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Mr. James Harkins, Harford County Executive spoke at the groundbreaking Ceremonies held on the 77-acre site for the new 1600 student capacity Patterson Mill Middle/High School. He said that "the new Patterson Mill middle/high school will stand as his proudest achievement." After six or seven years with Harford County he will leave his administration in July to join Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich's administration.
The typical process of funding and approving county school construction project is to apply for state assistance. If the state approves the project and it goes forward with funding, the average payment is 50%. Harkins did not wait for the state approved funding to begin this project. The county believes that they need the new school so badly they had to go ahead and forward fund the new $59 million school facility. Harkins used money brought in within county's budget and within state recommended guidelines for new school construction. The county will apply for reimbursement from the state and they hope to get it back, but there is no guarantee. The new construction of this 266,136 square foot middle/high school facility is being carried out by J. Vinton Schafer & Sons, Inc - Construction Management firm.
This project is unique, in that it will provide new seats that don't exist today , says Harkins. Atypical of most school projects which happen once seats are already spoken for or are already overextended in a new and/or addition/renovation school facility.
J. Vinton Schafer & Sons, Inc. is due to have the Patterson Mill Middle/High School project completed in 2007-08 school year. This new school is the county's first redistricting plan since the 1980s. Redistricting is inevitable and will be done as fairly as possible, states Mr. Robert Thomas, Jr., President of Board of Education. The students possibly affected are those attending Fallston Middle, Fallston High, C. Milton Wright, Bel Air Middle, Bel Air High, Aberdeen Middle, Aberdeen High, Southampton Middle, Edgewood Middle and Edgewood High.
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