Garrett Park Elementary Opens for Students

When Meredith Josef's daughter started school in Garrett Park, the idea of a state-of-the art building with lockers and a gym was just that — an idea.

Now, after a year and a half, the nearly $19 million of modernizations to Garrett Park Elementary School are complete, and Josef, the PTA president, said she's thrilled with the results.

"On behalf of children, parents and staff, our PTA is grateful and excited for this new facility that will help provide a top-notch education for students," she said at a ribbon-cutting event Wednesday.

Garrett Park Elementary is now a more than 96,000-square-foot building, with space to serve 754 students. The school is outfitted with geothermal heating and cooling and a vegetative roof — and, for the first time, an indoor gymnasium. Also, many classrooms now have Promethean boards, which are interactive displays for hands-on learning.

At Wednesday's ribbon-cutting, Montgomery County Public Schools celebrated the opening of three modernized schools: Garrett Park Elementary, in Bethesda and in Colesville.

Students from the three schools have been going to temporary facilities for the last 18 months, and Wednesday marked their return to their regular classrooms. 

Superintendent Joshua Starr said that the three projects, totaling about $52 million, will bring the schools up to date and enhance their learning environments.

"Completing our capital projects on time and on budget takes tremendous teamwork by our staff and our community," he said. "I want to thank our employees, our parents and our citizens for their commitment to provide secure, modern learning spaces for our students."

Many county and state officials were in attendance Wednesday, including County Executive Isiah Leggett, Del. Al Carr, County Councilmembers Nancy Floreen and Hans Riemer, and County Council President Roger Berliner.

County officials have long been supportive in funding MCPS, Board of Education Vice President Christopher Barclay said, and with 9,000 more students projected students by 2017, the schools will require more modernizations and new buildings in the future.

"They have been unwavering in their support for the capital needs of our school district, and for that we are forever grateful," he said.

Berliner said capital projects for schools are integral to keeping Montgomery County competitive and prosperous, and that the councilmembers' presence demonstrates their support for education.

"Our being here is a reflection of our commitment to making sure we continue to provide the kind of learning environment that will best serve our children," he said.

Starr said that while money is tight around the county and across the nation, now is the time to invest in infrastructure and capacity-building.

"One silver lining of the economic downturn is the fact that we're able to do these projects for less than they otherwise would have cost," he said.

All three of the schools have environmentally friendly features and are registered for LEED certification through the U.S. Green Building Council.