About
8500 Ridgleys Run Road, Jessup, MD 20794
410-313-7430
General Email: GPHS@hcpss.org
Attendance Email: GPHSAbsence@hcpss.org (parents/guardians should send from their email address)
Quick Facts and Features
Guilford Park High School is located at 8500 Ridgely’s Run Road in Jessup, MD, and is the fourth adaptation of the current prototype high school design. Marriotts Ridge, Reservoir and Long Reach High Schools share the same design.
School Colors: Green and Blue
School Mascot: Panther
Total Capacity: 1,650 students in grades 9-12 (GPHS will open in the 22-23 school year with only Grades 9 & 10)
Cafeteria capacity: 1,097
Our campus is across 42 acres, 289,161 gross square feet. Our building includes 40 general classrooms, including 10 flexible Science classrooms and three teaching spaces for Technology Education. We have 579 parking spaces for cars and 33 bus parking spaces.
Social Media
Twitter (@PrincipalWaz)
Instagram (@principalwaz)
Meet the Administrators
Josh Wasilewski, Principal
Principal Josh Wasilewski has been with the Howard County Public School system for 21 years, having served as a teacher at Mayfield Woods Middle School, Assistant Principal at Patuxent Valley and Wilde Lake middle schools, and Principal at Murray Hill Middle School and Long Reach High School before being named Principal of Guilford Park High School in July 2022.
Wasilewski has a commitment and passion to provide all students with the opportunities, resources, and skills needed to excel in a dynamic world. Critical to this vision is creating a culture centered on equity, cultural responsiveness, high quality instruction and engagement of all members of our school community.
Principal Wasilewski was named HCPSS Principal of the Year in 2019.
Samantha Filipiak, Assistant Principal
Ms. Filipiak has served as an English teacher, 9th Grade Instructional Team Leader, and Yearbook Advisor at Hammond High School for the past 14 years. She is passionate about engaging with students and empowering them to recognize their potential and achieve their goals. While at Hammond, she developed programs for students to focus on college and career readiness, served as a class sponsor, and was named the Class of 2022 Senior Teacher of the Year. Ms. Filipiak is currently working on her doctoral dissertation to earn her Ph.D. from Towson University in Instructional Technology. Ms. Filipiak is incredibly excited to meet and support the new students, staff, and families at GPHS.
Sonya Sutton, Assistant Principal
Ms. Sutton is the new Acting Assistant Principal at Guilford Park. Serving as the Instructional Team Leader in Student Services at Wilde Lake High School over the past few years, Ms. Sutton is a veteran educator with 18 years of dedicated service, first as a secondary mathematics educator and then as a high school counselor. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from Berry College, a Master of Science degree in Counseling from Johns Hopkins University, an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in Curriculum and Instruction and certification in Administration and Supervision from George Washington University. She is excited for the opportunity to bring her expertise and experience to serve the students, families, and staff at Guilford Park High School.
Mike Lerner, Athletics and Activities Manager
Coach Lerner has been with HCPSS for 28 years, the last 11 as the Athletic Director at Hammond High School. Prior to becoming the Athletic Director at Hammond High School, Coach Lerner taught Social Studies and coached baseball and golf. Coach Lerner has dedicated his professional life to providing the best atmosphere for learning and growth through sports for the student-athletes of Howard County. He is committed to making sure every student athlete has the opportunity to reach their potential on the field, court, or mat and in the classroom. Coach Lerner's commitment to the students and community he serves has been recognized throughout his years of service as he has been awarded Teach of the Year, Athletic Administrator of the Year (2x), and Coach of the Year (3x).
Environmental Features
The school is set to achieve a minimum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) ‘Silver’ designation, making it an HCPSS “Green School.” A “Green” school is a building designed to conserve energy, water and materials, thus reducing negative impacts on human health and the environment.
Roof mounted solar photovoltaic panels will generate electricity and reduce the amount of power needed from the power company by 18%.
Rainwater will leave the site at the same rate as before the site was developed. Native plant species will be planted around the school so that irrigation is not required. Underground cisterns will gather the rainwater to reduce the rate of run-off and can also be used to irrigate the sports fields. Micro-bioretention areas have been built throughout the site to filter the impurities from the stormwater before it enters the local waterways.
LED lighting fixtures will be provided throughout the school—including the Stadium—and will include cut-off lights to reduce unwanted glare to the neighboring homes.
Dedicated recycling areas have been designed throughout both the exterior and interior of the school grounds to support the school’s recycling program.
All materials used to create this high school have been selected for their sustainability features. The paint and adhesives are low VOC which contributes to better indoor air quality. In addition, many of the building finishes, such as the flooring, paint, insulation, doors, windows, and cabinetry are locally sourced and made of recycled materials.
Athletic Facilities
Main gymnasium capacity: 2,139 people
Bleachers will accommodate 1,180 spectators
Auxiliary gym capacity: 737 people
Stadium capacity: 3,517 seats, making it the largest stadium in the County
Five acres of natural turf sports fields, including Softball, Baseball, Field Hockey, and multi-purpose fields. The Stadium includes track facilities and an artificial turf field. Additionally, the campus has six asphalt tennis courts and two and a half asphalt basketball courts.
Sports facilities include two gyms, a wrestling room and a fitness room with associated team and locker rooms.
News About Guilford Park High School
Inside HCPSS Podcast - Episode 2 - Opening a New School
HCPSS High School #13 is Now Guilford Park High School
Guilford Park High School is Howard County’s Newest High School
Staff Focus: Josh Wasilewski, Principal, New High School #13 November 28, 2022
Survey for Naming of High School #13 October 4, 2022
HCPSS Board of Education Selects Mission Road Site for High School #13 March 9, 2018
Community Superintendent
With a focus on instruction as a birth-through-graduation continuum, Community Superintendents better position the school system to support students throughout their entire journey with HCPSS. View community superintendents by regional area.
Community Superintendent Area 1: Patrick Saunderson
Board of Education Representative
Howard County public schools are divided into school clusters, which are assigned to individual Board members to facilitate school visitations, attend special events, and provide a point of contact for each school community. View all BOE school cluster assignments.
GPHS BOE Representative: Jolene Mosley