Board of Education briefs planning commission on facilities master plan and school capacity projections

Board of Education staff presented the St. Mary's County educational facilities master plan to the Planning Commission on Aug. 25, reviewing enrollment trends, upcoming projects and how the plan informs the county’s capital improvements program.

Mister Clemons opened the presentation and introduced Mrs. Howell, coordinating supervisor for capital planning and construction, who summarized the plan and the capital-improvement priorities. Clemons and Howell said the county has passed the 7,000-student mark for the school system’s enrollment this school year and that the largest sustained growth is at the elementary level.

The presentation linked enrollment projections to planned construction: Evergreen Elementary is under construction and will add seats (state-rated capacity cited as 646), the district is pursuing planning approval for a second new elementary school in the FY 2010 capital-improvement program and is planning a schedule intended to open that school in August 2013 if a site can be acquired. The master plan shows a continuing shortage of elementary seats in several future years, and the district included a third and fourth new elementary school in the plan’s later years to address projected deficits.

Staff reported recent updates in state construction funding guidance: the state average construction cost for a typical new building or renovation was reported at $250.88 per square foot, a roughly 12 percent increase over the previous year. At the same time, St. Mary's County’s share of state construction funding for the coming three fiscal years was reported to increase from 72 percent to 75 percent, a factor staff said will partly offset increased per-square-foot costs.

The presentation also outlined secondary-school timing: the district is seeking middle- and high-school sites now, with a proposed design start for a middle school in February 2013 and construction beginning in February 2015 under the current plan. Staff said the secondary shortfall is driven by the elementary “bubble” that will work through the grades over time.

Staff noted the master plan is coordinated with the county Department of Land Use and Growth Management and the Maryland Department of Planning; Marylan d planners provided guidance favoring locations inside designated development districts but will consider funding for projects outside those districts if the county documents a thorough site search and justifies the need.

No formal action was taken; the commission received the update and asked clarifying questions about enrollment, redistricting and how the master plan informs adequate public facilities and the capital improvements program.