Board approves July 2026 facilities master plan amid funding shortfalls

The St. Mary's County Board of Education on June 24 approved the July 2026 Educational Facilities Master Plan (EFMP) for submission to the Interagency Commission on School Construction, advancing a multi-year capital plan that officials said will be constrained by shrinking state funding.

Ms. How of the Department of Capital Planning told the board the EFMP is the "first step in the process for the state school construction program," and she outlined a strategy that prioritizes systemic renovations—including HVAC and roof work—over new construction because state allocations are unlikely to increase in the next five to six years.

The presentation said several prior state funding streams have sun-setted, removing sources the district previously used. "Our annual allocation is around $5 million," Ms. How said, and the district is competing for a small share of a $70 million statewide allocation that will distribute roughly $1 million to each of 17 counties under legislation that set those amounts. Ms. How said that $1 million is unlikely to cover the district's larger needs and that awards will be competitive and rank-based.

To stretch available resources, the district will lean on partnerships with the county commissioners and favor "critical and programmatic" projects that replace system components to extend useful life. Ms. How said the district has extended some equipment lifespans from roughly 30 years to 35–40 years and will continue component-level replacements where possible.

Officials described two federal grant efforts to supplement state funding. The district submitted a military-connected grant application (noted in the presentation as roughly $19.4 million) to replace HVAC systems at Esparanza Middle School that requires no local match. Separately, the district applied to the Defense Community Infrastructure Program for LED lighting and building envelope work totaling about $5.4 million; Ms. How said the Navy provided a support letter for the latter application.

The EFMP presentation included a multi-year Capital Improvement Program schedule with near-term requests for Chopticon High School multi-system work and Esparanza HVAC (contingent on grant awards), FY29 planning for Leonardtown High School HVAC, and later staging for roofs and mechanical work at Town Creek, Benjamin Banneker and several elementary and middle schools. Ms. How warned that in peak years the district could need roughly $30 million from the state to meet combined needs.

Board members pressed on risk, noting the district could face building closures or costly mold remediation if aging systems fail. "There are going to be buildings that will not be able to open because a system failed," a board member said during the discussion.

A board member moved to approve the EFMP for submission to the Interagency Commission on School Construction; a second was recorded and the motion was carried. The transcript records that the motion "is carried" but does not include a roll-call tally.

The plan now moves forward to the interagency commission, and the district said it will continue seeking federal grants, working with county commissioners and watching state funding guidance for final project prioritization.