313 Wayne Avenue
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

Silver Spring International Middle School's (SSIMS) original building was constructed in 1934. Additional buildings were added to the site in 1936, 1940, 1949, and 1951. These buildings were connected with additions in 1953, 1959, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1985, and 1999. The existing building, housing SSIMS and Silver Creek Elementary School, is approximately 251,530 gross square feet. The middle school portion of the building is 173,205 gross square feet, while the elementary portion of the school is 98,799 gross square feet.

Previous projections indicated that enrollment at SSIMS would exceed capacity by more than 150 seats throughout the 6-year planning period. Based on these projections, an addition project was approved to address the enrollment growth, as well as to provide new gymnasiums and locker rooms. The physical education facilities are located in a separate building, down a steep hill, which affects the accessibility and administration of the physical education program at the school. Also, the construction of the Purple Line will affect the school site and outdoor programmatic spaces that need to be addressed.

Sligo Creek Elementary School and Silver Spring International Middle School are co-located in the same facility, and the elementary school utilizes classroom space in the middle school facility. To improve circulation in the middle school and access to the elementary school, the project included an addition to Sligo Creek Elementary School. To address these needs, an FY 2020 appropriation for construction funds was approved for this project. The scheduled completion date was August 2022.

As a result of the complexities of the addition project and a decrease in enrollment at the middle school, the Board of Education, as part of the amended FY 2021–2026 CIP, requested a reduction in the expenditures that reduced the scope of the project. The County Council approved the Board of Education’s request related to this project. MCPS staff has worked with the school and community to identify the new scope for this project. Due to fiscal constraints, the County Council, in the adopted FY2023-2028 CIP, delayed this project one year. An FY 2024 appropriation was approved for construction cost increases. The project is scheduled for completion in August 2025. FY 2025-FY2030 Capital Improvements Program, chapter 4 pages 24-25

• Winter 2023-24 Site Circulation Silver Spring International MS and Sligo Creek ES
• Find more information on the Purple Line website