Prince George’s County Breaks Ground on Six New Schools
Dear Prince Georgians:
Every community is judged by how they care for their children and their seniors. This week, we have taken huge steps in support of our children's education and their future, breaking ground on six new schools that will all open in two years. While there has been some community opposition to this effort, most notably at the K-8 Academy in Fort Washington, but we have worked with the community to address those concerns, particularly around flooding.
Prince George's County has the second oldest school buildings in the state, and our children cannot wait any longer to attend schools that are befitting of their dignity and provide the high-quality learning environment they deserve. The education of our children is a sacred responsibility, and we must invest in them now to ensure their success tomorrow and beyond.
Public education is transforming faster than ever, and the needs and expectations evolve with each school year. School buildings must support the teaching and learning needs of today to best nurture the leaders of tomorrow.
In Prince George’s County Public Schools, many children attend classes in aging facilities. Nearly half of all school buildings are more than 50 years old. For decades, families and communities have been promised newer and upgraded facilities — and yet, the situation has gone virtually unchanged, forcing our children to wait.
As the county executive and the school system’s chief executive officer, we knew we had to think outside the box to address some of our dilapidated buildings amid a $8.5 billion school construction backlog to ensure students have the tools needed to succeed.
That is why we have fought hard to find an innovative way to build state-of-the-art schools quickly, and in a cost-effective manner.
We were excited to get the legislation passed in Annapolis two years ago, creating the ability to develop a public-private partnership delivery approach, which has allowed Prince George’s County to be a model for school construction across the nation as we build six new schools by summer 2023.
We have put a number of safeguards in place to guarantee the schools are built on time.
For example, all schools must be completed by July 15, 2023, or the developer will face financial penalties for each day the schools are delayed. Our plan also protects taxpayers from cost overruns.
These facilities will be completed sooner than under a traditional plan, bringing new schools that meet the needs of students now. Our partners will be responsible for maintenance, ensuring building conditions meet the highest standards for the next 30 years.
We can assure all county residents that we would not sacrifice the well-being of our existing communities in any way, shape or form, and this is certainly the case at the location of our new Southern K-8 Academy. Of particular concern to the community is how this new school might impact stormwater management — a matter we have taken into account from day one.
In addition to accelerating the construction of stormwater infrastructure around the site, the plans for the new school not only minimize its impact on the surrounding community but will actually decrease the amount of stormwater leaving the site during the critical period after a storm. Our building infrastructure will contain water on site and gradually release it as opposed to current conditions.
This plan has been shared with the community in several forums, and we created a video to demonstrate the care and attention placed on this critical issue.
Our children, families and educators have waited decades for these new schools.
We are done waiting. We are moving forward with pride to provide every child in Prince George’s County with a basic expectation of public education: high-quality teaching and learning in modern school buildings.
Yours in Service,
Angela Alsobrooks
Prince George’s County Executive
and
Monica Goldson
Prince George’s County Schools CEO
 
Southern Area K8 Academy Flooding Mitigation
 Modern stormwater management systems incorporate a number of engineering features to clean water of pollutants and control stormwater runoff after significant storms. Click here to learn how the County uses stormwater management systems to control flood mitigation at the Southern Area K8 Academy.
Public Safety Agencies Joint Message on Fireworks
 The Prince George's County Fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department along with the Prince George's County Police Department and the Prince George's County Office of Homeland Security launched a combined effort to reduce the potential dangers associated with the setting of fireworks in the County.
All fireworks (including sparklers) are ILLEGAL in Prince George's County. It is the law and it is important that residents know the law to avoid monetary fines and even time in court. Most importantly, the law is designed to keep residents free from physical harm and damage to their properties. Every year around the Fourth of July, EMS sees an uptick in the detonation of fireworks across the County. Fireworks, including sparklers, can cause serious bodily harm such as burns, injuries to extremities and more. All too often, the group who suffers the majority of these injuries are children. There is also the chance that residents could start a fire. Last year, firefighters responded to a home where consumer fireworks were thrown away in an outdoor trash bin and started a fire which sadly spread to the family's home.
If you have purchased or have illegal fireworks in your possession, you can turn them in without penalty under the Fireworks Amnesty Program, operated by the Fire Department, by calling the PGFD Watch Office at 301-583-2200. A member of the Fire Department will come to your home or business and simply pick up the fireworks for safe transport and disposal. You will not face a fine or court summons. You can rest assured that you followed the law and kept yourself and your family safe.
If you see someone else using illegal fireworks, please call the non-emergency dispatch phone number (301) 352-1200.
The Prince George's County Office of Homeland Security is urging residents not to call 911 unless the fireworks are an immediate threat to your safety or property. Last year, on the Fourth of July, 911 operators at Public Safety Communications answered more than 2,500 calls from residents reporting the use of fireworks. The influx of calls created a potential for longer wait times for residents who were calling about immediate life-threatening emergencies.
So, if you are able, please use the non-emergency dispatch phone number to request police response for use of fireworks instead of calling 911. Again, this is only if it is NOT an emergency. The non-emergency dispatch phone number is available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week at 301-352-1200. Non-emergency disturbance reports will be processed for police dispatch.
Residents can also fill out an online form for non-emergency disturbance calls that will also be sent to police for dispatch 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. For online non-emergency dispatch reporting, click here.
EMS and the County Office of Homeland Security want each and every one of our residents to have a fun Fourth of July! Please consider this information to ensure you and your loved ones are safe and free from injury this holiday weekend.
Firework Amnesty Program
 As families plan their Fourth of July celebrations, remember that injuries from fireworks are all too common and that ALL consumer fireworks are illegal in Prince George’s County. Turn your fireworks in without fear of punishment through the Fireworks Amnesty Program by calling 301-583-2200. Click here to watch a video to learn more about firework safety and the Firework Amnesty Program.
Stand Up & Deliver
 We are continuing to work hard to address food insecurity in our County, and we want to provide information on upcoming distribution locations for our Stand Up & Deliver program.
Friday, July 2 at 12:30 PM (Groceries)
- Turner AME Church – 7201 16th Place, Chillum/Hyattsville, MD
- Faith Temple No. 2 Free Will Baptist Church – 211 Maryland Park Drive, Capitol Heights, MD
Saturday, July 3 at 10:00 AM (Groceries)
- First Baptist Church of Highland Park – 6801 Sheriff Road, Landover, MD
Wednesday, July 7 at 10:00 AM (Groceries)
- Maple Spring Baptist Church – 4313 Belt Road, Capitol Heights, MD
- Langley Park-McCormick Elementary School – 8201 15th Avenue, Adelphi, MD
Saturday, July 10 at 10:00 AM (Groceries)
- Community of Hope AME Church – 3701 Branch Avenue, Temple Hills, MD
- Love AME Church @ Capitol Heights Elementary School – 601 Suffolk Avenue, Capitol Heights, MD
Saturday, July 10 at 11:30 AM (Groceries)
- United Baptist Church – 7701 Riverdale Road, New Carrollton, MD
Additional food distribution locations can be found on our website by clicking here. This map is updated regularly. If you are able to make a contribution to our Stand Up & Deliver program, please click here to donate.
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