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PGCPS work group flags poor conditions at bus lots as Mullikin modernization nears completion
Summary
Prince George's County education officials and staff described aging maintenance trailers, outdoor repairs and potential asbestos at multiple bus lots and said Mullikin's renovation—with a new admin building, bus wash and added stormwater controls—is about 95% complete; electrification pieces (solar/microgrid) were paused.
The Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) electric school-bus work group heard stark descriptions of deteriorating maintenance and staff facilities at county bus lots and an update that the Mullikin modernization project is almost finished.
Seth Fenton, who presented a countywide map of PGCPS bus lots, said the "majority of the maintenance and repairs done on school buses is done outside" and described temporary trailers with "degrading infrastructure," barely adequate restrooms and work performed "in rain, wind, snow, cold, heat." He also warned that some older trailers "possibly have asbestos tiles," creating "serious health hazards." Those comments framed members' questions about staff safety and facility upgrades.
The Mullikin project, presented by Don Howton, includes a new transportation administration building, a bus-wash building and parking-lot renovations and is "approximately 95–96% complete," Howton said. The original plan to include solar canopies and a microgrid was paused; Howton said the electrical work brought to the site remains but "there's no solar currently in the project." He also described added stormwater bioretention features and said a proposed southern expansion would add roughly 126 parking spaces following a land swap with Planning and Parks.
Board members pressed for site-specific concerns. Board member Pamela Boozer described stormwater flooding near Laurel High School where runoff reaches parked buses and asked that stormwater management be incorporated into modernization scopes. Presenters agreed that "storm water management at all of our locations should be considered" and noted many lots sit on slopes where runoff is a recurring issue.
Members also asked about capacity: presenters said Greenbelt can physically park about 106 buses, Crossland is constrained, and attendees estimated Crossland currently accommodates roughly 66 buses with some alternate-use vehicles occupying spaces. On charging infrastructure counts for electrification, staff replied that the design anticipates about 30 charging stations per lot at the sites discussed.
Work-group leaders and directors emphasized staff working conditions and urged that modernization plans "go beyond buses" to include improved facilities for mechanics and maintenance workers. The discussion closed with a plan to carry outstanding items—including an Atlanta case study—forward to the next meeting on May 13, 2026.
The work group did not take a formal vote; next steps for Mullikin are final administrative approvals and continued planning for electrical upgrades at Greenbelt and Crossland.
