Photo courtesy Visit Howard County.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced Troy Park as the county’s site preference for High School No. 14 (HS14).

Ball recently sent a letter to the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) Superintendent and Board of Education asking for HCPSS to convene the Site Review Committee to move the project forward. Ball’s decision follows the Board of Education voting in September to include HS14 back in the school system’s Long-Range Master Plan.

“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,” said Ball. “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 No. 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, about 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 HS14. The High School No. 14 Task Force was convened in 2018 and carefully weighed the options on proposed locations. Troy Park was first suggested by the Task Force and has been vetted through two environmental assessments to ensure its viability.

Troy Park was considered the most environmentally friendly for HS14. Approximately 40 acres of parkland will be utilized by the Board of Education for the construction and operation of HS14, which includes a shared use of existing and future athletic facilities at the 101-acre Troy Park

This site builds on Ball’s record investment in critical school construction projects. The fiscal 2021 Capital Budget invested $68.7 million in school capital projects. This budget included significant investments to keep each of HCPSS’ top 3 priority projects on schedule, including:

  • $21.5 million to support the renovation and addition at Hammond High School,
  • $15.1 million to support replacement of Talbott Springs Elementary School, and
  • $11.3 million to support the construction of a new High School No. 13.