A MCPS map shows which high school clusters are currently above their buildings' capacities. (click to expand)
In 2013, Baltimore legislators scored a big win in the General Assembly. That year they successfully pushed through legislation that required the state to contribute $20 million each year to the city for the next 30 years.
The state funds, coupled with contributions from the city and its school system, has allowed Baltimore to pursue a $1.1 billion long-term plan to rebuild its public schools.
Ever since the passage of that bill, Montgomery County’s representatives have eyed the legislation, in hopes they can secure something similar for the county, where burgeoning enrollment is creating overcrowded schools.
A video recorded by the Parents’ Coalition of Montgomery County in November showed legislators discussing the Baltimore deal with school leaders. In the video, District 16 Del. Ariana Kelly said “we sound like jealous babies, because Baltimore had more, better political timing than us…” and Sen. Richard Madaleno, Jr., who represents District 18, jokingly said, “I wish when Baltimore city was coming up with their plan, somebody had videotaped their strategy sessions.”
Now Montgomery County state legislators are pursuing legislation very similar to what Baltimore’s legislators had proposed. This afternoon, a hearing will be held on a proposed bill that would require the state to contribute $20 million in funds from state lottery revenues to Montgomery County each year for up to 20 years. The amount would be matched by the county and enable officials to draw bonds that could provide between $1 billion to $1.2 billion in funds for planned school construction projects, according to the legislation.
The bill is sponsored by Montgomery County state Sens. Nancy King, Madaleno, Brian Feldman, Cheryl Kagan, Susan Lee, Roger Manno, Jamie Raskin as well as Baltimore County state Senator James Brochin.
Montgomery County Public School officials released a supporting document to the legislation titled “Build Schools Now” that detailed the district’s needs. It says that 54 projects could begin construction within the next three to five years if the funds were available. These projects include additions to Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, Ashburton Elementary School and Kensington Parkwood Elementary School; as well as a new elementary school for the Richard Montgomery High School cluster and a new Bethesda-Chevy Chase Middle School.
Constructing new schools and adding onto existing buildings would enable the school system to handle its enrollment growth, which is currently estimated to increase by 11,419 students by the 2020-2021 school year, according to the document. MCPS is the largest school system in the state with an enrollment of 152,334. Prince George’s County is second with 121,952.
“MCPS is in a constant state of ‘catch-up’ to build enough permanent seats for the growing student population,” school officials wrote in the document. “For the 2014-2015 school year, approximately 9,300 students are taking classes in 404 relocatable classrooms.”
MCPS spokesman Dana Tofig said in an email that Board of Education President Patricia O’Neill and interim Superintendent Larry Bowers will testify today in favor of the bill, which is scheduled for a 1 p.m. hearing in Annapolis.
The proposed legislation represents a shift in the county’s plan to obtain funds for school construction. Last year, the county’s state representatives teamed up with legislators from Prince George’s and Baltimore counties in an unsuccessful attempt to secure a funding mechanism similar to that of Baltimore.
The question is whether legislators can garner the significant political support necessary to pass legislation that appears only to directly benefit Montgomery in a tempestuous political climate in which money is tight. The county is already looking at reduced state funding, given that Gov. Larry Hogan proposed a budget in January that could cut nearly $17 million in supplemental state education funding for county public schools.
