement would be the best course forward because a new school could take years longer to complete than renovations.
For some, the back-and-forth over which schools would be renovated or redone is indicative of a more systemic issue in the county.
“We in this county have not had, and still do not have, a truly nonpolitical way of outlining projects that we want to get funded for the next 10 years in our capital plan,” says Stewart.
