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District begins FY2027 capital‑budget planning; state cost‑share for Howard County drops to 50%
Summary
Capital planning staff previewed the FY2027 capital budget development process and reported new Interagency Commission on School Construction allocations: an FY2027 CIP target of $14.4 million and an EGRC allocation of $3.65 million, with Howard County's state cost share reduced to 50%.
District capital planning staff on July 17 outlined the FY2027 capital budget kickoff and said the Interagency Commission on School Construction (IAC) approved new funding targets and confirmed a lower state cost share percentage for the county.
Dan Lubley, Executive Director of Capital Planning and Construction, reviewed enrollment trends and stated construction costs continue to pressure capital needs: the IAC’s construction cost index shows a roughly 63% increase in school construction costs since FY2018. Lubley explained that the state and county share of eligible project costs varies by project and that the state’s cost‑share calculation for Howard County decreased to 50% for FY2027 and FY2028.
At the IAC meeting earlier that day, staff said Howard County’s FY2027 CIP target allocation was set at $14.4 million and the county qualified for $3.65 million in enrollment growth and relocatable classroom (EGRC) funding, producing a combined FY2027 state allocation of approximately $18.1 million. Lubley cautioned that the state allocation applies only to eligible portions of projects and that many capital needs remain locally funded.
Lubley said staff will present the superintendent’s proposed FY2027 capital budget to the board on Aug. 21. He described the process as a multi‑step planning exercise that will combine existing project commitments, the district’s prioritization framework and forthcoming educational‑sufficiency work (an update to educational specifications) to refine recommended projects and timing.
Board members asked for clearer connections between prioritization scores and specific project proposals. District staff said the current report is an informational step in a multi‑year transition to a more data‑driven master plan; the district plans an educational‑sufficiency study and additional data to better match projects to prioritized deficiencies.
What happens next: staff will return with the superintendent’s proposed FY2027 capital budget on Aug. 21, then present state‑eligible projects for IAC submission in October and bring remaining local projects to the board in the fall.
