County Council Approves School Construction Funding Request

Montgomery County Public Schools will face tough competition again this year for state funding of construction programs. 

The Montgomery County Council on Tuesday approved a request that would ask the state for almost $185 million to construct, repair or modernize county schools in fiscal 2013, which starts July 1. The state has estimated an allocation of $250 million for school construction, bringing Montgomery's request to more than half of the state's expected budget.

"We will get a whole lot less than we asked for," said Council Member George Leventhal (D-at large). "Unfortunately, that's what happens every year."

The county is eligible for the requested aid amount. State law requires counties to request aid only for those projects approved by the county council. However, this amount is usually several times larger than the amount likely to be approved by the state, according to senior legislative analyst Keith Levchenko, who has been working with school construction budgets for more than 10 years.

“What we request is the full amount we think we're eligible for,” Levchenko said, explaining that the county does this knowing it will get far less than requested. For fiscal 2013, the county assumes it will receive $40 million from the state. "If they give us less than we assume, we'll have to figure out how to balance it the other way," Levchenko said, but those discussions will not begin until spring.

Statewide competition for these funds is intense. County requests usually total about twice the amount the state has to dole out. 

Traditionally, Montgomery County receives 20 percent to 40 percent of its request. In 2008, the state allocated $400 million, the largest in recent years, and Montgomery County received $52.3 million after asking for $134 million.

Funding for two modernization projects make up the bulk of Montgomery County’s request: Paint Branch High School, set for $38.9 million, and Herbert Hoover Middle School, set for $14.8 million. Both are under construction; Hoover's modernization started this summer and Paint Branch construction began in March.

The MCPS request for school construction state aid is not connected to state aid for county schools’ operating budget, nor with the state’s maintenance requirements.