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.

[17] Prior to 2001 the school building became infested with insects and rats, prompting PGCPS officials to make its replacement a priority.

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.

Due to the desegregation of public schools nationwide in 1954 and, later, the changing population of Prince George's County[23] overall, student enrollment is now 49% African-American and 49% Hispanic/Latino.

[24] Bladensburg High School offers programs of study in biomedicine, culinary arts, cosmetology, agriculture, and nursing.