MCPS pitches districtwide security upgrades in $2.77 billion CIP; crisis alert, digital mapping prioritized

Montgomery County Public Schools staff told the board during the third and final FY27 work session that security upgrades are top priorities in the recommended capital improvement program.

DJ Connolly, capital budget manager, described countywide security buckets that include camera modernization, ACS card readers and a crisis alert system. "2,770,000,000.00 is the total," Connolly said of the overall major-investment request and framed security work as a countywide priority tied to condition, utilization and life-cycle planning.

Marcus Jones, MCPS chief of safety and emergency management, outlined the technical scope: digital floor mapping for first responders, replacement of aging camera servers and alarm systems, geo-based panic-button hardware and door sensors that alert administration to unauthorized openings. "We have alarm systems that were actually installed in the mid nineties," Jones said, noting some alarm systems are nearly 30 years old and that the life of an alarm system "is usually about 10 years." He described a panic-button option that relies on dedicated hardware (card or button) and a separate cell-phone app option, and said the district has been in talks with vendors and with public-safety partners.

Board members pressed for specifics. School Board member Carla Silvestri asked whether the crisis alert would be a physical button or phone-based app; Jones replied both models are under evaluation but stressed the panic-button hardware option does not depend on cell coverage. Rivera Owens and others urged MCPS to provide a ranked schedule that shows which schools need replacements first; Jones said cluster security coordinators have already audited main doors and that staff will provide a replacement schedule and a vendor timeline.

Several board members sought comparisons with peer jurisdictions. Jones listed Stafford and Fairfax counties as places with crisis-alert deployments and noted vendors using systems sometimes described as "Raptor"-style integrations of panic alerts and camera notifications. Board members also urged MCPS to consult county HHS and other agencies that currently use panic buttons to learn best practices.

Staff cautioned that some security details must be kept at a high level in public materials for safety reasons, but committed to share a prioritized replacement timetable and vendor evaluations with the board. Jones estimated digital floor mapping could be implemented "probably within about 3 months of the funding being approved," pending procurement and vendor upload of maps.

What happens next: staff said the security proposals are part of the FY27 CIP the board will consider at its Nov. 20 business meeting; staff also signaled additional safety conversations and a separate safety-and-security work session to follow.