Montgomery County Public Schools says aging buildings and sharply rising construction costs are creating increasingly difficult decisions about how the school system invests in its facilities.
The challenges were outlined as the Montgomery County Board of Education received an informational report on the proposed Fiscal Year 2028 Capital Budget and amendments to the FY 2027-2032 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) on Thursday, Oct. 15.
According to MCPS, 126 schools were built or last renovated before 2000, and approximately three out of four of those schools are rated as needing repairs or having unreliable building systems.
At the same time, the cost of addressing those problems has increased significantly. MCPS cited a complete high school HVAC replacement as an example. A project previously estimated to cost between $30 million and $35 million is now projected to cost between $45 million and $55 million.
According to the district, rising costs are forcing changes to project schedules and limiting the number of improvements that can move forward with available funding. The superintendent’s recommended six-year CIP totals $1.879 billion, an increase of $25 million over the currently approved program.
Because FY 2028 is an “off-year” amendment cycle, MCPS is proposing targeted changes rather than a comprehensive review of all capital projects. No changes to individual school construction projects are recommended as part of the amendments.
Of the proposed $25 million increase, $23 million would go toward warehouse improvements. MCPS is seeking the funding to develop modern warehouse space to replace aging facilities that the district says are undersized, inefficient and in poor condition. According to MCPS, the current warehouse was constructed using salvaged materials from the World War II era.
The remaining $2 million would go toward facility planning and support two initiatives. One would explore a potential public-private partnership, or P3, for replacing the aging Carver Educational Services Center, one of the school district’s central office headquarters. Under that approach, MCPS could partner with private-sector organizations to help finance, design, construct or maintain the facility.
MCPS said it is examining whether the model could accelerate construction and provide a more cost-effective way to replace the existing building. The planning funding would also support a feasibility study at Col. Zadok Magruder High School to evaluate the school’s facility needs and potential improvement options for future capital investments.
The infrastructure challenges come as MCPS is also facing declining enrollment and uneven use of school capacity across the county. District officials have said those factors will require MCPS to reconsider how it uses its facilities and resources over the long term.
MCPS characterized the situation by stating that “doing nothing is not an option,” noting that money spent maintaining underused or deteriorating facilities must be weighed against other needs across the school system. Delaying improvements, according to MCPS, can lead to higher costs and worsening building conditions.
Public hearings on the proposed CIP are scheduled for Oct. 26 and 27, with additional Board of Education work sessions planned for November. Board action is scheduled for Nov. 19.
