To: Members of the Board of Education
From: Joshua P. Starr, Superintendent of Schools
Subject: Recommended Clarksburg Cluster Elementary School Site
WHEREAS, A new elementary school is needed in the Clarksburg Cluster to address the rapidly increasing student enrollment growth; and
WHEREAS, A Site Selection Advisory Committee met in May 2014 and reviewed three master- planned elementary school sites and recommended the Clarksburg Village Elementary School
Site (#2) for the new elementary school; and
WHEREAS, On October 15, 2014, the superintendent of schools released his recommendation in support of Clarksburg Village Elementary School Site (#2) in Supplement B to the Amended Fiscal Year 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program; and
WHEREAS, The recommended Clarksburg Village Elementary School Site (#2) is well located in the area to address enrollment growth in the cluster; now therefore be it
Resolved, That the Board of Education approves the Clarksburg Village Elementary School
Site (#2), as shown on the attached map, as the next elementary school in the Clarksburg Cluster.
To: Members of the Board of Education
From: Joshua P. Starr, Superintendent of Schools
Subject: Clarksburg/Damascus Middle School Boundary Study
WHEREAS, The new Clarksburg/Damascus Middle School will open in August 2016 to address the student enrollment growth in the Clarksburg Cluster; and
WHEREAS, The superintendent of schools recommended a boundary study to determine the service area for the Clarksburg/Damascus Middle School with representatives from Montgomery Village, Neelsville, and Rocky Hill middle schools; and
WHEREAS, The superintendent of schools further recommended that the boundary study be conducted in spring 2015, followed by the superintendent of schools’ recommendation
in mid-October 2015, and Board of Education action in November 2015; now therefore be it
Resolved, That the Board of Education approves a boundary study to determine the service area of the new Clarksburg/Damascus Middle School in spring 2015; and be it further
Resolved, That the Board of Education approves the scope of the boundary study to include representatives from Montgomery Village, Neelsville, and Rocky Hill middle schools; and be it further
Resolved, That the superintendent of schools provides recommendations to the Board of Education upon completion of the boundary study for the new Clarksburg/Damascus Middle School.
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To: Members of the Board of Education
From: Joshua P. Starr, Superintendent of Schools
Subject: Seneca Valley High School Revitalization/Expansion Project and Clarksburg and Northwest High Schools
WHEREAS, The planning for the Seneca Valley High School revitalization/expansion project is currently under way with a recommended completion date of August 2018; and
WHEREAS, The current project scope is to accommodate 2,000 students with a core facility for 2,400 students; and
WHEREAS, The current site design includes a master plan for additional capacity; and
WHEREAS, The student enrollment growth at Clarksburg and Northwest high schools will exceed their capacities by nearly 800 students within the next six years; now therefore be it
Resolved, That the current scope of the revitalization/expansion project for Seneca Valley High School be increased to accommodate 2,400 students to address the overutilizations at Northwest and Clarksburg high schools through future boundary reassignments; and be it further
Resolved, That the additional funds needed for the increase in the scope of the project be included in the Fiscal Years 2017–2022 Capital Improvements Program.
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To: Members of the Board of Education
From: Joshua P. Starr, Superintendent of Schools
Subject: Rachel Carson, Jones Lane, DuFief, and Fields Road Elementary Schools
WHEREAS, Enrollment at Rachel Carson Elementary School is projected to exceed capacity
by more than 300 students in the next six years; and
WHEREAS, Jones Lane and DuFief elementary schools are adjacent to the Rachel Carson Elementary School service area, are relatively small schools, and may be expanded as a way
to relieve Rachel Carson Elementary School in the future; and
WHEREAS, A feasibility study was previously conducted for an addition at Jones Lane Elementary School, and this study can be updated this year; and
WHEREAS, A feasibility study for a revitalization/expansion project for DuFief Elementary School is scheduled for Fiscal Year 2015; and
WHEREAS, The Board of Education requested as an alternative to the superintendent of schools’ recommendation that a feasibility study be conducted for an addition at Fields Road Elementary School; now therefore be it
Resolved, That the feasibility study previously conducted for an addition at Jones Lane Elementary School be updated to explore additional capacity; and be it further
Resolved, That the scope of the feasibility study for the revitalization/expansion of DuFief Elementary School include the possibility of additional capacity; and be it further
Resolved, That a feasibility study be conducted for an addition at Fields Road Elementary School; and be it further
Resolved, That the superintendent of schools provides recommendations on the Rachel Carson Elementary School overutilization as part of the Fiscal Years 2017–2022 Capital Improvements Program.
