Hampden’s A.C.C.E. Named Green School

The Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education has certified the Academy for College and Career Exploration in Hampden as a "green school."

The school, which is located in the former Robert Poole Middle School building, 1300 W. 36th St., was granted the award earlier this week for its approach to making the school a more environmentally friendly structure.

"Your school has succeeded in using a holistic, integrated approach to incorporate local environmental issue investigation with environmental best management practices and community stewardship," the organization wrote in an email to school Principal Quinhon Goodlowe. "Your school community has acted to empower youth to practically apply knowledge at school, home and in their communities to reduce pollution, decrease waste, increase habitat, and create healthy learning and living environments."

But some environmental projects at the school haven’t always been so popular with neighbors.

During the Hampden Community Council’s January meeting, residents of Berry Street complained that transforming the asphalt lot behind the school into green space, and building a hoop house had deprived neighbors of parking, created a mosquito breeding ground and caused a fire hazard.

School staff rejected those claims during the meeting, and said all the necessary processes had been followed, and that the school has been open with neighbors about its intentions for the rear of the school.

"We kept our agreement," Goodlowe said at the time.

Also, the Baltimore City Public School System’s 10-year building plan calls for the school to be renovated or replaced in the first year of the plan, and it is estimated it would cost $21.9 million to renovate the school and $27.9 million to build a new structure.