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Harford County board hears 2026 facilities master plan as aging schools, constrained funding push projects to 2030s
Summary
District operations staff told the board that elementary capacity sits around 89% and that major projects — including Hartford Academy, C. Milton Wright, and Old Post Road Elementary — are being sequenced under limited state funding, pushing some replacements into 2030–31. The plan will be posted for public review and return to the board June 22 for a vote.
Assistant Superintendent for Operations Kathy Bendis and facilities planner Missy Valentino presented Harford County Public Schools’ 2026 Educational Facilities Master Plan, framing it as the district’s roadmap for capital projects and state-required submission by July 1.
“Today we will be presenting a plan this evening. Asking you to vote,” Bendis said, describing the schedule that will bring the plan back to the board on the June 22 consent agenda.
Valentino described district capacity and building condition, saying, “Our elementary capacity is at 89%, middle 79, and 81 into high school,” and explained how state-rated facility-condition indices reflect systemic needs such as plumbing, HVAC, and roofing. She told the board the district receives an average of about $15 million from the state and plans around a $50 million annual county allocation that serves as the local baseline for capital work.
Valentino said some major projects are being pushed out because the state’s funding sequence concentrates resources on Hartford Academy. “Hartford Academy is taking pretty much all of our state funding,” she said, and as a result C. Milton Wright and Old Post Road are scheduled later; Old Post Road’s construction is not expected until about 2030 in the current sequencing.
The presentation detailed how rising construction costs, flat funding and the carry-forward of deferred maintenance can grow the backlog. Valentino walked the board through program-support needs (classroom furniture, technology) and described roofing and plumbing as recurring cost pressures. She said the district would seek a sustainable way forward that balances state-eligible projects with locally funded priorities.
Board members pressed for clarity on specific items on the project list, such as scope decisions for Bel Air Middle, Haverty Grace Elementary and Bakerfield Elementary, and asked whether refurbishment programs for desks were still in place; staff said the refurbishing effort had been removed for cost savings. Valentino also explained phasing for large HVAC system replacements to avoid displacing students.
Bendis said staff would post the draft plan on the district website and return with a Comprehensive Maintenance Plan and a finalized list of state-eligible projects in September. The board was told the Educational Facilities Master Plan will be submitted to the state by July 1 and return for formal approval at the June 22 meeting.
