Anne Arundel County Public Schools Superintendent George Arlotto and Fort Meade Garrison Commander Col. Erich Spragg hailed the awarding of a $113.7 million federal grant to renovate Meade High School as the lynchpin to the revitalization of the area.
“This is the dawn of a new era for the school and its students, staff, and community,” Dr. Arlotto said. “This project will result in a state-of-the-art facility of which we can all be superbly proud and will further our partnership with the outstanding men and women of Fort Meade and its surrounding community.”
“Schools are the centerpieces of the communities in which they are located, and this grant will make Meade High School a showcase,” Col. Spragg said. “We are extremely proud to be a part of this revitalization not just of the school, but of the entire community.”
The grant – announced by U.S. Senators. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen; Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger; State Sen. Pam Beidle; and County Executive Steuart Pittman – is provided through the Department of Defense’s Office of Economic Adjustment. It is part of a program designed to upgrade public schools located on military installations throughout the country.
Anne Arundel County has provided $28.5 million in required matching grant funding for the $142.2 million project. In anticipation of the grant, the Board of Education approved design plans for the project in November 2019.
The pursuit of this funding dates to 2011, when the school was first assessed under the program by the Department of Defense. Dr. Arlotto and members of his team met with Department of Defense officials in 2014 to begin discussions about the possibility of renovating schools on the post. AACPS first made a budgetary request for the project in September 2016, and the Anne Arundel County Council approved the project in June 2017.
“This has been a long road and we have been privileged to have the support of Fort Meade and of our elected officials along the way,” Dr. Arlotto said. “A lot of work has gone into this effort, and our students will be able to enjoy the fruits of that labor in a few short years.”
The project, estimated to be completed by the fall of 2023, will consist of extensive renovations that will add approximately 28,000 square feet of space to the school and result in a school with a state-rated capacity of 2,538 students.
Meade High School opened in 1978, was renovated in 2008 and had an addition put on in 2015. The school currently houses 2,029 students and has eight portable classrooms, all of which will be removed at the conclusion of the project.
“This is an amazing opportunity for all of us, and I could not be more proud to have Fort Meade be a key player in this transformation,” Col. Spragg said.
