Two-building Site Plan Approved for Wheaton and Edison High Schools

The Montgomery County Board of Education unanimously approved a two-building modernization plan for Wheaton and Thomas Edison High Schools on Tuesday, an option community members and both principals have fought hard for since the feasibility process began last November.

“We are very happy with the outcome,” said Kevin Lowndes, Wheaton High School principal. “This [message] was loud and clear during the feasibility study and community meetings.”

Board members approved County Superintendent Joshua Starr’s recommendation after a brief presentation by Montgomery County Public Schools Facilities Management Director James Song, a facility advisory committee member. The presentation outlined cost differences as well as pros and cons of a one-building versus two-building scenario.

The biggest benefits of a two-building concept are that the existing schools can operate during the construction process and allow the schools to maintain separate identities and character.

The first phase of the project, which includes planning and design, will begin as soon as possible and is expected to last two years, according to Song.

The construction phase, which would follow, is scheduled to begin June 2013 and will take five years, ending August 2018. Wheaton High School would be built first and Edison second, Song said.  Together, the two schools and their quasi-shared campus would encompass 446,000 sq. ft.

The overall project is expected to cost approximately $115,450,000, which is $1.4 million less than the one-building option. However, Song warned the group that estimates are based on today’s costs, not three years from now when economic markets could be improved and when prices are likely to be higher.

“We are very pleased,” said Edison Principal Carlos Hamlin who high-fived a group of supporters following the Board’s decision. “This has been a very long and tough ordeal and it best suits both schools. It is a win-win!”