The main building in which Perry Hall Middle School is housed was constructed in 1962-63 and originally planned as a junior high; however, when it opened in 1963, it opened as a senior high school. This was due to the need for classrooms for senior high students until a new high school could be built. In that first year, the school consisted of tenth and eleventh grades only, although some fourth grade classes were held here to relieve the overcrowding at Perry Hall Elementary School.

Perry Hall Middle School opened its doors as a junior high school in Baltimore County, Maryland in September of 1967. At that time, it was more or less a "country school" surrounded by truck farms and large expanses of rolling green hills. Few would have predicted then that it would become one of the largest middle schools in Baltimore County, surrounded by shopping malls, apartment communities, townhouses, and single-family homes. Today, we are proud of the fact that along with our increasing size and diversity has come commensurate success for our students. Our school report card indicates that we remain one of the top-performing middle schools in Baltimore County and the State of Maryland. Even as we grow and change, we preserve our tradition of excellence.

One has only to look at our $8.4 million addition, completed in 1995, to see how the physical structure of our school has changed. We carefully planned our new, expanded facility to create smaller, student-centered learning environments, and we are very pleased with the results. Now, our grade level "house" plan allows our sixth, seventh, and eighth graders to occupy separate areas of the building with administrators and guidance counselors in each area. Our large student population has been an advantage in enabling us to initiate block scheduling which allows for only one grade level at a time in the special subject areas of the building. This schedule further supports our " schools within a school" plan. As a result of these changes, we are able to meet the social and emotional needs of our students in different grade levels more successfully. We can maintain the youthful excitement and innocence of our sixth graders while providing a more mature environment for our seventh and eighth graders. Our renovated facilities also enable us to offer accessibility to our students with disabilities. Permanent ramps, an elevator, accessible drinking fountains and lavatories, and a special locker room and accessible stage in our meeting room ensures that our entire facility now meets the codes delineated for public access. Our efforts to meet the needs of all of our students have been recognized in the community where we have been cited in a recent newspaper article for making "mega-middle schools" manageable.

It is also through our extremely supportive and organized parents and community members, many who attended Perry Hall Middle School themselves, that we are able to provide the sense of a small, nurturing environment to our many students. Parents are working in our school daily, contributing over 3,000 volunteer hours annually. Evening volunteer hours have been added for our many working parents who wish to contribute time to our school. Our PTSA supports our school programs financially with its ample budget. Few schools can share our boast that total membership of the PTSA usually exceeds 100% of student enrollment. Their gifts of time and money are surpassed only by their energy, creativity, and commitment to all of the programs at our school. Our award-winning student recognition program, initiated and sponsored by the PTSA and local businesses, enables us to celebrate the individual achievements of 94 students each month both publicly and personally. While we regularly reward our students for being "Pawsitive Panthers," the mascot of our school, our parents and community members are certainly our most loyal cheerleaders.

Aspiring to academic success is the rule rather than the exception at our school where almost half of our students achieve Honor Roll status. Perry Hall Middle has always ensured that diverse learners are challenged and achieve at high levels, and we constantly seek to improve and refine our programs. Our diverse population includes gifted and talented, standard, academic, at-risk, inclusion, physically challenged, learning disabled, and bilingual students as well as handicapped students who need community-based instruction. Our students also benefit from our outstanding special education team.

One particular feature that makes our school special is the technology that supports our instruction and improves our communication capabilities. Our library boasts a 'lab in the round.". In addition, there are four other computer labs, three of which are available for teacher sign-up. One other lab serves our students in technology education classes. All teachers have computer work stations in their classrooms which are mobile and can be shared with other team members. Telephones in every classroom help teachers communicate with parents and other staff members and also allow them access to our media retrieval system.

Our school colors, suggested by Ron Shoenfleis in 1967, are red and gold. Here is our official Alma Mater, composed by teacher Barbara Pitcock in 1967:

Hail to thee Perry Hall
Our alma mater true
Our loyal hearts will glow with pride
When 'ere we think of you
The lessons you have taught us
Forever shall remain
And when we leave your hallowed hall
We still will speak your name.