Elected Officials to Join Leggett in Call For $20 Million for School Construction

Over 20 elected officials will join County Executive Isiah Leggett at Julius West Middle School on Oct. 31 to call for $20 million in state support to jump-start a public school building program to increase capacity and modernize facilities.

Double-digit enrollment jumps occurring in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) are leading to a crisis in capacity. The County’s unprecedented increase in enrollment is the highest in the State and nearly half of MCPS schools are projected to have seat deficits by the 2018 to 2019 school year.

Montgomery County will seek support from the Governor and the Maryland General Assembly for an arrangement similar to the one approved for Baltimore Public Schools last year.

Like Baltimore City, the County would seek $20 million from the State of Maryland to leverage a $40 million investment by the County. These funds would supplement the County’s share of new State authorizations for school construction. The $60 million revenue stream would support bonds of up to $750 million, which would fund construction projects over the next five years.

EXpected to join Leggett at the Julius West Middle School on Oct. 31 are;

• Nancy Navarro, Montgomery County Council President
• Valerie Ervin, Councilmember and Education Committee Chair
• Dr. Joshua Starr, MCPS Superintendent
• Christopher Barclay, School Board President
• Philip Kauffman, School Board Vice President
• Shirley Brandman, School Board member
• Patricia B. O’Neill, School Board member
• Rebecca Smondrowski, School Board member
• Senator Brian Feldman
• Senator Jennie Forehand
• Senator Nancy King
• Senator Jamie Raskin
• Senator Roger Manno
• Senator Rich Madaleno
• Delegate Sam Arora
• Delegate Charlie Barkley
• Delegate Kumar Barve
• Delegate Kathleen Dumais
• Delegate Al Carr
• Delegate Jim Gilchrist
• Delegate Ana Sol Gutiérrez
• Delegate Sheila Hixson
• Delegate Ariana Kelly
• Delegate Susan Lee
• Delegate Eric Luektke
• Delegate Luiz Simmons
• Delegate Kirill Reznik
• Delegate Shane Robinson
• Delegate Craig Zucker

Groundbreaking for the new Wheaton High School on October 30, 2013Photo | Dan Hoffman @MoCoDanHoffman

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