School construction costs have been on the rise across the State of Maryland, a trend that has been a major concern to county governments. At this year’s MACo Conference, you can hear an update on school construction directly from the Chair of the 21st Century School Facilities Commission, Martin Knott, and MACo’s representative to the Commission, Jan Gardner, about their work on this issue.
This past year, MACo sought strong and smart funding for school construction as a top legislative initiative. MACo represented the interests of counties seeking to expand their school facility capacity for more students, and those in need of funding to update aging infrastructure. For 2017, counties received continued support for school construction in the State budget and are participating in discussions regarding how to make the most effective use of school construction funding.
Following the General Assembly’s Session, MACo Board Member Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner was appointed to represent county governments on 21st Century School Facilities Commission, the first major review of school construction since the 2004 Task Force to Study Public School Facilities.
At this year’s MACo summer conference, attendees will have an opportunity to hear from the Commission prior to the release of their report in our Saturday morning Education General Session.
Here are more details:
Title: To Boldly Go. . . Toward Better Modern Schools
Description: This year, the Presiding Officers of the Maryland General Assembly formed a Commission to review the State’s school construction policies and make recommendations for more efficient and effective school construction practices into the future. This is the first major review of school construction since the 2004 Task Force to Study Public School Facilities, and it comes in the wake of dramatic cost increases in school construction. In this Session, attendees will hear an update on the 2016 21st Century School Facilities Commission from the Commission Chair, Martin Knott, President of Knott Mechanical, and MACo’s Commission Representative, Jan Gardner, County Executive, Frederick County prior to the release of the Commission’s report in December.
Speakers:
- Martin Knott, Chair, 21st Century School Facilities Commission
- Jan Gardner, Member, 21st Century School Facilities Commission and County Executive, Frederick County
Date/Time: Saturday, August 20, 2016; 9:30 am – 11:00 am
Learn more about MACo’s Summer Conference:
- Registration Brochure – with full schedule and session descriptions
