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Board of Education presents MANSEF partnerships, pre-K funding changes and school capital plans
Summary
Wicomico County Public Schools briefed the council on partnerships with nonpublic special-education providers, pre-K funding under the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, school safety equipment and a proposed land-banking plan to secure property for a future Wicomico Middle replacement.
Board of Education leaders and staff used the July 21 work session to preview several initiatives and capital priorities.
Superintendent and school staff described partnerships with the Maryland Association of Nonpublic Special Education Facilities (MANSEF). The Benedictine School will open an extension program on the Maple Shade campus this September, with Chimes and Kennedy Krieger expected to follow in phased timelines. The BOE said the nonpublic providers will accept a limited number of county students who need specialized services not currently available locally.
On pre-K, BOE staff explained the state’s Blueprint framework and noted that funding for private pre-K providers is now handled by the state via an invoice process (the county pays the state rather than routing funds through the LEA), which changed implementation in FY26.
School safety and capital projects also featured. The district is evaluating weapons-detection units and hiring school security employees (not armed staff) to operate them; the BOE said the units are transportable and the district is preparing grant applications (including COPS SVPP) to accelerate deployment. Facilities staff reported $7.75 million obtained from the Maryland Energy Administration for energy projects, and said Fruitland Primary is on time and budget. The BOE requested consideration of using recent state grant savings to "land-bank" roughly 35 acres to site a replacement Wicomico Middle School; staff said land prices are rising and early action would preserve options.
What’s next: the BOE will continue project workstreams, pursue grant funding for energy and safety projects, and ask the county executive/finance office about land-banking for the middle-school replacement.
