Garrett County advisory committee outlines plan to relocate Accident Elementary; public raises concerns

An advisory committee recommended moving Accident Elementary students into Northern Middle School to create a pre-K–7 campus while shifting 8th graders into Northern High School, Garrett County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. McCartney told attendees at a public hearing on the proposal.

The committee presented enrollment trends, building-condition estimates and projected savings, and members of the public voiced opposition centered on student stability, safety, community impact and the loss of a successful neighborhood school.

The presentation summarized recent enrollment changes and facility needs. The committee reported a countywide enrollment decline of about 238 students since the 2020–21 school year, with the southern end losing 64 students last year while the northern end increased by roughly 14 students. Attendance at Accident Elementary declined from 242 students in 2020–21 to about 221 in the current year. The committee estimated Accident Elementary renovation needs at $2,500,000 and estimated roughly $1,200,000 in renovations to adapt Northern Middle to elementary-aged students; the county’s local share of that latter estimate was cited as 11 percent.

Financial figures presented to the public included an estimated annual savings of approximately $450,000 from consolidating operations, attributed to eliminating five support positions and reduced operating and maintenance costs at the Accident facility. Presenters said the current CIP shows $816,000 in local…