Magruder High School Play Moved After Ceiling Debris Falls Midshow

A student musical performance at Col. Zadok Magruder High School is moving to another school after debris from the auditorium ceiling fell during the performance.

Once Upon a Mattress, the high school’s spring musical, now will be featured at Shady Grove Middle School this Friday and Saturday...

School Play Moved After Ceiling Debris Falls Midshow - Montgomery Community Media

WUSA9: Montgomery Co. Public Schools loses out on $39M in funding due to a submission error

The multi-million-dollar loss was due to an error in the Montgomery County Public Schools submission for aid in the Charles W. Woodward Project.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — Montgomery County Public Schools has lost more than $39 million in funding due to a submission error, according to a letter from Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor.

The 288-page letter outlines a recommended capital budget for Fiscal Year 2026 and includes suggestions on how the district can make up for the huge loss in state aid...

...Janis Sartucci, a member of Parents’ Coalition of Montgomery County wants to know how an almost 40-million-dollar mistake slipped through the cracks.

“There are multiple steps and lots of people involved in approving these construction contracts. This isn’t just someone making a minor error. And, who suffers? The community, schools, this 17 million could be going to other needs in our system.” Sartucci, said...

MCPS loses out on $39M in funding due to a submission error | wusa9.com

Parents, students alarmed by plan to postpone construction of auditoriums at new Woodward, Crown high schools

School board cites budget shortfalls, supply chain disruptions as reasons for the delays

Parents and students in the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) communities that would likely feed into the new Charles C. Woodward and Crown high schools are concerned by a school board decision Tuesday to delay the construction of auditoriums at the schools until after they open.

The Montgomery County Board of Education approved changes to the project scope of the reopening of Woodward in Rockville and the construction of the new Crown High School in Gaithersburg, adding an additional phase to construct auditoriums for both projects. Officials did not say when they plan for the auditoriums to be completed...

https://moco360.media/2024/03/22/parents-students-alarmed-by-plan-to-postpone-construction-of-auditoriums-at-new-woodward-crown-high-schools/

School board says building projects still a priority as enrollment tails off

 https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/school-board-says-building-projects-still-a-priority-as-enrollment-tails-off/

The Universities at Shady Grove has only 2,000 Undergraduate Students

https://shadygrove.umd.edu/sites/default/files/u80/USG%20At%20A%20Glance%20-%20Executive%20Flyer.pdf

Maryland leaders propose record $2.2 billion to quickly build, repair schools

...The $2.2 billion would be in addition to the roughly $400 million per year that Maryland already dedicates to fixing school buildings. The Maryland Stadium Authority would oversee construction and issue revenue bonds to cover the costs. The debt would be repaid over decades, using $125 million per year out of about $538 million in tax receipts generated by Maryland’s casino industry...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/maryland-leaders-propose-record-22-billion-to-quickly-build-repair-schools/2019/11/06/c5c4a63a-00a3-11ea-8bab-0fc209e065a8_story.html

POOLESVILLE RESIDENTS CONTINUE QUEST FOR NEW HIGH SCHOOL FACILITY

Concerns about school building ranking delays funding proposals

ANNAPOLIS — A panel of lawmakers and school system officials delayed approval of two proposals that are expected to lead to a statewide review of school buildings and possibly change how state school construction money is allocated.

The nine-member Work Group on Assessment and Funding of School facilities delayed initial actions amid continued concerns about how a ranking of more than 1,400 schools across Maryland might be used and how it could affect local school system priorities.

“We all care about our kids,” Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Karen Salmon said. “We’re trying to figure out a way to go.”

The panel, led by Salmon, is charged with establishing a new method of determining need for state school construction dollars. The legislature is expected to consider a plan in 2020 that could allocate $2 billion to replace and renovate schools across the state.

Salmon had hoped the panel would be able to come to a consensus about the underlying criteria for a facilities grading system and how it would be used to improve school buildings.

“We have admired the problem a whole lot,” Salmon told the group. “Now we have to come up with a solution.”..

https://thedailyrecord.com/2019/09/25/concerns-about-school-building-ranking-delays-funding-proposals/

The discussion over the details of the initial proposals was far from finished.

