Baltimore County school board votes to close Golden Ring Middle amid redistricting

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore County Public Schools voted Tuesday to close Golden Ring Middle School in a bid to combat school overcrowding.

The decision comes as a public hearing is scheduled for tonight about a major redistricting process for county schools.

For months parents in Baltimore County say they've been asking for a straight answer from the board about Golden Ring Middle School so they can prepare their kids for whatever the future may be, and now they have their answer.

The decision comes following a recommendation to close the school after a boundary study looking at the district's central and northeast area middle schools. 

A hearing on the ongoing study is Wednesday night. 

Part of it includes the closure of Golden Ring, with the intent of a brand new school built nearby, moving 900 kids for the 2024-25 school year.

According to school leaders, no student will be moved until the boundary study is complete, which the board is set to make a decision on in June.

During a hearing earlier this month about the school's future, we spoke to parents who expressed frustration over the potential impacts of the closure. 

The public hearing on the boundary study recommendation is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at Parkville High School. 

As for what will happen to Golden Ring after it's closed, the district previously said it would be repurposed.