Board approves $1.38 million capital realignment and sends July master plan to state

The Saint Mary's County Board of Education voted Wednesday to transfer $1,384,745 within its capital program to fund a set of priority infrastructure studies and small projects and approved the July 2025 Educational Facilities Master Plan for submission to the Interagency Commission on School Construction.

The realignment redirects money toward scope and design work for building systems identified as highest risk, including a lift-station design for Benjamin Banneker Early Childhood Center, well‑tank replacements and well‑house controls for several schools, a chiller replacement design and kitchen hood repairs. The board motion to approve the transfer and forward the request to the county commissioners carried unanimously.

Why it matters: Board members and staff said the funding shift addresses components that are near end of life or where replacement parts are difficult to obtain. Presenters said chillers, roofs and water/sewer components are increasingly expensive to repair and that scope studies help the district maximize state and local matching funds before construction.

Department of Capital Planning staff told the board they prioritized roughly $1.38 million for project scoping and small design efforts to enable larger renovations in subsequent years. The staff presentation said some FY26 projects were deferred, one reduced and several canceled so funds could be repurposed for higher‑priority system work. Staff also described using programmatic and critical funding streams while they pursue state support for larger multisystem projects.

Board discussion noted that replacing a chiller does not equal a full HVAC replacement and that chillers typically have a shorter life span than other HVAC components; staff said designers and contractors plan projects in phases (scope → design → construction) and that scope studies typically precede design by about two years.

The Educational Facilities Master Plan the board approved documents the system's state‑eligible needs, explains the sequence of planned projects from FY27 to FY31, and flags that state funding levels and program sunsets (for example, the Healthy Schools and Aging Schools programs) could affect timelines. Staff presented condition assessments showing multiple chillers, roof sections and rooftop units reaching replacement thresholds over the next five years and said enrollment projections do not currently support new capacity projects.

Next steps: With board approval, the district will forward the budget amendment to the Saint Mary's County commissioners for their action and submit the master plan to the Interagency Commission on School Construction. Staff said additional state guidance expected from the IAC the following day could change project packaging or ranking.

Board members thanked capital planning and supporting services staff for the months of coordination across departments that led to the amended CIP and master plan.