Facing what has been described as a “severe backlog” of major construction projects, Montgomery County’s school system is awaiting more information on a plan announced Tuesday by the governor to funnel an additional $1.9 billion into school construction projects across the state over the next five years.
“The devil is always in the details,” said Jeanette Dixon, an at-large school board member. “Us getting our fair share of those funds, I hope that will be the case.”
Dixon said addition state dollars could help ease countywide overcrowding issues.
While enrollment growth is increasing at a slower pace, the school system projects enrollment will reach nearly 175,000 students in 2025, up from about 163,000 this year, which will place demands on older schools and the need for expansions, renovations and new buildings.
The school district’s latest Capital Improvements Program budget outlines more than $1.8 billion in project needs over the next five years and the majority of costs are traditionally shared by county and state governments.
Major building and renovation projects at nine county schools were detailed in late November amendments to the school system’s $281 million capital budget for 2020 and CIP amendments for 2019 through 2024. They include security upgrades, as well as an expansion at Northwood High School and additions at three elementary schools – Highland View, Lake Seneca and Thurgood Marshall.
The county school system is asking the state for $113 million in project funding in fiscal 2020, which starts next summer, according to the proposal.
Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican who was elected to a second term in November, announced on Tuesday he plans to introduce legislation next month to create the new fund after voters approved a constitutional amendment last month to dedicate billions of dollars from casino tax revenue to bolster education funding.
The projects selected for funding will be determined through the existing process, where local school systems make requests and the Interagency Commission on School Construction determines which requests can be accommodated, according to Angela Berard, press secretary for the governor’s office.
Under the Building Opportunity Act, more than 90 percent of projects requested by school systems from 2020 to 2024 would be partially funded through the state, a period in which the Montgomery school system has dozens of projects included in its 2019-2024 capital improvements program.
Last year, the school system received approximately $60 million from the state to fund capital projects.
Hogan’s office estimated the construction projects would create as many as 27,000 jobs statewide over five years.
“Every single child in Maryland deserves access to a world-class education regardless of what neighborhood they happen to grow up in,” Hogan said in a statement. “An important part of that is making sure that all of our students are educated in facilities that are modern, safe and efficient.”
