A New Plan for Our High Schools

Prince George’s County Superintendent William Hite Jr, has a new plan to provide equity in the high school programs. However some of his school board members are worried about the nickles and dimes.

A proposal by the Prince George’s County schools superintendent seeks to provide equity in high school programs while addressing enrollment problems — but the plan has school board members concerned about affordability.The proposal — focused on high school boundaries — is the third and final phase of a countywide review intended to level out enrollment. In the first and second phases, elementary and middle schools were reviewed and adjusted, and some schools were shuttered.

Hite believes there is an opportunity to also focus on evening out education programs and curriculum rigor in the final phase of school boundary changes.

In Hite’s plan, the county would be split into five areas, with each area offering International Baccalaureate, science and technology programs and career and technical education programs, Hite said. There would also be one visual and performing arts, world languages and non-traditional high school alternative program in the northern and southern part of the county.