New high school planned in Washington Co.

"It's a balancing act," he said. "Where is the next greatest need?"

Michael said 45 to 60 acres would be needed for the new high school.

"We would recommend building the largest high school in the county," he said.

He said the school could open with capacity for 1,200, but could be expanded to allow for 1,600 students to attend.

"I think the holdup right now is the lack of a site," Michael said. "That's something we need to do, start moving on a site."

Superintendent Elizabeth Morgan said the site proposed to County Commissioners, east of Hagerstown and west of Interstate 70 and Md. 66, was "ideal." It would allow students to be moved from South Hagerstown, Smithsburg and Boonsboro high schools, she said.

Board members discussed the possibility of a developer offering them land to build a new school.

Commissioner Kristin B. Aleshire said there could be some unforeseen costs in accepting land, only because it is free. Water and sewer expenses and necessary roadwork should be factored in, he said.

"I think the worst thing we can do is decide on a site simply because someone offers it for free," he said. "(We should) look at the most cost-effective, efficient location over the long term."

Michael said that it would take four years to open the school from the time a site is found.

"We're reaching the point where we've had the slowdown in the (housing) market, but it's going to turn around at some point," he said. "Then we're going to be at a crisis situation with some of our schools."

South Hagerstown High will be the first to experience the pains of that growth, he said.