Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
School officials report momentum on bill to increase state share for Kent County middle school
Summary
Kent County Public Schools representatives said a bill to increase the state share of construction costs for a new middle school received a favorable hearing in the House and follow-up questions in the Senate; staff described ongoing design work and said they feel positive about the bill's prospects.
Dan, a Kent County Public Schools official, told the Economic Development and Tourism Commission that the district is in the design phase for the new middle school and that the district has active legislation in the Maryland General Assembly to increase the state share of construction costs.
Dan said the bill had a positive hearing in the House Appropriations Committee in February and that the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee held recent questions; the superintendent and the district’s lead consultant met with the committee vice chair to address them. “We are feeling there is a lot of momentum this year behind the bill,” Dan said.
Dan identified sponsors he said were involved in the effort: Delegate Grice, Delegate Aarons and Delegate Jacobs in the House and Senator Hershey in the Senate. He said the district is seeking a larger state contribution to reduce the local share of construction costs and that the district is continuing design work while the bill moves through the legislature.
Why it matters: a higher state share would lower the county’s local capital obligation for a major school construction project and could affect related decisions about timing and debt service. Dan asked for the commission to be aware of the project; commissioners acknowledged the update and thanked the district for ongoing outreach.
Ending: The district said it will continue to track the legislation and report progress to county partners as committee work continues.
