▁ 1 0 - 1 2 ▁" sen ior ▁high ▁school " ▁to ▁a ▁gr ades ▁ 9 - 1 2 ▁" high ▁school " ▁configuration ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁ ▁The ▁new ▁building ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 9 0 s , ▁North western ▁was ▁beginning ▁to ▁show ▁its ▁age . ▁A ▁plan ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁structure ▁with ▁a ▁brand ▁new ▁$ 4 5 ▁million ▁facility ▁was ▁proposed . ▁Prince ▁George ' s ▁County ▁Public ▁School s ▁contract ed ▁the ▁SH W ▁Group ▁L LP ▁to ▁design ▁and ▁build ▁the ▁new ▁school . ▁Const ruction ▁began ▁in ▁late ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁with ▁the ▁new ▁facility ▁located ▁directly ▁behind ▁the ▁old ▁building . ▁Stud ents ▁attended ▁classes ▁in ▁the ▁old ▁building ▁while ▁construction ▁took ▁place ▁only ▁yards ▁away . ▁The ▁new ▁school ▁was ▁phys ically ▁connected ▁to ▁the ▁old ▁building ▁at ▁the ▁rear ▁( stage ▁area ) ▁of ▁the ▁aud itor ium . ▁The ▁new ▁building ▁officially ▁opened ▁to ▁students ▁and ▁staff ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁just ▁in ▁time ▁for ▁the ▁school ▁year . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁new ▁high ▁school ▁constructed ▁in ▁Prince ▁George ' s ▁County ▁since ▁Ele an or ▁Ro ose vel t ▁High ▁School ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 . ▁ ▁While ▁it ▁took ▁two ▁years ▁to ▁construct ▁the ▁new ▁facility , ▁the ▁building ▁was ▁not ▁actually ▁fully ▁finished ▁until ▁mid way ▁through ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 - 0 2