center. Education Wilde Lake High School, alma mater of actor (and grandson of Columbia founder James W. Rouse) Edward Norton, is located in the Village of Wilde Lake. Wilde Lake High School was the first high school to open in Columbia in 1971. It was the "first in the country to use individual study 'learning activities packages' for self-paced learning." The school has three stories with skylights, and open hallways that overlook a central hallway nicknamed "Main Street." It is home to The Jim Rouse Theater, which houses performing arts performances for both the school's programs and for organizations throughout Columbia. The school is well known for its performing arts program. The original high school was demolished in 1994 and a new one constructed in time for the 1996–1997 academic year. The former design was oval and two stories, with a windowless doughnut layout with classroom clusters, and a media center located in the center and accessible from the second level. Other schools in the Village of Wilde Lake include Bryant Woods, and Running Brook elementary schools, and Wilde Lake Middle School. Faulkner Ridge Elementary closed in 1983. In 2018, Wilde Lake Middle School became the first net zero school in the state of Maryland. It features multiple solar panels and a geothermal field. Recreation The walking path around the lake is long. References Notes Mitchell, Joseph Rocco and Stebenne, David. New City Upon a Hill:A History of Columbia, Maryland (2007), The History Press, External links Official site Wilde Lake Village Center Columbia, Maryland Reservoirs in Maryland Populated places in Howard County, Maryland Lakes of Howard County, Maryland