St. Mary’s Board of County Commissioners and Board of Education met Tuesday morning at College of Southern Maryland’s Leonardtown campus to discuss the current state and future vision of the county’s public school system. Dr. Michael J. Martirano explained that while the economy has negatively impacted the County’s and the school systems’ budgets, “We need to remain nimble and agile to respond to the challenges.”  

The Capital Improvement Program includes the construction of several new schools in response to the projected increase in enrollment in St. Mary’s County, as well as systemic renovations to existing facilities. The county acquired the site for a new elementary with the purchase of the Hayden Property, where a school modeled after the award-winning Evergreen Elementary is slated for construction in 2014. State and local cuts have drastically decreased available funding, but Martirano suggested, “We must make adjustments, as necessary, to keep projects moving forward.”  
 
County Administrator John Savich said, “Maintaining services is our underlying mission,” adding that some projects may be postponed by the economic hardship. He explained if the county’s request for increased debt authority is not approved, “We’ll have to re-prioritize to essential projects only.” He urged continuous communication between the boards and noted that the BOCC has its first budget work session later in Dec.
 
SMCPS Chief Operating Officer Brad Clements said approximately 200 new students are projected to enroll next year and stated, “If they fund it, we will build it!”
 
Commissioner President Jack Russell said he hoped the group could “move forward as a unified voice for St. Mary’s County.”
 
Martirano shared details from SMCPS’ 2009 Annual Report, noting increased participation in the free and reduced lunch program, an increase in middle school math scores and a thriving Fairlead Academy. He stated, “My goal is to make certain that we’re offering programs that meet the needs of our students.”
 
The BOCC held its second work session on the proposed Comprehensive Plan Tues. afternoon which Savich said they hope to adopt in January.
 
For more details on SMCPS’ 2009 Annual Report, visit http://www.smcps.org/super.aspx