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Friendship Aspire asks Bowie help locating new K–3 STEM charter school; council asks staff to explore options and send letter to county schools
Summary
Friendship Aspire Academy requested use of Bowie facilities (Ken Hill Center and other sites) to relocate a K–3 STEM charter school; the council asked staff to work with Friendship to evaluate city properties, modular options and to send a letter to Prince George's County Public Schools asking for additional relocation time.
Representatives of Friendship Aspire Academy presented the network’s proposal to establish a K–3 STEM-focused charter school in Bowie and asked the city to explore options after they were given a tight relocation deadline by Prince George’s County Public Schools.
Kathy Mason (volunteer chair) and network staff said Friendship Aspire seeks to establish a high‑quality, STEM‑based elementary program with a long‑term goal of K–5 expansion. The network said first‑year enrollment would be about 240 students requiring roughly 25,000–30,000 square feet; the network has been awarded a federal Charter School Program (CSP) grant (presenters cited $2,000,000) to help with startup costs including furniture and STEM equipment and said modular classroom units are a likely interim solution.
City staff (Director of Community Services Nick Spurgeon) reported a due diligence review of the Ken Hill Center that found the building is substantially occupied by city staff and community tenants (roughly 23–24,000 sq ft currently used by city services) and that deed covenants could require returning ownership to the Prince George’s County Public Schools if the property were used for nonmunicipal purposes. Staff said modulars on part of the Ken Hill site or alternative city parcels could be feasible but would require detailed analysis of utilities, tenant impacts and costs.
Council agreed to three actions: instruct staff and Friendship to pursue an in‑depth, collaborative assessment of potential city properties (including site visits and modular feasibility), draft a letter to Prince George’s County Public Schools expressing council support for keeping Friendship Aspire in Bowie and requesting additional time for relocation, and hold a follow‑up meeting after staff and Friendship complete the site analysis. The council also discussed privately owned commercial options that councilmembers have explored and emphasized the need to protect existing Ken Hill tenants (food pantry, chamber, workforce programs) if any reuse is considered.
Ending: Staff will coordinate a site visit and feasibility analysis and prepare a letter for council signature to PGCPS; Friendship will continue parallel outreach to private developers and modular providers.
