Baltimore County Public Schools Propose Boundary Changes To Alleviate Overcrowding At Hampton Elementary

BALTIMORE COUNTY - At Monday's public information session, Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) presented potential solutions to address the issue of overcrowding at Hampton Elementary School. This semester, the school district has been carrying out a capacity-relief study incorporating Hampton, Cromwell Valley Regional Magnet School, and Pleasant Plains Elementary School.

The public was presented with four boundary map proposals during Monday's meeting, each suggesting a transfer of 40 to 45 students from Hampton to the other two schools. These options would reduce, but not eliminate, overcrowding at Hampton and would lead to Cromwell Valley exceeding its capacity.

A formal boundary map recommendation will be presented to the county board of education on June 13, with new boundaries expected to be implemented for the 2023-24 academic year.

BCPS staff data indicates that Hampton Elementary is anticipated to be at 116.9% capacity for the 2023 school year, equivalent to an additional 113 seats.

During the meeting, attendees questioned the validity of the data, as the figures were based on information collected in September 2022. BCPS representatives asserted that the data was the most accurate available, acknowledging that Hampton's actual student numbers may be higher.

Temporary measures, such as the relocation of two pre-kindergarten programs and the introduction of four portable classrooms, have been implemented to ease the overcrowding at Hampton.

Some parents also expressed concerns that children may be moving to a less-desirable school as a part of the overcrowding solution. The latest Maryland Report Card results give Hampton and Cromwell Valley four out of five stars, while Pleasant Plains has two. The rating system evaluates factors such as standardized test scores, absenteeism, and graduation rates.

Attendees were invited to provide feedback via a survey, which will remain open until May 29.