MACo submitted written testimony in support of Senate Bill 515, “Career and Technology Education and Workforce Investment Act”, to the House Appropriations and Ways and Means Committees.
This bill would established a grant program for career and technology education facilities, while also repealing certain spending mandates on scholarships by making them optional. Local jurisdictions would have to match the State input of the grant allotted by the governor up to $2 million. This affords counties more flexibility and allows them to address growth and facility concerns in different ways.
From MACo Testimony:
Maryland counties partner with the State on school construction funding. With more than 50% construction cost increases over the past five years, however, it has been difficult for counties and the State to keep pace with school construction needs. The State’s school facilities are an average age of 29 years, yet must support educational goals of the 21st Century – including providing training for fast-paced technology fields.
According to the Department of Legislative Services, there is no state grant program specifically for the capital equipping of schools with career and technology education programs. This program will fill a niche in the State’s school construction investments and support a growth trajectory of Maryland’s education system.”
For more on this and other legislation, follow MACo’s advocacy efforts during the 2018 legislative session here.
