Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith has moved to reallocate about $12 million after the Baltimore County Board of Education voted to step away from the proposed expansion of Loch Raven High School,

Smith’s action comes on the heels of the board’s unanimous vote this week on the plan, which had pitted community against county government.

Much of the community’s consternation surrounding an add-on to the 32-year-old school derived from claims that residents  — who overwhelmingly favor a new facility to alleviate overcrowding — had not been provided adequate say in the matter.

“I am extremely disappointed that the Board of Education has decided to forgo an addition at Loch Raven High School,” Smith said in a statement released Wednesday.

This story continues below
Advertisement

“All of the data that the board presented to county officials indicates that there is a need for additional high school seats in the central area of the county.” However, Smith added that the same data also indicated that the need wasn’t strong enough to warrant construction of a new high school.

Meanwhile, state Comptroller Peter Franchot will look to the Inter-Agency Committee on schools construction to review the matter and make a recommendation on how the Board of Public Works should proceed, according to his spokesman, Joseph Shapiro.

Smith listed several dozen projects for improvements, but failed to include new air conditioning for aging buildings — a complaint voiced at Tuesday night’s meeting.

While critics of the 400-seat expansion believed the board’s arm got twisted in the matter, school board President Jo Ann Murphy insisted that was not the case. “It didn’t seem like something the board wanted to do,” Murphy said. “It was put out there by county government. ... The board backed away because we didn’t feel it was an ideal solution to overcrowding.”

Despite months of haranguing involving the board, Smith’s office and the community, Loch Raven-area resident George Ward said the people prevailed.

Noting that he had been privy to a board discussion before its vote, Ward said half of the members had talked about having made mistakes in the past and being bullied by the county executive, but that they finally had the courage to “stand up for what was right.”

drowley@baltimoreexaminer.com