Ground broken on new Marley Middle

September 22, 2004 Wednesday

SECTION: FRONT; Pg. A1

LENGTH: 546 words

HEADLINE: Ground broken on new Marley Middle

BYLINE: ELIZABETH LEIS, Staff Writer

BODY:
With her bright red hair and jubilant grin, 11-year-old Gabrielle Craig bounced across sand and dirt, still twirling a blue pom-pom.

Like roughly 800 of her fellow peers, Gabrielle joined her classmates in chanting a new mantra during the Marley Middle school groundbreaking yesterday.

"We split the V, we dot the I, we rock the c-t-o-r-y," they yelled after county school system Superintendent Eric J. Smith spooned dirt into a Marley memorial box.

"I guess it's good because, it's not like our school is bad or anything - I mean, it's still standing - but sometimes it's scary because the stairs creak, and the pipes leak in the bathroom," Gabrielle, 11, said breathlessly after cheering, still twirling a blue pom-pon.

For a solid decade, a dedicated group of parents have been trying to generate the funds for a new Marley Middle School. What they will receive is a $33 million facility not only with secure stairs, but with networked classrooms, a contemporary media center and high-tech science labs.

The school, which will encompass 40 acres at 7730 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard, will hold up to 1,104 students. It is scheduled to open by the 2006-07 school year. The new Marley Elementary School, which broke ground in May 2003, is slated to open by the end of this year.

Among the 200 attendees at yesterday's groundbreaking ceremony were County Executive Janet S. Owens, school board President Ned Carey and former state delegate Jim Rzepkowski, now an assistant secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, who was representing Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. He described the school as proof of the "community spirit."

Ms. Owens called the project a "33 million dollar commitment to this community and commitment to the future," while Mr. Smith said the project is the product of "grassroots leadership."

"These kind of events underscore the value our community gives to public education," Mr. Smith said.

Paul Higgins, who co-chaired the New Marley Middle School Committee, said the only day that could top yesterday will be when the new school opens.

Mr. Higgins said the parents have fought through redistricting, school capacity and funding dramas in an attempt to get a new school built.

"We can start collecting our return on our investment when those kids are sitting in the classroom," he said.

In addition to Marley Elementary, the middle school draws students from Freetown, Glendale and Point Pleasant elementary schools. A diverse school with a student body made up of 27 percent minorities, Marley Middle has seen several generations of families travel through its doors since opening in 1958.

One of those belongs to Paul Higgins, who attended back when the school was Marley Junior High School. The father of three children, his youngest, now a fifth-grader at Freetown Elementary, will hopefully reap the benefits of the new Marley.

"I can't wait to see the first class," Mr. Higgins said.

Teresa Steger, co-chair of the New Marley Middle School Committee, said she was joyous yesterday, and recounted how the new building's amenities will include technology like a wireless mobile lab and cable-enhanced classrooms.

"Communitywise, it's awesome," she said.

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eleis@mdgazette.com