Governor O'Malley Continues "Steady Progress for Maryland's Schools" Tour in Frederick County
Visits Linganore High School in Frederick
FREDERICK, MD (September 16, 2008) – Governor Martin O’Malley continued his “Steady Progress for Maryland’s Schools” Tour today with a visit to Frederick County schools, including Linganore High School at Oakdale High School.
“Over the last two years, we have made a truly historic investment – $741 million – in school construction and renovation,” said Governor O’Malley. “In 2006, Maryland was ranked 25th in the nation in Education Week’s annual report for public education, but Maryland is now ranked third in the nation for best schools. As a State, we must continue to protect our investments in our schools to ensure that every Maryland child receives a world class education and a better future.”
During his education tour, Governor O’Malley will meet with students, faculty, and administrators from across the State to discuss the benefits and opportunities created by State investments in education over these past eighteen months. The series of visits also includes schools in Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Harford, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties throughout the month of September.
“We are very excited that Governor O’Malley is touring Frederick County’s newest high school,” said County Commissioner Jan Gardener. “Linganore High at Oakdale provides welcome relief to overcrowding and offers students the very best technology for instruction. We look forward to a continued partnership with Governor O’Malley to provide excellence in school facilities to meet the education needs of our students.”
During his visit to Linganore at Oakdale, the Governor was welcomed by the students and faculty. While listening to the school band, Governor O’Malley toured the new gymnasium. He also visited teachers and students in engineering classes who were participants of Project Lead The Way, a national not-for-profit educational program that helps give middle and high school students the rigorous ground-level education they need to develop strong backgrounds in science and engineering. Governor O’Malley emphasized the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. While he acknowledged the rising test scores from the school in these areas, he stressed the growing need for experienced men and women in these fields.
In addition to ranking third in the nation for best schools, Maryland ranked second nationwide in the percentage of graduating seniors who had passed an AP exam, and in the rate of improvement, according to the College Board’s 2007 report. Maryland also leads the U.S. in improving eighth graders’ math performance. Seventy-four percent of Maryland 8th graders met or exceeded the Basic level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress exam, according to figures released earlier this year. Maryland is also among the top seven states in preparing students for college. The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education gives Maryland an A- in college preparation, behind just three states. Earlier this year, the Milken Institute ranked Maryland second in the nation in technology preparedness and first in the nation for human capital investment.
To ensure that every Maryland child receives a world class education, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has made an historic $5.3 billion investment in K-12 education, including $741 million for school construction and renovation so that our students are not housed in temporary trailers or crumbling classrooms. The O’Malley-Brown Administration also froze state college tuition for a third consecutive year so that higher education is accessible to more Maryland families.
Frederick County has received $127.1 million dollars in the first two years of Governor O’Malley’s administration, a 316% increase compared to the previous administration. Linganore High School received $2.5 million and Oakdale High School received $14.7 million of those funds in the first two years.
Both Oakdale and Linganore High Schools are brand new facilities located in Frederick. Oakdale High School, which opened its doors in August 2008, is conceptually based on the design of Tuscarora High School, also in Frederick. It is a 244,000 gross square foot building designed for 1,600 students. Currently, students and staff of Linganore High are being housed at Oakdale until their new school is completed, at which time they will return to the newly constructed facility. The Linganore High School project involves demolishing the existing building and replacing it with a new 240,000 square foot facility for 1,360 students. LHS is due to open in 2010.
In addition to the historic investments for schools across the State, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has:
- Provided funding for the Geographic Cost of Education Index for the first time;
- Established the first-ever Higher Education Trust Fund to stabilize tuition costs for families;
- Increased aid for community colleges by 9% and invested a record $150 million over the last two years in better facilities at community colleges around our State; and
- Created the SEED School – Maryland’s first statewide public boarding school.
[ Governor O'Malley Launches "Steady Progress for Maryland's Schools" Education Tour ]
