Baltimore County Makes Last-Ditch School Funding Request

TOWSON, MD — County Executive Johnny Olszewski joined lawmakers and school officials to plead for additional funding Thursday for school construction projects from the state of Maryland. He asked the Maryland General Assembly to reconsider legislation that would provide $2.2 billion in supplemental funding for school construction projects around the state.

"We don't have enough seats to accommodate our growing population," Olszewski said at a press conference Thursday outside the courthouse in Towson. "Too many of our schools are aging. Too many are run-down."

Lansdowne, Dulaney and Towson high schools in particular are in need of capital improvements. The drinking water at Lansdowne is brown, the building is literally crumbling and it cannot support those who need to use wheelchairs, Olszewski said.

"We cannot put shovels in the ground for these projects without more support from the state," the county executive said.

The press conference was held the week before the Maryland General Assembly meets outside of its usually scheduled 90-day session. Gov. Larry Hogan called for a special session to elect a new House speaker since Michael Busch, speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, passed away on April 7.

"As the legislature prepares to convene for a special session, I believe we have an opportunity to step up and do right by our children," Olszewski said, "to call on our state lawmakers to recognize the urgent need in Baltimore County and beyond and provide the additional funds needed to build school facilities that will ensure our students can thrive in the years ahead."

RELATED: Gov. Hogan Calls May 1 Special General Assembly Session

Baltimore County Public Schools have a "very critical need," said Councilman Tom Quirk, whose district includes Lansdowne High School. "We can't wait for years..."

In Baltimore County, which is the 25th largest school district in the U.S., Board of Education Chair Kathleen S. Causey said: "It is vital that we provide equitable, safe and healthy learning environments" for the more than 113,000 students as well as those around the state.

She asked the Maryland General Assembly to consider the needs of the individual students by revisiting the Build to Learn Act, which would have opened the possibility for additional funding for school systems beyond just Baltimore County.

The House of Delegates passed the act by a vote of more than 130-3. However, the bill did not pass through the Maryland General Assembly because despite letters of support from all eight state senators representing Baltimore County, Senator Chris West said the bill died.

West attributed the failure to "decisions made at the leadership level" and said "those of us who were in the Senate were appalled."

Watch the April 25 press conference:

Olszewski was joined by members of the Baltimore County Council, Baltimore County Board of Education, Baltimore County Delegation and Baltimore County Public Schools at the press conference at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 25, at the courthouse on Washington Avenue in Towson.