In 1950 a permanent building was constructed,[16] in phases. Beginning in the 1980s the district made plans to renovate or replace the building, but delays occurred as PGCPS resources were devoted to schools that needed to be built or ones that had more serious problems in their facilities. In 1999 PGCPS decided that Bladensburg High would get a new building instead of a renovation.[17] Prior to 2001 the school building became infested with insects and rats, prompting PGCPS officials to make its replacement a priority.[18]
The $45 million project was scheduled to begin in January 2001 and was originally to last until circa 2003. In 2000 officials were looking for a campus to temporarily house the students. The first plan was to send the students to the former Northwestern High School building, but the Hyattsville city council disapproved of this as it felt the Bladensburg students would be too close to the Northwestern students, already occupying the current school building. The second choice was a building in Bowie, but around 100 Bowie residents protested against this plan in a city hall meeting;[19] Several Bowie city council members stated that the controversy gave Bowie a negative image.[20]
Bladensburg High was temporarily relocated to the Belair Annex in Bowie, a former school building that was used by PGCPS to house excess students from other schools;[21] Bowie residents hoped to use the annex to relieve area schools that had excess students.[22] By 2002 the district planned to install 18 trailers at Belair to house additional students.[21] The trailers were later 22, then 38. The opening of the new Bladensburg High was pushed back from 2004 to 2005, and the swelling student population that was far larger than the capacity of the original school necessitated additional construction, eroding the patience of the residents of surrounding Bowie neighborhoods who felt impacted by the additional buildings and traffic. In addition Bladensburg students wished for the new campus to be complete as they perceived the temporary facilities to be inadequate.[18] The new Bladensburg High opened in August 2005.[16]
In April 2011, Bladensburg High School won three first-place awards, placing the schools in Bladensburg as the number-one contender in Communication, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
In 2011, Bladensburg High School appeared in several media showcases for its work with the DREAM Act; Communication, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math awards; Secondary School Reform courses; Nobel LaureateWilliam Daniel Phillips' physics presentation at the school; and winning the Grammy Foundation Award for Excellence in Music.
