[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6458290,"mediaKeyId","5822915-bc180416405297a12530c321d1078d50","parentId",5822915,"title","Board approves FY26 comprehensive maintenance plan and FY27 capital improvement plan","audioSeconds",891,"startMs",2055000,"endMs",2946000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5822915-bc180416405297a12530c321d1078d50&start=2055&end=2946","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5822915-bc180416405297a12530c321d1078d50/thumbnail_2055000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6458290/Maryland/Board-approves-FY26-comprehensive-maintenance-plan-and-FY27-capital-improvement-plan","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6458290-222d608eb19c43f9c42d0ef4361f81aa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771036997&Signature=ApIZfANydd7v0GwAXp5p4LwbKjqY6XvJuXJzD8xk3-kf7KHdzh56HqPtqjZIFEZ6gkn0uazxfcEledXJU3K8U~Tuh8RAZG~gSzhdPI-nWlnb3g~IMiWQA6hWdDNrU-LA~SkAi~LDrPtjNekj3gEcRg-JMcVaDKHZPLD1xTV6tu1SPjuHXdGmJombaz2THN3j9shJfvD83Ci32zgPeBzmVWi6NoRU99WJPDIxAszFAw-n0uWCkJtgsA0LXRODSzRTaD7sggNfGhlM3IYTFz7r1cKKxBGz93CDQoTUJHNL4h0p4V4TRK~sR056rx2lhj4sHPLZeR7XL0Z0Z6iAVZxiHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cecil County Public Schools","date","2025-09-24T00:00:00Z","article","The Board of Education of Cecil County on Sept. 24 approved the district’s FY26 Comprehensive Maintenance Plan (CMP) and the FY27 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), including the five-year submission to the Maryland Public School Construction Program.

Doctor Boyer, presenting the CMP, said facilities staff total 162 employees who maintain 31 district facilities covering roughly 2.4 million square feet and 660 acres. Boyer described the department’s mix of corrective and preventive maintenance, noting the department receives approximately 10,000 work orders annually and clears the average work order in 11 days — roughly in line with industry averages. Boyer said the facilities group spends most labor on building systems (HVAC, grounds, corrective repairs) and that the department would like to expand preventive maintenance but faces staffing constraints.

Doctor Buckley presented the annual CIP submission priorities to the state: continued work on the Northeast Middle/Northeast High replacement (total estimated state-eligible cost listed at $103,447,000, with prior state funding of about $67,918,997 and a FY27 state request of $26,646,002), followed by planning requests for Thompson Estates replacement and Cherry Hill. Buckley described an MOU with the county in which the county will front-fund $40 million of the Northeast project while the district requests state reimbursement in subsequent years; he also noted an anticipated local FY27 planning request of $2,000,000 to begin feasibility work for Thompson Estates.

Board discussion addressed preventive maintenance capacity and staffing levels. One board member observed that facilities staffing is lower than peer counties by an estimated 30–40 positions, which the presenters and board members noted constrains preventive maintenance expansion.

The board approved the CMP and the CIP submission as recommended and directed staff to submit the plans to the Maryland Public School Construction Program for review and consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Cecil County Public Schools - Board Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","The Board of Education of Cecil County unanimously approved the district’s FY26 Comprehensive Maintenance Plan and the FY27 Capital Improvement Plan and five-year submission to the Maryland Public School Construction Program; priorities include the Northeast Middle/Northeast High replacement and planning funds for Thompson Estates.","taxTitle","Cecil County Public Schools, School Boards, Maryland","taxId",38256,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6458295,"Independent auditors issue clean opinion; board assigns $25.4 million in general fund balance",1970,48000,2018000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5822915-bc180416405297a12530c321d1078d50&start=48&end=2018","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5822915-bc180416405297a12530c321d1078d50/thumbnail_48000.jpg","/articles/6458295/Maryland/Independent-auditors-issue-clean-opinion-board-assigns-254-million-in-general-fund-balance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6458295-f0c5be8f7eb78a74ffd790c05390583c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771036997&Signature=Yvgv~szhiy1jFu8z68crNTzJLgzF4COzq50QXN-ocrGJ00EkeVtPmoPeDExTo7gLSacOrsm1AsaLKL0HKEnVb07p8~AyMYAONU5HJXiConoz9W9IAmtKeFyFdh-GaPey05RwkcA2nV6YNKjNdtWoAVwwZaLBuz77BdE4GnKSmJ588NGY4MS0a-7ba60ldNPRUph7JgQN7CAvspo~71JDhsiQ9wW2PKKdp0dmWuud48zWu-1Jhaa7m3WpPLNxKhL1FFWqva165MtM8AGNG6WHIucgjEvJusNRPtmiR-k~-zubx-7ws3khoFG-V8txIJ9gMGmCjFxTMl~uvLJIPWdt0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the Board of Education of Cecil County on Sept. 24 heard from independent auditors and approved an accounting designation that assigns the district’s general fund balance of $25,394,091.

