The Board of Education has approved Superintendent Mark Bedell’s recommended $198.5 million FY2024 capital budget, a plan that contains construction funding for five major school projects.
The plan, first presented to the Board on September 7, 2022, was adopted without change at the Board’s September 21, 2022, meeting. It contains $132.4 million for major capital projects that include construction at the following schools, in priority order:
- West County Elementary School construction, $12.6 million
- Old Mill Middle School South construction, $37.3 million
- Center of Applied Technology – North construction, $58.4 million
- Old Mill Middle School North design/construction, $11.4 million
- Old Mill High School design/construction, $12.7 million
The Old Mill High School request is for a new facility on the school’s current Patriot Lane site and separate from the construction of Old Mill High School West, which is being built on the former Papa John’s Farm in Severn.
The plan also contains $37.0 million for building systems renovations, $7.0 million to continue to reduce the maintenance backlog, and $4.0 million for classroom additions. Also included is $3.5 million for athletic stadium improvements, a $3.0 million request for roof replacement projects, and $2.0 million for security related upgrades.
As it does each year, the Board also approved a six-year Capital Improvement Plan which allocates requested funding for projects through FY2029.
The plan will now be submitted to the State of Maryland for funding consideration. It will also be part of the school system’s overall FY2024 budget request, to be forwarded to the County Executive in February 2023 after the Board holds additional public hearings. The County Council will review that plan and adopt a final capital budget for the school system by June 2023.
Dr. Bedell’s complete FY2024 capital budget recommendation can be found here.