ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Gov. Larry Hogan recently announced an initiative to make a historic investment in school construction projects across the state. Gov. Hogan unveiled plans for a Building Opportunity Fund and will submit legislation during the 2019 session of the Maryland General Assembly to provide $1.9 billion in new school construction funding over five years. This proposed new funding is in addition to the $1.6 billion in public school construction funding currently included in the state’s five-year Capital Improvement Program, bringing the total proposed state investment to more than $3.5 billion over five years.

“Education has always been our administration’s top priority and today’s announcement represents the largest investment in school construction – ever – in Maryland history,” said Gov. Hogan. “I believe very strongly that every single child in Maryland deserves access to a world-class education regardless of what neighborhood they happen to grow up in, and an important part of that is making sure that all of our students are educated in facilities that are modern, safe, and efficient which provide them with an environment that encourages growth and learning.”

The new funding will come from revenue bonds funded by casino gaming revenues. The ballot referendum was approved by nearly 90 percent of Maryland voters in the November election, and will result in an additional $4.4 billion in school funding. The referendum specifies “public school construction and public school capital improvement” as one of the targeted uses for this additional funding.

Gov. Hogan will submit the Building Opportunity Act early in the 2019 legislative session, which will provide funding to cover more than 90 percent of the projects requested by local school systems from 2020 to 2024 if enacted. The legislation will give the Maryland Stadium Authority oversight of these additional school construction funds and include accountability measures.

The new construction projects are estimated to create more than 27,000 new jobs over the five-year construction period.

The Building Opportunity Act will be closely modeled after the 21st Century School Buildings Program currently underway in Baltimore City, that is aimed at providing students with the healthy, efficient, and modern school buildings.

The post Building Fund to Initiate $3.5 Billion in Maryland School Construction appeared first on School Construction News.

BALTIMORE — State Democratic Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. revealed a new proposal on June 12 to use $5 billion of lottery revenue to fund Maryland’s largest school districts for construction projects, making him the first gubernatorial candidate to address this issue in depth.

The plan, known as the BEACONS Act (Building Educational Achievement through Construction Of New Schools), focuses on the extensive backlogs of crucial construction projects needed in Maryland’s densely populated school districts. Madaleno Jr. claims this proposal is a long time coming — emphasizing the aging facilities and outdated education programs across school districts, according to the Washington Post.

The proposal would extend its aid to jurisdictions with more than 75,000 students, which grants Montgomery, Prince George’s, Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties, as well as Baltimore City, qualification to receive funding.

Madaleno Jr. co-sponsored a bill in 2013 that funded a similar construction plan for Baltimore City public schools and said $1 billion from that bill is currently rebuilding 26 Baltimore schools, pushing the program as “a model for the other jurisdictions of the state.”

One critic of the new plan said the spare funds should be stretched across all school districts, not only the largest. While Madaleno Jr.’s Democratic opponents haven’t unveiled their education infrastructure plans, many have endorsed similar funding and have been outspoken on other education issues. This topic of education emerges as a dominant issue in the gubernatorial race, as Democratic candidates have taken aim at current Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. A Washington ­Post-University of Maryland poll from June 6 found that 40 percent of likely voters disapprove of the way Gov. Hogan has handled education, while 43 percent approve.

In a 10-point education plan, Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III said he would raise state spending on school infrastructure and renovate or replace schools that are over 50 years old.

Baltimore lawyer James L. Shea said in a statement that Madaleno Jr.’s plan was “a good idea,” but also concluded that funds should not only be limited to the state’s five largest school districts, saying that kids everywhere deserve to learn in 21^st century schools.

The post Maryland Senator Proposes Lottery Revenue for School Construction appeared first on School Construction News.

According to the Maryland State Department of Education, there is an estimated $23.3 billion in statewide school construction needed through year 2023 and educators want that to be for up-to-date, efficient and innovative spaces, according to the Associated Press.

“Facilities are one thing — we need them. I don’t see us educating in cornfields. They’re just as important as the programs taught,” said Martin G. Knott Jr., chair of the 21st Century School Facilities Commission, which was formed to help alleviate overcrowding in Maryland schools.

The main goal is to alleviate overcrowding and repair antiquated buildings, thus ending an over reliance on portable classrooms. Lawmakers are also keen to invest in modern construction methods.

To address the issues, Maryland Sen. Jim Rosapepe, D-Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties, proposed a revision of an earlier bill, the Maryland Overcrowding Reduction Act of 2018, which the legislation did not pass last spring. The lawmaker explained to the commission that the $23.3 billion construction estimate — though unaffordable — in not insurmountable. He believes that all 24 jurisdictions in the state should have the ability to build and repair schools at lower costs if the average cost per student was reduced.

Presently, the Maryland Department of Legislative Services, which provides nonpartisan staff support to the Maryland General Assembly as well as other resources regarding public policy issues and the state budget, reports that the average cost for a new public school is $46,000 per student. However, due to changing construction costs in the state, recent estimates per student ranged from $19,000 all the way to $87,000 per student.

Despite the extreme range in costs, Rosapepe contends savings could be achieved by striking services like computer labs from school budgets since students often have their own devices. Rosapepe, however, did not address the possibility that underprivileged students may not have access to such devices and may rely on the computer labs he earmarked for cuts. Regardless, he suggested that removing an entire room (and presumably the technology in it) is one way that schools can be more cost-effective.

The commission also explored how existing structures could be retrofitted as a means of conserving cash and pointed to a former Coca Cola Bottling Plant that is now Baltimore’s Monarch Academy with 990 students on its roster. In addition, the proposed, revised Maryland Overcrowding Reduction Act of 2018 would not require local school systems and governments to opt into lawmakers’ recommendations, including conducting statewide facility assessments as well as streamlining the review process for projects.

Meanwhile, Maryland’s Board of Public Works recently approved $426 million for the construction and rehabilitation of Baltimore City public schools as part of a 21st Century Schools project.

The post Maryland Public School Construction Mulls Funding Options appeared first on School Construction News.