The panel is debating a proposal that would impose a new ranking system that would grade schools based on the age, life expectancy and current condition of school buildings. Increased emphasis would be placed on buildings that have deteriorating roofs, failing heat or air conditioning systems or other health and safety concerns. The formula also would attempt to funnel money to improving or replacing schools that are no longer educationally sufficient because of size or outdated design.

KENSINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROPERTY SOON TO BE VACANT

State To Hold Counties Harmless for School Construction Funding

Last year, the authority to grant funding for public school construction projects switched from the Board of Public Works (made up of the Governor, Comptroller, and Treasurer) to the IAC through the 21st Century School Facilities Act, which passed through the Maryland General Assembly in 2018. During the IAC’s September 12 meeting, the major topic was adoption of Fiscal Year 2021 and Fiscal Year 2022 State Cost Shares. The Commission discussed the table of comparisons for state cost share and there was agreement that this was not the appropriate time to be cutting funding for local LEAs. Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Karen Salmon suggested holding counties harmless and this motion was adopted by the Commission...

...The graphic above  was given to Commission in advance for their consideration. By holding counties harmless, the counties that would have had a negative “difference” (Carroll, Frederick, Harford, and Queen Anne’s) will retain their FY 2019/FY 2020 calculations of funding. Baltimore City was treated separately. While the City was not held harmless from a reduction in it’s state share, the Commission approved a motion to revise the State Cost Share formula to be consistent with the statutory change defining Tier 1 counties, to include a 24-month grace period to factor unemployment rate and income level. As a result of this motion, Baltimore City’s state share percent will actually increase by 3% over the prior year. Counties that were calculated to receive increased funding will still receive the allocated amount of new funding.

The IAC also adopted a common definition of pay-as-you-go funding as required by HB 1738. The need for this common definition is because some counties use sources of local revenue other than General Obligation bonds or traditional PAYGO, such as specific revenues from dedicated sources. To most effectively capture these various funding mechanisms, the IAC issued a letter to the LEAs with the following definition:...

https://conduitstreet.mdcounties.org/2019/09/12/state-to-hold-counties-harmless-for-school-construction-funding/

Montgomery’s Agricultural Reserve has a dark side #PoolesvilleHighSchool

...High school students also are suffering from the lack of county investment. The core building at Poolesville High School is nearing 70 years old. Recently assessed by a new evaluation system, the school rated “red” on an overall basis and had one of the lowest overall ratings in the county.

Even before this latest assessment, Poolesville was repeatedly put on the county’s modernization list only to be bumped because of “limited funding.” Even as recently as the county’s fiscal 2017 capital improvements plan, the school was in the queue for funding and modernization. It never happened, even though several other schools in line for modernization around the same time have since been substantially rebuilt.

The Fair Access for Western Montgomery County Committee has been pointing these problems out to county officials, and it has proposed a novel solution that is innovative, saves money and land and is a great fit for the Ag Reserve: a new high school co-located with a community/senior center, clinic and wellness center, and a police satellite station. County Executive Marc Elrich (D) has proposed a study of the services needs of the western county, and the school system has recommended that Poolesville High School be considered as a “major capital project.”..

https://beta.washingtonpost.com/opinions/local-opinions/montgomerys-agricultural-reserve-has-a-dark-side/2019/08/30/afd8e666-b24b-11e9-8f6c-7828e68cb15f_story.html?fbclid=IwAR3Ss7FemkAOQVFajOY9XBjBt3UsV3n_byE0Yqnh6fXJyhcUSLnVJhon-YU

Push to renovate dilapidated schools in Montgomery County

Gaithersburg residents object to school plans

GAITHERSBURG — More than two dozen city residents came to City Hall Monday night to voice opposition to a proposal by Montgomery County Public Schools to construct a new elementary school on the site of Kelley Park.  Located in the Saybrooke neighborhood on the city’s east side, the park includes green space, playground and baseball diamonds which are used in the summer by the Cal Ripken Collegiate League.

School construction has long been a hot button issue in Gaithersburg, where many of the MCPS elementary schools which serve the city are operating over capacity.

