Board reviews $230.3 million FY2027 capital recommendation; Old Mill projects lead list

The Anne Arundel County Board of Education received an overview of the superintendent’s recommended fiscal year 2027 capital budget, which staff said totals approximately $230,250,000 and prioritizes major school construction, building systems work, and transportation projects. The presentation was given by Dr. Heizer with Executive Director of Facilities Kyle Ruff in the meeting’s capital budget item.

The presentation outlined the top line and individual project requests. “As an overview … the FY27 capital budget totals approximately $230,250,000,” Dr. Heizer said. The largest line-item requests shown to the board were continuing construction at Old Mill High School ($71,400,000) and Old Mill Middle School North ($48,200,000). Staff also included $31,380,000 for building-systems renovations, $8,000,000 for maintenance backlog reduction, $7,000,000 for roof replacement and $9,000,000 to support early learning (full-day kindergarten and pre-K additions).

Other notable items on the recommended budget were $7,450,000 for a Southern High School systemic renovation and $5,170,000 for Northeast Middle School systemic renovations; $6,500,000 for bus facility work; $2,100,000 for school bus replacements; $5,000,000 for athletic stadium improvements; $2,000,000 in seed funding for sustainability and energy-efficiency work; and $16,000,000 for feasibility and design studies across four schools (Ruth Parker Eason, Riviera Beach Elementary, Van Bokkelen, and the Glendale Resource Center).

Board members were reminded a deeper workshop is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Sept. 15 to review the budget in greater detail. Dr. Heizer said the priority list is intended to show continuity with and changes from FY26 allocations and to allow the board to “assess continuity, shifts in focus, and some emerging needs.” Kyle Ruff answered questions from board members about how specific agenda items tied to design or feasibility grants and noted that feasibility studies on Glen Burnie High School were tied to a $250,000 state grant to assess project viability.

Board members asked for more detail in the workshop about sustainability seed funds, which Dr. Heizer said can be used as matching money to leverage state grants (for example through MEA) or as deposits related to geothermal system contracts. He described the $2,000,000 sustainability request as seed money intended to grow external grant funding. Several board members also asked staff to clarify why items appearing on the consent agenda (for example, a feasibility item for Glen Burnie High School) did not appear as a construction line in the FY27 priority list; staff said feasibility work could lead to future CIP requests once scope and budgets are established.

The presentation did not include a formal board vote; staff framed the session as an overview ahead of the scheduled workshop that will allow more detailed public and board questions.