UHY principal Jason Ostrowski told the board the audit team expected to issue a \"clean, unmodified opinion\" on the FY2025 financial statements and that auditors had identified no material weaknesses or instances of noncompliance during the engagement. Ostrowski also said the district’s single-audit report on federal awards was pending completion of the federal compliance supplement but that auditors had completed their testing and expected no findings.

The audit’s conclusion matters because it affirms the district’s financial statements were prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, and it clears the way for the district’s financial reports to be finalized and published. \"Overall, very, very clean report,\" Ostrowski said.

Denise Sopa, chief financial officer for Cecil County Public Schools, summarized highlights from the financial statements that followed the audit presentation. Sopa said the district’s government-wide statement showed a net position increase of about $15.8 million in FY2025, largely attributable to capital additions related to the new Northeast Middle/Northeast High project (an increase in capital assets of roughly $20.2 million). She said total fund balance at the end of FY2025 was $25,300,000, a reduction of about $1.4 million from the prior year.

Sopa reviewed the composition of the general fund balance: prepaid items (insurance and tuition), a $10,000,000 committed amount used to balance the FY2026 budget, a 2% budget contingency required by board policy, and a set of assigned balances for items such as per-pupil allotments (carryover amounts), prekindergarten, technology and cybersecurity (including a recently approved Proofpoint email filter), student activity funds, capital projects carryover and a health-care reserve tied to the district’s self-funded health plan. She said the board would be asked to approve the formal assignment of those amounts to the FY2026 operating budget.

Board member questions focused on the scope of the audit and internal controls. When Board member Hampton asked whether the auditors were independent and had found any discrepancies, Ostrowski replied, \"Correct\" — that an independent firm reviewed the district’s FY2025 financial data and found no instances requiring modification of the opinion. When other members asked about significant deficiencies, Ostrowski said that auditors would report significant deficiencies if identified and that none had been found during this audit.

The board then approved the presented assignment of the general fund balance, as moved and seconded at the meeting; the motion carried unanimously in the meeting record.

The district will finalize the audit documents for publication and the CFO said required federal reporting (the single-audit report) will be issued once the federal compliance supplement is finalized.","At a Sept. 24 Board of Education of Cecil County work session, independent auditors reported a clean, unmodified opinion on the fiscal year 2025 financial statements and the board approved the presented assignment of the general fund balance totaling $25,394,091.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6458282,"Ag Education Days brings hands-on agriculture and technology lessons to more than 1,100 students",1354,3039000,4393000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5822915-bc180416405297a12530c321d1078d50&start=3039&end=4393","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5822915-bc180416405297a12530c321d1078d50/thumbnail_3039000.jpg","/articles/6458282/Maryland/Ag-Education-Days-brings-hands-on-agriculture-and-technology-lessons-to-more-than-1100-students","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6458282-e319a92dc34e556f75f90a3705b5cab4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771036997&Signature=MGyvtVnrJWdEJxcJR46aLh9Otn5lLsTn-g3elppbC73utMxKOYMI1GxKSrKVs9uTk-Sf2ssXvhDzBvTDoqhoCvJpvL4~BzceWxvL0PrIQFwLVNHNOv9pZOYQe-rtR24jR0nhVy3OaCcI7u4PVTwjwzcyk8SENx2O6zG2eBmsFP9g31TqmcTE-P-f0oiIqspnpz6V0fLEE-PrWWXVoGCouCGZCDohKgjdRpArWY3Bx63FxK-~fWyXqugd4D8ILWSJz27JWKvnRj6UfXRJZjrlmMC-9JmtDHTGffFlOdyw4NZG9ncQcBwDaVvwL6U~548q61EaBSuopSYDlKm~lmZUKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representatives of the Cecil County Ag Education Days Planning Association presented the board with results from the multi-day event that brought agricultural, conservation and ag-technology stations to more than 1,100 seventh-grade students.