Residents learned about the proposal when Council member Neil Harris publicized it on his social media and the neighborhood organizing app Nextdoor...

http://www.thesentinel.com/mont/news/local/item/6611-gaithersburg-residents-object-to-school-plans

Floreen to Berliner: “This is not a game! You cannot have it both ways, my friend. I mean, what are you smoking?”

WASHINGTON — A long-delayed transportation project aimed at relieving traffic congestion in the White Flint area of North Bethesda, Maryland, could face further delays due to a move Thursday by the Montgomery County Council’s transportation committee.

By a 2-to-1 vote, the committee declared that construction work on Montrose Parkway East should be pushed back by three years. The recommendation now heads to the full council...

...The project, which has already been delayed by eight years, would stretch between Rockville Pike and Veirs Mill Road.

Under the plan laid out by “the three amigos,” construction would be moved from 2021 to 2024, freeing up more than $94 million...

https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2018/03/montgomery-co-could-further-delay-parkway-project/

Is a cold snap exposing a big lie in Maryland school funding?

Work group looks to streamline Md. school construction

ANNAPOLIS — Members of a Maryland legislative task force want to streamline the school construction process by removing the oversight of one government agency.

A work group that is part of the 21st Century Schools Facilities Commission voted to recommend to the full commission eliminating a requirement that school systems submit construction or renovation plans for review by the Department of General Services. Supporters of the recommendation say that such efforts are often either redundant or increase costs by slowing down approvals needed to start projects that must be completed before schools re-open...

http://thedailyrecord.com/2017/10/17/work-group-looks-to-streamline-md-school-construction/

A representative from the school system was not present when Council member George Leventhal inquired if anyone from MCPS wanted to provide input to the council before the vote.

The Montgomery County Council voted unanimously Tuesday for guidelines that cut bond issuances by $40 million incrementally over a period of four years.

The move by the council is a step toward limiting growing debt-service payments the county is paying on the current $3.5 billion in bonds that fund capital projects such as school construction and new government buildings in the county.

The county pays about $394 million in debt service each year, which is more than the county pays for all but two departments using the county’s $5.4 billion annual operating budget...

http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2017/County-Council-Votes-to-Cut-Spending-Guidelines-for-Bonds/

October 4th Board of Maryland Public Works Agenda

The October 4, 2017 Board of Public Works Agenda is available.

For Agenda updates, please visit our website regularly. 

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Hogan wants school leaders to explain their budget requests

...“The Board of Public Works, which has the final authority on the state school construction funding, doesn’t even see the requests until January, after the fact. And that makes no sense whatsoever,” Hogan said.

Hogan’s move brings the school systems to the Board of Public Works at a much earlier stage...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/bs-md-hogan-school-construction-20170816-story.html

MCPS COO Zuckerman Surprises Parents, Skips Promised Design Meeting

According to parents, the introduction of the Preliminary Plans for the modernization (insert new MCPS name for construction here - Rev/Ex) of Potomac Elementary School is being presented to the Board of Education (BOE) tomorrow without the promised community meeting to "review the conceptual design elements of this approach."  

MCPS Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Zuckerman, has apparently communicated to parents that there would be an additional meeting to review the plans.  

The last design meeting was held January 24, 2017.  At that point, parents report that no modifications had been made to the plans presented at the December 19, 2016, meeting nor the January 18, 2017, meeting.  At these previous meetings, parents made multiple suggestions as to how each of the proposed designs could be improved.  

There was apparently no final presentation to the Potomac Elementary School PTA and community so that everyone would know what would be put before the BOE for approval. 

Tomorrow's presentation could well be a surprise for parents and neighbors. 

This is not the first time we have seen MCPS COO Andrew Zuckerman throw parents under the bus.  Remember when he ditched the entire Child Abuse and Neglect Work Group to write his own "report" with another administrator on MCPS' handling of the sexual abuse of students by staff?  

Why do MCPS administrators front that they are working with parents, then stop communicating with them, and then write their own reports, thus leaving out actual parent and community input?

The bigger question is, why do our elected Board of Education members fall for this over and over again?