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To: Members of the Board of Education
From: Joshua P. Starr, Superintendent of Schools
Subject: Tilden Middle School and Rock Terrace School Collocation Roundtable
WHEREAS, Facility conditions at Rock Terrace School were assessed during the 2010–2011 school year using the Facilities Assessment with Criteria and Testing methodology; and
WHEREAS, The Facilities Assessment with Criteria and Testing revealed that the facility was
in poor condition with the highest ranking among the secondary schools; and
WHEREAS, The collocation of special education centers with general education schools allows the school system to address the facility needs of the stand-alone special education centers while meeting the goal to provide special education students with opportunities to receive instruction in the general education environment; and
WHEREAS, The upcoming revitalization/expansion of Tilden Middle School, recommended for completion in August 2019, presents an opportunity to consider collocating Rock Terrace School with Tilden Middle School; and
WHEREAS, Tilden Middle School, centrally located in the county, has the site capacity and accessibility to accommodate the two schools; now therefore be it
Resolved, That a roundtable discussion process be conducted in winter 2014–2015 to consider the collocation of Rock Terrace School with Tilden Middle School; and be it further
Resolved, That the roundtable discussion includes parents and staff from Rock Terrace School and Tilden Middle School, as well as staff in the Office of School Support and Improvement, the Department of Special Education Services, and the Department of Facilities Management; and be it further
Resolved, That the superintendent of schools provides recommendations to the Board of Education upon completion of the roundtable discussion process.
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To: Members of the Board of Education
From: Joshua P. Starr, Superintendent of Schools
Subject: Amendment to the Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program—Blair G. Ewing Center
Background
During the 2013–2014 school year, I charged an Alternative Education Programs project team to develop a new vision for alternative education in Montgomery County Public Schools. As a result of the project team’s work, all secondary school Alternative Education Programs were consolidated into the Blair G. Ewing Center. Although a Fiscal Year 2015 appropriation was approved to begin the planning process for improvements to the Blair G. Ewing Center facility, the new vision for Alternative Education Programs required a second look at the current
facility to ensure that the secondary Alternative Education Programs were appropriately accommodated with the funds approved.
WHEREAS, The Blair G. Ewing Center facility, which was constructed in the early 1970s with a classroom pod organization, does not have an ideal building configuration to support the new vision for Alternative Education Programs in Montgomery County Public Schools; and
WHEREAS, The building remains less than ideal to support the redesigned program for secondary school students and makes it difficult to supervise the students due to the classroom pod organization; and
WHEREAS, The approved Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program includes $16.6 million for improvements to the Blair G. Ewing Center, with the majority of those funds to be spent on building systems replacement in the facility and will not address all of the building configuration concerns; and
WHEREAS, In order to provide the Alternative Education Programs with a facility that will support the program and students, the Superintendent’s Recommended Fiscal Year 2016 Capital Budget and Amendments to the Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program includes that the Alternative Education Programs, currently housed at the Blair G. Ewing Center, be relocated to the former English Manor Elementary School site and the existing facility be renovated and expanded to accommodate the Blair G. Ewing Center Alternative Education Programs; and
WHEREAS, The English Manor facility is better suited to support the Alternative Education Programs and the approved $16.6 million should be sufficient to make the systemic renovations to English Manor as well as the programmatic improvements and expansion to support the redesigned Alternative Education Programs; and
WHEREAS, A feasibility study needs to be conducted during the 2014–2015 school year to determine the scope of facility improvements and expansion and planning for the relocation of Blair G. Ewing Center to the English Manor site; and
WHEREAS, If the feasibility study determines that the $16.6 million is not sufficient, the cost of the project will be increased in the Fiscal Years 2017–2022 Capital Improvement Program; now therefore be it
Resolved, That the Board of Education requests an amendment to the adopted Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program to change the scope of the Blair G. Ewing Center Improvements project from improvements to the current facility to improvements to the former English Manor Elementary School site in order for the Alternative Education Programs to relocate to the English Manor site; and be it further
Resolved, That the Board of Education requests to the county executive and the County Council that the former English Manor Elementary School site be reverted back to the Board of Education for educational purposes; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the county executive and the County Council.
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To: Members of the Board of Education
From: Joshua P. Starr, Superintendent of Schools
Subject: Amendment to the Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program—Transfer of Funds from Blair G. Ewing Center Improvements to Facility Planning
Background
In January 2006, the Montgomery County Council adopted the Shady Grove Sector Plan, which signaled the future transformation of the existing County Service Park along Crabbs Branch Way in Rockville from an industrial complex into a mixed-use community with a new residential focus at the Shady Grove Metro Station. In December 2007, the county executive placed in motion the Smart Growth Initiative to relocate all of the operations at the County Service Park. The Montgomery County Public Schools Shady Grove Transportation Depot is the largest of those operations and, to date, the county has been unable to secure a new location for the Shady Grove Transportation Depot. With a deadline to vacate the current site by January 2017, it is imperative that an immediate solution for the relocation be solidified.