The presentation, led by planning association volunteers and University of Maryland Extension affiliate Dr. Paul Rickard, described a three-day program that deployed 12 education stations covering food systems, land and water conservation, animal science and agricultural technology. Organizers said the event involved more than 80 volunteers per day, 60 volunteers overall for each day of operation, and included presentations and hands-on demonstrations such as drones, GPS and ag automation, animal care, beekeeping, and food-safety activities.

The association reported it raised roughly $25,000 from a mix of local and regional sponsors and partners and that total in-kind and donated value brought the event cost to approximately $87,959. Organizers said the school system was not charged for student participation and that the planning association has completed formal governance steps — an MOU with the district, managing donations through Maryland Ag Ed Foundation in earlier years, and filing as a 501(c)(3) to manage donations directly going forward.

Students who participated described the program as engaging and educational. Three students were recognized in an essay contest tied to the event: first place Bo Kuras (Rising Sun Middle), second place Brielle Quinlan (Bohemia Middle), and third place Talia Lister (Perryville). Organizers said post-event surveys showed strong positive feedback from teachers and volunteers and that 100% of surveyed volunteers indicated willingness to return next year.

Organizers asked the board to note the event’s scale and community support and invited board members to attend and help publicize next year’s Ag Education Days in April.","Organizers told the Board of Education of Cecil County that the county’s Ag Education Days engaged roughly 1,100 seventh graders, was supported by more than 80 volunteers and sponsors, cost about $87,959 to stage, and will run again next April as a community-funded, nonprofit-run event.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6458285,"Board considers awarding $1.328 million services center roof contract; vote not recorded in transcript",65,2955000,3020000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5822915-bc180416405297a12530c321d1078d50&start=2955&end=3020","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5822915-bc180416405297a12530c321d1078d50/thumbnail_2955000.jpg","/articles/6458285/Maryland/Board-considers-awarding-1328-million-services-center-roof-contract-vote-not-recorded-in-transcript","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6458285-032662ee83a73658765955303b70da09/orig.mp4?Expires=1771036997&Signature=HMXTQCG6L9tzhWFizQ21taOiBl4V9KbdLANerHaVBP0LPj1egS13dCFcM6ZFOVIen7g-OG7837uLqnpCqHslXp6XsItDe3h9v8MvY~bAnsWVG0mZAhXhoMPu-4PkjyOBoxqEStjLabc0F2opYyf0c17Tsbsy~ZUu9xH7m0a1pg2FynGKS348dCaTOoBa6a1gI0llwc6P47lXfKCKZzBEHEJ2YUB3D9XGXThf3NP~K17omqpz43vgBDTn7iPYT~r2yAg-e1ws9cRdu4AgD~yGj44XmxVegWJHfTtAvPGPyu-03lMXhR13ynoKM-vCcDYFSJxdyRrvUldBdndfsxbXiQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent and staff recommended that the Board of Education of Cecil County award a contract for a roof replacement at the district’s Services Center to Mike Cobithin Roofing and Insulation Incorporated for $1,328,000.

The recommendation appeared on the board’s agenda as item 2603. At the work session a board member moved the recommendation and another member seconded, but the meeting transcript does not include the vote tally or the chair’s announcement of the result for that specific motion. The meeting proceeded to the next agenda item.

Because the transcript does not record a final vote on the motion in the work-session record, the meeting record in this article does not assert an approved outcome; it records the recommendation, the motion and second, and that no vote outcome is reported in the provided transcript excerpt.

