State Grant Could Fund Broadneck, Southern High Lights

School officials hope to use $375,000 in unforeseen state funding to pay back the construction for lighting replacements at two area high school athletic fields, First, though, they need the County Council's approval.

Replacing the field lighting at and Southern High School was set to come from county funds set aside for construction this year. But the state grant could allow the work to be paid for with alternative funds.

“The grant was awarded to Anne Arundel County with the explicit purpose of replacing the athletic stadium high school lighting,” schools Chief Operating Officer Alex Szachnowicz said.

The lights at these fields have already been installed. The grant simply allows the school system to be reimbursed for the work at no cost to county taxpayers.

By law, the school system must get approval to make that kind of budget swap from their funding agency, the County Council.

Szachnowicz explained that the money would be coming from the Aging Schools Program through the state. The program is designed to pay for medium-sized construction projects that must meet certain criteria.

After Szachnowicz made his presentation to the County Council at its Dec. 19 meeting, no vote was taken. Chairman Derek Fink said the vote was being postponed until January, noting that the Planning Advisory Board has not yet made a determination.

But the vote’s delay shouldn’t be cause for alarm. Similar school system budget modifications occur routinely throughout the County Council’s bi-weekly agendas.

At the council’s Dec. 5 meeting, the body approved the transfer of funds for a $500,000 transfer from the same state grant to address “maintenance backlog” at the school system. Those funds went toward replacing stadium lighting at and schools and Bates Middle School's running track.