MGT of America, the company charged with conducting the new school facilities study for Anne Arundel County Public Schools and the Anne Arundel County Government, will host two public meetings later this month to provide an opportunity for county residents to voice their feelings about how the county should proceed in eradicating its infrastructure backlog and undertake school construction or renovation projects.
Meetings will be held from:
- 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, at Annapolis High School
- 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, at Old Mill High School
At the meetings, MGT officials will provide an overview of the study, answer questions about the process the company is using, and facilitate small-group breakout sessions during which residents can discuss their opinions about how to prioritize future school renovation and construction activities.
The $313,667 contract between MGT of America and the County signed last month will develop a new blueprint for renovation and construction over the coming decade. It calls for work to be performed and a report submitted in time to shape decisions for the Fiscal Year 2017 capital budget, which will be presented to the Board of Education in September. The County, using funding that the County Council set aside for this purpose two years ago, executed the agreement in order to expedite the process.
MGT, which conducted the 2006 study on which the last decade of school construction projects has been based, will utilize some of the historical documentation it has on hand from that effort as well as new information gleaned from this initiative.
As part of the process, MGT will:
- review the current and future facility implications of the educational programs delivered by the district, including an examination of class and school size (inclusive of small school models) in relation to peer districts and best practices.
- update the household yield rates used in the district’s enrollment projections.
- refine the district’s facility capacity ratings and enrollment projections to develop utilization rates by school and determine the need for new schools or additions to existing schools.
- assess building and site condition, technology readiness, and educational suitability of existing facilities through site visits to each school.
- gather public and stakeholder input by conducting public meetings, an online survey, and interviews with county and school system leadership.
- identify budget implications for short-term and long-term recommendations.
The timeline calls for a final report to the Board of Education due in August.