Major changes are coming to public schools in the Brandywine and Baden communities as Prince George’s County Public Schools moves forward with construction of the new Brandywine Area 3–8 Academy.
The new school is being constructed at the Gwynn Park Middle School site at 8000 Dyson Road in Brandywine. The approximately 197,976-square-foot facility is designed for 1,544 students in grades 3 through 8. The project has an estimated $144 million budget, with MCN Build serving as general contractor/project manager and Perkins Eastman as architect.
What happens to Brandywine Elementary, Baden Elementary and Gwynn Park Middle?
Under the approved Brandywine Area reorganization plan, beginning with the 2027–2028 school year:
Students in grades 3–5 from the current Brandywine Elementary and Baden Elementary attendance areas will attend the new Brandywine Area Academy.
Students in grades 6–8 currently assigned to Gwynn Park Middle School will attend the new Academy.
Brandywine Elementary School will become an Early Learning Campus serving Pre-K through Grade 2.
The existing Gwynn Park Middle School will close and be demolished after the new facility is completed.
Earlier PGCPS communications described the project as combining Brandywine Elementary, Baden Elementary and Gwynn Park Middle under one school umbrella. The newer reorganization plan provides the more specific grade configuration above.
What about Baden Elementary?
This is one of the most significant changes for families in the Baden area. The reorganization plan moves the grades 3–5 population from Baden’s attendance area to the new Academy beginning in 2027–28. PGCPS has also temporarily directed kindergarten students from the Brandywine Elementary attendance area to Baden Elementary during the 2025–26 and 2026–27 school years.
What will the new Academy have?
Plans call for specialized science, art and music classrooms, flexible learning areas, a modern media center, full-size gymnasium, separate elementary and middle-school wings, outdoor learning areas, age-appropriate play areas and athletic fields. PGCPS says construction is currently underway and lists estimated completion as 2027.
The project is part of PGCPS Blueprint Schools Phase II, a public-private partnership program constructing eight new school facilities.
Construction is well underway
PGCPS’s 2026 project reporting shows substantial work already completed or underway, including site grading, foundations, underground mechanical/electrical/plumbing work, structural steel, roofing components and geothermal well drilling.
Another issue residents should watch is the final name of the new school. PGCPS announced that a naming committee for the new Brandywine Academy is being formed, with parents, students, staff and local residents participating in the process during fall 2026.
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