Joint Meeting of St. Mary’s County Board of Education and County Commissioners
Leonardtown, MD – In a joint meeting held Tuesday, Nov. 29 between the St. Mary’s County Board of Education (BOE) and the County Commissioners of St Mary’s County several support services projects included in the Capital Improvement Project Budget for 2017-18 were presented for general discussion and update. Discussions focused on the immediate need for adequate warehouse space for additional dry food/goods storage, as well as a facility for storing server equipment and materials of Information and Technology Services Department. The proposals presented will be the subject of continued discussion over the next two months.
At the meeting, St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS) Superintendent Scott Smith gave a summary of the state of affairs within the system, as the county commissioners prepare for upcoming meetings with state legislators to discuss allocation of state government funds, potential education-related legislation, project budgets and more.
SMCPS Assistant Superintendent of Support Services Jeffery Walker presented figures and background information FY 2018 project proposal to address these issues.
In previous discussions, the BOE proposed to abandon the current site building being used to house the information technology equipment and servers–the Bethune Educational Center–and build a new one. The total cost for a new all-inclusive facility is $3,430,000 on the proposed project budget. After the feedback received from county commissioners, Walker indicated renovating the building might better meet the school system’s needs.
Currently, SMCPS has limited 5,000 sq. ft. warehouse space at the Division of Support Services (DSS) complex in Loveville. This space is currently at storage capacity, lacks fire suppression, lacks climate control, only has one bathroom, and lacks adequate security features.
The revised project proposal includes the continued use of the Bethune Educational Center however, mandatory renovations would have to be made to the building. Board member Mary Washington said, “The building is layered with asbestos and it is unhealthy for our employees to keep going to this building.” Currently, all the informational technology supplies are delivered to the Bethune site located in Bushwood.
To meet the school system’s storage needs, it was proposed to expand and build on the current warehouse in Loveville. The project proposal included adding an additional 2,562 sq. ft. to the DSS complex in Loveville, with other additional renovations to make the building more effective, as well as an efficient use of resources. The total cost of project renovations to the Loveville complex will be $552,272.
The difference between the earlier project proposals and the costs involved in the two new proposed projects is $259,172.
The Nov. 29 meeting appeared to be a positive step forward in efforts to continue the conversation, as Walker presented information to commissioners in response to their request of finding alternatives to the total abandonment of the Bethune Educational Center. Abandonment of this building by SMCPS would mean county government would have to then take over responsibility for the building. The Bethune Educational Center was built in 1961 and has never undergone any major renovations. Bethune needs a roof, HVAC system, asbestos removal, and reconfiguration of existing space for warehousing.
Walker said, “We would not be asking for warehouse space if it was not a need. Warehouse space will help to store large amounts of supplies, and we are currently at capacity.”
In a conversation with TheBayNet.com, BOE member Cathy Allen said, “It is the board’s responsibility to ensure that the infrastructure that supports the school system makes effective and efficient use of its resources. Currently, that is not being done in this area and needs to be addressed sooner than later.”
At the close of the meeting, county commissioners assured BOE members they were sensitive to their issues, and all this would be taken into consideration as decision are made about local funding support. In addition, a few commissioners indicated interest in organizing a site visit of the Bethune Educational Center to see first-hand what the needs and concerns are for SMCPS.
Contact Shertina Mack at s.mack@TheBayNet.com