Howard County Council approves $9.1 million in school capital allocations after debate over Oakland Mills gym air conditioning

The Howard County Council voted unanimously at its second March legislative session to remove CR 63 20 25 from the table and approve the resolution reallocating state and school-construction funds to five school projects, including two new roofs, an elevator and two high school gym air-conditioning units.

The resolution uses $4,400,000 in previously unspent state Capital Improvement Program funding and roughly $9,100,000 in additional school-construction dollars to fully or partially fund five projects identified by the Board of Education, the resolution shows.

The council debate focused on whether one of the proposed gym air-conditioning installations — at Oakland Mills High School — should be funded now when, according to the materials cited during the meeting, the building is scheduled for a full renovation with an…