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PGCPS updates board committee on Blueprint Schools Phase II P3 progress, financing structure
Summary
Officials said the public‑private partnership to deliver eight schools is under construction, financed through an approximately $800 million P3 deal with state and county availability payments; the district will manage contract and operations but will not place local capital into the P3 escrow account
Prince George’s County Public Schools officials briefed the Operations, Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee on June 18 on the status of Blueprint Schools Phase II, a public‑private partnership (P3) to design, build, finance and maintain eight schools under a long‑term availability‑payment structure.
Dr. William Coleman, chief operations officer, introduced Director Sean Matlock of the Office of Alternative Infrastructure Planning and Development, who said the arrangement pairs the district’s educational specifications with private financing and long‑term maintenance. “It is not privatization. These are still PGCPS assets,” Matlock said.
How the deal works and funding
Matlock and staff described the P3 model as a way to accelerate delivery while shifting construction financing to a private developer. The team described an approximately $800 million program to deliver eight schools. Under the current financing plan discussed at the meeting, the state will provide about $27 million per year and Prince George’s County about $42.7 million per year in availability payments over multiple decades. Matlock said PGCPS itself “adds no money to this transaction.”
“We only pay for construction, as it happens. And then once the schools are delivered, we pay what is known as our availability payment,” Matlock said, adding that availability payments are contingent on contracted performance and availability of the completed facilities.
Construction status and schedule
Matlock said work is proceeding in three tranches. Several sites have foundations poured and mechanical/electrical/plumbing work in place; steel erection had begun at multiple sites. He said two schools are scheduled for delivery next summer, additional schools the following year and two schools in summer 2028. The program uses two prototypes (an elementary prototype and a K–8 prototype) and site‑specific adaptations.
Community engagement and labor
Matlock described ongoing town halls, project planning committee meetings that include parents and community members, and regular coordination with permitting agencies. Associate Superintendent Washington added that the project is governed by a project labor agreement required before moving forward; the agreement and developer commitments also include community‑investment elements and apprenticeship opportunities.
What the committee did: staff provided the construction and financing update and took questions; no new board action was taken at this meeting.
Ending
Matlock said the program has attracted recognition in the architecture and finance communities and that several schools are under active construction with permits and staging underway. Staff said they will continue community engagement and provide periodic updates to the board as construction milestones occur.
