$76.4M FY24 Capital Budget Proposed For Howard County Public School System​

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Howard County Public School System Superintendent Michael J. Martirano presented his proposed capital budget for fiscal year 2024, the FY 2025–2029 capital improvement program and FY 2024–2033 long range master plan to the Howard County Board of Education Sept. 8.

“This capital budget provides funding to maintain or build facilities that allow for consistent delivery of high-quality instructional programming in every school where every student is nurtured and fully supported in their learning and growth,” Martirano said. “As with all of my recommendations to the board, this recommendation is objective, data-driven and grounded in the funding realities of the next several years.”

Major items included in the proposed $76.4 million capital budget for FY24 include funding for:

• The completion of the district's 13th high school, scheduled to open in September 2023;
• Planning for renovations/additions to Oakland Mills Middle School and Dunloggin Middle School, both slated to open in September 2027;
• Renovations to the Faulkner Ridge Center;
• The 43rd elementary school, scheduled to open in September 2026;
• Systemic renovations of boilers and other equipment; and
• Planning and design to address system needs such as special education centers and classrooms.

The proposed $458.7 million capital improvement program includes continued funding for the renovation and addition at Oakland Mills Middle School and construction of the new elementary school #43; funding for a Regional Early Childhood Center; renovations and additions at Patapsco Middle School, Murray Hill Middle School and Centennial High School; and systemic and ongoing projects.

The proposed $923.3 million long range master plan includes funding to provide for approximately 4,500 additional kindergarten through 12th grade seats, additional capacity for prekindergarten, modernization and programmatic renovations to existing school facilities and renovations to address systemic needs.

The board has scheduled a public hearing and work session to address the budget during its Sept. 22, 7 p.m. meeting.