The Overlea High School Capacity Relief Boundary Study committee met Wednesday, Oct. 21, for its second meeting. The work is intended to provide relief by the 2027-28 school year, while the county pursues longer-term capacity solutions.

Overlea has 18 portable classrooms on its campus. The school was above 140% of its rated capacity last year, and Baltimore County Public Schools projects it could reach about 160% by 2035.

The boundary study is considering shifts among Overlea, Loch Raven and Parkville high schools. BCPS facilities director Paul Taylor said building a new high school takes years because the district must secure sufficient funding, making boundary changes an interim measure.

The immediate target is to move 200 to 250 students out of Overlea, said Crystal Mercer, the school’s Parent Teacher Student Association president. Mercer welcomed the district’s effort but said it would not provide all the relief the school needs and that she would continue advocating for faster action. She also described the strain on staff, saying teachers are working to support students while feeling exhausted.

The committee, which includes principals, parents and school staff, may meet as many as six times before sending a recommendation to the Board of Education. Members are expected to develop additional options and narrow them before presenting proposals at a public information session, Taylor said.

That session is scheduled for Nov. 18 at Nottingham Middle School. BCPS is accepting public comments for the committee through Jan. 13.