We are set to open a brand new elementary school here in District 8 ahead of the 2022-2023 school year, and today I took part in the official groundbreaking ceremony. You know how important education is to me as both an educator and student myself, and you can guess how thrilled I am at this incredible moment.

This new elementary school, located on Gum Spring Road right at Rossville Boulevard right in the heart of one of Baltimore County’s fastest-growing areas, is a $53 million project and will accommodate 735 students to reduce overcrowding in elementary schools across the board. This will be a huge boost for students and families in District 8, as the additional resources will help create classrooms and school communities in which our kids can thrive.

This is the beginning of our journey to a beautiful new school facility and campus for our children in District 8. We at the General Assembly passed $2.2 billion for school construction projects across our state, including more than $300,000 for school facilities upgrades here in our district. But there is always more to be done, and I am committed to fight for improvements that will give our kids the best foundation possible for a shining future.

As Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Daryl Williams said at the ceremony, these days it’s good to think of the beginning of something beautiful, of such an incredible investment in our children. And as our County Executive Johnny Olszewski said, this was an incredible effort of many people coming together to make this happen.

My huge thanks to Dr. Williams and his amazing team at the district for bringing this together. Of course, spotlight on Mr. Kevin Jennings, who served as a wonderful principal at Joppa View Elementary School and will help build our newest school from the ground up. And thank you to our amazing council members, Councilwoman Cathy Bevins and Councilman David Marks, who we are lucky to have as strong advocates for our communities.