Prince George's County Council defers action on joint school-construction priority letter after school reps absent

Prince George's County Council members, sitting as the committee of the whole on Nov. 17, 2025, postponed action on the countyand school-system joint capital improvement priority letter to the Interagency Commission on School Construction (IAC) because school-system representatives were not present to explain changes in a second draft transmitted from the county executive's office.

Bridal Alvear, identified in the meeting as director of the Education and Workforce Development Committee, told the council the letter is the annual joint statement of school-construction priorities from Prince George's County Public Schools and county government. Alvear said Draft 1 had been held in committee pending additional projects and that Draft 1 was discharged from the EWD committee "today, 11/17/2025" and referred to the committee of the whole. Alvear said a Draft 2 was transmitted by the county executive's office and offered the council the option to accept that substitute draft.

A council member (first ref SEG 029) urged the body to accept Draft 2, saying they had discussed the matter with "DCA Wilbon." Several other members said they could not locate the second draft in their binders and repeatedly asked for a school-system representative to appear. One council member (first ref SEG 037) said, "I just I don't know what I'm voting on," expressing reluctance to act without a school official available to explain the revisions. Staff offered to summarize differences between Draft 1 and Draft 2, but the chair said the school system should "really go over the rationale behind them."

With the school-system representatives (referred to in the meeting as Mister Wilbon and Mister Martin) not present, the council elected to defer formal consideration to the next day. The committee then moved and seconded a motion to adjourn; the chair called the vote and the meeting ended.

No formal vote on the Draft 2 letter was taken during the Nov. 17 session. The council recorded that Draft 1 had been discharged from the Education and Workforce Development Committee and referred to the committee of the whole earlier that day. The committee expects to revisit the item when school-system representatives are available to present the rationale for any changes.

What happens next: the council will take up the joint capital improvement priority letter at its next scheduled committee meeting or the reconvened committee of the whole, when school-system staff are present to address member questions.