Community presses board to restore Oakland Mills and Centennial renovations to capital plan

Residents, parents and students urged the Howard County Board of Education on Feb. 9 to restore Oakland Mills High School and Centennial High School renovations to the capital budget.

Lisonbee Rogan said Oakland Mills, more than 50 years old, has been repeatedly deferred from the renovation queue and asked the board to "restore the funding for the Oakland Mills High School renovation." (SEG 1900–1948.) Karen Bitterman and other speakers described Centennial High School as the district's most neglected high school, noting porta‑potties without running water at the stadium level and intermittent HVAC failures; Bitterman urged board members to tour Centennial and prioritize its renovation.

Nicholas Berry, a social studies teacher and former Howard County Teacher of the Year, recounted that the board unanimously voted to renovate Oakland Mills in June but then deferred that plan in November. He said the superintendent's proposed budget now lists Oakland Mills renovations beginning in FY2030 while the district has $64 million in Build to Learn funds that, he warned, might not be available later.

Speakers urged the board not to recall earlier votes and to consider community equity and historical promises when allocating capital funds. The board did not act on capital allocations during the Feb. 9 hearing; testimony was recorded for the board's later deliberations.