Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facilities CIP topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Draft facilities plan shows aging population and $76 million deferred-maintenance backlog
Summary
The district's draft Educational Facilities Master Plan projects slight enrollment declines as Calvert County's population ages and reports a deferred-maintenance backlog of about $76 million across 21 schools; staff said current CIP allocations would take roughly 14.9 years to address the backlog at current funding levels.
Shashida Warner, the district’s Director of Planning and Construction, reviewed the draft Educational Facilities Master Plan (EFMP) for fiscal 2028 at the May 7 meeting, outlining demographic and facilities trends and next steps for state submission.
Warner said county demographic shifts include an increasing share of residents 65 and older and a decline in residents ages 0–14; for the first time in 10 years the county’s birth‑to‑death ratio fell below 1 in 2023. She reported 2025 had a low number of residential building permits (52 permits compared with 226 in 2016) and that the district’s 10‑year enrollment projections show a slight decline that aligns with the county trends.
Warner told the board the district has an estimated deferred‑maintenance backlog of about $76,000,000 affecting 21 schools — items such as roofs, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, fire alarms and site work. She said the current capital maintenance allocation in the CIP is $5,100,000 and that at that funding level it would take roughly 14.9 years to address the backlog, not accounting for cost escalation or new needs. Warner said the EFMP will be posted on BoardDocs for 30 days and then submitted to the Maryland Department of Planning by July 1.
Board members discussed options including prioritizing life‑safety items for the county budget conversation and seeking a larger infusion of capital from county or state sources. Warner agreed to prepare a prioritized list of the most pressing projects for use in the county budget presentation.
The EFMP is informational at this stage; the board will review the subsequent capital improvement program (CIP) details in September.
