The Board of Education of Anne Arundel County will get its first look at the results of the updated study of school system facilities across the county at its next meeting, scheduled for September 2, 2015.
The updated Strategic Facilities Utilization Master Plan will serve as the new blueprint for renovation, construction, and facilities utilization over the coming decade. It was developed by MGT of America, Inc., the same company that produced the school system’s 2006 study.
The report, commissioned by Anne Arundel County Public Schools and the Anne Arundel County Government, will make recommendations regarding the prioritization of school construction projects across the county. It will also offer recommendations about ideal school sizes and about redistricting to alleviate overcrowding in some schools.
The results of the report will be incorporated into Superintendent George Arlotto’s recommended Fiscal Year 2017 capital budget and six-year plan, to be presented to the Board later in the same meeting.
MGT utilized some of the historical documentation it has on hand from the 2006 effort as well as new information gathered from meetings with residents, community leaders, school system employees, county and state government officials, and elected officials from around the county in the formulation of the report.
As part of the process, MGT:
- reviewed 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.
- updated the household yield rates used in the district’s enrollment projections.
- refined 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.
- assessed building and site condition, technology readiness, and educational suitability of existing facilities through site visits to each school.
- gathered public and stakeholder input by conducting public meetings, an online survey, and interviews with county and school system leadership.
- identified budgets for short-term and long-term recommendations.
The Board will meet on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. to vote to go into closed session, during which time it will discuss confidential matters as permitted by the Maryland Open Meetings Act including, but not limited to, legal advice, personnel, and negotiations. Closed session is not open to the public. The general session of the meeting, which is open to the public, will begin at 10 a.m.
A complete agenda for the meeting accompanies this news release. More information on agenda items will be posted on the AACPS website in the Board Docs section under the Board of Education tab.
The general session of Wednesday’s Board meeting will be broadcast live on AACPS-TV, which can be found on Channel 96 on Comcast and Broadstripe, and Channel 36 on Verizon. High definition broadcasts can be seen on Channel 996 on Comcast and Channel 496 on Broadstripe. Rebroadcasts are scheduled for 7:00 p.m. the day after the meeting and 2:00 p.m. on subsequent Sundays.
The meeting can also be viewed live on the Internet here.
Archived videos of Board meetings can be found online here.