Lt. Governor Brown, Dr. Grasmick, Dr. Hite Welcome Prince George's County Students Back to School
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (August 23, 2010) – This morning, Lt. Governor Brown joined State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Nancy Grasmick and Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) Superintendent Dr. William Hite, Jr. to celebrate the first day of the new school year in 
Prince George’s County. Lt. Governor Brown, Dr. Grasmick and Dr. Hite helped open two new schools in Upper Marlboro – Barack Obama Elementary School and Possibility Prep Charter School – where they greeted teachers, staff, students and parents on their first day back to school.
“I am proud to join Dr. Grasmick and Dr. Hite on this exciting day in Prince George’s County to welcome the nation’s best students back to school as the begin the new school year,” said Lt. Governor Brown. “As we open two new County schools for our students today, we look forward to a bright future, continuing to provide our children with innovative learning environments, talented teachers and supportive communities.”
Lt. Governor Brown visited Barack Obama Elementary School first where he and Dr. Hite joined Principal Pearl Harmon, school staff, teachers, students, parents and local officials hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new school. Immediately after the opening ceremony, Brown greeted children, teachers and parents as they walked through the main entrance of the new school and were led on a tour of the school, stopping briefly to help paint the school’s mural in the main breezeway. Barack Obama Elementary School is the first in the metropolitan area named after the President Obama and is the second Leadership Energy and Environmental Design for Schools (LEED-S) school building in Prince George’s County. Vansville Elementary School, the first, opened in 2008.
“Prince George’s County Public Schools is excited about the new school year, and are 
ready to welcome our students and families back to school. We are focused on five goals this year: raise student achievement, ensure we have highly effective teachers in every classroom, effective and efficient operations, safe and supportive schools, and strong community partnerships,” said PGCPS Superintendent Dr. Hite.
After leaving Barack Obama Elementary School, Lt. Governor Brown, Dr. Grasmick and Dr. Hite visited Possibility Prep Charter School where they toured the new school with Principal Rodney Henderson, visited several classrooms and greeted students and parents as they arrived. Possibility Prep Charter School was founded by the 100 Black Men of Maryland as a learning institution uniquely designed to prepare young men for higher education and careers of their choice. The school focuses on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and will provide a specialized education for males.
Under the O’Malley-Brown administration’s leadership, funding for K-12 public education has increased by $1.2 billion, test scores have improved in every subject, every grade, nearly every county and across every demographic group, Education Week magazine has ranked Maryland’s public school system the nation’s best two consecutive years and the College Board reported Maryland to lead the nation in Advanced Placement participation and performance.
