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Board staff brief board on Delaney rebuild timing; permitting delays push ground‑breaking later than planned
Summary
During the FY 2027 state capital budget work session staff updated the board on the Delaney rebuild project, saying the state has committed funding but final county stormwater and sediment permits remain outstanding and could delay breaking ground into October or November 2025.
Board staff told the Board of Education Tuesday that the Delaney High School rebuild project is funded by the state but has not yet broken ground because final county permitting — primarily stormwater and sediment control approvals — remain pending.
Facilities representatives said earlier spending figures in the capital request materials contained a prior accounting error that reduced one listed FY25 allocation from $8,000,000 to the correct $7,843,000; staff revised their running totals accordingly. Including prior-year allocations and the state commitment, staff said the total committed to date is approximately $47.9 million (figures given in meeting materials and explained by staff during the session).
Facilities manager Dean Simek and Director of Facilities Construction Leslie Lazeri told the board design is complete and the Interagency Commission (IAC) has approved state funding for the project. However, Simek said the project cannot break ground until Baltimore County issues the remaining required permits. "It's the stormwater and sediment control — they're sort of the last ones to get that are getting together," Simek said, describing a typical back‑and‑forth review process with county agencies. He said permitting typically takes six to eight months and the project team had planned for a September ground‑breaking but now anticipates October or November if approvals come through.
Board members asked for updated, itemized spending and a closeout of FY25 figures; staff said they expect to provide a June 30 closeout report in September. Members also asked for a single, public‑friendly list of capital priorities and changes to project sequencing — staff said some information appears in quarterly reports and BoardDocs and encouraged board members to submit specific questions so staff can assemble a consolidated list.
Why it matters: Delaney is a major capital project for the district and timing affects scheduling, contractor procurement and later budget requests. Permitting delays and corrections to previously reported figures mean the board will receive updated cost and schedule information that could affect the FY27 capital request.
What’s next: Staff said they will provide the board with the closeout for the period ending June 30 and will respond to follow‑up questions about project prioritization and timing in September; board members requested clearer public materials showing projects in the pipeline and the effect of prior reprioritizations.
