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Havre de Grace council accepts Harford County school enrollment report; members flag capacity concerns
Summary
The council unanimously accepted Harford County’s annual growth report on school enrollment during the Jan. 6 meeting; the report, as summarized at the meeting, shows Havre de Grace Elementary near or above capacity and prompted council warnings about infrastructure and future development.
The Havre de Grace mayor and city council on Jan. 6 voted 5-0 to accept the Harford County Annual Growth Report on school enrollment, a standing report that the council said should inform planning and development choices.
The council summarized key figures from the report during the meeting: Havre de Grace Elementary School was described as being at 109% current enrollment and projected to reach 111% in 2025. Meadowvale and Roy Williams elementary schools were reported to be at or near 110% capacity; the council discussion also noted that the middle and high school grades were further from capacity, described in the report as roughly 90%.
Council members said the enrollment numbers reinforce their concerns about infrastructure and growth management raised during the comprehensive-plan discussion. One council member asked the record reflect that Havre de Grace Elementary is currently over capacity and projected to grow, and several members said that school capacity should be considered before approving zoning changes that would add residential units.
The council’s formal vote accepted the county report; accepting the report does not itself change zoning but was presented and accepted as part of the city’s planning record. Councilmembers said the data will be used in future planning discussions and in requests to the planning commission to consider school capacity when drafting or approving land-use changes.
The acceptance was made by motion of the Council President and seconded by Councilmember Boyer; the vote was 5-0 in favor of accepting the Harford County Annual Growth Report on school enrollment.