WHEREAS, The Shady Grove Transportation Depot needs to vacate the current site by January 2017; and
WHEREAS, Various options were explored for the relocation of the Shady Grove Transportation Depot, and it was determined that the Blair G. Ewing Center would accommodate the majority of the needs and functions of the Shady Grove Transportation Depot; and
WHEREAS, The Superintendent’s Recommended Fiscal Year 2016 Capital Budget and Amendments to the Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program includes an amendment for $32 million for the redevelopment of the Blair G. Ewing Center site for the Shady Grove Transportation Depot, with a scheduled completion date of January 2019; and
WHEREAS, A feasibility study needs to be conducted in order to better determine the scope of work and cost for the redevelopment of the Blair G. Ewing Center site for the Shady Grove Transportation Depot; now therefore be it
Resolved, That the Board of Education requests an amendment to the adopted Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program to transfer $100,000 from the approved Blair G. Ewing Center Improvements project to the Facility Planning project to conduct a feasibility study for the redevelopment of the current Blair G. Ewing Center site for the Shady Grove Transportation Depot; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the county executive and the County Council.
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To: Members of the Board of Education
From: Joshua P. Starr, Superintendent of Schools
Subject: Adoption of Recommended Fiscal Year 2016 Capital Budget and Amendments to the Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program
WHEREAS, In accordance with §5-306 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, the superintendent of schools released the Superintendent’s Recommended Fiscal Year 2016 Capital Budget and Amendments to the Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program on October 28, 2014; and
WHEREAS, In accordance with the Montgomery County charter and the biennial Capital Improvements Process, in even-numbered fiscal years, such as Fiscal Year 2016, only projects with expenditure or appropriation changes needed in the second year of the adopted six-year Capital Improvements Program are considered for amendments; and
WHEREAS, The Board of Education’s Requested Fiscal Year 2015 Capital Budget and Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program, approved in November 2013, was $1.742 billion; and
WHEREAS, The county executive’s recommended Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program, released in January 2014, was $1.718 billion and included an assumption of new state-supported School Financing Bonds—$230.7 million—more than the annual state aid allocation; and
WHEREAS, The proposed state-supported School Financing Bonds were not approved by the Maryland General Assembly and, therefore, created a $230.7 million shortfall in the Board of Education’s Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program request; and
WHEREAS, As a result, the County Council’s adopted Fiscal Year 2015 Capital Budget and Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program for Montgomery County Public Schools totaled $1.528 billion for the six-year period, $214 million less than the Board of Education’s request; and
WHEREAS, The reduction in funding resulted in a one-year delay of all individual school projects not under design or construction; a one-year delay, beyond the Board of Education’s request, for elementary school revitalization/expansion projects; and a one-year delay of secondary revitalization/expansion projects in the Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program; and
WHEREAS, These vital capacity and revitalization/expansion projects could be restored to the Board of Education’s requested schedule if the Maryland General Assembly would adopt legislation in the 2015 session to approve this new funding source; and
WHEREAS, The superintendent of schools’ recommended amendments are $220.8 million more than the adopted Capital Improvements Program and will prepare state and local officials to once again push to adopt legislation that would provide additional state funding for our construction program; and
WHEREAS, The superintendent of schools’ recommendation restores the schedule for all individual school projects that were delayed one year in the adopted Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program, restores the schedule of elementary school revitalization/expansion projects that were delayed one year beyond the Board of Education’s request, and restores the schedule for secondary revitalization/expansion projects that were delayed one year in the adopted Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program; and
WHEREAS, The superintendent of schools’ recommendation includes an additional $100,000 in Facility Planning to conduct a comprehensive high school capacity study in the Downcounty Consortium to determine where additional capacity could be constructed to relieve the
overutilization at the high school level in the consortium; and
WHEREAS, The adopted Capital Improvements Program includes expenditures for facility improvements at the Blair G. Ewing Center, the superintendent of schools’ recommendation is to relocate the Alternative Education Programs, currently housed at the Blair G. Ewing Center, to the English Manor facility, which is better suited to support the alternative education students and program with a scheduled completion date of August 2017; and
WHEREAS, Due to the county’s Smart Growth Initiative, the Montgomery County Public Schools Shady Grove Transportation Depot must vacate its current site; therefore, the superintendent of schools’ recommendation is to relocate the Shady Grove Transportation Depot to the current
Blair G. Ewing Center site and include an amendment of $32 million for the redevelopment of
the Blair G. Ewing Center site for the Shady Grove Transportation Depot, with a scheduled completion date of January 2019; and
WHEREAS, The Board of Education conducted public hearings on November 12 and 13, 2014, on the superintendent of schools’ recommendations for all capital and noncapital items for the Fiscal Year 2016 Capital Budget and Amendments to the Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program; now therefore be it
Resolved, That the Board of Education approves a Fiscal Year 2016 Capital Budget appropriation request totaling $435,981,000 and an Amended Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program request totaling $1.749 billion, as indicated in Attachment A; and be it further
Resolved, That the Board of Education approves the revised Fiscal Year 2016 State Capital Improvement Program request, as indicated in Attachment B, in the amount of $147,996,000; and be it further
Resolved, That the Board of Education approves the individual capital and noncapital items included in the Superintendent’s Recommended Fiscal Year 2016 Capital Budget and Amendments to the Fiscal Years 2015–2020 Capital Improvements Program; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this resolution with its attachments be transmitted to the county executive and the County Council.
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Attachments