Montgomery County Public Schools presented its recommended fiscal year 2027 capital budget and six‑year capital improvements program to the Board of Education on Oct. 14, proposing a $2.7 billion package for FY27 and the FY27–FY32 window.

The recommendation, presented to the board in the first CIP work session, lays out project priorities, an updated prioritization framework tied to facility condition, utilization and educational adequacy, and a funding plan that relies primarily on general obligation (G.O.) bonds, state aid and local taxes.

The superintendent framed the plan as the start of a multi‑year conversation that will include two public hearings (Oct. 23 and Oct. 28) and a second work session on Nov. 4. The board will take final action on the FY27 appropriation request, the FY27 state capital request and the FY27–FY32 CIP at the November business meeting.

Why it matters: presenters said the system faces a long backlog of infrastructure needs. That backlog, combined with rising construction costs, drives a wide gap between what the district requested and what staff estimate is required to stabilize the portfolio over the six‑year period.

Highlights and numbers

- “The request for major investment, as doctor Taylor mentioned last night, is 2.7, billion dollars,” said DJ Connolly, the director supervising the CIP work, as he opened the budget highlights.

- Connolly later told the board, “the hard truth ... is we need about $5,200,000,000 for our 6 year CIP,” a figure the presentation used to illustrate the district’s long‑term gap between needs and currently proposed funding levels.

- The district currently operates roughly 238 facilities totaling about 28 million square feet and said it is conducting facility condition assessments (FCAs) across the portfolio.

- The district’s approved amended CIP averages roughly $293 million per year. The superintendent’s recommended CIP averages about $450 million per year (the $2.7 billion figure). Staff said true needs for a reasonable replacement/renewal program average about $858 million per year.

- Primary funding sources shown in the presentation were general obligation bonds (the single largest source), state capital aid (approximately 21% of planned funding in the presentation), recordation and impact taxes, and current revenue.

Enrollment and capacity context

Presenters stressed falling enrollment as a driver of planning. The district’s demographer and staff showed kindergarten enrollment tracks live‑birth data: recent declines in live births are projecting a loss of roughly 6,000–7,000 students over the next six years.

Staff emphasized that declining enrollment does not remove the school system’s maintenance obligations for its existing school portfolio, nor does it remove the need to sequence renovations, renewals and replacements strategically.

Prioritization framework and condition assessments

MCPS said it has updated a prioritization framework for candidate projects that weights facility condition (50%), educational adequacy (25%), building utilization and enhanced student needs. The district has engaged a third‑party assessor to update FCAs and posted initial FCA results on a public CIP website.

County and state funding notes

Staff reviewed the county’s spending‑affordability guidelines for G.O. bonds and noted the countywide capital pot supports many competing needs (roads, parks, etc.). Staff said the district is working closely with Maryland’s Interagency Committee (IAC) and state partners to maximize state participation, but that state allocations and local capacities both limit how quickly the district can address all projects.

Quotations

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

DJ Connolly: “the hard truth ... is we need about $5,200,000,000 for our 6 year CIP.”

Board response and next steps

Board members asked detailed questions about the capital‑spending timeline, how G.O. bond guidelines are applied at the county level, and how the district’s new FCA data and educational adequacy measures affected ranking. Staff said they will return Nov. 4 with follow‑up material, respond to public comments received at the hearings, and provide additional detail on the county/state funding split.

Ending

The district is accepting public signups for the two hearings; staff said public signups opened at noon the day of this work session. The board will revisit the recommendation Nov. 4 and will act at the November business meeting.