WASTE: This Week Watch Superintendent Taylor Waste $43M+ on a Commercial Lease by Abandoning 30 Acres of FREE Board of Education Land

Source: 750 Progress Way

On Thursday, October 30, 2025, the Montgomery County Board of Education will unanimously vote to approve a Consent Agenda (no discussion) that includes a brand new lease of a massive warehouse in Gaithersburg.  

To date, Superintendent Taylor has pretended like finding a new MCPS warehouse was something the Board of Education was going to consider.  

Surprise! Superintendent Taylor has already negotiated the lease of a massive commercial space in Gaithersburg and the lease starts SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1st!  The lease commits the Board of Education to lease payments of at least $30 million dollars over the next 10 years and requires the Board of Education to spend $13 million dollars out of the Capital Budget to construct the interior of this currently empty warehouse.  

The commercial space that Superintendent Taylor is leasing is completely empty (see image above) and will require $13 million dollars to build out the interior of the warehouse.  The lease vote is on Thursday, October 30th, but the $13 million is part of the FY 2027 MCPS Capital Budget that hasn't been voted on yet.

Superintendent Taylor is going to force the Board of Education to commit to a FY 2027 Capital Budget proposal this week, even thought the Board of Education's vote on the proposed Capital Budget isn't until November 20, 2025.  

Presumably the lease of the commercial space will be paid out of the MCPS Operating Budget and the construction of the interior space will be funded out of the MCPS Capital Budget.  By forcing a vote on the lease this week, Superintendent Taylor will force the Board of Education to commit $13 million of the Capital Budget to the construction of the interior of the warehouse before the Board of Education even considers any of the Capital Budget needs of any of MCPS' 211 schools. 

~~AND~~

In order to make use of this massive Commercial Warehouse, Superintendent Taylor is going to abandon 4 Board of Education sites totaling over 30 acres of free public school land.  The land that Taylor is going to abandon is owned by the Board of Education and is free of mortgages, rents and property taxes.  Taylor has not put forth any justification for the abandonment of free public school land in favor of Leased Commercial land that will create ongoing debt (with an escalation clause) for the Board of Education for at least the next 10 to 20 years.  

Here are the Board of Education owned public school sites that Superintendent Taylor is abandoning: 

Source:  MCPS Real Property Inventory for 2025

This is from Superintendent Taylor's recently released FY 2027 Capital Budget proposal.  This page shows the cost of building the interior of the Leased Commercial space.  Taylor did not disclose this cost on his October 30th Action Item Resolution for the Board of Education vote. 

Source:  MCPS Capital Improvements Program/Master Plan

This is how MCPS' funding and resources are wasted without public notice or opportunity to comment.

Superintendent Taylor Prioritizes MCPS Warehouse over Students in Trailers

Superintendent Says It’s Time to Find a New Warehouse as Building Conditions Decline

The condition of Montgomery County Public Schools’ buildings is deteriorating, including the warehouse in Rockville, which was constructed using materials recycled from the World War II era, according to MCPS officials.

Superintendent Thomas Taylor, Ed.D., said he believes it is time to look for a different warehouse location. MCM joined a tour of the current facility Tuesday evening with Taylor and other MCPS officials...

https://www.mymcmedia.org/superintendent-says-its-time-to-find-a-new-warehouse-as-building-conditions-decline/

Sent to the 'warehouse' Baltimore County Schools whistleblower paid to do nothing. [Former @mcps PR Now Working for Balt. County Pub. Schools]

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WBFF) — A Baltimore County Schools whistleblower comes forward, saying the District retaliated against him for trying to make school buses safer.

Monday, November 15, 2021, was a memorable day in the life of Paul Sauer. On that day, two things happened to the former Baltimore County Schools bus mechanic.

First, Project Baltimore aired a report in which Sauer appeared anonymously, blowing the whistle on his own employer, saying school buses with broken parts were passing inspection and carrying students. Second, on November 15, hours before that FOX45 News investigation aired, Sauer received a letter from Baltimore County Schools, saying he had been placed on paid administrative leave for “allegations of misconduct.” The next day, he was sent to the warehouse...

...Project Baltimore, over the years, has interviewed many school employees who have asked to remain anonymous because they fear retaliation for blowing the whistle. Sauer says what happened to him legitimizes those fears. Which is why, he says, he came to FOX45 News, in the first place.

“I did not feel safe, I didn't feel like there was anybody that I could trust to voice my concern without being exiled for that,” Sauer explained.

Baltimore County Schools declined an interview to discuss claims of retaliation or the warehouse. Instead, we received a one-sentence statement that read, “we will not be commenting on personnel matters.”

“How much is BCPS going to get away with?” Sauer asked. “BCPS needs to be held more accountable.”..

https://foxbaltimore.com/news/project-baltimore/sent-to-warehouse-baltimore-county-schools-whistleblower-paid-to-do-nothing-bus-investigation-project-baltimore?fbclid=IwAR1wGw6aTb2305s_8CT6Wu0Tr7X2A1nBlIoluB6ByHapD3xn5tv0Z707i7c