The Folger McKinsey Elementary School community is coming home after a two-year stay as guests at Chesapeake Bay Middle School in Pasadena.

The original building at 175 Arundel Beach Rd. will be ready for students and staff to resume classes April 12, according to a Board of Education press release.

Construction of the $27.2 million new building began in August 2010 and with it a new routine for the community, to include a bus or car ride down Mountain Road with a later start and finish time to the school day.

The renovation completed earlier than anticipated, said Folger principal Sue Bachmann. The original date was June.

“We are very excited to get back to Severna Park to our school. Chesapeake Bay Middle School has been wonderful and such nice hosts,” she said, adding that the entire school community, including the bus drivers will be happy to get back to their regular routine, school hours and a shorter bus ride.  

To accommodate the move, the Maryland State Department of Education has granted a four-day waiver of the 180 school day requirement, according to the press release.

"The entire Folger family was thrilled to hear that the students will have the chance to experience their new, state-of-the-art school this year. This will mean the most to our fifth-graders who thought they gave up the chance to learn in this new environment and would finish elementary school at their temporary middle school," Thurman Reynolds, a Folger parent and CAC representative, wrote in an email to Patch.

"Folger’s principal Susan Bachmann and her team have made the transition to our temporary school about as painless as I think it could be. Our students continued the high academic standards of Folger over the last 18 months and even improved their test scores … this is such a credit to them, their teachers and parents.

"I’m looking forward to the community open houses that are planned for April 13 at 1:30 p.m. and on April 18 at 7 p.m. This will give all the citizens served by Folger, with children there or not, a chance to see the latest in school design and just how far the new Folger has come from the original building built over 50 years ago!" wrote Reynolds.

There will be no classes for Folger McKinsey students on the following dates:
March 29, March 30, April 10 and April 11. The school will also operate under new hours with classes starting at 9:20 a.m. and ending at 3:45 p.m. beginning April 12.

Because of the waiver, Folger McKinsey students are still scheduled to end the school year on June 12, the same day as other students, according to the press release.

"Students, faculty, staff and parents deserve considerable thanks for their patience and cooperation during the rebuilding process. I am confident that once they are back in the new building, it will be worth the inconvenience. I look forward to many great events at Folger McKinsey," wrote State Delegate Cathy Vitale (R-Severna Park).