PERRY HALL, MD – In the wake of Baltimore County Board of Education’s decision to postpone addressing the overcrowded conditions at Perry Hall Middle School, residents are taking matters into their own hands.

Earlier this week, resident Joe Norman created a petition to urge the Maryland General Assembly to pass the Build to Learn Act and to urge lawmakers to make the situation at Perry Hall Middle a priority.

The petition already has close to 300 signatures.

It reads:

The long planned new Nottingham Middle School has been delayed once again due to the State Senate’s failure to pass the Build to Learn Act during their 2019 Regular Session. This means that there is no current plan on the table to relieve the serious overcrowding at Perry Hall Middle School. School Board Member Julie Henn and Councilman David Marks are leading an effort to put pressure on the General Assembly to pass the bill and make funds available in 2020, but this will not happen without the support of our community.

Please add your name to this petition to call on our State Legislators to prioritize the Build to Learn Act in 2020, and to make sure the Baltimore County Council and Board of Education do not forget the serious overcrowding at Perry Hall Middle School when state funding does come available.

Baltimore County Councilman David Marks and Baltimore County School Board Member Julie Henn will be holding a public meeting on July 2nd to discuss the situation.

Sparking even further concern, resident Ryan Nawrocki pointed out earlier this week that 23 single-family homes will be built on Philadelphia Road just south of Joppa Road in a new development called Williams Fields at Perry Hall.

“What is interesting about this development is that it is zoned for Chapel Hill Elementary School that is at 106% capacity and Perry Hall Middle School that’s at 115% capacity,” said Nawrocki. “In addition, the intersection at Philadelphia Road and Cowenton (Avenue) is already graded as a failing intersection.”

Concerned Perry Hall/Nottingham residents can sign the Perry Hall Middle School petition here.