For Immediate Release: Wednesday, February 28, 2024
The Education and Culture (EC) Committee will meet on Thursday, Feb. 29 at 9:30 a.m. to review the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-30 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The committee will also review a more than $9.5 million amendment to the FY23-28 CIP and supplemental appropriation to the FY24 Capital Budget for the expansion of Northwood High School. Additionally, the committee will receive an update on the MCPS financial report and Employee Benefit Plan (EBP) fund.
The members of the EC Committee include Chair Will Jawando and Councilmembers Gabe Albornoz and Kristin Mink.
The joint Health and Human Services (HHS) and Economic Development (ECON) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to review Bill 42-23, Health and Sanitation - Menstrual Products in Public Restrooms – Required, and its companion resolution, and Bill 44-23, Human Rights and Civil Liberties - Prospective Employees - Health Care Privacy.
The members of the HHS Committee include Chair Albornoz and Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke and Laurie-Anne Sayles.
The members of the ECON Committee include Chair Natali Fani-González and Councilmembers Marilyn Balcombe, Evan Glass and Sayles.
The ad hoc Executive Director Recruitment Committee is scheduled to meet in a proposed closed session on Friday, March 1 at 10:30 a.m., under Maryland Code, General Provisions Article, Section 3-305(b)(1)(i). The topic is the appointment of an employee over whom the Council has jurisdiction.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Montgomery County Public Schools FY25-30 Capital Improvements Program Review
Review: The EC Committee will hold its second meeting to review the FY23-28 CIP for MCPS. At this meeting, the Council will review non-recommended reductions that the Chief Operating Officer transmitted to the Council on Feb. 13 and review the countywide projects proposed in the Board of Education’s CIP. At the first meeting held on January 18, the EC Committee received a briefing from about the board’s proposed CIP and the Executive’s macro CIP assumptions and recommendations. The committee also received an update on enrollment trends, Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) information and state aid for school construction assumptions.
The Board of Education’s proposed FY25-30 CIP includes 36 projects. The request total is nearly $2 billion. This level of funding is $91.8 million, or 4.8 percent, higher than the FY23-28 amended CIP of $1.91 billion. The request includes three new projects at Mill Creek Towne Elementary School, James Hubert Blake High School and Paint Branch High School. In addition, the request includes five new major capital projects at Eastern Middle School, Cold Spring Elementary School, Damascus Elementary School, Twinbrook Elementary School and Whetstone Elementary School.
The County Executive’s Recommended FY25-30 CIP has the same six-year total as the amended FY23-28 CIP, which is nearly $91.2 million lower than the board’s request. The recommended CIP for MCPS assumes undesignated cuts and deferrals with only technical changes to projects. The recommended CIP only includes macro level expenditure assumptions. The Council will need to specify these cuts and deferrals and find expenditure savings or revenue increases in the board’s proposed CIP to meet the County Executive’s spending assumptions.
Review: The EC Committee will review a more than $9.5 million FY23-28 supplemental appropriation and FY23-28 CIP amendment to address increased material and labor costs for the Northwood High School Facility Upgrade construction contract. The increase is needed to allow MCPS to sign a contract for the construction of this project including prevailing wage costs which will maximize state aid for the project.
The project would increase the capacity of Northwood High by approximately 1,200 seats, for a total capacity of 2,700 students. The project will require the construction of additional classrooms, the reconfiguration of existing spaces and upgrades to building systems to accommodate the increased student population.
The approved Northwood High School project has a total cost of $203 million with the originally scheduled completion date in August 2026. The Board of Education’s FY25-30 Proposed CIP and the County Executive’s FY25-30 Recommended CIP now includes a $5 million cost increase for a total project cost of more than $208 million and an updated completion date scheduled for August 2027. The cost increase is offset by an additional $5 million in state aid as reflected in the amended FY23-28 project description.
Montgomery County Public Schools Financial Report and Employee Benefit Fund
Review: The EC Committee will review the most recent monthly MCPS financial report and discuss the projected year-end status of the EBP fund. MCPS prepares monthly reports which include actual and projected year-end revenues and expenditures by category for the operating budget. These reports are presented to the Board of Education monthly and transmitted to the County Executive and Council. The EC Committee reviews these reports several times per year.
The most recent MCPS financial report was presented to the Board of Education on Feb. 6, 2024, and reflects financial conditions as of Dec. 31, 2023. For FY24, revenues are projected to have a year-end surplus of $6.6 million and expenditures are projected to have a surplus of $1.85 million, for a total projected year-end surplus of $8.45 million.
The committee will also review reported concerns about the level of claims and cost expenditures in the EBP fund. MCPS is largely self-insured and the EBP fund pays the cost of health care claims for MCPS employees, retirees and other covered members. County policy is for all County agencies to maintain a five percent fund balance in their group insurance fund. To maintain this fund balance, on Feb. 6, 2024, the Board of Education approved a request for an FY24 supplemental appropriation of $5 million for the EBP fund. There is currently $8.23 million available to MCPS in unappropriated funds.
Bill 42-23, Health and Sanitation - Menstrual Products in Public Restrooms – Required
Review: The joint HHS and ECON Committee will review Bill 42-23, Health and Sanitation - Menstrual Products in Public Restrooms – Required, and its companion Board of Health resolution that would adopt the requirements of the bill as a Board of Health regulation. Bill 42-23 would require places of public accommodation to provide menstrual products in certain public restrooms at no charge to users. Places of public accommodation include, but aren’t limited to, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, retail establishments, theatres and places of public assembly and entertainment. The lead sponsor of Bill 42-23 is Councilmember Jawando.
Bill 44-23, Human Rights and Civil Liberties - Prospective Employees - Health Care Privacy
Review: The joint HHS and ECON Committee will review Bill 44-23, Human Rights and Civil Liberties - Prospective Employees - Health Care Privacy, which would limit inquiries by employers regarding certain health information of prospective employees. In addition, the bill would prohibit inquiries by employers regarding certain sexual and reproductive health information of prospective employees, limit consideration by employers of certain health information of prospective employees and permit enforcement by the Office of Human Rights and the Commission on Human Rights. The lead sponsors of Bill 44-23 are Councilmembers Albornoz and Luedtke. Councilmembers Sidney Katz, Council Vice-President Kate Stewart and Councilmember Jawando are cosponsors.
Ad Hoc Committee on Executive Director Recruitment
Proposed Closed Session: The ad hoc committee on Executive Director Recruitment intends to meet in closed session to discuss the appointment, employment, assignment, promotion, discipline, demotion, compensation, removal, resignation or performance evaluation of appointees, employees, or officials over whom it has jurisdiction, under Maryland Code, General Provisions Article §3-305(b)(1)(i). The topic is the appointment of an employee over whom the Council has jurisdiction.
The purpose of this ad hoc Council committee is to evaluate the role and responsibilities of the Council's executive director position and make decisions about the recruitment process. The work of this temporary committee coincides with Council Executive Director Marlene Michaelson's decision to leave her post in 2024.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. View the current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review on the Council website.
Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.
Release ID: 24-073