Four months after a consultant's report found two county high schools badly in need of repairs and only two in excellent shape, a second report has found Howard's 18 middle schools in far better condition.

The report, by the Owings Mills-based Gilbert Architects, studied the general condition of the schools and how well they meet the General Education Specifications for Howard County, which sets guidelines for classroom sizes, athletic facilities and other educational requirements.

All 18 middle schools earned ratings of either "excellent" or "good."

The report was presented to the Howard County Board of Education Aug. 14 and will serve as a road map for public schools officials as they make decisions on funding middle school maintenance, additions and renovations.

An assessment of county elementary schools and Cradlerock School, which serves kindergarten through eighth grades, is slated for early 2009, said Ken Roey, executive director of facilities planning and management for the school system.

Last week's report shows that the county's middle schools are in "overall excellent condition," Roey said, and half of the schools have more than enough space for current programs.

In contrast, the high school report, released in April, found that none of the county's 12 high schools have enough space for needed programs.

"Overall, the middle schools are in excellent shape," Roey said. "Probably better than we would've expected going into the assessment."

Schools rated

Using guidelines set by the Council of Educational Facility Planners International, a professional organization dedicated to improving schools, the study ranked the schools using a scale that appraised how well the schools met program needs, how safe the buildings are and how well their structural and mechanical systems function.

The buildings were assigned ratings of "excellent," "good," "average," "poor," and "crisis."

Six middle schools -- Mount View, Elkridge Landing, Ellicott Mills, Lime Kiln, Mayfield Woods and Folly Quarter -- received "excellent" ratings, which means they met between 90 and 100 percent of the industry guidelines.

The remaining 12 middle schools -- Wilde Lake, Hammond, Dunloggin, Glenwood, Oakland Mills, Harper's Choice, Patapsco, Clarksville, Patuxent Valley, Bonnie Branch, Burleigh Manor and Murray Hill -- received a "good" rating, meaning they met between 70 and 89 percent of the guidelines.

By contrast, only two of the county's high schools -- Marriotts Ridge and Reservoir -- received an "excellent" rating. Two others -- Mt. Hebron and Atholton -- received an "average" rating, which means the schools met between 50 and 69 percent of the industry guidelines. The other Howard County high schools received a "good" rating.

Superintendent Sydney Cousin said he was pleased to see the middle schools fare so well.

"We have an effective ongoing maintenance program," he said.

Roey said he expects the elementary schools will show results similar to the middle schools, based on preliminary assessments.

"So far, we've seen no startling results," Roey added.

The high school and middle school reports highlight the need for more money from the county and state to pay for renovations, repairs and regular maintenance, Roey said.

He said between $10 million and $14 million is needed annually to maintain the middle and high schools in their current condition. For fiscal year 2009, he said, $10.5 million was earmarked for that purpose.

Cousin said finding the funds to implement the reports' maintenance recommendations will be a challenge, especially with state support decreasing.

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