In Maryland, counties and the State government share responsibility for building new schools. Strong and smart school construction funding is a MACo 2018 legislative priority.

The State’s commitment to school construction funding needs to remain strong and smart – to best serve the modern needs of our schoolchildren, educators, and communities.

County governments share responsibility for financing K-12 school construction with the State, whose funding depends on statutory formulas and regulations.

The Governor’s FY 2019 budget includes details on its capital funding for school construction facilities.

As described in the Budget Highlights for School Construction:

At the governor’s specific direction, the administration is making the largest investment in school construction in the past decade. School construction projects total $365 million, accounting for more than one-third of FY 2019 general obligation bond funding:

• $314 million for the traditional public school construction program,
• $40 million for supplemental funding for districts with high enrollment growth or relocatable classrooms,
• $7.6 million for the Aging Schools Program, and
• $3.5 million for improvements to non-public school facilities.
• $1.4 billion in school construction funding has been authorized during the Hogan administration.

The budget also includes $20 million to meet the state’s annual commitment to the multiyear Baltimore City School revitalization and reconstruction program.

The State Senate begins the budget consideration process this year. For the capital budget, the Budget and Taxation Committee’s Subcommittee on Capital Budget has scheduled a briefing.

Details for the Capital Fiscal Briefing:

• Tuesday February 6, 2018, 3:00 P.M.
• 3 West, Miller Office Building
• 11 Bladen St, Annapolis, MD 21401
• Watch live from the General Assembly’s website on the day of the hearing (links bottom right hand corner)