 By the time it was considered for co-use by the BFA, Lombard Middle School was under capacity, with some sections empty.Built beginning in 1960, with a formal dedication in April 1963, the school complex, built by Piracci Construction Company for $2.7 million (), was designed with a maximum capacity of 2,400 students.In 2005 it had been one of six Baltimore schools that were identified as "persistently dangerous" by the state school board under No Child Left Behind Act reporting requirements.