Carroll leaders tout Liberty High feasibility funding, warn state CIP limits modernization plans

Superintendent McCabe said the state recommended full funding of Carroll County's FY27 capital request and confirmed funding was provided for a feasibility study for Liberty High School to evaluate options for that site.

McCabe said state participation is the critical first domino for major modernizations and cautioned the state's general capital program has not grown meaningfully since 2001. "The state funding just isn't keeping up," McCabe said, adding that episodic programs such as the Built to Learn Act create opportunities but cannot be relied on as a steady funding stream.

School staff flagged uncertainty in one component of the state package: information indicated a possible reduction of roughly $3 million in the enrollment-growth and relocatable classroom fund, and staff said they would seek to reallocate any reduced award away from lower-priority projects so higher-priority modernizations could proceed.

McCabe outlined recent project priorities that could participate in state funding, including feasibility work for Liberty High School and planned work on Century High's roof and Piney Ridge HVAC. She encouraged commissioners to help keep the district positioned to apply quickly when special funding windows open.

Officials also discussed cash-flow timing: state funds often arrive over multiple years, and the county may need to cover interim costs to keep projects moving.

The meeting concluded after brief discussion of the capital program and next steps to align county and school CIP planning.