By: Willow Schools and Rachel Swigart

After five years of anticipation, Howard County’s newest high school is on track to finish construction in Aug. 2023, now under a new name. Formerly known as High School 13,  Guilford Park High School (GPHS) was announced as the official name at the Feb. 9th Board of Education meeting. Opening in the upcoming school year, new exciting updates and information have been released about the school. 

“I like the name Guilford Park,” says Mt. Hebron senior Michelle Antwi. “I’m glad they added the park at the end because Guilford sounds so goofy.”

Located on Mission Road in Jessup, MD, Guildford Park has the same design as Marriotts Ridge, Reservoir, and Long Reach high school. The school’s total capacity is 1,650 students and stands on a whopping 42 acres, equipped with 40 classrooms including 10 science classrooms and three spaces for technology education. The parking lot has 579 car spaces and 33 bus spaces, plenty able to handle all of the upperclassmen looking to drive. 

As construction comes to a close more decisions are being released such as school colors. GPHS will rep blue and green.

“I personally love the colors green and blue. It’s different from any of the other [high school] colors,” says Mt. Hebron senior Alexis Mariner, citing she hopes “they do an electric teal-ish green and deep blue” in regards to the shades. 

Howard County recently announced that all incoming GPHS students and families can  vote for a mascot. The administration wants this to be a way for incoming students to leave their mark on Guilford Park. 

“I think the mascot should be a snake because the school colors are green and blue which I think fit a snake,” says Antwi. However, Mariner thinks differently. 

“I think the mascot could be a butterfly, but it could also be a dragon which makes more sense,” says Mariner. 

With the addition of Guildford Park, students are interested to see how it affects Howard County and its overpopulation issue, as incoming students have been redistricted almost every year. 

 “I think that this new school will benefit the overpopulation problem that we have going on. It will send a lot of students over to the new school and allow for better redistricting,” says Antwi

In anticipation of the upcoming school year, students are in suspense for the doors to open, waiting to see the mascot results, and a hopeful overpopulation solution.