The Montgomery County Board of Education (BOE) held two public hearings Nov. 4 and 6 to gather testimony on the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget and amendments to the county’s Capital Improvements Program (CIP).
The CIP is a multi-year plan that allocates funding for school improvement projects in Montgomery County. The program outlines projected school enrollments, assesses capacity, plans for long-term facility needs and recommends capital projects for constructing new schools and upgrading school facilities.
In October, Superintendent Thomas Taylor presented a 283-page proposal outlining the 2026 Capital Budget and amendments to the CIP for the BOE’s review and approval. The BOE’s amended CIP budget will move to the Montgomery County Council for final approval in May.
The 2024-2025 school year is considered an “off year” for the CIP, meaning the BOE cannot approve major changes until FY 2027. However, the BOE can still make amendments to reallocate funds and adjust projects for schools already on the CIP list.
During the hearings, students, parents and community representatives testified about the deteriorating physical conditions of their schools, voicing concerns about the quality of life and education in school buildings. BOE members asked questions about CIP projects and school-specific issues, to which MCPS representatives from departments like the Office of Facilities Management responded.
Students from Magruder High School, Wootton High School and Eastern Middle School, among others, highlighted issues including leaking roofs, mold, asbestos, contaminated water, malfunctioning HVAC systems and inadequate athletic facilities.
Magruder student Michael Gannon expressed frustration over delays in funding, noting that the school has requested CIP inclusion for more than six years without success.
“I’ve been to most schools across the county and the jealousy is definitely there,” Gannon said. “But it’s not toward other students, more to the school board for not doing stuff for us. They preach equity and equality, but we aren’t seeing change.”
Parents at the hearings also raised concerns about outdated infrastructure, and specific schools’ failures to meet safety and accessibility standards. Parents representing PTAs and school clusters pointed to unsafe traffic outside schools and building designs that hinder access for students with mobility issues.
Sumeet Sharma, a cluster coordinator for the Wootton High School district, noted that Wootton was first approved for major capital improvement projects in 2019, but the BOE has repeatedly delayed these projects. The Superintendent and BOE approved Wootton’s inclusion into the CIP last year, but the County Council postponed the project to 2028 due to insufficient funding.
“The problem is that you’re always going to have fiscal budgetary constraints, and it’s not fair to keep using that as an excuse,” Sharma said. “These repairs are only going to get more expensive as time goes on.”
Donald Connelly, the Capital Budget and Projects Manager for the Office of Facilities Management, said his department considers many factors when determining a school’s approval for CIP funding, such as infrastructure conditions, school capacity and enrollment, and the financial climate in the County. The size and complexity of the project indicate how long it will take.
Key Facilities Indicators (KFIs) grade school facilities and infrastructure in various categories. KFI data is important in evaluating which school facilities need urgent repairs, though parts of the index are outdated, Connelly said.
“We are currently updating our KFI process to reflect a more industry-standard approach, a Facility Condition Index, as well as adding in features such as sustainability,” Connelly said.
In May, the County Council approved a record-high spending budget for the 2025 fiscal year, but it fell $30.5 million short of MCPS’ requested amount. The shortfall resulted in larger class sizes, delays in pre-K expansion and the elimination of the Montgomery Virtual Academy and the Office of the School System Medical Officer. Additionally, the annual budget has not kept pace with the growing MCPS student population. The county spent $16,000 per student when adjusted for inflation in 2010, compared to just $13,000 per student today.
In the months preceding the County Council’s final decision on CIP amendments, the MCPS County Executive will publish a final CIP recommendation in mid-January, followed by a discussion period.
“MCPS staff, the Board, and the Council will have multiple meetings to discuss the CIP, provide clarification, and possibly be asked to come up with non-recommended reductions, in order to align with the County Executive’s recommendation,” Connelly said.