Montgomery County Public Schools staff presented a slate of major school construction projects during the Oct. 14 work session, including five recommended elementary replacements, a major Damascus High School renewal/replacement, and a plan to reconfigure Silver Spring International Middle School (SIMS) and use an existing school as a holding (swing) space.

What the district recommended

- Elementary projects (superintendent’s recommendation, timelines and preliminary costs in presentation):
- Burning Tree Elementary — preliminary replacement; planning/design FY28–29; move to holding school FY30–31; estimated ~ $70,000,000.
- Cold Spring Elementary — proposed replacement; planning/design FY28–29; move to holding school FY30–31; estimated ~ $60,000,000.
- Highland View Elementary — recommended replacement after pause on previous addition plan; planning/design FY28–29; estimated ~ $70,000,000.
- Piney Branch Elementary — recommended replacement; planning/design FY28–29; estimated ~ $78,000,000; presentation noted the project “assumes replacing community pool” pending further review and local agreements.
- Sligo Creek Elementary — proposed earlier in the sequence with expected opening Aug. 2029; staff recommended site selection and design early to create a swing‑space option for other elementary projects.

- Secondary projects:
- Damascus High School — proposed replacement/major renewal and addition; planning/design FY27–28; construction sequence proposed to use athletic fields for staging and to keep students on site during construction; target opening Aug. 2031 (preliminary cost shown in slides).
- Eastern Middle School — proposed replacement; planning/design FY27–28; construction on fields FY29–30; target opening Aug. 2030. Staff said a portion of Silver Spring International Middle School students could be relocated to Eastern when it opens.
- Sligo Middle School / SIMS sequencing — staff proposed using SIMS as a swing space in the short term while Sligo Middle School is renewed and returned as a renewed/addition project in Aug. 2031.

Holding/swing‑space strategy and sequencing

Staff told the board the district lacks a central secondary holding campus and that identifying and preparing holding schools is a critical bottleneck for delivering multiple concurrent replacement or renewal projects. For that reason, the superintendent’s recommendation accelerated Sligo Creek as an early project: staff said a new Sligo Creek site could be built and opened by Aug. 2029 and then used as swing space for other projects.

On project phasing, staff explained that HVAC and other system projects are commonly divided into “phases” that correspond to summer work windows; larger schools typically require multiple summer phases.

Notable project details from the presentation

- Burtonsville Elementary replacement was highlighted as a potential state‑funded project with a “net‑zero energy” add‑on request; staff said in the presentation that more than 50% of that project’s funds may come from state allocations if approved and called the requested net‑zero add‑on “our first in MCPS history.”

- Staff emphasized that feasibility studies are posted online and that recommended scopes and site plans remain preliminary pending public feedback, boundary studies, and further design work.

Quotations

DJ Connolly (presentation): “The request for major investment, as doctor Taylor mentioned last night, is 2.7, billion dollars.”

Staff response to board concerns

Board members raised questions about how the district would select holding‑school sites, how site topography and ADA issues drive the decision to replace rather than renovate, and how community assets (notably the Piney Branch pool) fit into replacement budgets and potential local partnerships. Staff said they would return with more detailed site‑selection and boundary‑study material and noted that some projects have been paused or reworked after feasibility studies.

Ending

Staff asked the board for direction and said they will continue public engagement and return Nov. 4 with additional detail and responses to board requests.