The item addresses building envelope maintenance for district facilities. The proposed contract amount exceeds the $50,000 threshold that typically requires board-level action.","At the Sept. 24 work session the superintendent recommended awarding a $1,328,000 contract for a services center roof replacement to Mike Cobithin Roofing and Insulation Inc.; the recommendation was moved and seconded but the meeting transcript does not record the subsequent vote.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6458279,"Board approves single-source rental for Bob Carpenter Center for 2026 graduations after divided public input",1755,4881000,6636000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5822915-bc180416405297a12530c321d1078d50&start=4881&end=6636","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5822915-bc180416405297a12530c321d1078d50/thumbnail_4881000.jpg","/articles/6458279/Maryland/Board-approves-single-source-rental-for-Bob-Carpenter-Center-for-2026-graduations-after-divided-public-input","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6458279-da205076c23c2e742646c7a7405dd0b3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771036997&Signature=mwYpF4YvbRNb5eVGgbgnIB3bjJYgu75QCgMOWVBW~-IhMt10Mfc8zTaUIMG8iMIsR-jcK38H9vssil7Gdk1MoIXozgCQD8wHsZG40XopYo8qsWyLlIu5UFrdX6gUXSa1W6jvY4tbQxGgXF-xxhPiJ-8tC0omHWh4cqRDmArhoY7As--MPToRXFveBy-9pO6~v8tODhBu3mtED2XC19rvO6CDgDwgXmg-frUMpbZiMkUSKqFoIcRswlbQpXHc2rfzDJWr7tt1yVUZVE~xh7h-sCPm62K0olIEs2w6XA6vdCSJB1vRIKDwcJCZYVjEExEIig6xCosjN5ltdXt~4N4vKw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Board of Education of Cecil County voted on Sept. 24 to enter a single-source arrangement with the University of Delaware to rent the Bob Carpenter Center for the district’s 2026 high-school graduation ceremonies. The superintendent’s recommendation called for a contract in the amount of $58,855; the board’s recorded vote carried with two members opposed.

The proposal to move commencements from school stadiums to an indoor arena prompted extended discussion among board members, school leaders and community members. Supporters on the board cited weather reliability, facility amenities and security. Board member Metcalfe, reflecting student sentiment she had gathered, said students often favored the Bob Carpenter Center and that students described the venue as desirable because “you could see the drone and the tractors and just learn a lot about how it actually happens,” echoing student remarks about hands-on experiences at other events. (Student quotes in the transcript were from winners of the Ag Education Days essay contest and other student participants about that program.)

Board member Hampton and others urged caution about community outreach and optics. Hampton said the district had asked principals to gather recommendations and public input, but he said some community members perceived the timeline and notification as too compressed: \"I am very concerned with the optics and the communications I've had with my community members,\" Hampton said, citing limited time between administrators’ outreach and the vote. He recommended the cost be made a line item in the FY27 budget for transparency.

Other board members said they had directed exploratory work in June, had collected school-level recommendations and believed principals had conducted outreach in their communities and with student groups. Several principals recommended the Bob Carpenter Center; the superintendent and multiple administrators reported that five of six high schools recommended moving graduations to the arena. The board approved the single-source rental recommendation after discussion; the meeting record shows the motion carried with two opposed votes.

Board members discussed practical details, including security screening and contingency planning. One member noted that, if the arena were unavailable for an extraordinary reason, the district would need to coordinate with schools and venue scheduling; presenters did not provide a detailed contingency schedule in the work-session record.

The board’s action authorizes staff to finalize the single-source agreement for the Bob Carpenter Center at the amount presented and to include the related cost considerations in forthcoming budget discussions.","The Board of Education of Cecil County approved a single-source contract with the University of Delaware to rent the Bob Carpenter Center for high school graduations (contracted amount $58,855). The vote carried with two members opposed amid public debate over tradition, logistics and community engagement.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves FY26 comprehensive maintenance plan and FY27 capital improvement plan

Independent auditors issue clean opinion; board assigns $25.4 million in general fund balance

Ag Education Days brings hands-on agriculture and technology lessons to more than 1,100 students

Board considers awarding $1.328 million services center roof contract; vote not recorded in transcript

Board approves single-source rental for Bob Carpenter Center for 2026 graduations after divided public input