School Board Approves New STEM School in Bowie

The Prince George's County Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday night to approve the charter of Friendship Academy, a STEM K-5 program seeking to open its newest school in Bowie.

In a two hour special work session, the School Board heard from community members, representatives from the charter, and debated the timeline for opening the school, ultimately voting 11-0 to approve the charter with an opening in the Fall of 2024.

Friendship Academy operates 16 charter schools in DC, including two STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) high schools. Friendship currently educates 7,000 students.

Friendship CEO Joe Harris thanked the School Board for their consideration, though not without some frustration. Harris described a fraught experience navigating the county's charter process, starting in 2018.

This is the program's third attempt to open a charter in Prince George's County.

Harris stated a major obstacle was a lack of clarity about deficiencies that resulted in two previous denials of the school's charter. "At no point in the process were we allowed to address the deficiencies in our application," Harris described.

Friendship is considered one of D.C.’s more competitive charter programs, boasting high test scores and top tier graduation and college acceptance rates. Students are enrolled following a yearly lottery beginning for Kindergarten students.

Harris described Friendship as, "the largest minority-led charter school in the country," adding that this would be the first STEM-focused K-5 school in Prince George's.

Prince George's County Council Member Wala Blegay attended to speak in favor of the program, emphasizing the importance of STEM education for the next generation of workers.

"Many area residents work in STEM and want their kids to work in STEM," said Blegay, who represents unincorporated Bowie and Mitchellville.

Bowie Mayor Tim Adams attended as well to lobby for the program. He emphasized the importance of education choice and indicated that Bowie State University President Dr. Breaux supported the program and would seek to collaborate with the new school.

Friendship, which began with two area schools in 1998, describes itself as, "Insistent on accountability, high academic expectations and relentless emphasis on college completion."

"We are focused on advancing science education for the next generation," summarized Dr. Phong Tran, responsible for school curriculum.

Donald Hense, Friendship's founder and chairman, also stated the program's commitment to being a good neighbor in the communities where their schools are located.

"There is no place where there is a Friendship School where the surrounding place has not been improved significantly," Hense said.

Bowie resident and past City Council candidate, Iyamide House, was impressed with the presentation. As a mother of three in Bowie, she was happy to see a program interested in expanding local education options.

"This would be a unique option in Bowie. Many parents feel the need to leave the county for these kinds of programs," she said.

Dr. Zipporah Miller, School Board Member representing Bowie and surrounding areas, requested the special session to advance the school's charter application. "STEM is my passion. Many of our students are leaving the area to participate in specialty programs in other jurisdictions," she stated.

Dr. Miller made an initial motion to approve the charter with a timeline to open the school in 2025, conditioned on, among other things, adequate transportation funding, program alignment with the county, and compliance with state law.

School Board Member Jocelyn Route requested an amendment to get the program running sooner, starting in 2024.

Board Member David Murray agreed, stating, "This isn't their first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth school. They have the experience to open the school and be ready to go in a condensed timeline."

Murray also expressed frustration with the charter process generally, noting that not one new charter has been approved by the county since 2018.

Newly appointed Schools Superintendent Millard House urged caution, stating it was the recommendation of staff to hold off on new charter approvals. "My recommendation is to take a pause so we can determine the want and need for programs such as these."

House has been navigating budget constraints with the challenge of keeping existing schools open with fast-rising maintenance costs. While charter schools provide independent funding for buildings, maintenance, and student transportation, their day-to-day operations are funded by the county.

Board Vice Chair Walker echoed the Superintendent's concerns, adding the new school could affect enrollment at Pointer Ridge Elementary, which risks closure for already low student population.

"As a mom, I wholeheartedly support STEM and greater school choice," she said, "But we may need a pause so the School Board can be strategic in determining the need as well as the potential impact on Pointer Ridge."

School Board staff stated that Friendship was considering two locations, one at the old Bowie Montessori School on Rustic Hill Drive off of 197, and the other at the corner of 301 and 214.

Board Member Murray stated that he spoke to a developer who indicated the 214 location was ideal for the new school and could be ready to go right away.

After moving to an executive session to obtain legal advice from their attorney, the board returned to open session and voted unanimously to approve the charter and have the school ready to open in 2024.

Audience participants and Friendship staff were elated. "This is a great day for Bowie. We know what students can accomplish with the right opportunities and environment."