Comptroller, BPW Members Approve Nearly $350 Million in School Construction Funding

Comptroller Peter Franchot together with Governor Martin O’Malley and Treasurer Nancy Kopp, the other members of the Board of Public Works, approved an additional $161.5 million in unallocated funding for the Maryland public school system for Fiscal Year 2013. The total funding for FY13 is $349.2 million based on recommendations by the Interagency Committee for School Construction (IAC).

“For the fourth year in a row, education experts ranked the Maryland public school system number one in the country,” said Comptroller Franchot, “We can’t afford to have our students fall behind in their education because of substandard learning conditions. As a state we owe it to our children to provide safe and healthy learning environments where they can learn, thrive and reach their full academic potential. If that means providing money to renovate a school, replace a school or simply invest in ongoing maintenance projects, we need to do it. I applaud the partnership the board members and I have formed with the IAC and the overall commitment to invest in our students, teachers and schools.”

In January, the board approved $187.5 million in initial funding for school construction. After the initial funds were distributed, representatives from 19 jurisdictions came before the board to address the need for shares of the additional $161.5 million remaining in the school construction budget.

As in previous years, Comptroller Franchot toured schools across the state to get a first hand look at some of the projects. This year, he visited six schools; all ranked as high priorities by their respective school systems. This tour enabled the Comptroller to hear directly from the teachers, students, parents, staff and county school representatives about what was needed to improve their schools and how the taxpayers’ money would be used to improve the quality of their students’ education.

“Without the efforts of the IAC, the Board of Public Works, the State Department of Education and the Maryland General Assembly, the continued success of our public school system and its students wouldn’t be possible,” said Comptroller Franchot. “The future success of our state rests on the success of our students. Through providing a safe, clean and healthy learning environment we are protecting our best investment for the future. You can’t put a price on that.”

Schools Visited during Comptroller’s Construction Tour