101-Acre Troy Park Chosen As Site for HCPSS Next High School

ELKDRIDGE, MD — Troy Park has been selected as the favored site for Howard County Public School System's next high school. Howard County Executive Calvin Ball informed the HCPSS superintendent and board of education of Troy Park's suitability and asked HCPSS to convene its site review committee to move the project forward.

“As we’ve all learned over the past seven months, ensuring our children and educators have a quality, safe learning and teaching environment is critical to the success of our public schools,” Ball said. “The need for additional school capacity is one of the most pressing issues in Howard County, and I’m pleased to announce that Troy Park is the county’s preferred location for High School #14. Troy Park is the sole location that balances our interest in preserving taxpayer funds by limiting acquisition costs while curbing impacts on the surrounding community. We must continue to be smart and strategic when planning and investing in the future of our schools – the decisions we make today will have a long-term impact on our community and a generation of students.”

Currently, approximately half of the 12 HCPSS high schools exceed the 115 percent utilization benchmark. Howard County has engaged in a lengthy and transparent site selection process for the site of its 14th high school. Troy Park was first suggested by the task force and has been vetted through two environmental assessments to ensure its viability.

Approximately 40 acres of parkland will be utilized by the board of education for the construction and operation of this high school, which includes a shared use of existing and future athletic facilities at the 101-acre Troy Park.

"Howard County is one of the fastest growing communities in our state, requiring our school system to add capacity and resources to serve our growing student body. Redistricting and capital projects alone cannot keep pace to ensure our schools remain at appropriate capacity," said Michael J. Martirano, HCPSS superintendent.

Elkridge resident Deeba Jafri, a HCPSS parent, said the proposed site is much needed by the community and the district.

"Troy Park was the right choice and we’re so pleased to finally see a high school being built in Elkridge. We must continue to build schools to maintain our excellent education system and the High School 14 planning process is a key component of our future success," Jafri said.