Commissioner says Stewart's Grant will add housing but schools have capacity, county told

A St. Mary's County commissioner described a proposed development called Stewart's Grant as an 84-home project staged over 10 years and said county school officials reported available capacity in most local schools.

"The second project tonight will be a public hearing on Stewart's grant," the commissioner said. "Now people say, well, there's a 84 houses going in there over 10 years. Well, people need a place to live."

The commissioner addressed concerns raised on social media about school overcrowding and said county staff told commissioners that Great Mills High School and Chopticon High School have capacity, while Leonardtown High School is overcrowded. "Great Mills has Great Mills High School has capacity. Chopticon High School has capacity. Leonardtown High School is overcrowded," the commissioner said. The commissioner added that the Board of Education is responsible for moving students and that elementary and middle school seats are available.

The commissioner also relayed a county staff estimate that, if the number of school seats potentially needed by Stewart's Grant were allocated in advance, there would still be 13 years of seats available for other development. "We were told recently that if we allocated the amount of seats that we think Stewarts Grama will need in the school system in advance of their plan, that there would still be 13 years of seats available," the commissioner said.

No vote or formal action on Stewart's Grant was recorded in the transcript. The item was described as scheduled for a public hearing that evening.

Background: The transcript framed Stewart's Grant as addressing housing supply in a county with expensive housing and noted the speaker's view that increasing supply can improve affordability. The transcript did not record detailed enrollment figures, budget impacts, or a Board of Education ruling.