Commissioners review school capital projects and direct short‑term search for ADA‑accessible restrooms at athletic fields

The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners reviewed the Board of Education portion of the county’s FY 2026 capital improvement plan during a work session on Feb. 25, 2025 and asked staff to identify short‑term, ADA‑accessible restroom options for school athletic fields while planning longer‑term facilities.

Danielle Russell, acting capital and grants management specialist in the County Administrator’s office, and Shichida Warner, director of planning and construction for Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS), presented the six‑year capital plan for school projects and the State’s Interagency Commission on School Construction (IAC) recommendations. The IAC’s 90% recommendations (pending the governor’s budget) fully funded the Northern Middle School replacement project and covered Maryland Stadium Authority Built to Learn (BTL) funds in the presentation; other projects did not receive recommended state funding for FY 2026.

Key school projects and figures discussed: - Northern Middle School: full modernization and replacement of a 1976 facility; includes IAC funding and Built to Learn funds (presentation listed $13,570,000 in BTL funds). - Mary Harrison Center: HVAC replacement and installation of an independent heating plant; IAC funding approved in FY 2025 so no additional FY 2026 state funding was requested. - Sunderland Elementary School: full HVAC replacement and electrification project paired with a Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) decarbonization grant; an estimated $784,000 in additional local funds is needed for FY 2026 to avoid risking an MEA grant award (the MEA grant discussed in the presentation is approximately $987,000). - Playground equipment replacement: a recurring project; the FY 2026 allocation of $350,000 is expected to fund one school (Plum Point Elementary was cited as the planned recipient for this allocation).

Commissioners pressed staff on how to cover the $784,000 local share for Sunderland and whether reallocations from closing projects were possible. Russell and Warner said staff were reviewing closing project balances and other options to avoid jeopardizing MEA grant funding.

The meeting included extended discussion about restroom access at school athletic fields. Commissioners expressed concern that many athletic fields lack ADA‑accessible restrooms and that portable toilets commonly used are not suitable for people who use wheelchairs. Commissioner Hart described repeated requests over several years and urged the county to act on dignity and access for older residents and people with disabilities. Commissioners directed county staff to: - Research short‑term options and costs for ADA‑accessible portable restrooms and report back, and - Prepare to discuss longer‑term ADA compliance, including pathway/access improvements and whether field‑house projects or larger capital work would trigger required ADA upgrades.

The board did not take a formal vote to fund a specific ADA solution during the Feb. 25 session but asked that the superintendent be prepared to address the issue when school budget discussions resume. "So in the short term, we're looking at porta Johns, accessible porta Johns, and what that would cost," a commissioner said during the discussion.

Staff noted that fixed, nonportable accessible restrooms and the required accessible pathways would be more expensive and would need capital planning; portable accessible units may provide an interim solution while long‑range CIP planning addresses permanent access.